The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-01
FOURTEENTH INSTALLMENT
 JUDGMENT DAY

Of course, it was dream-a vision bred of terror, of suspense, of long, continued nerve strain. At least so June always tried, in later days, to make herself believe.
 But she had not been aware of fall ing asleep. She was sitting there in the squalid little living room of the flat; breeding miserably over the fu- ture;, and, seemingly. wide awake. Yet, unconsciously, as she sat there. she may have dozed.
 For, as clearly as ever in her life she had beheld anything, she saw. Circle Jim" Borden come into the room.
 Yes, Circle Jim" Borden, whose mortal body had been lying in the pot ters' field this many day.
 "June," breathed the wraith's voice q am your father-your father who died. There is no death, save to the body. And I have come back to you. I have come back because I cannot rest. You alone can give me rest, my daughter"
 He paused. And still that strange paralysis held June spellbound.
 q sought to wipe out forever the Red Circle curse. I sought it by ending the lives of those who bore that curse But failed. You escaped me-"
 The voice was tinged with s tender longing as again the wrath spoke:
 "June--my little girl, whom I never knew, in Hfe-you must help me. You, and you alone, can aid me now. I can- not rest until the circle is forever gone. While the curse endures my tor ture must endure. l long for rest--for eternal sleep. But there can be no rest for the dead while their evil deeds live on. My sins live on in you, poor daugh- ter of mine. And you alone can crush : the awful power of the Red Circle and give me rest. Your fate is in your own hands. Not only your fate, but mine. You have the power. of you will but exert it, to save us. You alone. You can give me the rest I crave. T was brought up to crime-to reck- lessness--to the companionship of out casts,' went on Borden. There were but two clean influences in all my life my mother and the wife I adored. My mother died before I could under stand how much it would have meant to her if I had learned to live the life she wished me to. My wife could have saved me, through love. But she ded
 She died when you were born. And after that nothing mattered to me. I
 went on and on, to the end.' A spasm of pain marred his rugged face.
 With you it was different. From babyhood, you were surrounded by ev- cry influence for good Every power of environment warred valantly against the hereditary curse. And that saved you from committing sordid crimes, when at last the curse overlook you. You sinned But always you sinned that others might be happy.
 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 ths It will be 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.
 You will not speak? You will not help me? You will not help yourself?" stormed the wrath.
 My plea cannot move you?" he rumbled. Then there is only one way to end it. Even as hoped. once be- fore. to destroy the Red Circle and it's curse. Then I killed myself and the lad I thought was my son. If l had
 known that 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
 bands withdrew their grip.
 "My-my spirit hands have no power against your human body' he snarled. q am helpless. It 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 l had left her. Then she shuddered from
 head to heel Her great dark eyes grad
 ual'y opened. They were horror-filled and wild.