The Dermott news., 1916-07-20
While Boyle was seeking to get Ja.

Wnlle Bcyle was seeking Co get Ja- cobs out of the burning shack, she was speeding along the sand toward the rock where she had left Lamar and Mary.
 Gordon. too, had profited nightly by her delay. From the rocks he | made his way to the highroad that | led from Surfton to the city. An auto truck, city-bound. chugged past. just as he reached the road With a 1.-the | spring. he swung himself up to l precarious seat at it's tailboard. As she ran. June looked backward The shack was pillar of flame. Presently. as she rounded the point, | she dropped to a sedate walk Mary and Lamar were coming forward from 1 the rock. to meet her She forced her labored breathing into some sort of regularity and answered the eager question in their eyes by calling out to them:
 Il was too late. He had gotten away. But saw the detectives going toward the shack It seemed to be on tire-or-or something"
 \ tre?" echoed Lamar. looking toward the smudge of smoke that be- gan to crawl upward over the jutting shoulder of the point. T should say so. And. look how everyone is run hing Let's go to see it."
 Lamar reached the scene of the blaze to find crowd already there. The fire shared public attention with two men, one of whom held the other s head on his knee.
 Max shouldered his way through the group that hemmed in these two. Boyle looked up and recognized him.
 Hes coming round, all right. Mir. Lamar" he said Smoke was too much for him. Gee. but we had one queer time in that shack"
 Tn the shack" repeated Lamar You surely never went into that blaz- ing hovel to look for your man."
 We sure did" responded Boyle "Only 1t wasn't blazing then. We bust in the door and started for an inner door. And then a woman's hand stuck out through the opening and-it had A lighted lamp. Threw the lamp at us and"
 "A woman?" questioned the amazed Lamar. "A woman-threw a lamp at you?"
 It was woman. all right insisted Boyle. No man ever had such little white hand. Resides"
 Besides. gasped Jacobs feebly. ! 'tha hand hnI ha l back"
 "No." gasped Lamar. dumfounded, tncredulous. No! It couldn't have been, Not"
 It was though" declared Boyle. We both saw it We"
 Miss Trayisl" broke in Lamar. as he caught sight of June. who had just come up. Do you hear this? These men say woman was in that shack that she threw a lamp at them-that there was Red Circle on her hand ,"
 No. really2" exclaimed June "A woman-with the Red Circle-?"
 She checked herself abruptly. La mars gaze was fixed on her own right hand. carelessly displayed to his view Her guilty e'ance fell to the back Of l her hand l. was snowy. velyety, shapeIy No sign of the Red Circle was visible on it's smooth surface.
 sGan--can yeu explain 1t 9" she fal- tered Gan you explain how wom- an - with the Red Circle - could have-?"
 No. ho sa.d brusqueIy as he fought to shake of feeling of strange mis trust that eneompassed him. No, cant I--I cant.'
 Then, with an eHort. changing the subject. he went on
 My letter from Chief Allen begs me ! 10 come back 10 town and consult with him on the Gordon case. must catch tho noon train, if can. Good-by"
 Abruptly he turned away, ignoring the girls pretty gesture of farewell.
 
 Mrs. Travis came down to the beach, at noontide in her car On the front seat beside the chauffeur. rode Yama | The tonneau was half filled with ham pers and baskets.
 from the table powder they had | chosen for their luncheon board ear Her in the morning June and Mary waved to Mrs Travis. Here" directed June. as the Jap came plodding up. here is the rock Yama. Spread the lunch there. and put the car cushions on those rows of stones to each side. Call us when you're ready. And be ready as soon as you can. I'm starved Mrs. Travis wants to see where the fire was this morning. We will be back in five min utes. Try to have everything on the | table by that time" The three women strolled away. Yama, as they left him, set to work with a will to get the luncheon ready within the brief i've minutes allotted | him.
 As the Jap was not gifted with eyes l in his hack he did not see a frowsy