Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-23

Ket in place.
lie was bending over her as he ad-
justed the chaln. The perfume Oh ner
dark hair was in his nostrIls. IL Went
10 his brain like strong drink. thrill
surged through the man. HIS wonte1-
Iy cool nerves were tingle. His heart
peat like sledge-hammer.
All too soon-for nim-the chain
was in place. But mis- trembling hands
were loath to move away from ner. HIS
fingers gently touched the tendrl
curls at the back of her neck
He was standing behind her. Believ-
ing himself unseen, he stopped lower
until his lips rested lightly for an in
slant on the curls. June, looking In
the opposite oval of mirror, saw every
timing.
At the almost impet ceptible touch Of
his lips TO her hair she felt her breath
comes and go quickly. Something
strange-something terrifying yet bliss
fully happy-dawned all at once in her
soul
June he breathed tensely, bend
ing over until his face was close to-
hers. June! My
There was a step in the hallway.
Nary appear4i: lettering as II without
purpose, just outside the open library
doors. The spell was broken. June
came to herself with g. start, as though
II am afraid it is rather late" said
Lamar, forcing a commonplace tone in
to HRS agitated voice Good night, Miss
Travis 1 am glad to have been able
to get back your pendant for you. And
I'm sorry to have had to tell you your
| reformed friend. Sam Eagan, is still
crook and is a fugitive from justice.
Good night"
He was gone-leaving June staring
aFf har vrid a WiGtfull
longing. Mary came forward and caught
both her ice-cold hands.
"Oh, my baby! my baby" murmurel|
the old woman in keen distress. Il
saw It.. 1 saw II all. He's in love with
you? And-God help us!-you're in love
with him.
I'm mott" denied June with a sud
| den vehemence. I'm not! I'm. not!
Patrolman OHars-newest member of
Surfton's diminutive police force-wasI
walking his beat in a. disconsolate frame
of mind. Patrolman O'Hara. was in love.
| The brilliant summer moon, tonight.
brought him momentary visions of the
girl he wanted to marry. But common
sense brought him far more clear Wis
ions of her obdurate old father, who
would not hear of such marriage until
Patrolman OHara should win promo
| tion. '..
And, in a dead-and-alive suburb like
| Surfton, what earthly chance was there
| for promotion? There were few crimes
TO thwart or to detect in this peaceful
resort. There were no lives to save
except of cramp-smitten swimmers, and
the coast guard looked out for that. No,
he might stick to this dreary Job for
another ten years without being pro-
noted.
Patrolman O'Iara sighed Luck was
lodging him. That was certain. Yet
he was forever looking for chances to
distinguish himself. For instance only
this very evening. a circular about a
famous metropolitan crook had arriv-
ed at the Surfton police station. O'Hara
had read it six times. He had studied
the picture of the crooks face until he
felt he would know IT a mile away.
But what good would that do? There
was no chance that such an illustrious
ornament of the metropolitan under
world as Smiling Sam" Eagan would
drift into a place like Surfton. No pos
sible chance that he
Patrolman O'Hara turned a corner
and came to a standstill as abruptly as
! If he had run into a stone wall Fifty
feet ahead of him was an all-night
lunchroom-the only place on the block
whose window lights were still burn
ing.
In front of the lunchroom was a
blackboard menu, setting forth the de-
lights of various stodgy dainties at a
comfortably low price.
Patrolman O'Hara had not studied
that police circular for nothing. At a
glance he recognized the man beside the
blackboard menu. 1t was the crook
whose rogue's gallery photograph was
reproduced on the circular.
1t was Smiling Sam" Eagan.
Patrolman O'Hara had visions again
this time visions of swift promotion
His chance had come! He stepped for
ward.
At sight of him Eagan wheeled and
began to shuttle away into the COM
parative darkness of the moonlit
street That was quite enough for Pa
trolman O'Hara. With a shout, he
gave chase. -t~.-.
Sam, at the sound of the quickened
steps behind him, broke into run. Pa
| trolman O'Hara's last doubt vanished
Innocent men do not run when a police
man gives chase. At least, not inno-
cent men who bear so striking a resem-
blance TO the police photograph of
Smiling Sam" Eagan.
Patrolman OHara whipped out his
pistol. Hating Everybody but a fool
knows the perilous .uselessness of fir
ing when one is running). the officer
pulled the trigger. The roar of the
heavy-caliber shot split the silence of
the summer night
A second time he fired Sam did not
check his run. Lowering his revolver,
Patrolman O'Hara got his own long legs
into motion and sprinted in pursuit.
Long legs must ever win a race
against short. Speedily Patrolman O'Hara
gained upon his quarry, as Sam dashed
aimlessly up one street and down an
other. Presently he was almost with
in an arms length of the putting fugi-
tive Another ten seconds and his hand
would be on Eagan's collar.
Haiti. bawled O'Hara. Halt, or I'll
shootw 1
Sam turned in at the entrance of an
alley and with final squirt of speed
ran up the alleyway. O'Hara close be-
hind. The policeman's finger was on
the trigger. He lacked the patience to
run his winded man down Instead. he
made good his threat by firing again.
lPurposely he aimed high. but he was
no marksman. and the effect of his bull
let filled him with the widest conster-
nation.
| For Smiling Sam" swerved sharply.
In his run, gave a coughing cry. stag
gered forward upon his knees, half rose.
then tumbled prone upon his face in the
mud of the alley.
Good Lord" groaned Patrolman