Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-28
EP~~
.CIEGLE


from her thoughts for the moment and
took 10 dreaming. The sun was warm.
the slow rise and fall OF the placid sea
was soothing: the day was meant for
dreams. She drifted on. smiling now
and then-sometimes startled from her
revery by the sharp Tapping of a sea
CULTS wings as it rose from the sur
face and sped away.
4 man on the beach. who had just
raised his glass to learn what the white
spot on the horizon might be. lowered II
again before he had a chance TO look.
Two excited individuals. talking TO each
other. had come across his line Of vision
i'm fact, one Of them had actually
stumbled over his white canvas foot
and have gone on without apology he
looked after the unmannerly chap, with
a half mind to follow and demand re-
dress.
He saw the fellow who had so gross
IL offended him approach group OF
girls Three of them in bathing SUITS
were talking to a remarkably pretty
fourth. who was sitting on rock III
spite OF his recent irritation, the man
could appreciate just how pretty this
Girl vas in her trim sailor suit ana
fetching hat. He wondered whether she
was a friend of the two awkward BOOTS.
III was strange that such pretty girl
could have such uncouth friends.
suddenly one of the fellows VINO
broke through the little group. abrupt
In. seized the right hand of the pretty
Girl looked closely At the back OF IL
ana dropped IL just as abruptly. Inc
girl her eyes blazing with anger
reached for the closed parsol that was
living al her side and raised 1t in mo
air TO strike. ....r,,e
The two men backed away Wy ne ne
sbiected apologies and loud protests DC
g. tho sudden onslaught OF Indignant
fo-,;ritv. then they broke into run
.nd made for the esplanade. Shpplhe
his marine glass into his coat poehe''
-. oplooker. amused. started in pur-
suit. -. cumming
au-a,- from anything, partly because
,.;.o sboes were Interestingly new
-, ,i.bt he found il impossible 10
80, nm with the fleeing pair. de saw
49,, sion suddenly; he saw the SAM
i,,nudeut fellow approach sHi' ~75
"a in a sailor suit, seize her rlsht nan TIC :.
scan its surface hastily, theh o'OP -
and attempt a getaway. Coz him
But the girl was too qulCH iV ,;nro5
80
tsnd she hung on, calling lot heip
80. .on of her lungs. a policeman
tIocL- distant came running Just
the curious onlooker reached the sPO'
n. saaroe down heavily on the shoul'
a.. ~ the offender and seized the arm
&c his vaiskered friend before the la''
ser had a chance to escape
You're under arrest Numbered the
natrolman. What d YOU mean, any
way, by walking around the streets an
noying ladies. eh?'
Il wasn't annoying ladies. argued the
souiruning prisoner. It's a mistake
never did such a thing in my life"
He did put i'm the Onlooker. He
inst did the same thing down there on
the beach. and the girl got after him
with her parasol. He fell over my
foot. too
ESQ YOU was annoying a lady on the
beach. too, was you? l guess you're one
of these here fly guys we gotta jug
every once in a while" proclaimed the
blue coat.
You are making one big mistake FOR
which YOU will be sorry interrupted
the foreign-loolxing older man of the
two. IF YOU insist upon OBTAINING us
the criminal will escape.
The younger man twisted his arm
free and reached into an inner pocket
Ora Wing out card case, he snatched
nit Of pasteboard. from il and showed II
under the smiling nose of this minion OF
the law.
That's who ] am" he howled fero-
ciously,. Todd Drew, son Of the great
inventor. Just now. when Count Freel
and l were talking business, in little
shack on the beach. some one barricaded
the door. reached in through a hole in
the wall and stole the plans of the
greatest war Invention the world mas
ever known They're worth a fortune.
ssVVho took 'em?" questioned the po-
liceman. mildly and disdainfully inter
ested.
How do We know?" screamed Drew,
shaking wild fist in the skeptical face
That's what we were trying to find out
The hand that reached in and grabbed
those papers was marked with Rec
CircIe-and the person (whoever II was
had on girls sailor suit.
Red Circle! Sailor suit! say, you
talk in chunks The officer was bent
on being derisive. of you know SO
much, why didn't you get 'em2'
81 would have, if the hellcat hadn
started iabbing me with a hatpln. LOOK
AT my hand"' Drew held the pierced
swollen member up for inspection. May
be you think Ian taking that. too, en-.
That woman had on a sailor suit-that $
why I've looked at the hands Of these
women. I'm looking for the Red Cir
cIe.''
i corroborate all he says. added the
count. hastily. 81 wish to say
Well your story sounds grand"' de-
cIded the policeman, but 1 think you're
both liars. So, come along with me- and
nv and by YOU can tell il to the judge.
The police of this town have been guyed
long enough. Just you come along with
me. Sec
An hour later Harry Gage, Lamar :
confidential clerk, came into his en-
ployer's private office and handed the
crime specialist a telegram that read;
'.SurftOn. Aug. 2.-Mr. Max Lamar,
5I2 Black building. Fother's war in
strument plans stolen. Circular birth
mark on back of hand only clue. / am
held by police here on charge of annoy
ing girls. Come at once.
TODD DREW
Lamar's brows contracted suddenly
as he read, Circular birthmark" The
Red Circle, Of cOurse-and at Surfton,
The cleverness of this crook. her un-
canny appearances and disappearance
irritated him more than anything in
his entire sleuth experience. 1t is eN-
ssperating to be hoodwinked by man