The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-27
SIXTH INSTALLMENT

| Not zU rect rom the room in which
 fatigue had overtaken Mary, was the
 oriental smoking room of the Hotel
 surfton
 Over in one corner. directly in front
 of pair of portieres woven from raw
 Japanese silk, was long takwood seat. June and Lamar had been sit
 ting there for the past half hour;
 sometimes talking animatedly, some- times strangely silent.
 Tt worries me more than anything ,l I've had to solve in years," Lamar
 was saying. I've had the woman in
 my very fingers several times and al-
 ways she's succeeded in giving me the
 slip I wish that"
 Just then man in evening clothes appeared in the doorway. Catching | sight of Lamar he beckoned to him, eagerly. With a murmured apology to
 June, the crime specialist got up and went over to him.
 1 What can l do for you sir?" he asked pleasantly
 q am George Radner, the manager of this hotel, MT. Lamar!" The man spoke hurriedly as if distressed "Sev- l eral guests have lost articles of jew 1 elry tonight. I am afraid a profess l sional thief is at work among them. ! Can't you do something about it, Mir. i Lamar? I hate to trouble you, but" "oh, that's all right-that's all 1 right" Lamar muttered indistinctly. Has anyone who reported a loss to you said anything about Red Circle, MT. Radner?"
 No. I don't think so Nobody has | the slightest clue. It's the cleverest sort of theft I've ever known There's a master crook operating here, I'm cer- tain
 1 "Pl1 see what I can do, Mr. Rather 1 Just go out and mingle with the guests as though nothing had occurred will l you? I'll be out in a minute Lamar came back to the bench and sat down, his hands clenched tightly, his lower jaw protruding in an ugly determined way. The Japanese silk draperies behind him moved slightly as if in obedience to a gentle breeze June put her hand over his, sooth' ingly.
 'You are terribly worried over this mystery" she said softly. Let me help you solve it, won't you? Who knows but that I may de-elop into regular detec-er-crime specialist Annoyed and worried as ne was La mSr threw back his head and laughed heartily.
 lv "rll appoint you my first assistant on this case. Perhaps you can help me Hume turned toward him, her face ahght.
 'Tn do my best she promised,
 Twill you let me come to see you to- morrow morning to tell you a few more details of this case?'' he inquired eageriy;
 s'Td be delighted to have you come, June replied heartily. I'm rather excited about the idea of joining forces with you and-ohr'
 She broke off suddenly and put her hand to her throat It was bare. Her pearl pendant was gone, She twisted around with lightning rapidity, dragging Lamar around with her The portlers ol Jap Anese silk were parted slightly Protrud- ing from the opening was a white hand with slender, tapering fingers Hanging from the over-manicured fingertips was A pendant of pearls. EmblaZoned on the back of the hand was an irregular circle of brilliant scarlet!
 Lamar and June sat as if paralyzed until scraping sound shattered the spell.
 Lamar sprang to his feet, jumped over the bench and tore the portieres from the heavy brass poles that supported them. He found himself in little ob- long recess Directly in front of him was a long window opening presumably on the porch.
  himself at the closed window, expecting it to give The force of his onslaught shattered several of the small panes, but his progress was blocked by wicker porch settee that had evidently been placed there for the very purpose.
 Unable to check his speed he tumbled headlong over this settee and landed bruised on. the outer rail of the porch. The frail settee had cracked under his weight and the thud of his falling body sounded unnaturally loud on the still air.
 It was this sudden jarring that awak- ened Mary from her nap in the deep chair With the dull gaze, of person just aroused from sleep. the old woman rubbed her eyes and looked about. In the same room, but in a far distant corner, she heard the soft rustic of a woman's skirt Then the clink of glass against metal
 She twisted quietly in the chair until she was crouching on her knees on the seat of it, facing the back Cautiously she raised her body until her eyes were just above the edge. What she saw made her forget her own predicament.
 Over in a half-lit corner was large pedestal holding a bronze statutette. Standing so that it's shadow half con cealed her. was the daring Woman in Black, her right hand lifted so that the feeble light from the hanging lamp fell dtHWdrl itS oaSh. Oii " oAe'ASu e' iNSO Circle!
 Mary lodged down behind the chair top as the woman slowly turned her head. After few seconds the sound of liquid dripping into a glass made her anxious to look again.
 The woman was holding a small sponge in her left hand She squeezed it dry into aglass half full of water. Smiling whimscally to herself, she rubbed the back of her right hand with the damp ened sponge. The Red Circle disappeared. Breathless with excitement, Mary strained her eyes to catch every move. She saw the woman take up the glass, deliberately spill the liquid on the floor, and gather a brush tiny box of water color paints and the sponge from the pedestal. Leaving the glass wlA'e it was, she opened a false pocket in the articles into it and quietly left the room.
 Mary waited until she was reasonably sure the woman would not return, then left her chair. Hurrying over to the statue she picked up the glass and ex- amined it There was no mark on it ex- cept the ring that the colored water had left At the foot of the pedestal was the large damp spot Mary bent to feel it with the palm of her hand; to make sure the whole thing wasn't strange dream. l When she found her way back to the ballroom it was nearly deserted. Wan dering about looking for Mrs. Travis and June she came face to face with a young man who was saying good night to one of | the hotel guests.
 ssWhy Mary" exclaimed the man in great surprise, where have you been Miss Travis was looking all over for yo ut,e mi ft,1 <lnrl