Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-05

/ eagerly. With a murmured apology ia
/ june. the crime specialist got up and
I went over 10 him.
VIVA; can I do for YOU. sir?' he
I asked pleasantly.
/ n ana George Radner. the manager
7 Of this hotel. Mr.. Lamar. The man
/ spoke hurriedly. as il distressed. 'SeN-
| ,ral guests have lost articles Of icwcl'N
| tonight. am afraid a professional
\ thief is a. work among them. Can yor
\ 10 something about II. Mr. Lamar?
I hate to trouble YOU. but
/ oh. that's all right-thats all right.
/ lamar rluttercd indistinctly. Has any
} enc who reported a loss To YOU said
anything about Red Circle. Mr.. RAD
| mere"
/ "No. ! don't think -. Nobody has
the .lightst clue. It's the cleverest
sort Of theft I've ever known. There :
a maste- crook operating here. I'm
/ certain
"TlI see what I can do Mr.. Radner,
I Just go cut and mingle with the guests
as though nothing had occurred. will
Z your I'll he out in a minute
Lamar came back to the bench ard
( sat down. his hands clenched tightly,
Z ihe lower law protruding in an ugly,
draperies behind him moved slightly as
I If in obedience to a gentle Breeze. June
rut her hand over his. soothingly.
You are terribly worried over this
( mystery" she said softly? Let me
! help you solve ii. won't YOU? Who
I knows hut that I may develop into a
regular detec-er-crime specialist
{ Annoyed mad worried as he was. La
mar threw back his head and laughed
heartily.
Il don't see why you're laughing
Z poulted June. pretending TO be nightly
offended you imply that I'm an in.
consequential featherhrain. OF course :
couldn't hope to be a second Max La
mar. but"
+ Lamar gripped her hand lie had
stopped laughing. His face was set anG
serious
/ AN right. Miss Travis" he said
/ Sravely. I'll appoint you my first as
sistant on this case. Perhaps YOU can
help me-"
June turned toward him, her face
aligrt
I'll dc my best she promised.
Lamar looked his appreciation. His
admiration of her was growing, by leaps
and bounds 1t was hard to keep from
saying things that crowded to his lips.
! lie took out his watch and looked at
7 the dial a fun half minute before he
I really saw the hands 1t was twelve
! twenty. People would soon begin leav-
ing III he hoped to get a single trace
I OF the Red Circle crook IL was time 10
I ne moving. lie turned TO June
VIII YOU let me come to see YOU
tomorrow morning to tell you a few
more details Of this case" he inquired
eagerly. I'm so anxious TO have YOU
know, They say a woman's intuition is
a wOuder-weapOn-and infallible. I'm
sorry 10 say that I have not always
found II so. in my profession. But il
I may prove itself i'm this case"
/ I'D he delighted To have YOU come"
June replied heartily I'm rather ex-
J cited about the idea of joining torces
with YOU and-oh,'
/ She broke off suddenly and put her
hand TO her throat. II was bare. Her
pearl pendant was gone. She twisted
around with lightning rapidity. drag
fling Lamar around with her. The
portieres OF Japanese silk were parted
slightly. Protruding from the opening
was a white hand with slender, taper
ing 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.
The hand moved swiftly into the shad-
ow. The portieres fell together. Petri-
fled by the suddenness of it all. the two
on the bench failed to move, until
Scraning sound shattered the spell.
Lamar spTang to his feet, jumped
over the bench and tore the portiercs
from the heavy brass poles that support
ed them. He found himself I'm a little
nhIoug recess. Directly in front of him
was a long window opening presumably
on the porch.
With a muttered inprecation he threw
himself at the closed window. expecting
il 10 give. The force of his onslaught
shattered several OF the small panes,
p hut his progress was blocked by a wick
or norch Settee that had evidently been
placed there for that very purpose.
Lamar rushed and tumbled
headlong over this settee and landed
bruised against the outer rail Of the
porch. The fraiI settee had cracked I'M
der his weight and the thud of his fall
ing body sounded unnsturally loud on
the still air.
II was this sudden Earring that awak-
ened Mary from her nap In the deep
chair with the dull half-quietly gaze
Of person jus; reused from sleep. the
.Fold woman rubbed her eyes and looked
about In the same room. hut a far
distant corner. she heard the soft rustic
Of 2 wOman's skirt Inen the V'lHN
OF glass against metal
chair she listened intently. Not that
she wanted To play the spy. but rather
because she wished To conceal the Tact
that she had been mapping. The pro-
rounced stiffness. broken only ny
strange hut almost inaudihle sounds. got
on her nerves.
She twisted quietly in the chair until
she was crouchng on her knees on the
sa.t Of il. facing the hack. Cautiously
Che raised her body until her eyes were
inst above the edge. What she saw
made her forget her own predlcameh''
\ over in a half.it corner was large
scuare pedestal holding 4 bronze stat
,uette. standing so that its shadow halt
concealed her, was the daring woman
N, BLACK her right hand lifted 50 that
enc feeble light from the hanging lamp
fell athwart its back ON II oia"ed
Red Circle .,,afr
Mary lodged down behind the chalr
. ION as the woman slowly turned heI
bead After few seconds the SCUM"
( of liouid dripping into glass m""e
ber anxious to look again.
The woman was holding smaii
eronre in her left hand. She saueeHeh
+, drv into a glass half fun Of water.
( Smiling whimsically to herself. she
rubbed the hack Of her right hand WIN
the dampened sponge. The Red Circle
disappeared. -,
BreathIess with excitement. Mary
, strained her ewes to catch every move.