The evening world. Newspaper, February 5, 1916, Page 8

“The Red Circle,” repeated Borden dully. “It is etill there, on my hand, always there. And it has marked one member im every generation of my family. The person marked by it has always been a criminal. The ‘Decoration of the Curse of Heaven,’ I have heard it called!” : ; Nevelized From the Pathe Photo Play of the Same Name by Will M, Ritchey. (Conyrtgh’ 1916, by Atbere Parwon Tectiune,) EYNOPSIA OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS, master crook, {sm * Rew sopenred on. the Scsiaioal, Max’ ‘ore see wep Mas recently Ai old nurse, Mary. the down, inatt_ of ane member Mar” Taunar, i eaten tan ack era, Han Ped weet Conte Thonn dite on. bg" tis, ell Be hal’ dice ‘mms ee from, Al Three ‘policemen to “am's cobbler shop, Gam red_circle on ener Keneratic sung. orme speoiallst hand, of a womat linet, June ‘Travie, @ beautiful ine, Hon is iaing oad nling Baas” Dagan: 8. cos O f ; ‘ Sly mens Thatrmeckcoe far jolt rN, He napa tmnt" 6a E Suton, to i ieweln nig e fel are on, Sena of hor victime, «Lamar capes srongh ‘pre he learns oF sents eoraine thug) & secret doar, CHAPTER VII. “Peace at Any Price.” (OH by inch the door began to give. Under the emashing blows of the two men the gap widened. A jagged rent appeared across the @urface of the panel. One more mighty crash of the improvised battering-ram and the bench-end burst in. ‘There was a hole in the secret door big enough for a slender man to seviggie through, Lamar dived head bis companion. ‘i Into the inner room they plunged @ghting outside. "The low door leading to the yard was ajar. first into the breach, closely followed and across it, guided by the noise of Through the doorway hur- ‘Lamar, bending double to clear tts top. Across the yard ho raced and me the gate tte the alley, arriving Just as the two policemen were put- ting the finishing touches upon the subjugation of Mr. Thomas Dunn. ‘A crack on the head had momentarily dazed that industrious young battler, and before his cigarctte-sodden brain could clear from the tmpact ‘one of the policemen had snapped a pair of handcuffs around the prisone:’s Unwashed wrists. “Now, then!” said Lamar, “Huh? grunted Dunn. “Y gay, where's your boss? Whero’ san n? Where Is he hiding?” Tom looked dully bewildered “Speak up, you!” ordered one of the policemen, giving the luckiess poutb a shake so vehement as (vo set ail his yellowed teeth a chatter and to ‘knock lis cap flying from his head “Yes, speak up, you!” echoed the other policeman, picking up the cap, ig it down on Dunn's head and then proceeding to shake jm until {t bounced off once more. “Wottcher talkin’ about?” bleated Dunn; “lemme be, can't you? [ ain't done nothin’. Can't a feller come peaceable out of his own back yard without gettin’ beat up by the bulls? TU _have'——— “Where's Sam Wayan?” Jamar. “I don’t know uo Sam Hagan,” stowled Dunn. es he get past while you were this chap?” Lamar asked the policeme! him!” returned one of the of- Tepeuted flvers, “And not any ane We didn’t Move two feet from that gute. If any one'd tried to sneak out or elimbed over the fence, we'd ‘a’ seen fim. I had my eye open for Sam as “woon’s I found this guy wasn't him.” The Trap Is Sprung. “Whore is he?" Max demanded once more of the dishevelied prisoner. “Where's who?” mumbled Dunn, “Speak up civil!” admonished one » siving the captive a expelling dig over the heart, “And speak up quick!” added the other cfficer, with a similar dig on the oj ite side, “Where's Eagan?" asked Max, “I don't know no Eagan, I keep tell- in’ you,” wailed the battered youth. Max Lamar knew enough of thug po AG dg betel agai RG go on for an hour ‘with no results. Meanwhile precious was passing. you take him to Headquar- ordered. “The chief will find make bim talk. You two » building, cellar I'm going back for another look around the shop. it'll be worth while, tf 1 can find what | want enariingly detecti find erat wae Fs ever find anything? “That'll do for you!" roured one of Sts captors, shaking him to gasping "m Sorry to see you boys so rough with that eweet young reform school alumnus,” reproved Max, “but I'd be a fot or: r if he hadn't called me « “detective.” My tough tric I'm a Grime specialist, not u”— “An, lay down!” snapped Dunn, ‘You're all a bunch of cheap dubs. Boneheuds, the lot of you. We"—- “Quite right!" assented Max, re- @training 4 dual impulse of the men to manhandle the prisoner sill