Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-16
3D.
.GCIRGLE. .

Z lis that anNOne'S business
Il choose to make IT mine"
The chief turned TO Lamar.
Its strange" he mentioned. casually,
how some women. even though they're
sairIy attractive. haven't the knack of
getting men To propose to them"
Alma rose TO the bait.
lis that sO?' she sneered. Il could
,Eave married some of the richest men
in this town if Ia wanted TO. Real
sports with all the coin there is
$50? Well as long as YOU didn't,
YOU must have ample means of support.
How do you get your living. Miss La
Salle?7
Il have an income
From what sort of investment?
/ S-stcCks--mortgages
| "Er -mor-Sages."
/ All. the safest sort OF an investment
providing they are rirst MORTGAGES
So that's where your income comes
FROM"
Yes. SAY. what are you driving at.
lanyhow2 What have all these fool
Questions got TO 90 with my arrest? l
want YOU TO let me go-and so quick"
| Don't be impatient urged Lamar
I''We're just as anxious to get rid of you
as YOU are TO go But let's drop this
Larry repartee and get down to cases.
Who are you working for. Alma? No
woman Of your cut is on her own. She's
got boss Who is he? Drop a hint
and we may grant YOU immunity"
"Squeal-eh?
suddenly, overhead a gong started
ringing. The woman jumped from her
chair. Lamar caught her and pushed
/ her back into il.
1T sounds like the hurry-up cart,
doesn't il Why should it startle you
SOP" asked Lamar quietly.
MY fault said the chief, twinkle
| In his eye. Must have pushed the
wrong button. Sorry" 4
"Yes you are!' Alma leaned forward
and glared at him viciously. You two
think you're putting me through the
third degree. don't you? Why, you're
a bunch of amateurs. Make me break
down? Lord. You haven't even got my
lgoat!'
"Oh. / think we have that, all right !
Lamar remarked with aggravating calm.
l"Now, I'm going to tell you a few
things. We've had you trailed for forty
Ieight hours Yes, that gets under the
skin, Ell? And all we want to know is
why you take the trouble to paint red
Icircles on your hand when you operate
so cleverly without them. What's the
use of doing things that'll help spot you
I-eh?'
Alma looked at him with an amused
smile -..
You may be talking sense" she re-
marked contemptuously. but to me
it sounds like they'd just let you out of
/ a bat factory"
You don't know anything about Red
Circles?"
Il 10 not"
The door opened suddenly. Two men.
one in uniform, entered and placed
suitcase on the chiefs desk. Alma
started forward in her chair.
Eyes. it's yours" soothed Lamar. I'VE
won't injure any of your things. We
/ Just want to take a look. They've just
brought it from your rooms"
Anything happen while you were
searching the fiat?" the chief asked the
plain-cIothes man.
Nothing much. The phone rang
When I answered il was mans voice
asked whether this was J-12S4. I said
/ 1t was. 1 heard him grunt like he was
surprised, maybe scared. Then he hung
up. I couldn't get him back on the
wire The worst of IL is. chief, that I
know that mans voice-onIy I couldn't
place 1T IT'S got "a funny, croaking
SOUND TO IT," .s-.-s.. =.
/ During this recital Lamar kept a
sharp watch on Alma. He saw her grip
the arms of her chair until the man
said he could not place the voice Then
she smiled, half in anger, half in tri.
umph.
That voice is her boss" he said to
I himself. Then ne opened the suitcase.
l He pulled out soft piles of silk lingerie
and tossed them on the desk.
say. have heart the way you han.
die those things" Alma said sharply.
They cost money"
You bet they do" Lamar answered
/ the command. Those first mortgages
are certainly good to you
His hand closed on something smooth
! and cold. He dragged IL out from be-
meath the folds of an embroidered XII
mono. 1t was a paint box; He fumbled
as he opened IL. because he did not want
/ to take his eyes off Alma's face. He
was SURPRISED to find that there was not
+ a CULVER of an eyelash.
/ once open. ne held up the box so the
/ light hit the surface of the little tabs
of paint.
Just as thought" he exclaimed.
gleefully. "On, you're not such a clever
| little Raffles after. all, Alma. You
see, chief. only the red paint has been
used. Wait a minute. I'll find the
sponge, then bent over Alma solicitous-
I ""
you see. If you'd been really smart,
he told her, you'd have smeared up the
other paints, too. Tnen you could say
that you were just an amateur artist
who went to Surfton to do seascapes."
Say. you think you're a wonder, don't
you?" she scoffed. Did you ever hear
of woman making up?'
Surely" he answered blandly. but
not with water color paints. I should
imagine it would be rather inconvenient,
Especially if one were given to washing
ones face"
Il use that way of making up my nos
trils and the lobes of my ears" she said
calmly. IT'S more artistic and delicate
than grease paint, especially in the day.
light"
Well approved Lamar. that's a
pretty good one-tell me some more"
The chief signaled the other two men.
They left the office.
We've got you. Alma" he said
/ firmly
Got me-nothing." she fired back 81