Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-22

never would would even speak civil
word to any woman. No, no, Mr.
Lamar. you're barking up the wrong
tree. Jim Borden hadn't but one child.
I'll take a couple of thousand oaths
on that
And YET" pursued Lamar, alb
sently winding the shoestring around
his forefnger until the shoe itself was
lying loose in his palm, and yet-by
the way. had Jim any brothers or sis
ters2 Once in a generation the Red
/ Circle appeared, he used TO say. lie
/ may have been the one in his own
/ generations and the birthmark may
/ have been inherited from one of his
/ parents by one of Jim's nepheWs or
nieces."
.'NepheWs or nieces?' echoed Sam
/ his eye on the shoe around whose sole
/ Lamar's fingers were carelessly open
/ ing and closing. "Nephews or nieces?
Not him Jim was the only son of his
parents. He's told me so. Besides, l
! knew his mother-a widow woman
/ she was. And she used to say again
and again that she wished she'd had
other children besides jim, to care
/ for her when she was old. He was
| The only chick or child she had. Nope,
Jim hadn't any nephews or nieces,
Mr. Lamar And, by the way. if YOU
don't mind, I'll Just go on working
while we chat. If you'll hand me that
| shoe"
'Ill tell you why I ask said
Lamar, impressively, leaning forward
and emphasizing his words by tap
| ping the shoe against his knee. BE
cause / happen to know that no less
than two people in this very city to-
! day have the Red Circle on the backs
of their right hands"
WHAT" cried Sam in amaze, al
most forgetting the shoe in his aston
| ishment.
Two people," reiterated Lamar.
1.-TWO people. A man and a woman
Two clever crooks that the police
can't seem to corner. Each has the
Red Circle, and each seems to be
crook as dangerous as Jim Borden
himself That's why l came here TO
ask you if
He broke off and looked down with
sudden curiosity at the shoe he was
holding As he had been abstracted-
ly shaking it to and fro he had all
at once noticed that faint rattling
sound came from somewhere within
the shoe.
lie had turned it upside down as
he talked, expecting a pebble to roll
out. But the shoe was empty. He
shook it again This time he could
hear the rafting sound quite plainly.
He lifted the shoe to his ear and
shook it once more
There's something loose in the heel
OF this shoe" he said. something
that rattles like loose bit of metal"
Sam did not answer. Surreptitfous-
~ the cobbler had reached behind
him and had picked up the heavy.
short handled hammer with which
he had been working.
Holding the hammer covertly in
his hand. he balanced its weight and.
as his arm muscles tensed, he mea-
sured with his eye the exact distance
TO Lamars left temple One blow
would do il, but it must be quick
blow. a strong blow, sure blow
Murder was not one of Smiling
Sam Eagan's accomplishments. Yet
If Lamar should chance to stumble
on the secret of the hollow heel and
the brooch hidden therein it must at
once become a question of Max's
death or the cobbler's dearly priced
liberty, and, to Eagans mind. that
question was no question at all.
Wherefore he prepared to strike. Tt
would be easy enough to dispose OF
the body. thanks to that hidden back
and alleyway.
Yes" went on Lamar, there's
something rattles in this heel Just
as if there was a compartment inside,
with something lying loose in it."
He picked up an awl from the bench
and inserted 1t between heel-tap and
upper Eagan drew a long breath
and half-lifted the hammer.
Good morning, Sam" came a clear
young voice from the doorway. I'm
going not of town for the summer |
stopped in on my way to the station
to see how you are getting on and to
tell you-Oh, how are you, Mr.. La
mar It's so dark in here. after the
sunshine. | didn't see you"
The spell was broken. The tension
was relaxed Lamar, AT the sight of
June Travis, let the shoe tumble to
the floor forgotten, as he sprang up
to greet her. Sam laid down the
hammer with a grunt of reaction.
As Lamar strobe forward to meet
June the cobbler thrust the shoe in
To the breast of his own shirt and
substituted for it another one from a
nearby pile on the floor.
Then he numbered to his feet and
waddled forward to pay his respects
to his lovely guest, who was chatting
animatedly with the yisibly fasci-
mated Lamar.
How are things going. Sam" ask
ed June cheerily. turning from Max
as the eobbler reached her side. rs
the rheumatism any better? And do
people pay their bills any more
promptly"
The rheumatism is pretty bad
miss. said Sam, with fine show of
1 courage, but ! can stand it. The
/ doctor did 1t a lot of good last month:
i but he won't give me any more treat
ment he says. till l pay the $25 | owe
/ him on his last bill. SO guess I'll
! have TO grin and bear it awhile
/ longer"
You poor old thing" said June, in
quick sympathy Indeed YOU shall
not grin and bear it another day.
Here" taking three bills from her
/ handbag pay that cranky bear of a
| doctor this very morning and have
/ him give You treatment Tell him to
! send his next bill to me. | must go
I now. My mother and Mary are
| waiting for me in the car. outside
there, Good-by. Sam: good-by, Mr.
/ Lamar"
But Max would not be dismissed in
| this fashion. He insisted on going
4 to the ear with her, and, on the way,
he managed to angle successfully for
an invitation to call on her at the
/ Surfton cottage.
After which he stared at the auto
mobile until it bore her out of sight.
+ Then he wandered on down the
street. planning busily-not for the
solving of the Red Circle mystery,
/ but TO discover some way of arrang-
! ing his work so as to leave him an
entire afternoon and evening free for
/ Is4 l..
! Sam Eagan and the mysteriously
rattling shoe were quite wiped from
his mind.