The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-27
THIRD INSTALLMENT

| THIRD INSTALLMENT Jim Borden, crook, tries to wipe out l his family by killing his son and him. l self thus ending the criminal curse of
 the Red Circle birthmark. June Ira wis, girl reformer, tells her nurse Mary | of the impulse to commit crime. Mary l sees the Red Circle on the back of
 Junes right hand.
 1 Mary is overcome but stolidly refuses ] to tell June the terrible secret. l After threatening to ask her mother 1 the meaning of the Red Circle brand, | Mary breaks down and confesses. ] We're going to keep the secret, aren' t we, lamb?" Mary was saying. Nobody
 knows-nobody will ever need to know. And then"
 Look" June broke in with great agi- ] tation. That man standing on the walk, staring up at the house!' | Mary's eyes followed her pointing fin l ser. She saw tall, slender youn man ! in well-cut clothes, scanning the horizon,
 as if uncertain that he had reached his destination.
 Who is he?" asked the nurse quickly, alarmed at the girls trepida ation l Its Max Lamar-the crime specialist!' "A detective! Oh, my precious-a de- tective!''
 "No,'' June's lips curled slightly, mot 1 d uelecllVG, Mdfy-d crime there is great difference between the
 two, you know. He says so, himself" l There ain't any difference, lamb, when they're after you! And it's you he's after he's found out-hes found you out" l "Hush!' June commanded, placing her
 hand over the. old woman's mouth He
 couldn't have found out-he's coming to
 see me. I asked him to the other day, at
 the prison. We're imagining things, you of tn 1 do that. Come with me- l Seizing her hand June dragged her over the lawn toward the side porch. In ! spite of her attempted bravado she felt | trapped. Trapped How ridiculoust ! There wasn't a single clue Still, her heart pounded stiflingly in her breast and | her lips were dry and stiff. Surely crime was it's own punishment if guilt always carried in it's wake such agony as this. | Running up the steps on to the side porch June entered the library through the open French window, leaving Mary outside. Her mother was still sitting in the arm chair. Her paper had slid from her fingers to her lap. June saw by the regular rise and fall of her shoulders that she had fallen into a doze
 Just for second she faltered; then throwing back her head, as if defiantly freeing it from an irksome yoke, she walked down toward the sleeping woman and dropped a light kiss on her cheek. Mrs. Travis woke with a start. Watch ing from the doorway, Mary marveled
 at the girls actions She was positively mischievous And only a moment before, in the garden. the terror of life tragedy
 had lived in her eyes.
 "Get yourself together, mumsie," she heard June say, gayly someone is com ing to see us-to SC me-" she empha- sized Do you remember MT. Lamar ! the crime specialist that we met at the prison? He's comnig up the walk now. Will you tell him I'll be down in a min ute.'
 She ran toward the stairway just as the front door bell buzzed; and Yama, the snug, pale bronze little Jap butler passed on his way to answer it. And mumsie,'' called June saucily from the first landing. "be sure your
 conscience is clear. Remember, Mr. La
 mar discovers all things" From the hall above she watched, un- seen, until Mrs. Travis had greeted La | mar. A very flend of daredeviltry | seemed to control the girl. Two could play at any game--she would play this one to the end. And in the end she would wear the victor's crown. The germ of adventure bred quickly in her blood.
 Pulling at the fastenings of her morning dress. she hurried to her boudoir. She
 would put on something fetching-and ar range her hair differently. A hundred ways and means of fascinating and hood winking 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, darIing," she
 urged nervously. Hes smarter'n you are he's in the business of hunting people and you're only an innocent lamb. He'll 1 tear your throat in no time.' You dear old fooish!" June answered lightly, ''come in and help me dress. Get
 me pretty dress. The brown one I think. And Mary dear make me fasci-
 mating enough to addle the head of even crime specialist
 She leaned forward and pressing her laughing face close to the mirror of her, dressing table, a little blown wsp 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 scarlet faded to a deep rose, then paled to pink. Almost immediately it vanished. leaving an unblemished white surface. At sight of 1t June bent and kissed the spot in a paroxysm of joy. Its gone-it's goner' she cried in hys- teric glee. and wrapped Mary in crush ing bear hug. That's as good sign I be- lieve in signs, don't you, you poor, ner- vous old thing?t Do I look all right in
 this gown? Do l look pretty and fasci-
 hating 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. T."
 June reached down, gra sped her wrin- kled, trembling hands and started whirI- ing her about in a mad, merry circle, laughing at her breathIess approximations, the while.
 Suddenly, in their wild gyrations her elbow struck pedestal in the corner of the room. It swayed perilousy for a sec ond, then toppled to the floor--the large vase upon it smashing to thousand frag- ments.
 At the sound June stopped so abruptly that Mary was thrown against the wall and caught at the door jam to keep from falling.
 IT fl