The evening world. Newspaper, February 26, 1916, Page 9

in every generation criminal. of Heaven,’ “The Red Circle,” repeated Borden dully. “It is still there, on my hand, always there. And it has marked one member person marked by it has always been a The ‘Decoration of the Curse 1 have heard it’called!”” of my family. The Nevelized from the Pathe Photo Play of the Same Name by Will M. Ritchey. (Coprright, 1914, by Albert Payson Terhune.) SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS, i has appeared on the band of one 2 igi i Jed Circle bas been seen om the rT ereeet to her old aurea, Mary, who is June, driven on Joan shark's victime from ryta murterous war engine « forvign nation is : HE i i fs ween by some of he i Sam ercapes, Jasna of June's Lamar is rescue! from jan, master crook, i@ marked with an tregular red circle on the Admire, has recently discovered this circle on the back of her 0 the Red Circle mystery and resolves to profit by it © ball at Surtton to steal guests’ jewels, vietia, Lamar captures Alma, He goes with three policemen to Sam's cobbler shop, dove down, But Sam gets away to Surfton, = seaside resort, feoret, and on the wtrwngth of thie hoki over Ler he hides is her to supaly hum with food and shelter, member of every generation denoted @ criminal, Max Lamar, « young “crime specialist,” learn that efter band of @ woman thief, June Travis, horrified at hearing of it, and by the spell of the Red Circle, trying to buy, He ends Alana paints @ red Through Sam escapes through & secret door, Lemar death by Cbarles Gordon, « fugitis the $3 CHAPTER XI. Seeds of Suspicion. N Lamar's office Gordon stood with bis back to the locked door, white faced, gasping. For and his eyes never left the the moment, at least, he was safe— face of the girl. “Now,” cried June under her breath, “tell me everything ‘won't you?” Gordon shook his head “I can't,” he said. “I'm more grat know—you've saved my life, or, rath eful to you than I can ever make you er, my liberty, that counts for more. but—honestly, I mustn't tell you why they're after me—not now, anyway! + ae But why not?’ interrupted June. “Every minute is precious. Mr Lamar is my friend—be culls me his ‘first assistant.’ I'm anxious to help you—if you'll tell me everything, but keep me in the dark like this?” Her earnest eyes were full of plead- ing. and reluctantly Gordon found bimself weakening. “You're a brick,” he said, “to be interested in moe at all, and I'm ter- ribly grateful— “Then do as I say—-begin at the be- inning and tell me.” How do you know but that some- one is in that next room? Do you know where the other dogr leads to?” “Wait a minute,” said Juve quick- ty. “IN look im the outer office, Mr, Lamar's confidential cleris may be there. Don't move till fT come back.” On her way to the door, June bur- diy laid her gloves and wrist bag on Lainar's desk, half ously noting, at tho same of handcuffs that lay a {ttle shudder and, slowly opening ered cautiously out. ab conse pair With them by, tim there. sassed the office door, a A Strange Story. ‘There, with Gage, the coniidential writing and serenely ut any one was looking at bim, clerk, bu fous that June softly cloged and locked the door. “Well, how about tt? I'm ready,” said June, Gordon gave a uery glance around, then began \ “phe whole thing, in a nutshell, is this: “The Farwell corporation retained me go that they might ‘legally’ de- es of co-operative fraud their employe profits, “When I found they were up to, T rebelled and tried to expose the rooked deal--so course they've had it in for me ever since, [t's ruther a long story, but I'll make it as short as I can. “There was only one thing to do—to tell the workers about it-—the men who had exp ‘ed to be profit-sbarers and were dt os instead, So I got a crowd of th m in the ecomrtyard one day and told them the whole thing, “Some of ‘am believed me, most of them didn't—or at least were doubt- ful, In the middle of it the watchman and a patrolman or two cume to see what it was all about, broke up the srowd with night sticks, and pushed me off, threatening me with arrest for starting a riot.’ T was help= tess. The corporation blocked me," muttered G: bitterly 2 not content , they ruined me financial “One day I was in my office whi Farwell rang me up, ‘I want to # you at once,’ be said. ‘We are wrong en¢ we'll surrender.’ 