Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-27


hand he held prisoner. She found her
self sinking to her knees beside Lamar's
chair. She no longer dared meet the
glow in his eyes lest she lose all hold
over her reserve and tell him of her
love. She turned her gaze from him and
l<nelt there, drinking in his every word
staring raptly into space as if into fairy
land.
Il love you!" Lamar was saying over
and over. Il love you, June, my sweet
heart. oh. / love you!'
The girls heart was beating madly.
Her pulses were tingling; her brain was
afiame In vain she tried to remind her
self that she was a criminal, an outcast
that she had no right to listen to him
that she, the Red Circle thief, was be-
meath his respect-that it was not for
her to let an honest man ruin his life
, by loving her.
HE loves me! He loves me! The
man / love loves met
June could not stir, she could not
speak. Kneeling there, her breath
coming quick and irregularly, she lis
tened.
eff you will try to care for me-just
a little, little Bit" he was urging, III
spend my whole life trying to be
worthy of you; trying to make you
happy. June--my darling-tell me you
love me! Tell me"
His imploring words fell silent in
the very midst of a sentence. He had
started to raise her little white hand
to his lips. AS he did so. his eyes for
the first time left her face.
He glanced down lovingly at the un-
resisting hand he had lifted
And there, on it's satiny surface
glazed and throbbed the hideous Red
Circle.
-. --,,.1 ora, bis axas Glazed with
horror. his body frozen into moveless-
ness, the man stared DULY, unbelieving-
Nv. at the frightful scarlet stain. For
an instant he could not speak nor sur
He felt as though he were In some
damnable nightmare from when ne
must presently awake.
Beads of cold sweat gathered on mis-
forehead. His blood-shot eyes seemed
starting from their sockets. The Red
Circle. The Red Circle. And on the
snowy hand of the girl he adored!
His mind. usually so lightning QUICK
en- deadly sure, could for the moment
grasp no more than that one olastlhs
truth. ,,...-,
The Red Circle was on June Travis
hand She was the mysterious woman
the woman in black-the yelled woman
the Red Circle lady-the lnherlter ol
lin Bordens crime-curse! She-June
June had listened spellbound to MS
! ardent love-avowal. Now, as he ceased
70 sneak, she turned her face slowly to-
ward him. The love in her eyes was no
/ longer hidden from him. 1t was ms TO
see-to know-if he chose to.
But she found he was no longer look
| ing at her face. l twas her right mana
! at which he was staring with SUCH DUMP
| hxedness. Her own gaze-dreamy with
| -fn1lOXVpn the direction
| of his.
She looked down at her hand that his
| cold fingers still grasped. And she saw
the Red Circle.
With a wordless cry she shrank back
and tried with all her might to snatch
away the discriminating hand from his
clasp. But his grip on it was TOO
| strong.
Slowly, Lamar raised his head. And
now, at last, their eyes met. There was
] no love, no yearning tenderness nor
blaze of passion in others look now
Each of them saw, in the others
glance, an agony of terrified shame
For fully a half minute-it seemed an
eternity-their eyes met and held one
another in that awful look OF terror.
Then Lamar spoke. His voice was
hoarse and broken.
"The-the Red Circle!" he croaked.
"You?"
She strove to speak But her parched
lips refused their duty. With a sudden
revulsion of feeling Max Lamar cast
her trembling hand from him and stag
gered to his feet, looking down at her;
his pain-sick eyes flashing with rage.
your he gasped, hoarsely. You!
"A thief? And you've played with me
--tricked me-used me as a cat's-paw"
Not! she walled. mo! oh, you
don't understand! IL can't explain-I
didn't mean toll couldn't help it,
| couldn't. oh, Max, for Gods sake,
don't look at me like that! l can't stand
| it! Dont-Max"
She was on her knees now, groveling
at his feet; pouring out broken entrea-
ties, hysterical pleas.
You tricked mel" he ragged. You
betrayed my trust!'
mo! No!' she wept convulsively.
"Oh, Max! I'm not what you think
ami Or, if 1 am, it isn't because 1
want to be. God knows how. I've
FIR me. If 1 could make you under
| stand"
Her voice was strangled with sobs
She buried her face in her arms and
gave herself up to an anguish of pas
| sionate weeping
Lamar sank into his chair again; the
first gust of his anger dying away as
| he watched the heartDroken girl at his
| feet. He bowed his head in hope
| less misery.
| And so for space they remained, no
word passing between them as they
covered amid the ruins of their Castle
of Happiness.
Just outside the arch of the library
| doorway crouched Mary-shuddering
aghast; dreading to go, fearing to stay.
| Peering cautiously around the egde
of the arch the old woman saw the two
! stricken lovers. She saw Lamars white,
drawn, countenance staring blankly into
nothingness. She saw the set look on
his face soften to utter wretchedness.
! Then, as his eyes fell on Junes
| crushed figure, the former love crept
| back, unbidden, into the mans visage.
Not the triumphant, eager love a few
| minutes before, but a stronger and
! deeper love; a love built firm upon the
| foundations of wrecked happiness-the
perfect love that casteth out fear
And Mary drew long breath of re-
| lief This man would not betray her
| darling's secret.
Inch by inch his hand crept out I'M
| til it rested on June's.
| Don't be unhappy, little girl" he
said, very gently. Il am going to shield
| you. Because 1 love you, dear. l."
His voice choked. June's hand stole
| into his. At her appealing pressure
he found words again.