Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-31

From the hall above June watched,
unseen, until Mrs. Travis had greeted
Lamar \ very fiend of dare-deviltry
seemed to control the girl Two could
iplay at any game-she would play this
one to the end. And I'm the end, she
would wear the vctOI's crown. The
germ of adventure bred quickly in her
blood.
! Pulling a the fastenings of her morn
ling dress she hurried to her boudoir.
She would put on someIning fetching
iand arrange her hair differently. A
hundred ways and means OF fascinat-
| ing and hoodwinking THIS very calm
and assured young man crowded into
her brain.
! Standing at the door of her room
was Mary, her eyes wide with fear.
You mustn't go down, darling" she
urged nervously. Hes smarter'n you
are--he's in the business of hunting
lamb. He'll tear your throat in no
time"
"You dear old foolish" June an
swered lightly, come in and help me
dress, Get me a pretty dress. The
brown one, L think. And, Mary dear,
make me fascinating enough to addle
! the head of even a crime specialist"
! She leaned forward and pressing her
laughing face close to the mirror of her
dressing table. a little, blown wisp of
hair tumbled into her eyes. Impatiently
she brushed it back, then stared open
mouthed at her lifted hand.
, Speeches., she pointed to it. AS they
watched. with unbelieving eyes, the ring
! of sea rlet faded to a deep rose, then
paled to pink. Almost Immediately it
vanished, leaving an unblemished white
surface.
At sight Of it June bent and kissed
the spot in paroxysm of joy.
ITS gone-it's gone!" she cried in
hysteric glees and wrapped Mary in a
| crushing hug. That's a good sign. l
believe in signs, don't you, your poor,
nervous, old thing? Do / look all right,
! in this gown? Do 1 look pretty and
! fascinating and
Don't be so gay!" pleaded the old
woman, fearfully. Somehow, it seems
so awful for you to be laughing just
now, and thinking you're going to get
| the best of that man. +"
June reached down, gasped her wrin-
killed., trembling hands and started whirl-
! ing her about in a mad, merry circle,
! laughing at her breathless eXpostula-
tions. the while,
! Suddenly, in their wild gyrations her
elbow struck pedestal in the corner of
the room. 1t swayed perilously for a
second then toppIed to the floor-the
large case upon it smashing to a thou
sand fragments.
AT the sound June stopped so abrupt
! ly that Mary was thrown against the
wall and caught at the door jam to
keep from falling.
The old woman eyed the shattered
bits with superstitious misgiving.
IT'S an omen!" she muttered half
! to herself. See what you've DONE"
"Oh, everything's an omen to you,
| you sweet old calamity croaker" laugh
ed June. IF you spill salt, you blind
people by throwing it over your Shout
der and missing your aim-you look on
| a hand mirror simply as something to
be dropped to bring seven years dis
! aster-and I'll bet you'd wear your hat
| inside out if it were possible to-"
81 would not" denied Mary meekly.
"And as I've always said l think a
bit of superstition has kept many a
weak soul out of Jail. There's some
thing about breaking a vase too. Lor',
| / can remember my father repeating it
to us children. He who breaks vase,
they say, lives to rue the"
NONSENSE" ridiculed June, have
Yama clean up this mess-there's a
dear. And Mary, peek down through
the banisters and watch me disarm the
suspicion of Mr.. Lamar-the great crime
! specialist"
And laughing at the Mortified express
sion on the old woman's face the mis-
chief-possessed girl darted down the
stairway and into the library.
ct am so glad you came" she said
simply as she took Lamar's hand
when / asked you / was afraid you
/ hnGN-9nd
| important"
Lamar's lips twisted into quizzical
smile.
Busy, Miss Travis. Important main
ly to one Max Lamar"
Now, it's in order for me to say,
! oh, yes you are. Don't you suppose
! l read the papers" And then you'll
say, 'Ohi the papers" with scathing in
! Junction"
Lamar laughed, but somehow there
was not keen enjoyment in the sound
that came from his lips. He disliked
sang-froid in a woman. In a girl he
loathed it, He dubbed it ''flapper flip
pancy'' especially when it bordered OH
personal criticism of himself or his
work.
eff you young people will pardon my
| leaving you for a moment" Mrs. Travis
got up from her chair, "Pll go and hold
] counsel with my gardener lama just
brought me word that the new shrubs
| have arrived
Lamar arose and bowed deeply as she
| left the room. Out on the porch Lamar
was moving about quietly, swiftly-ar-
ranging the low wicker chairs and
strengthening the Indian rugs.
June dropped into the chair her moth
\ er had just vacated and Lamar sat OPP
posite her.
II want you to tell me such lots of
things" she began enthusiastically
| your profession must bring day after
day of thrills, uspense-tragedy. VIII
you tell me something of criminals as
you know them. I've tried to study
them Just a little and"
There was a smothered exclamation
it was in another sound that came from
the stairway. June looked up just in
time to see a portion of a black skirt
! move from the hall out on to the porch
Then followed a low toned order In
| Mary's voice-the words broken" and
! vase" drifted in through the open win
dow. BY a heightened shadow and 8
reflection in the window pane June saw
that the nurse was standing, hidden
just outside the sill.
1t amused the girl. 1t reminded heI
| of q lionness standing over cub when
the hunter drew near. But this mar
| Lamar was so mild, SO perfectly harm
| less-doubtless he was sleuth of great
reputation, but under this roof he was
merely a courteous man of the world,