Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-16

I
! she picked up couple of sheets of plain
, letter paper, folded them together and
! tore them. into rude circles. Her eyes
gleamed oddly as she picked up a pen
and, sitting down, began to print some
thing on one of the circles.
| Looking over her shoulder at every
| other letter, she finished her printing
| Then she put the plain white circle on
! the dark plotting pad, got up, ran to
the safe and hung the printed jcircle on
the knob. With sight of satisfaction
! she went back to the anterOom and
collapsed into a chair, resuming her air
of right and exhaustion.
! This time her trembling was not pre-
tense. 1t was real but it was caused
| by excitement and elation not fear.
/ 1t seemed to her that the men were
gone an endless time, though it was in
reality less than five minutes. During
their wild goose chase Lamar and Far
well met the returning secretary and
| they all came down the hall together
| talking eXctedly.
! Farwell insisted on explaining the
hole situation over and over again TO
the secretary and stopped at the ante
rooms threshold to show him the two
overturned chairs. While they were talk
ing, Lamar, true to his trade, was look
| ing, so il was he who found June's bag
in the dark corner of the hall
Here's the bag, anyhow" he e.yclaim-
ed. THE man must have dropped ii
when he ran! See what Santa Claus
| brought for good little girl" he called
10 June, waving the bag in front of her
| e. es as he entered the office.
"Oh-thank you, Mr.. Lamar l knew
you would find it for me If any mortal
coulu.. I'm a million times grateful to
you!"
mot at all-not at ALL" said Lamar
pleased. nevertheless.
The three men tried to outdo one an
other in their solicitude for her; and
when Lamar said tenderly: Are you
| still feeling terribly upset?' June
thought it was time to begin to recover
Rising, she said:
I'm just a little bit -unnerved and I
believe I'll go home, Mr.. Lamar"
I Let me go home with YOU" urged La
mar
"Oh, no, really--I'll be perfectly all
right by myself! 1 don't expect to meet
another thief" answered June with a
smile .-.s
Anyway, shall insist on taking you
down to the door"
"All right" said June, reluctantly.
Once outside, Lamar renewed his re-
quest to take June home
moi" said June; I'm feeling very
firm and decided, though at the same
time I'm bit shaky and historical
and I'm going home alone"
She turned to hold out her hand
"Goody-by" -..'
Won't you, at least, let me call a
taxi?'
mo, no. no! 1t really isn't necessary
at all. I'm feeling more like myself
every minute, but-goodby, and thanks.
awfully muchr'
'Goodby," said Lamar, fervently.
Then they shook hands and parted.
Lamar stood looking tenderly after
June for moment and then he went
back to rejoin Farwell
AS he entered. the door he collided
with Farwell, who wild-eyed and pant
ing, gripped him by the arm and half
dragged him to the table of the inner
office.
At the same moment Lamar saw the
white circle-it startled him most un-
pleasantly. Then FarweH pushed him
toward the safe.
See" he cried, I'm robbed! They've
taken a bundle of bank notes. Read this
thing" As'he spoke he pulled the print
ed circle off the safe knob and thrust
II into Lamar's hands.
What Lamar read was this:
THE money will be put to a good
use by the Circle Lady"
He was speechless, and could only
stare, wild-eyed at the paper.
Well" stormed FarweIl, what are
you going to do? Get busy, can't YOU?
Are you going to let me be robbed this
way, in my own office. In broad day.
light, while you stand there thinking?
That girl"
Lamar slowly drew near to the table
Speaking dazedly. to himself, rather
than to Farwell:
Suspicion does point to Miss Trav-
is-but that's impossible! Impossible"
He sat down and pulled the telephone
toward him. He gave the number of
his own office.
AS soon as Gage recognized his voice.
the clerk began pouring forth his tale
about the mysterious woman who hand
lcuffed him to me door where he might
still have been if two clerks from other
offices, hearing his cries for help, had
not come running in.
II told them to get your handcuff
keys from the top drawer of your desk,
and they finally got me free" he added
"One handcuff is still hanging to the"
wait minute" called Lamar over
his end of the wire. Gould you see
who it was that snapped the cuffs on
your"
mo" yelled Gage II couldn't see
a thing except woman's hand-with
a Red Circle on the back of it,"
Lamar turned white. Then ne asked
sharply:
ANY other clue?".
Cages voice came hesitatingly over
the wire.
WELL" he mumbled. Miss Travis
called. l showed her into your office
tc wait-and then she disappeared"
Lamar slowly hung up the receiver
-
thinking a moment, then turned to Far
we'll and said, CURLY:
Keep this absolutely quiet until 1
investigate. I'll do all 1 can-good
day" ..l
Meanwhile, June, oblivious to all the
trouble she had caused, made her way
to the park, the coveted receipt and the
banknotes Rugged tight to her breast
She walked quickly and hummed a lit
tie tune as she walked. She thought:
I'm certainly First Assistant now to
Mr.. Lamar and to Mr.. Gordon, too
The idea pleased her. And uncon-
sciously she walked a little faster and
hummed a little louder. BY the time
she reached the waiting taxi she was
quite out of breath from both causes.
Gordon was still there, though the
chauffeur had wandered onto the grass
somewhere.
As she neared the cab, Gordon leaned
out eagerly.
What luck?" said he uneasily.