The Washington times., 1916-01-18
Continued from Yesterday

gued the squirming prisoner
ITS a mistake. I never did
such thing in my life!"
''He did" put in the onloOker. He
just did the same thing down there on
the beach, and the girl got after him
with her parasol, He fell over my foot. |
too."
so you was annoying q lady OH the
beach. too. was you? l guess you're
one OF these here ny guys we s gotta Jug
bluecoat.
you are making one big mistake for
which you will be sorry" interrupted
the foreign-loOking older man OF the
two III you insist upon OBTAINING Us
the criminal will escape"
The younger man twisted his arm free
and reached into an inner POCKET.
Drawing out a cardcase, he snatched q
bit of pasteboard from 1t and showed II
under the shifting nose OF this minlon
OF the law. 49,, =,
ciously. Todd Drew. son OF the great
inventor. Just now. when Count treel
and were talking business. In httle
shack on the beach. someone barrlcaded
the door, reached In through hole III
the wall ana stole the plans OF the
greatest war invention the world has
ever known. They're worth fortune.
WHO took 'em?" questioned the po-
uceman, mildly and dlsaaInGuIly inter-
"Eow do we know" screamed Drew,
shaking a wild fist in the skeptlcai
face, ''Thats what we're trying 10
ttnd out The hand that reached IN ana
grabbed those papers was marked win
a Red Circle-and the person (whoeVer
il was) had on girls suit.
Red Circle! Sailor suit! Say, you
talk in cnunks!'' Tne oHlcer was benz
ON being derisive. "If you know SO
much, why didn't you get emT
Il Would have, IL the hellcat hadnt
started 1abbing me with hatpini o,cSd LooH
swollen member up for lnspecuon'
Maybe you think I'm taking that. too,
eh? That woman had on sallor SUIT
that's why I've looked at the hands
of these women. I'm looking Ior the
Red Circle!"
L corroborate all he says" added the
count, hastily. IL wish to Say
We'll, your story sounds grand!
decided the policeman, but l tnlnk
you're both liars. SO, come along with
me, and by and by you can tell IT TO
the Judge. The police of this town have
been guyed long enough. Just you come
along with me. Seer
An hour later, Harry Gage, Lamar
confidential clerk, came into his en-
ployer's private office and handed the
crime specialist telegram that read;
"Surfton, Aug. 2.-Mr. Max Lamar OH
Black Bldg:
"Father's war insCument plans
stolen. Circular birthmark on back
of hand only clue. ! am held by police
here on charge of annoying girls. 81
Come at once, TODD DREW"
Lamar's brows contracted suddenly
as he read, Circular birthmark!' The
Red Circle, of course-and at Surfton!
The cIeverness of this crook, her un-
canny appearances and disappearance
irritated him more than anything IN
his entire seuth experience. 1t is ex-
asperating 10 be hoodwinked by a
man criminal-but woman! The
humiliation Of it had begun to eat
N the nf hi9 homes
Gage watched the muscles of La
mars jaw bulge and ripple as he
gritted his teeth. The telegram
crumpled in his clenched fist With.
out a word he jumped to his feet
looked at his watch. took his hat from
the rack and made for the door, stuff
ing the yellow slip into his Goa
pocket.
On the threshold he turned sudden
80 ly and said:
I'm off to the beach-Surfton. Any
thing important comes up, phone Of
wire. Red Circle!
The door slammed noisily. Gag,
heard MaX's hurried footsteps eChoinl
down the tiled hall. This Red Circl'
business was getting on Cages nerves
too. 1t got the chiefs goat so com
pletely." AND whenever anything ir
ritated Lamar he was extremely peeV
ish to his employees. Gage wished
fervently that this trip might LAM
the slippery crook, so that thing
the office
And on the interurban train that wa
due ut Surfton al o'clock, Max Lamar
locking grimly from the window, wa
wishing the same thing. More. He ha
made up his mind that this time, If luc
was with him, there wouldn't be a singl
loophole for the criminal
The train stopped. A woman, slender
of dark complexion, mOdishly gowneC
and carrying a suitcase, climbed aboarC
AT another time Lamar would have bee
attracted to her as a type. Just no.
his impatience at the delay led him I
ignore her completely. He had Teache
tho stage where ne sat with his watcl
face up. in the palm of his hand, clicl
ing his tongue against the roof of h
mouth and shufiing his feet iratel
whenever passenger got aboard {
left the car. Once he smiled-as
realized that June Travis, too, was
Surfton, and that he might, by SON
rare good luck get a glimpse OF her.
over in one corner the woman watcl
ed him. With the acuteness of II
trained fiirt, she waited for the momel
when he should turn to surprise a !oC
of admiration I'm her eyes, to be In
modiately followed by a sudden blusl
ing confusion. 1t would be amusing
tlirt with the great Max Lamar. Bl
Max forgot to turn. As the car stoppt
~ Surfton she shrugged her shouIde
angrily and prepared to alight.
Lamar brushed past her in gre
haste She saw him jump from the ST
Of the car and run toward little grol
uf three men. one In a policeman's ur
form. lie grasped the hand OF Il
youngest of the three and shook
heartily,
"Its tho most terrible miN-up &
Croupd'" she heard this man say
Lamar 'II6avinC them holding n
for HnncvinC women, Say, for pw
iinhocilltv. recommend ne Ia thr T.
lice of a onc-horse burg like this! -,
''Sce here. you" lHterrupt"d Il
onlssary OF The law. thath d
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