The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-24
THIRD INSTALLMENT sNrM ENIIX YEARS AC0O

 tered the nurse once more, as June looked at her, dazed, incredulous.
 The ray of garish sunlight that had streamed in at the open French window making a path of gold across the floor of the boudoir, lost it's radiance.
 June, on her knees beside Mary, watched the light shrink and fade. The room suddenly became gray. She crept closer to her old nurse and threw her arms around her. Her right hand clutched the black-covered shoulder con vulsiyely.
 The whiteness of her flesh. against the black, material was, intensified by the circle of scarlet. It glowed with lurid brilliancy under her terrified gaze.
 You know about the Red Circle? Won't you please tell me?" she entreated You must know because I see you rec ognize it. Don't you see how terrible it is for me? Mary, won't you tell me?'
 The nurses army frightened around the slim young body. Unconsciously she lapsed into the soothing, automatic pat ting that she had used so often to put the baby June to sleep.
 uOn kHON,. idHHD. QOH kIOW anything, precious" she stammered.
 June drew back, within the circle of her arms and looked at her reproach- fully.
 Dear l know you so wellv' she said. You can't lie to me. You are not the sort that is made to lie well. Mary, it shows so plainly in your eyes-anyone could see you think you are doing me kindness to keep this secret from me whatever it might be--but you're not. I know how dearly you love me, and I ask you, on account of that love, to tell me whtat you know of this brand that is upon me. Won't you?'
 Trying desperately to evade the torrent of questionings, the nurse reached up, unclasped the clinging arms and rose from the chair
 Her face took on the haggardness of one who is awakened from what seemed to be gruesome nightmare only to find that it is a grim truth The vague, haunt ing dread that had pursued her for 20 years was no longer a purSuer-huge and real it blocked her path.
 She turned from the kneeling figure and went quickly through the door and down the stairway, one hand pressed to her throat.
 June looked after her, stunned by swift, certain fear. Then, slowly she rose from her knees, walked over to her dressing table and sank into the little chair before the mirror.
 For several seconds she stared blankly at a reflection of her, not realizing that it was hers. The eyes were dull and wide, the lips parted stupidly. Obedent to habit, she raised a hand to smooth her disarranged hair-the mirror flashed back the red circle on it's white back ground.
 At sight of it June jumped to her feet and ran from the room. At the top of the stairway she stopped suddenly, leaning against the balustrade. On the lower floor, in the library, sat her mother reading.
 Whatever the secret, it must be kept from her. Mary had made that clear. But what could the secret be that con cerned June and not her mother? They had never had any important secrets from each other they two. And yet
 In a moment she had decided. Hum- ming softly, she ran down the steps and into the library. Mrs. Travis looked up from her paper and smiled tenderly as the mischievous face bent over her.
 Still reading, mumsie? Regular old bluestocking! Oh, only the newspaper who's dead dear? Honestly I can't find thing of interest in the old dailies-ex- cept perhaps news of the splendid work they're doing in the prisons. Politics and war news are so much Sanskirt to me. Where's Mary? Have you seen her? Where did she go?"
 My darling girl''-Mrs, Travis raised her hands in mock horror, will you ever cultivate the habit of waiting to have one question answered before you ask five others? Mary went through that door there. into the garden. not 10 min utes ago. Maybe she wants to run away from you and hide I don't blame her, if you lombard her with auctions the way"
 I'm going to catch her" She blew her mother a kiss from the tips of her fingers and ran out through the long window. On the veranda she scanned the grounds in search of the nurses trim, black-garbed figure Down a side path, in little clump of bushes was a stone bench Sitting on this bench. swaying to and fro with tightly clasped hands, was Mary.
 June ran down the steps and reached her side. breathless and alarmed. As