The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-12
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
 Max Lamar, Crime Specialist" re- len informing him of the release of Circle" Jim Borden, a notorious criminal, and asking him to keep a lookout for the man and his future activities. The name Circle" comes from the hereditary Red Circle" which appears on the right hand of one in each generation of the Bordens. The door of the warden's office opened.
 keeper stepped into the room. usher | ing in square-built man of 50. 1 The man with the keeper was clad fin
 an ill-fitting suit of gray; bearing in It's
 every badly cut line the unmistakable sign of "prison-made' | The powerful figure was lean; the | strongjawed face wore the prison pal Tor; the powerful shoulders had the prison stoop. Clothes, face and bearing stamped
 the man as societys foe and victim The dull fire that smoldered behind the deep set eyes gave scant hope of broken | or penitient spirit. 1P | Yet, in that heavy face were marks of | intellect character, power. The man might have used all three to rise to great heights. Instead, he had chosen to en- ploy them to sound the lowest depths | At sight of him, June's heart gave | queer little throb She did not know why.
 | The warden rose to his feet, smiling,
 and stretching out his hand to the new conner.
 Good by. Jim." he said pleasantly. T hope you're going to take brace
 this time. You can do it, if you try. There's plenty of chance for you vet, if"
 | Ills professionally cheerful voice | gradually died away and his out | stretched hand dropped to his side beneath the sullen contempt in the convict'g sunken eyes. Circle" Jim said no word in reply. He made no move to accept the prof
 fered hand. He simply stood in weary l impatience until the set speech should be done and he should be at liberty | to go.
 | A lock of the unkempt white mane that covered his great head fell down over his brow. Borden lifted & hand | to brush it back. June noted that it was his left hand. and that he kept | his right hand hidden in his jacket pocket. Then. as the warden ceased | to speak. the man turned to leave the room.
 den. This young lady wants to speak | to you" l Borden had reached the office door, But the keeper barred his way. Scowl- | ing. he turned to look at June The girl came forward, impu1sively. laying
 hand on his arm. You are going to let me help you"
 she pleaded. You are going to let
 me be of use to you-to be your ] friendT
 "Friendp grimly repeated Borden.
 the prison 'rasp" making his deep voice sound as though it needed oil- ing. Friend? Hellw PJf ' fn ho1v cI,a
 undaunted. T want you to make
 man of yourself It is not too late. If not for your own sake, then for your wife's-"
 A spasm of pain twisted the heavy | features. But at once he regained My wife," he said. shortly. "is | dead" "Oh, I'm so sorry! so sorry" said June in quick sympathy. "But-but | surely you have someone-some daugh- 1 ter or son-or son-for whose sake | you can live honestly. Some son, per-
 haps, for whom you can set a splendid example of manhood-of-" | Circle" Jim shook away her gentle hand, in violent shudder. His pale 1 lip twisted back into sudden wild
 beast snarl; before whose animal rage
 June involuntarily shrank. Then he l tolted from the room, pushing past l the keeper, who. after an inquiring glance at the warden, let him go. You see how he is. Miss Travis" l began the warden.
 l But June was not there. She had sped
 after the retreating convict. Mrs. Travis, ! worried at her daughters impetuous pur- | suit of such a hopeless case. bade the
 warden good-by and followed. l Meantime, as a guard threw open the gate leading from the prison to.the street outside, June caught up with Borden. l q hurt your feelings. I'm afraid" she
 accosted him timidly. as he paused a But I didn't mean to. Honestly. didn't. And I'm sorry. Please forgive me. MT. Borden"
 ] Speak up, you old grizzly!" ordered | the gate guard. as Borden merely glow
 cred down into the fower-face so appeal 1 ingly upraised to his. Speak up and ! thank the lady, you measly crook. Amt you got no manners at all? She" June silenced her loud-mouthed cham pion with pretty gesture of appeal; then
 went on, rapidly, as Circle Jim made | to turn away:
 " MT. Borden. I know how bitterly you must feel toward everyone But do want you to let me do something for you. If 1t angers you to have me talk ! to you. won't you at least take this to
 help you along until you can find steady | work?'
 AS she spoke, she drew from her wrist
 bag little roll of bills. and thrust
 them into the convict's calloused left hand.
 | The well-meant act scourged Borden, 1 from contemptuous apathy, into flaming
 rage. His gnarled fist gripped tight on
 the money, crushing 1t to wad. Then
 he flung it to the pavement and turned sharply away.
 l Again the girl sought to detain him. At ! her touch he wfirled savagely upon her his lips drawn back from his yellowed
 teeth. his left fist clenched and half
 raised as if to strike.
 I This was too much for the chivalrous gate used. He flung himself upon Bor-
 den. catching the upraised arm and | thrusting him back from the frightened girl. The thrust sent Circle Jim ca
 roming against clean-cut young man
 who had just rounded the corner toward the gate.
 "'Scuse me. MT. Lamar" began the guard He"
 Jim had recovered his balance and, disregarding the others. strode toward | June; muttering angry fncoherencesa Lamar, in one double gesture, slipped
 his own athletic body between the two and drew revolver from his hip pocket. He leveled the weapon at Borden who | instinctively threw up his hands. As he 1 did so. the guard pinioned him from behind.
 Here" said Lamar, brislkly, az he