Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-14

Presently, in the deatnlock, Lamar
fingers found the catch that held the
pistols cylinder in place. One sharp
pressure and he had BROKE" the revol-
ver sending the remaining cartridges
pattering harmless TO the floor.
Jim released his hold on the useless
weapon and snatched with both hands
for Lamar's throat. But before the grip
could be gained or guarded, he recoiled
a step: his eyes CLASSY and staring;
| his wild gaze fixed on something behind
Max.
Up through the trapdoor two police
men were climbing-summoned BY
| Spudsy as they had stood, chatting to-
gether on Il street. corner.
With a roar Of fury, Borden snatched
| UP the overturned table and hurled it
with all his force at the charging po-
iicemen; then followed up that brief adj
vantage By making a dash for the un-
guarded trapdoor.
The foremost policeman caught the
flung table glancingly on his appraised
arm. staggered under the impact, then
drew his pistol and turned to help his
comrade who had grappled Borden at
the very entrance to the trap.
Lamar did not join in the triple fight.
His keen nostrils had caught the smell
| OF escaping gas. lie remembered all at
oncs what Borden had said: MY son
is in that bedroOm-dying!" And he
ran to the bedroom door, opened it and
entered.
The two policemen, stalwart as they
were, found Circle" Jim Unexpectedly
tard to subdue The old man was fight
ing like beast at bay. Nor was he
fighting to escape. For he made no
move to tear himself free from his OPP
pOnents.
Instead, he seemed to be trying TO get
hold of the pistol that one Of the two
policemen still held. He did not sue
coed in tearing the gun away from the
policeman But he did manage to catch
the latter's pistol hand In both Of his
own.
Then-while the double weight of his
foes was upon him and while both men
battled sturdily to force him to the
ground-Jin Borden called on every
ounce of his great strength for one FL
nal effort.
Like Samson, of old, he put forth his
power of muscle. And, before his cap
tors could so much as guess his intent,
he had twisted the policeman's hand
toward him, so that the pistol nuzzle
pressed against his own body just above
the heart.
The same wrench enabled jim to force
aside the policeman's trigger finger. His
own forefinger slipped inside the trig-
ger guard.
One pressure Of the finger and the
shot was fired.
The policemen relaxed their hold, rs
jim Borden spasmodically leaped in air
and staggered backward, a IA bullet
through his heart.
The big body hurtled to the floor and
lay there.
circle" Jim Borden, cornered. had
III, toll
with which his opponents had sought to
overawe him. He lay stone dead. His
right hand YVES convulsively clenched
above the wound on his breast. AS the
Mortified policemen watched, the angry
color Of the Red Circle on the back Of
the hand gradually faded into the same
livid hue as the rest of the flesh.
The officers were reused from the
monentary reaction followed their death
battle by the appearance of Lamar, who
reeled out Of the bedroom, a gush Of pun
gent gas-reell enveloping him.
In his arms, Max bore lifeless body
The body of Ted Borden.
Entering the bedroom, Lamar had been
well-nigh overcome by the fumes of gas
that by this time turned the tiny place
into veritable aspnyxiation chamber
He had caught up the one rickety chair
and, sitting and dizzy, had smashed
OpcAA AAAG NlhuON Will H. <AllGI IGSAlllllS
out for a moment, to get back his breath
and to steady the whirligig of his brain,
he had crossed to the bed. seized Ted's
limp body and had borne il out to the
purer air Of the next room.
There he laid the hoy beside his IA
ther, and, kneeling felt his pulse and
listened at the narrow chest for sound Of
heartbeats.
Presently he arose, a new solemnity
T. U, AZ ,1-
ranting officers, he said, very quietly:
our work here is done. They are
both dead. 1t is--it is the end of the
Red Circlei'
The double inquest was over. The
last report was made. Max Lanar's
work of keeping an eye" on jim Bor-
den was finished for all time.
From police headquarters he set out
toward his own office. The horror of
the Red Circle tragedy was still heavy
upon him. His own part in it and his
narrow escape from death had left a
mark on his unusually steady nerve.
He was tired of gruesome mysteries.
He wanted something to take his mind
OF the events of the past two days
June Travis had asked him to call.
He intended to take her at her word.
The girls image seemed strangely inn
pEtSSeu Oh MS ncdEl anu upon MS, every
thought. He had never felt this way
before about any girl. Yes, he would
call. This very afternoon.
It'll he good antijote," he told him
self. It'll make me forget that hideous
Red Circle. Thank the Lord, I'll never
have to see the damnable thing again.
It's gone forever"
Just then a limousine that had been
drawn up beside the curb. just in front
of him, started Off Carclessly, Lamar
glanced at it. He could not see the &C.
cupant. He had no special desire to see
them.
But he was attracted by the sight Of
woman's hand-white, shapely, dainty
that lay carelessly on the sash of the
cars open window.
At first, il was its beauty that drew
Max's notice. But, just at the instant
the limousine whizzed away, he had a
closer look. And a startled cry broke
from him.
For, wildly clear upon the snowy sur
face of the hand-back, glared the Red
Circle.
Lamar barely had time, as the car van
ished In a swirl of traffic, to catch sight
Of its number. With shaking fingers he
jotted down in his notebooks
car 1861. The Red Circle" ne
: babbled dazedly. The Red Circle
again.