4It aidn’t take me long to hang up the recetver, get on my hat and hurry oves to his office, There he wre, the grinning hypocrite, greeting me as if 1 were a long lost friend. He waved me to a chair, and then took out a pa- per and placed it airily on a desk leaf, and told me to read it All the time he kept one hand on the thing, but I, ike a fool, thought nothing of that--I was idiot enough to believe he was acting In good faith! “This is What the hound told me to You see, yrdon oy read,” went on Gordon: ‘The Farwell corporation, through its attorney, Charles Gordon, hereby rescinds its recent action of withholding co-oper- ative profit ‘There was a blank space left for me to sign, nd, like a dub, I signed it, Farwell putting the pen into my ‘ ) how can I be of use at all when you hand and signing as a witness—never. however, taking hiy rotten old fingers off the paper, When it was all done, Furwell picked it up and looked at it. Then the smiling mask dropped from his face. It grew all hard and cold. “For a minute, I didn't understand the change. Then I saw the trick, Farwell had two pieces of paper, clev- erly fastened, one above the other, just leaving room at the foot of the under one for my signature. While I thought I was signing the upper one, it was really the lower paper I was pinning my name to—irrevocably! Neat, wasn't it? They were glued together In spots, so it all looked lke one paper—and F all the rwell kept his hand time: so I couldn't find y were up to, until the Was safely done. “Why didn't you repudiate it?” ex- claimed June. “Why didn't you t on it, out it up—that would have beep the afest thing!” The Trap. “How could I? Farwell himself crumpled the upper paper—the one I d thought I was signing—put it in his ash tray, and set fire to It, He held the other paper out for me to read and at the same time he de- manded that I produce the ‘securities ntrusted to me!" This 1 haa signed my name to: “‘July 1, Received trom the Mar- well Corporation this date $75,000 of said corporation's bonds, to be held in trust by the undersigned until called for by the sald corporation, Signed Charles Gordon, Witnessed by Silas Farwell!’ “or a minute I was too dazed to du anything, But Farwell wasn't. He rang bell, and in came a plain- clothes man and a poitceman, rwell promptly ordered them to is w arrest me on an embezzlement charge.” June, her face tense, hef hands rigidly clasping the arms of her chair, half rose—then sat still, Unseen by either of them, a twisted Red Circie began to show dimly under the taut white skin of one delicate hand, Her eyes blazed with indignation and sympathy, but she said nothing, and Gordon continued: “I think I went mad, 1 snatched at the paper, but I couldn't got it, for Farwell jammed it into the inside pocket of his coat. I grabbed him, 1 was bound I would get the paper or choke him, We had it hot and heavy for a few minutes. But of course I hadn't @ show—three against one—I Was a rat in @ trap, nothing more." © miserable sneak!" said June, Was facing a charge of embezzle- ment through that double-paper trick of Farwell's, and I knew it. But the police were decent enough to let me ko to my office for 4 moment, Luck- ily, they hadn't handeuffed me. I went to my desk, and the men stayed at the back of the room—to guard the door, I suppose, I was desperate—I had to do something, “While 1 was fussing about my desk 1 hit upon an fdea, With one eye om the men, I slowly unscrewed the tn- candescent globe from my desk lamp, and tossed it against the rear wall— thelr backs were toward it, It smashed, of course, and at the smash they both turned to see what caused the noise, In that instant I leaped ut of the open window, jammed it \ » I A ereeneean Se THE EVENING WORLD, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY shut, and ran up the fire escape to the roof.” “Great!” applauded Juno, her right hand athrob, “In a second the men were after me, though; firing their guns as they came. I reached the top, only to hear them hurrying up the ladder behind me, calling, ‘Surrender in the name of the law!’ “Somebody had left a potted plant ‘up on the roof—decoration, I suppose —and I hurled tt down. It hit the Plain-clothes man a glancing blow, and nearly knocked him off the lad- der, The other man caught him, and they clung to each other and to the ladder. Gordon's Escape. “I didn’t walt to see what happened next, but cut across the roofs until T found an open scuttle door, I ran inside and closed tt I must have stunned that plain-clothes man, for I got the start of them then, and they never caught up with me. From that on it was an easy matter to cover my tracks; until at last I got away cleon and found @ hiding place in the shack at Burfton.” As Gordon finished his story his face settled into a look of despair and he dropped his head into his hands. June said nothing, but her eyes were luminous and thoughtful. Her fingers were toying with the pair of handcuffs on the desk, and suddenly she picked them up and looked at them, Then, as her gaze took in her own hand, her face was suffused with a rush of color, There was the dreaa- ed Red je, burning all too