The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-04
SYNOPSIS

family by killing his son and then him. self, thus ending the criminal curse of the Red Circle birthmark. But the Red Circle appears on the hand of June Trav- is, wealthy girl reformer, and she robs a loan shark to aid poor debtors. It develops that June is Jim Borden's daugh- ter. Mary, June's old nurse, is trying to divert the suspicious of Detective Lamar, finds herself in a precarious situation.
 She had donned Junes coat and Lamar seeing the familiar black, pursues and corners her in a garage her coat having caught in the door.
 While Lamar awaits permission to force the door, Mary slips from the coat and escapes. Lamar asks forgiveness from June for suspecting her and hur- ries to headquarters with the coat.
 With set purpose purchases some mans apparel and wig.
 For seven or eight blocks, after she left police headquarters, June Travis hurried Meeks ever close at her side. The off cers eyes never for an instant left the coat that hung over his companions arm Meeks. being new to the force, was tre- mendously jealous in carrying out to the minutest detail every order of his chief. If that bedraggled and gasolne-tainted
  national debt, Meeks could not have watched it more closely. Every time June would quicken or retard her pace, Meeks would at once accommodate his stride to hers; sticking close to her elbow.
 The gir! was in despair She had planned so cleverly this Kidnapping of the coat! She had worked out her mad scheme to the tiniest atom. And now, through the duty-sense of one stupid po- liceman, she had lost her battle.
 It had seemed a simple thing to go to headquarters, disguised as a man, to pass herself off tailor, to secure the coat, and thus to deprive the police of the only clue that could connect her with the, Yelled Woman. Once sine could hide the coat in her own home she would be safe. Wholly safe
 And now-what was she to do? She could not escape from this porous-plaster policeman. Clad in this awkward mascu- line attire she could not hope to outrun him. The night was too brilliantly moon- lit for her to dodge him in the darkness.
 What was to be done? To her fevered senses it seemed as though he were be- ginning to watch her with vague sus-. picion added to his former watchdoz zeal.
 June could have wept, through sheer despair. sE She had a crazy impulse to attack him with her Malacca cane; of trying to beat him into consciousness. She even drew off her gloves. so as to wield the stick more powerfully.
 But almost at once she saw the stark folly of such move. The man was fully six feet tall. He looked strong and wiry At her first blow, he would undoubtedly wrench the cane away from her and club her with his nightstick. Moreover, the spectacle of civilian attempting to thrash policeman would be certain to. 1 nxrrdc I,J,r men. She was helpless. despairing And with the blind instinct of the depsairing, she unconsciously turned her steps homeward.
 From the business district she and her companion now came out into one of the residence sections. There were fewer. people abroad here but the moonlt spaces were larger and there were no alleys or dark doorways into which she could hope to dive.
 Where does this cutter of yours live, anyhow, Dummy?" the policeman was asking. He must do his cutting with, solid gold shears if he lives up in this region There ain't a house around here that don't rent for an easy eight thousand year. And those that aint rented be- long to millionaires. Where are you steer ing 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 of that. The girl looked about her in despera- tiOn.
 A quarter block ahead the boulevard split into a ~" At the left it continued at it's present level. At the right ran "a flight of 40 marble steps, leading down. ward to terraced 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 It was an inspiration which, a week earlier, could never by any possible chance have occurred to her. Indeed even now, she found herself dazed marveling at it-revolting at the idea it presented yet oddly powerless to resist it.
 Once more she took up her former brisk a stride; the grumbling Meeks close behind, her. As they came to the fork of the boulevard, she halted again
 'sWell,' growled Meeks, which way now?'
 She pointed down the long flight of mar ble steps, snowy in the vivid moonlight. 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 pointing On the surface of the hand gleamed the Red Circle; mer- cilessly distinct in the clear light. June caught the policeman roughly by the arm with her other hand, pointed again toward the terrace beneath them and started down the steps at a run. Continued in tomorrow's Age-Herald)
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