The Washington times., 1916-01-12
CONTINUED from Yesterday

sure, remember IT, SH' WN
wouldn't?" answered Sam. adding:
LET me take that bum old shoe you're
playing with, Mr.. Lamar. tn get you
all dirty"
Thinking Sam was trying to change
the subject in order to avoid talking
of the Red Circle, Lamar paid not heed
TO his request; but kept on swinging
the shoe idly to and fro, as he asked:
THAT Red circle, Now-You remem-
Der what Jim Borden used to say about
THAT II cropped out only in every
generation of his familyT' supplement-
cd Eagan. and that the person who
had it was always a criminal? Funny
iuea, wasn't it? But Jim believed It
was gospel truth. That shOeH get
your hands all dirt, MT.
Il have reason to believe It was
gospel truth; Eagan' said lamar ar
hand has always been the sign-manual
OF a crook. in the Borden family
And"
was that SON Of his-young Ted Borden
for instance. He was a cheap crook
right down to the ground, that young
ster was. But there wasn't any Red
Circle on his hand. That shoe. now
he continued anxiously; but Max inter-
THAT brings me to the point. You
saw Ted Borden had no Red Circle on
his hand? And Ted died when his faith
er. died, But how about Jim Bordens
other children2"t
Circle inns other children" cried
sam, in a wonder that was palpably
genuine. His other children? Why,
man alive. Jim Borden never had an
other child but Ted. was at his we'd
ding. He had lots of faults. did Jim.
but he never in his life looked at any
woman but his own wife. He just
fairly worshiped her. When she died
she was shot in road agent raid on
the camp, almost right after Ted was
born-it just about killed Jim. He took
their baby away into the mountains
and he never showed up again for six
months. And from that time on. he
never would even speak a civil word
to any woman. No. no, Mr.. Lamar,
you're barking up the wrong tree
Jim Borden hadn't but one child. III
take couple of thousand oaths on
And yet" pursued Lamar, absently
winding the shoestring around his rore-
finger until the shoe itself was iyinY
way. had jim any brothers or sisters :
Once in a generation the Red Circle APP
peared, he used to say. He may nave
been the one In his own generation;
and the birthmark may have been I'M
herited from one OF his parents by one
OF Jims nephewS or nieces.'
''Nephews or nieces?' echoed sam.
his eye on the shoe around whose sole
Lamar's fingers were carelessly opening
and closing. "Nephews or nieces? NOT
him. Jim was the only son of his par
ents, He's told ME so. Besides, l knew
his mother-a widow woman she was
And he used to say. again and again
that she wished she'd had other emil.
dren besides Jim, to care for her wnen
she was old. He was the only cnicE
nephews or nieces, MIR. Lamar ana
by the way, IL you don't mind, I'll JusV
go on working while we chat. If you'll
hand me that shoe"
I'm tell you why l ask said Lamar
impressively, leaning forward and EN-
phasizing his words by tapping the snot
against his knee. Because l happier
to know that no less than two people
in this very city today have the ReC
Circle on the backs of their ngh'
hands"
''What?" cried Sam in amazement. al
most forgetting the shoe in his astonisn
1.-TWO people" reiterated Lamar. tive
people. A man and woman. two
clever crooks that the police can't seen
TO corner Each has the Red Circle, anC
each seems to be crook as dangerous
as Jim Borden himself That's why
came here to ask you f.
He broke off and looked down with
sudden curiosity at the shoe ne wal
holding. As he had been abstractedly
shaking it TO and fro he had all at ono,
noticed that a faint rafting sounC
came from somewhere WITHIN the shoe.
He had turned 1t upside down as h
talked, expecting a pebble 10 roll out
But the shoe was empty. He shook /
again. This time he could hear tn
rafting sound quite plainly. He liftet
the shoe to his ear and shook 1t ono
more.
There's something loose in tn
heel OF this shoe." ,he said. "somethin
sNA< rattles like a loose bit of metal"
San did not answer. Surreptitious
ly the cobbler had reached behind hir
and had picked up the heavy, short
handled hammer with which he ha
been working.
Holding the hammer covertly In hi
hand. he balanced its weight and, a
his arm-muscles tensed. he measure
with his eye the exact distance I
I.amar's left temple. One blow woul
DO II; but It must be a quick blow
strong blow a sure blow.
Murder was not one OF Smiling SRT
Fagan's accomplishments. Yet
Lamar should chance, To stumble on tn
secret OF the hollow heel and the brooc
hidden therein II must Nat once becom
question OF MaX's death or the col
bler's dearly priced liberty and,
Eagan's m'Ud. that que,tion was n
question AT all.
Wherefore he prenared q strike.
would be easy enough IN dthpose OF IN