clearly against the white flesh, She darted a startled look at Gordon, hiding her hand under the desk; but Gordon had not changed his position at all and his eyes were still covered. At that moment some one turned the handle of the door leading to the outer office, Finding the door locked, the person on the other side waited a inoment, then knocked. At the sound Gordon raised his li and met the frightened look !n Jur m going to give myself up, he said, indifferently, vO!" whispered June, vehe- You mustn't give yourself I'm going to help you!" Then the knock came a second tim: any- way, followed by a little pause, and aft that the sound of retreating footsteps. June moved quick Dati door and Gordon followed. June opened the door and looked out into the hall —then suddenly drew back, shutting and locking the door, “It's Gage!” whe whispered breath. lessly, “And he's making door now!" Before the words were fa rd her mouth the hall door w A moment lat there of splintered glass and Gage peered into the office through the Jagged opening his determined elbow had ma u saw no one, however, for the very good reason that June and Gordon vere flattening themselves against wall on the side nearest the door, Handcuffed! Gage then decided to reach through the opening and unlock the door from the inside, June, catching a glimpse of his entering arm, slipped quickly to the desk and picked up the hand- cuffs, then tiptoad hurriedly to the door as Gage's hand groped for the key. An instant more and she had deftly snapped one of the handcuffs around Gage's wrist and with trem- bling fingers snapped the other on the door knob. Gordon saw nothing but a pretty and infinitely clever woman helping him out of @ tight place in a very novel and unbelievable way. Gage, however, saw something dif- ferent but equally novel—two little white hands struggling with a pair of heavy handcuffs; hands that quiv- ered while they made him prisoner— hands whose owner was invisible—~ whose only mark for future tdentifi- cation was a circle that glowed red. June caught her wrist bag and XT DAF OVOHOHONGY HE, gloves from the desk and, signalling to Gordon to follow her, unlocked the outer office door and slipped into the corridor, As they hurried on—with Gordon a bit in the rear—June nervously thrust her right hand into tts glove; she didn’t intend to have Gordon or any one else seo that throbbing Red Circle, Outside the offlco bullding June haited and looked up and down the street in search of a taxicab, Pres- ently one appeared and she held up her hand to stop it. As It drew along- side the curb she and Gordon got in and drove away. “All right so far, for our next move.” “Look!” exclained Gordon, clutch ing June's hand, unconsciously pret ing its Red Cir “Look! There's Farwell! Farwell, just ahead of us! Good Lord! with Lamar!" whispered June, re- turning the pressure of his hand re- assuringly. “It's going to be all right —coulda’t have happened better! I'll get them both now! I'm going to jump out and join them, and | want you to stay in the cab and walt for said June. “Now me a little way up the street, Or, no, the park is better.” With a hurried direction to the chauffeur, June was out and away be- fore Gordon had time to utter a word. Lamar and Farwell, deep in con- versation, did not notice the sound of footsteps behind them, and so had no idea of June's approach until she came abreast of them as they reached the entrance door of Farwell’s otfive building. June nodded and smiled at Lamar, who shook hands eagerly, his face radiant. Then he turned to Mar- well and introduced him to June “How do you do, Mr. _) June in Ler most innocent manner, “Are you people just out for a walls this lovely day? Or," sho added mi chievously, “are you plotting some deep-dyed villainy “Not Guilty.’ Both men laughed and looked ad miringly into the pretty eyes upraised to their own. ot guilty,” answered Lamar in bantering tu: "Oh, What a shame!” cried June inock’ disappointment. "L was. goir to ask you to let me help you with t plotting. You looked so deadlyrserious as I came up! “It isn't so bad as all that, but we were having a rather serious talk, as @ matter of fact. Ky the way,” turn. ing to Farwell, “will you excuse us just a minute? I've something I want to say to Miss ‘Travt ertainly, Lamar.” agreed Harwell affably, casting an approving une pretty é Gc he \ don't mind me,” and he turned away discreetly. Lamar dropped his lig 4a of manner. "I wish you'd com * with Miss Travis," he said. “Farwe going to show me the Gordon papers -l want your udvi “My advice?” June hesitated. “Yes—you're clever—and | really need you!” “Then, of I'm coming," said June, ail ney gone from her manner. are w@ dear toy Want me. They both Farwe yward “Miss T with