Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-11
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curse But 1 failed. You escaped me. I
There was something so sinister in
the words that June felt a thrill Of ter
ror Jingle at her heart. The voice was
tinged with a tender longing as again
the wrath spoke:
"June-my little girl, whom 1 never
knew, in life-you must help me. You,
land YOU alone, can aid me now.
cannot rest until the circle is forever
gone While the curse endures, my
torture must endure. ] long for rest.
for eternal sleep. But there can oe
no rest for the dead while their evil
deeds live on. My sins live on in you,
poor daughter Of mine. And you alone
can crush the awful power of the Red
Circle ard give me rest. Your fate Is
in your own hands. Not only your
fate, but mine. You have the power,
if you will bue exert it, to"
He checked himself and turned his
fierce gaze in angry impatience toward
the door The door opened and Mary
looked in.
Returning from her purchase of sup
plies the old nurse had met Max La
mar, who had learned of Junes where
abouts and had FASTENED to her. Leav-
ing Lamar i'm the adjacent dining room
Mary had come to tell June of his
visit
Now, entering the room, she saw the
girl leaning back in her chair with
closed eyes This she saw and moth
ing else. She had no hint of the wraiths
presence.
The old woman tlptoed back to the
dining room, shutting the door softly
behind her.
1.-THE poor dear is asleep" she re-
ported to Lamar, in a whisper; 1 won't
disturb her She needs it."
AS soon as Mary left the room. Bor-
den drew close to the moveless June
once more.
1T is in your power to save us both,
daughter" he said, eagerly. you can
save us. You alone You can give me
the rest 1 crave.
81 was brought up to crime-to reck-
Iessness-to the companionship of out
casts" went on Borden. '"There were
but two clean influences in all my life
my mother and the wife / adored My
mother died before l could understand
now much it would have meant to her
if | had learned to live the life she
wished me to. My wife could have saved
me, through love. But she died. She
died when you were born. And after
that nothing mattered to me. 1 went on
and on. to the end
A spasm of pain marred his rugged
face.
with you il was different. From
babyhood, you were surrounded by
every influence for good. Every power
of environment warred valiantly against
the heritage curse. And that saved you
from committing sordid crimes, when
at last the curse overlook you. You sim
ned. But always you sinned that 9th
ers might be happy Never once did
you commit crime for your own profit
always to help others. This much the
good influences accomplished for you.
They could not wholly ward off the
curse. but they made your sins bless
ing to many unfortunates. And those
same good influences Will save you now
If you will nelp them.
You can conquer the curse by will
power" urged Borden. You can de-
stroy the evil that is in you. You can
save yourself and me. You can do this
IT will be a fearful conflict, but if you
exert all your will-power, you can win
Will you do this, June? Answer me-!
June longed to cry out TO him that
she would make the fight; that she
would strive with all her might to
stamp out the curse of the Red Circle.
But she could not speak.
The glowing eyes, peerlng down at
her in such frantic appeal, took on
look of baffled rage.
you will not speak? You will not
help me? You will not help yourself?'
stormed the wrath You are so dead
to your better self that you will not
make the effort which could save US
both?"
June writhed inwardly, trying to tell
him he was wrong-that he cruelty mis-
judged her-that she would do as he
had hidden her.
nd he wholly
it's gentleness, its note of tender en-
treaty. Into it crept bulldog snarl
of menace.
"My plea cannot move your he
rumbled. Then there is only one way
to end it. Even as | hoped, once before,
to destroy the Red Circle and it's curse.
Then, 1 killed myself and the lad L
thought was my son. If l had known
you were my daughter, you should have
died, too; even as now, you shall die!
The gnarled hands clutched at June's
full, white throat in murderous fury.
But the spectral hands-bodiless shad-
owy-were harmless against her warm,
living flesh.
Slowly the impotently murderous
hands withdrew their grip.
"My-my spirit hands have no power
against your human body" he snarled.
81 am helpless. 1t is my punishment"
He bowed his head In his arms; his
phantom body twitching with emotion.
Then, turning abruptly, without so much
as a backward look at the trance-held
girl, he melted through the closed door
and was gone.
For a moment June remained as he
had left her. Then she shuddered from
head to heel. Her great dark eyes
gradually opened They were horror
filled and wild.
Instinctively she raised her right
hand to her throat as If she had act
ually felt the pressure of the wraith's
murderous fingers. The hand she raised
was free from all trace of the circle.
Dazedly June got to her feet, glaring
about the room in abject fright. She
moved uncertainty a step or two. Then
her tense nerves giving away, she
shrieked aloud and reeled to the floor
in a dead faint.
Mary and Lamar, at sound of her cry,
rushed Feadlong into the room. They
flew to her aid, applying such restOra-
tives as were within reach. Presently,
the swooning girl came to herself Look
ing up, she encountered the nurses
loving, frightened old face.
"Oh, Mary" she gasped, trembling all
over, i've had such an awful dream
Such a horrible dream, Mary! Tiff it
was a dream! If it was a dream"
Charles Gordon, in the lounging room
of his club, read and reread the flaring
headlines that told of June Travis ar