The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-29
By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE
THIRD INSTALLMENT

Jim Borden, crook, tries to wipe out
 his family by killing his son and him
 self thus ending the criminal curse or
 the Red Circle birthmark. June Ira
 wis, girl reformer, tells her nurse Mary
 of the impulse to commit crime. Mary
 sees the Red Circle on the back or
 June's right hand.
 Mary is overcome but stolidly refuses
 to tell June the terrible secret.
 After threatening to ask her mother
 the meaning of the Red Circle prand'
 Mary breaks down and confesses.
 June proves to be the daughter Of Jim Borden born in a little mining town in the west and through pecuhar circumstances raised by Mrs. Travis Tn the belief that 1t was her daughter' They promise to keep 1t secret rom Mrs. Travis.
 Detective Lamar, suspicious of June, calls at the Travis home on an invita- tion from June. During the conversa- tion Lamar asks her if she had seen anything of the "veiled'' woman in blacK' she answers in the affirmative Lamar leaned forward in his char ana half unconsciously placed hand upon her arm.
 ..Think. Miss Travis-think!" he urged. ..If vou can remember enough about this woman to give me the slightest c'ue' l may be able to unravel one of the great
 est mysteries that has ever bewildered the police department" What am I to think?" asked June' smiling into his eyes.
 ..rhink of where you saw her-what she did-where she went-at what time
 whether there was anything that at tracted you to her-if-" Down the stairs came the sleek batter l of Japanese feet in American shoes La mar turned, impatiently, as Yama ao- vanced to the center of the room, balanc- ing a dust pan and brush in one lean' yellow palln-the other extended with a bit of charred paper huttering stiffly from if In cleaning up the debris of the
 broken vase, he had apparently found on the floor this forgotten and damnlng Dit
 of evidence.
 Pardon. May this be honorable value to Miss June?' he intoned fatly. A gentle breeze floating in at the Wln- dow caught the ragged edge of the burned slip and tilted it back at sharp angle disclosing a cream white section upon which words in printed script and a penned signature showed distinctly. Lamar started at sight of the frag- ment. June reached out vaguely, nouued, l smiled as best she could and took the paper from the buffers hand. "Thank you. Yes. You may go.' With | Lamar's eyes upjon her it was an effort | to say even that. 1 As Yama disappeared through the door way, Lamar turned upon her. What is that?' he said sharply. ''This? she inquired faintly, holding l the paper before her.
 ''Yes. What is it?''
 Without waiting for her asnwer and be- l fore she had chance to regain her shat l tered compOsure he took the burned doc
 ument from her hand and examined it carefully
 l His lips twisted at one corner, and his heavy upper lids half-veiied his eyes as ! he watched her move. restlessly, under :! his scrutiny. The genial caller has all at
 once changed back into the man hunter. Where did you get it?' he asked at length. and his time implied that convic- l ton had taken place of suspicion. 1 That piece of paper, you mean?" she faltered, sparring for time. l This portion of a burned promissory note" he corrected coldly.