The Washington times., 1916-01-18
Continued from Yesterday
rfTWASN'T annoying ladies' ar
gued the sduirming prisoner
IT'S a mistake. l never di


Il It's a mistake. l never did
such a thing in my life!"
He did" put in the onlooker He
just did the same thing down there on
the beach. and the girl got after him
with her parasol, He fell over my FOOT
too"
so YOU was annoying a lady on the |
beach. too, was you? guess you're
one of these here fly guys we gotta jug
every once in while.' proclaimed the |
bluecoat.
You are making one big mistake for /
which you will. be sorrN,' Interrupted |
the foreign-lookng, older man OF the |
two. III YOU insist upon OBTAINING Us |
the criminal will escape. |
The younger man twisted his arm free !
and reached into an inner pocket |
Drawing out a cardcase. he snatched |
bit of pasteboard from 1t ana showed II
under the shifting nose OF TINS mnlon
That's who am" he howled. fero-
ciously. Todd Drew. son OF the Sreat
inventor. Just now. when Count rec!
and l were talking business. in IL little
shack on the beach. someone barrlcadeu
the door. reached IN through hole III
greatest war invention the world has
ever known. They re worth fortune.
WHO took 'em?" questioned me DO
liceman. mildly and disuainluiN inter-
;Iow do we know" screamed Drew,
shaking a wild fist in the skeptlcal
lace. That's what were trying ~
ind out. The hand that reacheu III any
grabbed those PAPERS was marked Win
a Red Circle-and the person C"hoe'eF
il was) had on d girls suit.
Red Circle! Sailor suit! Say, you
talk III cnunks!' me oHlcer was oe.a,
ON being derisive. III you kno" so
much. why didn't you get 'em?'
Il Would have, ii the hellcat hadn't
started jabbing me with a hatpih. LOOK
at my hand!" Drew held the pierced
for IN.
Maybe you think I'm taking that. too.
eh? That woman had on a sailor SUIT
that's why I've looked at the hands
Of these women. I'm looking for the
Red Circle!
i corroborate all he says" added the
count. hastily. Il wish to say
We'll, your story sounds grand!
decided the policeman, but l thlnk
you're both liars. So, come along with
me, and by and by YOU can tell II TO
the judge. The police of this town nave
been guyed long enough. Just you come
along with me. See?"
An hour later. Harry Gage. Lamar's
confidential clerk, came into his en-
ployer's private office and handed the
crime specialist a telegram that read :
"Surfton. Aug. 2.-Mr. Max Lamar. OH
Black Bldg:
Fathers war instrument plans
stolen. Circular birthmark on back
of hand only clue. ! am held by police
her" on charge Of annoying r, Giris' q
come at once, TODD DREW.
Lamar's brows contracted suddenly
as he read. "Circular birthmark" The
Red Circle, of course-and at Surfton! !!
The chVerness of this crook. her un-
cannY appearances and disappearances
irritated him more than anything IN
his entire s!euth experience. 1t Is eN-
asperating 20 be hoodwinked by p
man Criminal-hut woman! The
Humiliation Of it had begun to eat
into the marrow of his bones.
Gage watcher the muscles OF La
mars jaw bulge and ripple as he
gritt"d his teeth. The telegram
'rumpled in his clenched fist. With
out a word he jumped to his feet,
looked at his watch. took his hat from
the rack ana made for the door, stuff
ing the yellow slip into his coat
pocket
On the threshold he turned sudden
lN and said:
I'm off to the beach--surfton. Any
thing Important comes up. phone Of
wire. Red CirCle!'
The door slammed noisily. Gage
heard MaX'S hurried footsteps eChoinG
down TN" tiled hall. This Red Circls
business was getting on Cages nerves
too. 1t got the chiefs goat so com
pletely.' Anu whenever anything tr'
ritated Lamar he was extremely peev'
ish to his employees. Gage wished
ferVently that this trip might lanc
would get comfortable again arounC
the office
And on the interUrban train that wa
due ut Surfton at o'clock, Max LANAI
looking Ertmly from the window, wa
wishing tn" sam" thing. More. He ha'
mad" up his mind that this time, If lucl
was with him, there wouldn't be 4 SinSl
lu0phole for the criminal.
The train stopped. \ woman, slender
of dark COmpleNion mOdishlY goWncd
ana carrying suitcase, climbed aboard
AT another time Lamar would have be
attracted to her AS type. Just nov
his impaticnCc at the delay led him [
iEnor" her completely. lie had TeaChe
tn" stage where ne sat with his watCt
fac" up, in the palm Of his hand, click
ing his tongue against the roof Of hi
mouth and shuItlng his feet iratel
whenever passenger got aboard q
left the car Once he smiled-as h
realized that Jun. Travis too was d
SUrfton, and that he might, by som
rare good luck, get a glimpse OF her.
over in one corner the woman watcf
ed him with the acuteness of tn
trained nrt, she waited for the momcr
when he should turn to surprise u zoo
Of admiration in her eyes, to be in
modiutely followed by sudden blust
ing Confusion. 1t would be amusing
firt with the great Max Lamar. Bl
Max forgot 10 turn As the car stOppe
=, Surrton she shrugged her shoulder
auGrily and prepared to alGht.
lamar brushed past her in gref
haste. She saw him jump from the ste
Of tho car and run toward a little. grou
"I three men. one in poltceman's un
IUIm lie ETasprd the hand of Il
young, st of the three and shook
~ ih, most terrible miN-up a
ir"uud"' she heard this man say
I.aUrar IIruuinv them hoiuln& Y
'or rnnovinc w"m"u Say, fay pl
l'nh"rlrv. l,c"r.m"nd - /" th,, /,
lice ct "a "a, horse lurg like thIs,"
o "Eo" here, iNE iN"o", law, mt'r,Eni.a ,ra,,M 4, =,