Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-25
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be sure TO get the blame for il. It's
likely every woman's hand may be eX-
amined. Yours will have no sign of the
Circle on It. Thatll let you out. See"
And the good old hue-and-cry will go
chasing of after the mysterious Red
Circle woman. You'll be safe as
government bond. Get the icea.'
"Yesr' she cried. her nimble mind
grasping to the fun the simplicity and
cleverness of the scheme. Yes! Sam
you're n wonder,
, Chase home and get ready 10. catch
the 4 O'Clock train to Surfton. Come
here tomorrow with what you pick up
It's an extra job and IN pay you extra
rates on IL. so long, kid"
There was but one theme of import
among the summer idiers at Surfton-
by-the-Sea. June had not been at the
cottage an hour before she had heard
the whole story from Mary, who had
it from a neighOor. -
Ii seemed that TODD Drew, the dis
solute young son of Amos Drew, the
great inventor had just arrived at the
Surfton hotel He had brought thither,
so said report, a small flat metal case
that vas more deadly than nifty bat
teries Of siege guns.
For this case contained the plans Tor
a war-engine. infinitely ingenious and
more murderous than any hitherto de-
vised. 1t was a Veritable monster or
destruction, this engine. BY its use
whole armies could be destroyed in a
sinsle minute.
Amos Drew had invented the thing.
having done so he had been so APPALLED,
by its possibilities for humiliation that
he had never put it upon the market
but had slowed the plans away among
his private papers. ...-- 49, -
But Amos Drew was dead, and his
only heir, Todd Drew. was busy vast
ing the paternal fortune. He had al
ready made sad inroads upon the
parentaI wealth and was casting about
him for some means to get more mon
ey.
Thus. il was seaside gossip ran, that
he had brought to Surfton the terrible
war-engine plans; and he was TO meet
here one Count Freel, the agent for
foreign government, to negotiate with
him for their sale.
THAT means" Mary finished her re-
cital. that means Count Freel-or
whatever HIS name is-wih pay
whacking big price to the young scoun-
drel: enough to keep him booty for the
rest of his life And the count will
chase off to Europe. where his country
Is fighting, and that engine will be
made from the plans he's bought. AND
millions of poor soldiers will be muir
dered in the next few weeks: LORD pity
their mo<hersI There ought to be
law to forbid folks to sell such plans
so there ought.
Whereat she hustled off TO rinish uh-
Ibegan to throb and burn. The Red
she thought of the havoc this one dis
loose upon the world, her right hand
began to throb and burn. Thed Rer
Circle stood out visibly on it,
with a shudder June dismissed the
story from her mind. To occupy her
thoughts. she resolved TO take the
bundle of masculine clothing at once
70 the nearest deserted pier and toss
IL into the sea.
She took the awkward package from
the trunk, slipped out OF the cottage
by a side door and made her way down
its long flight Of steps to the peach:
There she hurried along, in search OF
-o-,,a nlsce desolate enough for her pur-
pose. A., oo.,,
bach gave way 10, a. rocky point, whose
extreme end was pier. reward TINS
Tune hastened, bunde in hand, climbing
lightly over the slippery rocks anu
leaning from one to the other
Half way to the pier she passed q
ramshackle boathouse, whose weather
warned boards were bulged ana splay
ed. i'm several places, until they IoO
a IKE the stats in front OF a henhouse'
As June sped past the boathouse she
oha,ced To notice a large smooth stone
4vst the thing 10 weight the ounole
shs carried. She picked 1t up, opened
the bundle at one end, dropped IN the
stone and fastened the packages slrlhs
80. more. At the same moment, from
,ba shack lust behind her, she hearo
mans voice saying impatiently'
"Tm no blooming diplomat SOuI..
Come down to cases. What VIII 'S
pay?" -. ho,d sbs
-.oo5 tranafxed. there, on the ROCKY
bsacb IN front of the shack Choer-
st.pdIng came to her with rush. 90 tne
80, Vas true! Todd Drew had realiy
co,ne 70 surfton 10 negotiate with ms
foreivn agent for the sale OF the NJ
derous war-engine plans! me TWO ne. u,'I
had apparently chosen TINS - -
-, snot for their conference, SO as u
S .ss Srom discovery or suspicion.
T1ne held her breath. Shamelessiy
-. listened. Another voice was SPEAK
| ing now. In excellent English DuI WI"
| a trace Of foreign accent r,.,,,.
.sNTv dear Mr.. Drew" she heard COUNT
Freel say, 81 have no wish TO oe,ay'
any more than you wish me 70 oeiay.
INT desire to study the plans nrst' that
1 may ,..,z a., ,,our
s'That you may fix the details IN your
mind hey?" interrupted Drews voice;
and be able to reproduce them; anu
then refuse TO buy? No, thanks,
..NIr. Drew exclaimed the count IN
anger You insult mel You offer me
dire insult! In my own dear eouh-
"we're not in your own dear couh-
+rv'" persisted Todd Drew. were IN
| the little old U. S. A, where folks <aIh
| straight business without frills r aIner
said the plans in this box would MAKE
an engine that could wipe whole armies
off the. map. Your nation Is hshuns
With its back to the wall. IL wants
| those plans. How much?' 3d. ...
| June-the Red Circle blazing anu
| nulsinp on her white hand-hao cIepl
| nearer and nearer to the snack. She
/ pepped in, cautiously, through one oi
! ~ wide cracks In the boards.
/ a crate had been turned upside down
IN serve as a table, and it stood close
/ 20 the aperture in the boards. AT the
onposite ends of this improVlsed taDIe'
on couple of boat trestles,- sat TWO
men One-nearest to June-was nash-
fCCN - q