Gurther. “Quite right, my successful tll candidate, We are « lot of bone- heads. Most human beings are. But when I see where your cleverness has Janded you—and wher going to fand you—why, I'm conter o keep being 4 bonehead. Boneheads «ta @ Tight side of the bars long ng fellows Who ure too cleve for theirO0Wn good. Take him along, @ficer. You others sourch the hou A minute later Lamar was buck the wrecked cobbler Hop, He had Wemembered the shoe that had rat- tled when he so idly played with it @n Dis visit to Sam the previous day. And he set to work looking for it, ‘One disreputable piece of foots after another he picked up from fheap in the corner of the room. &t last he found the shoo he sou He recognized by the fu one of its laces had three t Broken and that ihe breaks had been mended by queer “granny knots. had carelessly noted this when he he wung it to and fro by the end of 1 "The “Alarm. With an awl he pried joose the run- It was hollow. Empty heel. the hollow now was, it corre- in every way wit that tn shoe Alma alle had been carrying under her arm when s)\ errested. “No sign of Eagan, cither in buliding or the next,” repo Meeman, coming in as Max mining the hollow hecl. “Plenty of signs of him here, ” answered Lamar, holding up bo aw ve found what I was P ee } rolle briskly, “where's your boss” out shoe?” asked the officer, suspect ing « joke. “Why, that thing aiu’t worth five cents as junk.” “No? queried Max, “porhaps not— as junk, But as a jewel casket It has held a good many thousand dol- lars’ worth of gems, or I miss my guess. Anyhow, it’s the link I needed to connect Smiling Bam FE with the series of jewel thefts that have heen bothering you people. This old ‘five-cent bit of Junk’ will send Sam ‘over the road’ for a five-year stretch, when we get our hands on him. I'm going k to Headquarters. Como along. ‘There's no use wasting any more time in this cage. The bird's flown. It's up to us to get the net spread for him.” Ten minutes later Chief Allen was listening attentively to Max Lamar's story. Fifteen minutes later the fol lowing message was on its way to every town In the State: “Wanted for Burglary and for ‘Fence’ Work: Samuel Wagan, Allas ‘Smiling Sam.” “We'll have the city scraped fo him, too, of course,” wilded the chi turning back to Lamar, “but there's not much use in that. He's too slick to hang around here. He'll beat it for the nearest out-of-town hiding place and lie low there till it's safe to travel further, I know Sam's ways, Our only hope is to send these ‘dodg- ers’ around, on the chance some ja: burg constable may recognize him." ‘The chief was as much a specialist in his own way as Max Lamar him- sel much 4 specialist in crime as is a doctor in anatomy. He was as famillar with the criminal mind as is 4 surgeon with the vermiform appen- dix, He knew exactly what each type of crook under given circumstances practically certain to do. For, in spite of Sherlock Holmes and other fic- tional detectives, the workings of the criminal mentality are very simple in- deed—once a man has learned them from careful study. And in “Smillng Sam's” case the chief bud diagnosed the procedure with the skill of a mind reader, Sam hastening through the yard at ‘Tom Dunn's heels had prudently al- lowed his “lookout” to pass through the gate into the alley in front of him He himself had lingered for a moment so that Dunn might prove for him whether or not the coast was clear, Tt had been the wise act of a wise man. For scarce had the scared Dunn bolted into the alleyway when the two policemen had selzed him. At first sound of the scuffle Sam had darted back from the half-closed te and sere 1 through the rear doorway 6 tumbledown house that adjoined hid own, Always prepared for emergencies, he had snatched up his hat and coat as he had left the shop, on the ap- *h of Lamar and the officers Now, in the hallway of the house, he shed his apron, threw it down a mal hole, put on the coat and hat id very tely walked out of the front door, just beyond the entrance to his own jop, and thence down the street The Fugitive. At the sevond ¢ e saw a Patrolnay strolling along. Sam con- sulted a sign above the store he chanced to be passing and stepped inside the place until the policoman had gone by In a similar fashion he made his way for a full half mile—alway moving unconcernedly and yet man- aging to elude the notice of any bluecoat—until he came to the rail- road yarde. Down the yards