Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1916-12-15

wits. The time for force had passed.
He advanced calmly toward the
group in the garden. At sight of him
Chief Allen shouted:
We've tracked her down at last,
Max, my boy. We've"
What is it? What does It all mean?"
demanded the bewildered Mrs. Travis,
finding voice for the first time.
1T means, madam" replied the
chief. that this young woman isn't
your child. She's a slick crook. The
daughter of old Circle Jim Borden.
Maxi" he added, turning to Lamar.
You've worked hard enough on this
case. You ought to have some kind OF
reward. I'm going to give you the
honor of making the arrest. Go to it,
son."
Max Lamar moved to Junes side
and touched her on the arm.
Come, sweetheart" he whispered,
there's nothing else we can do now.
But I'm going to get you out Of this II
it takes my last dollar and my last
breath"
AS they passed Mrs. Travis on their
way to the street June paused and
held out her arms. Mrs. Travis re-
coiled from her as from a snake.
With bent head the girl moved on at
her lovers side. The world-her world
seemed at an end. She had not the
power to suffer any more. Her brain
and heart and body were numb. She
IN hnr 81
Next morning as Charles Gordon
picked up his newspaper he read, in
big headlines, that the mysterious
Red Circle lady" was at last cap
tured; that she was a society girl
known as June Travis" but that she
was really the daughter Of Circle
Jim" Borden.
Silas Farwell, so ran the story,
brought a charge of grand larceny
against her and Mrs. Travis refused to
help the girl or to have anything to do
with her. Junes old nurse Mary had
used her own savings to provide bail
and had taken June away with her to
little apartment in the lower part of
the city.
The newspaper account was correct
in every detail. Twenty hours earlier
June Travis had been one Of the most
popular girls and one Of the richest
heiresses in the city. Now, accused
of crime, and homeless, she found no
friend to help her except the old WON.
an who had nursed and petted her
from babyhood.
Max Lamar, it is true, had done all
that a mortal man could do; yet he
was but helpless atom in face of the
laws iron power. He had arranged
that June's detention should be as
brief and as little humiliating as pos
sible. Then he had scurried out for
bail But before he could return Mary
had provided the needful bond and had
spirited June away.
Now, in the tiny apartment to which
Mary had brought her, the stricken
for supplies. And June, in her squalid
little living room, had no companion
ship but her own tragic thoughts.
She was still stunned and apathetic
from the terrific blows fate had dealt
her. She sat gazing stonily in front Of
her, self-hypnotized by her dreary
musings.
And, as she sat thus, alone brood
ing-a strange thing happened. Or IL
1t did not happen, the dazed girl was
at least certain that ii did.
Through the closed door Of the room
emerged a shadowy figure-a formless.
vague something, that seemed to
gather shape and features as it crept
toward her chair.
Gradually bending down above her.
the shape became recognizable. 1t was
a thickset man, broad of shoulder,
deep Of chest. The wrath of a man
with leonine head and shaggy name
of white hair-with rugged, hopeless
face in which smoldered deep, fiery
eyes.
On the shadowy right hand that
reached out toward the girl glimmered
a Red Circle.
Tie ghost--if ghost II was-was the
ghost of Circle Jim" Borden
June sat motionless, staring with
wide, bewildered eyes.
A