Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-14

| this region. mere ain d MUSE Oh oN4Ai
here that don't rent for an easy eight
thousand a year. And those that amt
rented belong to millionaires. Where
are you steering me?'
June paused uncertainty. This farce
could not go on much longer. Meeks
was beginning to grow suspicious
There could no longer be any DOUBT Oh
that The girl looked about her in deS-
peration.
snlit into a "Y." At the left 1t con-
/ tinued at its present level Al tne
right ran a flight of forty marple
steps. leading downward to a terraceo
avenue one tier below the boulevard
on the city's hillside.
And then, as ever Of late in her mo-
ments of direct need, an inspiration
came to the girl. 1t was an lnsplra-
ton, which a week earlier, couId never
by any possible chance have occurred
TO her. Indeed, even now, she found
berseIf dazedly marveling at it-revolt-
ing at the idea it presented; yet oooly
powerless to resist it,
Once more she took up her former
brisk stride; the grumbling Meeks close
behind her. AS they came to the fork
of the boulevard she halted again.
well" growled Meeks, which way
now?"
She pointed GOWN the 1Oh5 AAA6HN ~
marble steps, snowy in the vivid moon
light. The man hesitated. She glanced
at him and saw the reason. His eyes
were fixed in stupid wonder at the
right hand with which she was point
ing. on the surface of the mana
cleaned the Red Circle; necessarily dis
tinct in the clear light.
June caught the policeman roughly
by the arm with her other hand, point
H. AAT
them, and started down the steps at
run.
Fearful of losing sight of the precious
coat, the policeman also broke into
numbering run, protesting;
Hey, go easy therei What's your
harry? Want me to break my neck?'
Even as he spoke June planted her
feet firmly on one broad step and came
to an abrupt standstill. Meeks could
not check his own speed as suddenly.
So he lunged ahead step or two
AS he numbered past her the girl
deftly swung her stick, holding it by
the ferule end. The crook handle
caught Policeman Meeks neatly around
the left ankle.
At the same instant June braced ner-
self and jerked backward with the stick.
1t was a trick she had seen hockey
players use, when the referee was not
LOOKING. Always II iidu WI hCu " q
charm; but never before as completely
as now.
Policeman Meeks six feet of height
and Policeman Meeks' one hundred and
seventy pounds of weight, driven on by
his impetus, shot forward into space;
his balance irretrlevably lost.
Policeman Meeks' body smote the
stairway about six steps further down;
bounded in air; missed step or two;
~ 4. ,avxx ", nd
proceeded to roll rapidly down the re-
naming twenty-four steps; stopping
only when, at the bottom, it rolled into
a stone bench with a force that drove
nearly every cubic inch of breath out
of Policeman Meeks inflated lungs.
For a bare half second the patrolman
lay there, half stunned and breath
less. Then he scrambled groaning1y to
his N-et, sore all over. Before he was
fairly off the ground he drew his re-
volver.
A glance above showed the white
stairway was empty. Limping, swear
ing, moaning, he hobbled upward to
the boulevard above, pistol in hand.
But at the summit, the street in
both directions lay vacant and silent
under the flood of moonlight.
''Gone! croaked Policeman Meeks,
still catching his breath with diff
the chief say to me! Lord, but 1 sure
must "a been born on q Friday"
Yama, the Travis Jap butler, was a
sentimental soul. Moonlight affected
him as it is supposed to affect tomcats.
But, instead of yearning to sit on back
fence and howl he had a less feline
and more picturesque fashion of greet
ing fair Lunar's rays.
1t was Yama's custom, on moonlit
his tin trunk in the storeroom and to
fare forth into the farthest reaches of
the Travis garden; there to lean pen
sively against a tree in the midst of
clump of shrubs, and his eyes on the
moon to play sentimental and hideous
Japanese melodies to it,
The sound was horrible but it sooth-
ed the heart of the exiled Yama; AMI
always brought up before his mental
vision a picture of fragrant cherry
blossoms. of swaying temple bells, of
homeward winging white storks against
a blue Nippon sky-of homeland of
Kyoto geisha girl who wore her sash
with the bow in front and who had
robbed him, on one blisstul evening, of
seventeen yen.
Tonight, Yama was tootling away
right dreamfully. when the sound of
cracking bushes broke in upon his
music. He lowered the long flute and
looked about him. He heard the crack
ling sound again-this time nearer the
house.
He stepped out of the shrubbery
clump to investigate. Then the flute
fell from his nerveless fingers and ne
stared google eyed.
Across a patch of lawn figure was
running; its feet soundless on the turf
The figure reached the house. 1t paused
at the bottom of a vine trellis, then
sIillfully began to climb the trellis.
It reached a second-story balcony
stepped over the railing and began to
tumble with the long French windows
OF a. room. The windows opened and
the figure glided into the room' SOFTLY
closing the windows behind 1t.
The spell was broken. with yen OIL
alarm, Yama grabbed up MS ralleh
flute and dashed for the house. A sec
ond or so later burst unceremonlously
into the library where Mrs. Travis ana
Mary were sitting.
"'Scuse- - sputtered. Scuse,
please! But man climb up to honoraole
Miss Junes room"
WHAT" screamed Mrs. Travis and
Mary in one breath.
yes" painted Yama, his eyes roillhg
wildly. II see him. Whlle make
sweet music on this flute In garoen;
81 heard you," moaned Mary
tbougbt it was cats What's this you're
n