he walked —- not u loafer, nor with th 4 tramp—toward a distant rkmen. He was, > all outward semblance, an hone: on his way back from dinner. Presently his route took him past @ line of freight He did not seem to notice them. Yet the keen little eyes under the shaggy brows took heed of the lock of each car. When he came to an “empty” which was unlocked, he peered up and down to make sure no one was (n direct line of vision with him, ‘Then, with an adroit swiftness, odd in one laborer » heavy, Ked open the bi and shut the big reddish d bir Late that night his car was coupled with thirty others and pulled out of the yam. Karly next day the freight train rumbled slowly pactm suburban station and on into the sand-swept waste beyond. Sam, through @ crack in his “‘side- door Pullman,” had kept rigid tabs op the train's general direction. And now he knew just where he was, He had caught @ glimpse of the station's eign: ‘Surftton-by-the-Se: A briliiant tdea struck him. An idea that brought him to his feet with a bound and set him to tugging open the eliding door of the car. The train was etill moving at a goodly pace—for a frolght train, ‘But m Hagan would have taken far greater ritks in order to carry out the daring plan that had just occurred to him. He took @ flying leap into a track- elde pile of sand. The impact of his ieap and tls 240 pounds of muscular nt drove him into the eand up to his knees. But, unhurt, he #hook his legs free and made off at a smart stride toward the village itself. “This'll be worth a dozen regiler hide-out places to mo,” he chuckled. “Just let me find June Travis and epring the right sort of ‘hard luck whine, and she'll help me out, all right, all right!” . . . . . Meanwhile, at Surfton, June Travis had just done what Mary character. ed as “a foolish, dangerous thing, if ever there was on The girl had sent the following tele- fram to Lamar—firet showipg 1t mis- chievously to the ecandalized and pro- testing Mary: Mr. Lamar, 512 Blank Building: As your assistant in “Red Circle” cases, | report monkey stolen from Italian organ Cas ja by girl with Red Circle on hand. Mary saw her; gives desoription of red hair and blue eyes. Better come down and investiga JUNE TRAVIS. “You're never going to send that orazy message?” Mary gasped, as June, pausing in their morning walk ut the local telegraph office, scribbled the despatch and laughingly showed it to her. Playing With Vire. Yor reply June handed the telegram to the desi clerk. Mary clasped her hands convulsive- ly and seemed about to burst into a torrent of protest, but June drew out into the street und hurried her along the sidewalk homeward. Mary suf- fered herself to be propelled thus, but all the way she scolded shrilly. As they reached the foot of the ateps leading up to the Travis cottage, on the side of the bluff overlooking the Mary asked: “Why ever did you do such a thin, preciou She asked it for the fiftieth time in her tlrade, but for the first time she paused for an answer. And June replie “II don't know just why T did tt— any more than I seem to know why I do anything at all nowadays. Por- haps {t was the perverse spirit that 1s always goading to mischief. Perhaps I feel s think of his working out a where I can me on watch lim apd nt him, ine stead of letting low his ‘own deductions at long range; for he's dreadfully ole dut, dearle “Perhaps,” said the girl, unhesding, hor voice softening and a light creep- ing into her great, dark eyes, “per. haps I'm-—I'm a little lonely for him. r, Mary! Perhaps" “June cried the old woman, aghast, trying to look into the girl's flushed, averted f: une! My baby, you've su gone and let yourself got | in” “Thterested? confessed June, add hasttl “But not interested the you mean. I'm not tn love with Max Tamar, T've never yet been in love with any man. I don't think I quite know what love is, Not yet. And I'm {n no hurry to. But ho ts the most interesting man I have ever met. There is something about him something compelling, magnetic— oh, T can't desertbe it!—something that makes me want to ave more of nite, w "On, dearie! My ow claimed Mary in way folks. ‘st And Nonsensi ist” insisted the nurse, “and here you've got whole world to choose from and you go and fall in Jove with the ope man who's track- ing you down to put you in jail!” “I'm not in love with him!" hotly denied June, “not one single bit, you id goose! And, besides, he's not acking me down,’ He ha the Vv slightest suspicion of me, And jon't mean t he shall, De He's « » wror Lek, at That's w ey a y" qu ed Mary They all may at y take a step too far 1e day and then"——- “And then their darling olf fussy nazeo comes to the rescus,” ftaiee rupted June, “and aaves them. Oh, Mary!" she added, with a sudden sadness that went to the older wom- an's heart. “Do you suppose I enjoy doing such horrible things? I hate itt ine-tenths of the time it makes me fairly sick to look back on them. ‘Then, the tenth time, something gets hold of me and pushes me on, tn spite of myself. Not only my body, but my mind too. When—when the Red Cir- cle begins to burn on the back of my band I find myself yearning to do things that are—awful! And the more awful they are the more I want to do them. What will it end in?” Her sweet voice rose almost to @ wail. ry gathered the stricken girl into her arms and strove to comfort her. But almost at once the mood of terror passed, leaving June again her gay and carefree self. She kissed Mary and playfully pushed her aside. “There, there!” she cried gayly “We're not going bogy hunting, you and I, Mary, and we aren't going to let ourselves get scared. Mother's calling you. Run on! I'm ali right again. The Newlyweds. Left alone on the veranda, June be- fulled the time for a half hour or s& in jotting down notes on bits of scratoh-pad paper—notes for Lamar’s guidance in his hunt for the pseudo- d-haired girl with blue eyes. It 6 her a twinge of conscience to do But she steeled herself to the this. task. Then, growing restless, she set out c for a walk along the sand at the base of the cliffs, beyond the village. ‘The sun was hot, but a sweep of bracing salt wind made the air a joy to breathe. The sand shone gold- white against a dazzling blue sea. Along the beach curled a gleaming ribbon of silvery surf. The tide was at the turn, In Its wake along the beach the sun had dried and crisped the sand, which soon the increeping wavelets would cover. June, full of the glory of the sky, strode along the beach with the tread of # young goddess. Above her the gray-white seagulls circled and whis- tled. The sea wind drove merrily against her face, whipping her hatr into her eyes Midway tn her walk June stopped to watch « queer tableau on the shore 4 few yards away from her, A young man and a girl were standing facing euch other, angry of eye, sharp of voice, quarreling violently. The man was clad in blue serge, and a camera was slung from his shoulder. The woman was in white. She carried a white parasol with which she was making impatient gestures. Her sailor hat was adorned by an enor- mous bird of paradise plume, Ai second glance June we recognized the couple. hey Mr. and an Old sohool friend of June's, They had apparently come to Surfion for thelr honeymoon, and Just at present tiey were engaged in a decidedly fierce dispute. June went forward. ‘The bride ri ognized her and greeted her eager! The bridegroom bowed stiffly. He was still too angry to be more than barely etvi! “On, Juno Travis!” exclaimed the brid I'm #0 glad to see you! Harry ls being perfectly abominable. What do you think he has the ne 6 to want me to do? He actuc wants me to throw away this gorgeous bunch of paradise feathers in my hat, He never noticed I had them on till five minutes ago—just like a man!—and now he wants me to get rid of them, Did you ever hear of such a thing? And they cost" —— “Can you blame me, Miss Travis?” put in the bridegroom. "I belong to the Bint Protection Society, and I'm not going to allow my wife te bring criticism on me, Not a month ago I started a petition for the legislature to forbid wear paradise plumes and aigret 1 now my own wife Instats on"— A Honeymoon Spat, “More: exclaimed June in mock terror, “The man who put his hand between the upper and nether mill- stones was & suge compared to the reckless person who interferes in a bride waa | A Mystery Romance of Heredity we between busbamd and wife! is is no place for me!" Disregarding their protests, whe raced on, leaving thera, She did not pause until she reached the foot of the cliffs, fully a furiong away, There whe looked back. She was just in time to see Lake dig his hands deep into his trousers pockets, shrug his shoul- ders peevishly, and stalk away. He id not once look back, but strode on until he reached @ disused boathouse further down the beach. He walked around this and seated himself gloom- Uy upon a keg at the side most dis- tant his wife. There, out of sight of her, he let his head drop on his breast and proceeded to sulk in lonely misery, “These honeymoon spats must be hideously tragic,” thought June, with a laugh. “The poor boy! He looks like @ sick chicken, all hunched up like that, on his keg.” She turned to observe the bride. Mrs, Lake had seated herself on the sands, raised her parasol and laid her hat on the beach at her side. And thus, to June's amusement, the two newlyweds sat far apart and sulked. It Was the bride who surrendered. Presently she sighed, got to her feet and, leaving the parasol and hat on the sand, began to walk slowly toward the boathouse, June watched her o— watched her until a corner of the boathouse hid her from view. ‘Then, as her own guze strayed back to the place where the bride had been sitting, June was aware of a throb- bing and burning at the back of her uly Wondering how best she could make good the loss to Mrs. Lake, she reached her own cottage. In the rden, talking to Mrs. Travie and ary, was Mr. Lamar, who had just arrived at Surfton, in answer to June's telegram, and who had come directly from the station to the Travis cottage. June came in upon the group as Mary, very red-faced and uncom- fortable, was finishing a tight un- truthful version of the monkey- theft. June came to her relief. \"Good morning, Mr, Lamar,” sho said, taking his eageriy outstretohed hand, “you didn't waste any time, did you. Come down to the beach and I'll show you where the monkey was stolen. i have some notes to show you, too. Notes I took on the case.” As she spoke, she led the way to- ward the garden gate. Lumar gladly hurried along at her side. Mary, with a worried look after them and @ muttered excuse to Mrs. Tr followed yowly and at a distanc As June Lamar went toward the pler the girl drew from her belt the notes she had scribbled and handed them to Lamar. With great professional gravity he read them, suppressing a smile at their ama- teurish tone, and then put them in his_ pockets. “These are very, v interesting, Miss Travis,” he ited, “and they'll be @ great help to me. Thank you for writing them out, _ I'll study them carefully, after I've"— “Here ‘is the pier," interrupted June. “The Italian was leaning against that stringpieco asleep, Mary says, when the woman’ “Oh, June! June Trav a voice just behind them. “What do you suppose has Just happened?” June turned to see Mr, and Lake hurrying toward them waiting to ack June’ duction to newlywec broke in Mrs. th Lamar SEEKS a CLUE TO THE Naw MYSTERY: right hand, She looked down at the hand. The Red Circle glowed vividly against the snowy flesh. At the same instant, an impulse seized and mas- tered her, Darting forward from the base of the clif's, June sped to where the hat lay forgoiten on the beach. A little nearer to the water was a cavity, a foot or so deep, that some child with 4 pall and shovel had that morning dug in the soft sand. June picked up the hat, priceless bird of paradise plumes and ali, went to the hole in the beach, thrust the hat into it and piled tho sand over it, smoothing the pluce where tho cavity had been and trying to make it look as much as possible Ike the rest of the sand. Then she glanced furtively along the shore. The bride was still hidden from view by the boathouse. A very devil of mischief danced in June's eyes, She caught up @ seashell and wrote with it in the sand these words; “That there may be peace, the Red Cirele lady has destroyed the offend. wg hat.” Nhe neatly traced a border around this queer message, stuck up the par- 1sol alongside it and ran guiltily ck to the shelter of the cliff. Meanwhile the bride, rounding the corner of the boathouse, had beheld her newly espoused lord and master sitting glumly on the keg, with his back to her, She took a step toward him, hesitated, waited a few moments in the hope that he might turn around, and then murmured indig- nantly t self? “No! [ won't give i She turned on her heel and started back to where she had been sitting. But she could not see the hat and parasol where she had left them. Her first thought was that some one had stolen them, Then, some distance down the beach, she caught sight of the parasol, standing upright in the sand; the marks of email feet lead- ing to and from ft, Puzzled, the bride went to recover her lost possession. As she reached the parasol, she saw the writing in the sand~saw and read it. With a scream forgotten i tra she ran her | band June waited no longer. With a sigh, she turned to retrace her steps homeward. Already the Red Circle had faded from her hand. Already she was repentant and disgusted at her insane prank, THE NINTH CHAPTER OF “THE RED CIRCLE” WILL BE PUBLISHED SATURDAY, FEB. 12 burst into an incoliere of. the lost hat myste Lamar listened with scant interest annoyed at this breaking up of his tete-a-tete with June—until the bride added: “And the sign said, ‘That there may be peace, the Red Circle lady hus de- e offending hat!’ Think of juint reel ly, “Red Circle lad You're sure? Positive!” declared the «roo! “We both saw it, She had written"-— "Come!" ordered Lamar. "Show me the place, Give me your camera. We'll photograph whai she wrote. Then we'll have a spe handwriting, anyhow. He hastened off, guided by the Lakes, June stood transfixed with sudden panic. A light touch on her arm made her start violently, Mary aaep li heated ciel strick lary!” pan: © terror-stricken girl “Lteten! I'm in fearful trouble!" In a half-dozen sentences she told her story, ending with the scared whisper: '8 going to photo: hit, And fn nd n the case and he has specimens ¢ writing—those silly notes -in his pocket, Oh, what are we to do?" “To do?” echoed the valorous old woman, breaking into a rum "We're to get there first and rub out tha‘ writing in the sand. That's what we to do. Run! There'll be time enough to scold you afterward.” Along the shore they raced. But th distance between them and the othe three was too great. Breathing fast and quite exhausted by their long run, they came alongside the Lakes and Lamar just as Max reached the up standing parasol in the sands, The Hand of Nature. June almost subbed aloud in sudden relief, The parasol ferrule was stand- ing an inch deep in water. ‘The tide had crept in. Nature's pitying hand had sponged out the telltale hand- Hing in the sands. t—it was her explaining tearful: Mr, Lamar. And washed it all away, Lamar had not come empty-handed to Surfton ‘That evenin walled on June, As they sat in a window nook # ‘the library of the cottage, he said: “I have a surprise for you, Miss ‘Travis. I meant to tell you abbut It this morning. But all that excitement about the monkey and ihe mysterious writing on the sand drove it out of my mind.” “a surprise for me?" she asked new clue in the Red Cirele mystery “Even more welcome than that, 1 think,” he made an drawing something from hia waistcoat pocket He held up & poarl pend dangled trom « slender gold ehait sight of it, June cried out in joy “Oh, my pearls!” she exclaimed, rapturously. "My beautiful pendant that waa stolen ‘L tald you haw we foupd the Mra, Lake was . “Just right here, and now the tide's How horrid!" ie . night men of her By Albert Payson Terhune Nd Mi nhl Ie Boman adNti K- nh AD The Newest PATHE Picture, Now Being Presented at Leading Motion Picture Theatres of Greater New York glow on the back of Jewels Alma La Salle etole at the ball,” said Max. “I recognized this pendant, And I got leave to bring it back to you at once “Oh, thank you! Thank you a thousand (mes. How shall T ever be able to thank you as I ought to?” “By letting me put the pendant back where it belongs,” he answered, his eyes aglow With an barrassed laugh she held out the cain to him. Almost reverently he took rose and stepped behind her. Caressingly, he Placed the pendant chain about her soft white throat, taking an unduly long time in closing the cateb that fastened the trinket in place. He was bending over her as he ad- justed the chain. The perfume of her dark hair was in his nostris, It went to his brain like strong drink. A thrill surged through the man. His Wontedly cool nerves were a-tingle. His heart beat like a sledge-hammer, All too soon—for him-—-the chain was in pi K his trembling hands were loath nove away from her. His fingers gently touched the tendril curls at the back of her neck He was standing behind her. Be- Heving himself unseen, be stooped lower until his lips rested lightly for an instant on the curls. June, look- ng in the opposite oval of miror, saw yuhing At the almost of his lips to breath, come and hing ‘strange—s yet blissfully happy—dawned all at oO » in her soul June!" he breathed, tensely, bend- ing over until hh face waa clow to hers. “June! My! The a step in th hallway. ry appeared, loitering, as it with- ut purpose, just outside the open library doors. “The spell was broken. June came to herself with a start, as though from somy wonderful dream “You Are in' Love.” ry imperceptible touch air she felt her go quickly. Some nething ritylr M “I am afraid it is rather late, sald Lamar, forcing a commonplace tone into his agitated voice ood night, Miss Travis. Iam glad to have been able to get back your pendant for you. And I'm sorry to have had to tell you your ‘reformed’ friend, Sam Eagan, ts still a crook and ts @ fugitive from justice. Good night. He was gone—leaving June staring after him, her eyes wide with a wist ful Jonging. Mery came forward and vaught both her ice-cold hands. “Oh, my baby baby!" mur- mured the old in keen dis- tress. “I saw it. 1 saw it all. He's in Jove with you! And---God help us! -you're in love with lum!” “I'm not!” denied June with @ sud- den vehemence. “I'm not! I'm not!” . . . . . . ° Patrolman O'Hara—nowest membor of Surfton’s diminrtive police foree— was walking his beat in a «'sconsolate frame of mind. Patrolman O'Hara was in love, ‘The brilliant summer , to-night, brought him momen. y visions of the girl he wanted to 'y. But lon sense | nt arm ar visions of her ob. durate old t who would not hear ch a iwge until Patrolman ‘@ should win y And, in @ dead-and-alive suburb like Surfton, whut earthly chance was there for promotion? Patrolman O'Hara turned a corner and came to a standstill as abruptly as if he had run into a stone wall, Pitty feet ahead of him was an all- lunehroom—the only place on motion. the block whose window lights were etill burning, In front of junchroom was a rd menu, setting forth the of Various stodgy daintles at comfortably low price, And, in the full flare of the window Nght, his hat pushed back on his fore- head, stood @ man, hungrily reading the menu, od Patroiman O'Hara had not studied that police circular for nothing. At a xlance he recognized the man beside the blackboard menu. It was the crook whose rogue's gallery photo- raph was reproduced on the elroular. It was milin. m” Bag. Patrolman O'Hara had visions agwin—(his tine visions of swift pro- motion, His chance had come! He stepped forwar At sight of him began to shuffle parative darkness of street Patrolman O'Hara, whipped out his pistol, Halting (everybody but a fool knows the perilous uselessness of fir- ing when one is running), the otfic an wheeled and into the com- the moonlit pulled trigger. The roar of the heavy calibre sbot split the silence of the summer hight, A second time he fired, Sam did not check hia run, Lowering his re- volver, Patrolman O'Hara got his own long legs into motion and sprinted in pursuit “Halt! “Halt, I'll shoot!" Sam turned in at the entrance of an alley and with a final spurt of speed ran up the alleyway, O'Hara close be- bawled O'Hara. or hind, The policeman's finger was on the trigger. He lucked the patience to run his winded man down. Instead ie made good his threat by tirin again. Purposely he au high, but he was no marksman, and’ the effect of his bullet filled him with the wild- est consternation, For "Smiling Sam" swerved sharply in his run, gave a coughing cry, stag- gered forward upon his knees, half rose, then tumbled prone upon his face in the mud of the alley. ‘Good Lord!" groaned Patrolman O'Hara. uddenly unnerved and shak- en with naus T've killed him! I've --I've murdered a inan!" He stuck the pistol into his belt and went forward to Where the inert bod y ho turned the over on its i ay Hes th { bulls lopped to feel the hear And in the vei sume Moment the murdered man came to life. Patrolman O'Hara felt himself clutched by a sinewy, thick hand, whose Ginger dug deep into his “When I am myself,” sobbed June; “I loathe the things The Red Circle makes me do. But when the circle begins to throb and scourges me on from one mad crime to another ;—some power I can’t control.” my hand, something Eagan, with his other hand, throat, wrenched the pistol from O'Hara's belt and transferred it to his owa pocket. Then, with both hands and arma and legs, he proceeded to grip the dumfounded officer and lay him flat_and helpless on his back. “Get up!” commanded Vagan, men- acing him with the revolver. "So! Now just you run around that corner, Mr. Officer, and run around it double quick! Run, and keep on running!” Patrolman O'Hara hesitated, his wits still befuddled. Eagan levelled the pistol at his stomach, the weap- on's black muzzle a bare three inohes from the policeman’s belt buckle, Pa- troiman O'Hara, in eudden fright, did ag he was bidden. He bolted down the alleyway as fast ds his long lees would carry him. Meantime, as Sam bad foreseen, the sound of shots had brought people from thelr homes on the jump. Sov- eral men--a policeman among them-- along the next street, sed questions as they calling con rap Dagan set off in the opposite direc- tion to that taken by Patrohnan O'Hara. Olearly there was no time to squander in dreamy idteness, O'Hara, at the alley's mouth, collided with « man who was walking along the street from the beach. The officer, as ha reeled back from the collision, rac- ognized Max Lamar—the great crime specialist, who had been pointed out to him one day tn the city “He Got My Gunl” “Quick!” gurgled O'Hara, pointing ip the alley, "Smiling Sum Hagan’ there, He got my gun and”-— Lamar did not watt for the rest of sorry confession. At a bound he was in the alley. At its far end the ht ehowed him the squat body gun vanishing around @ ‘hous corner. “Halt! shouted Lamar, drawing hi revolver and pursuing with High skilled speed of a college sprinter, Around the alley corner he tan Eagan, a bare thirty yards ahead, heard him coming. Halting, Sam hid himself behind the jutting edge of a house and fired, Thi bullet flew wide. Lamar answered with two shots. One bullet grazed Sam's ear, Tho other flattened itself again Just above his head. “© st & Stone Sam, steadying his arm against the house edge, fired again. This tne hin shot found a mark, but not that a which he had fired. Patrolman O'Hara, charging along the alley to relufores Lamar, was so unfortunate an to catch the ball in the calf of the le, E sprawled headlong, oe Nee Most decidedly this was lucky night, ner Ongee with better fudgment, hive aiming pulled the trigger again. 2 mer fell with @ eliuk upon an expaed cartridge. The pistol was e shrowing it away, he took toa eels. Lamar followed halting only now Up the alle man and racing speed, then to fire. " second patrol 18. ‘They halt- d at sight of the wounded O'He The latter raised himscif on his hande stammered out the gist of story, polnted in the direction whither Tae mar and Eagan had disc autiped to kip in a dead faint, The hue wa ery reached the ie, at the alley's far end. Patrolmen O'Hara looked up and down, saw no one in elther direction, then ran valiantly to westwamnt, Lamar and his quarry had turned ea: eared, then Lamar, ore than mn i 4 ho in the vague moonligt an) Ke iadowe, missed sight of the man he followed Once he completely lost hi and Was about to give Up the chase’ wher a glimpse of something black, sit. houetted against the skyline’ and moving heavily, Itke @ wounded bull set him off in hot chase again ‘ By this time they had left the vil- lage behind them. Sam, running with no sense of direction, foun himself at the shoreward base of the ridge that culminated in the oveans side clits Up the ridge he scrambled, grunt. ing and heaving with fatigue. fe was then that Lamar, two hundred yards behiu aught sight of the broad, squat hody against the sleylin Clambering as nimbly as a vat, la mar swarmed up the steep slope bee hind him. Once only the paused. That was when Sam, gaining the summit, halted and stared dazediy around. Lamar, resting hts plstot barrel on a ledge of rock, pulled me ger, The revolver was empty, He dropped it and ¢ nied Ais swift elimb At Bay! Sam, 1 recovering his breath, heard a one rattle just beneath him. He wheeled about, as Lamar bounded up to the flat sum mit-rock beside him. No word was spoken. Breath wea too scant and too precious for that, ‘The two men sprang at each other, Unarmed, forced to rely on na- primal weapons, they came, r with a thudding shock that them both to the ground, pping each other in murderous fury, they reguined their feet, and, on the slippery edge of the c lift, th a sheer drop of 800 feet to the sea that thundered below them, they fopant. Lamar was wiry, young, Yet his opponent’ was net ately, pounders heavier than he, but every one of his 240 pounds was solld bone and sinew, Such a man, chunky and a close $0 sae ground,” is a ter~ rible antagonist in \° tumble fight . 6 roumiaNe To nd fro they reeled, on Perilous verge of tha precipice f in the white there, on the black el ght. Hitting, wrestling, sirug Ing, they battled, tiny specs of Ive red suspended be. sent he ing and vibrant tween sea and sky, Inch by inch Sam b Ughter foe toward precipice. began to drag big the brink of the (Mo Be Continued, ( any |