Farweli—she is my you know—or pe know.” “E didn't, but it's all r Warwell rather curtly As they entered ottice anterovim mar turned June ‘Can you ma urself corr to: able here fo a few he asked, offering « chair well I will go over the preliminaries by ourselves | ep inner flice—we won't bo 0 unnecessary tails, Here are soine wzines and papers and things we iL be back tn no time.” “Thank you led June. “f be perfe happy—tmagining I'm reat tron-foundry owner-— th this is my very own offic shan't miss you at all, Scat!” and she waved them airily away. ‘As soon as the door closed behind Lamar and Farwell June's forced gnyety fell from her, She was along, ’ THE TWELFTH A Mystery Romance of Heredity wave for a very young secretary who was sented at a desk stamping let- ters and who seemed unconscious of her presence. June cast a furtive glance at him, sizing him up as best she could, Also she stole a compre- hensive look about the room. She would not have confessed it to @ soul; but she felt decidedly nervous, “If only that miserable secretary would go away!" she thought. Presently he did that very thing. June jumped up at once, She felt that there was not a moment to lose. Sho must know, without more delay, what was going on inside the oth room, There was only one way—the half-open transom. Getting chair fram the corner of the room, she car- ried tt to the door, Jumped Iightly up and applied « pair of very pretty but vory curlous eyes to the transom. Lamar and Farwell were seated at a table. Papers were strewn every- where; but Farwell had separated Gordon's Securities Receipt from the others and was just in the act of ding it to Lamar. here's the receipt,” June heard him say, “It means prison if we can capture him.” Lamar took fully from stared at it dubiously Farwell seemed a bit uneasy, Vegan In a rather whining, persuas tone “We've Got Him it and read {t care- beginning to end, then He “Don't you see, we've got him with the goods?” patting the paper, “Got him with the goods! There it {s, In black and white! There is nothing for him but ‘twenty or thirty years’ the limit anyway, whatever that is. ‘The luw'll take eare of that. All we've ot to do is to find him! That's why 1 came to you!" Lamar let the paper drop table before him. He hated t 0 the bust- WENT MAO t” THINK 1 nh hand, He was being forced 1 who had saved his ver, his instinet told him Innocent, And yet tere proofs of his guilt. June, who loved him, read all this in his fae “Here is where T come in again,” she said to herself, » saw how it could all x lightly down, she on the tips of her out into the hail y quick — boc vind jown she tossed her wrist bag into art urner on the hall thor fhen she hurried back to the an room, tore her hat off and pull air away Next ne overturned two chairs, one after the other, with a bang, and staggered wildly into the private office, “Mr, Lamar Lamar! Quick!" “What Is Lamar and Farwell in chorus, jumping up and ning toward he A man no," panted June He utched my andbag-—threw 1 He : » desk, weak 6 was Koln into a chalr room for a “I'l be a he's got _ my ple and cateh xet r away, Mr, Lama Warwell was already in full p suit of the imaginary ef, and ' 4 insistance Lamar promptly joined him. This was just what June was wait for. ran to the paper-strewn sk, seized the coveted receipt, gave t a quick, keen glance, and hid It in ver dress, Then her eyes on the r, she hurried to safe (its & was pen, Farwell had left it, when out the Gordon papers to W Lamar.) With trembling fingers s bi snatched up @ bundle of 1k notes, stuck those in her dress Iso, and started back to her place Then she was scourged on by atill CHAPTER OF “PRE RED CIRCLE” WILL BE PUBLISHED SATURD MARCH 4. another mad impulse. Going to the table she picked up a couple of sheets of plain letter paper, folded them together and tore them into rude circles. Her eyes gleamed odd- ly as she picked up a pen and, sitting down, began to print something on one of the circles. On a False Trail. Looking over her shoulder at every other letter, she finished her printing. Then sho put the plain white circle on the dark blotting pad, got up, ran to the safe and hung the printed circle on the knob. With a sigh of satistac- tion #he went back to the anteroom and collapsed into a chair, resuming her alr of fright and exhaustion. This time her trembling was not Pretense, It was real; but it was caused by excitement and elation, not fear. It seemed to her that the men were gone an endless time, though It was in reality less than five minutes, During their wild-goose chase Lamar and Farwell met the returning secre- tary and they all came down the hall together, talking excitedly. Farwell insisted on explaining the whole situation over and over again to the secretary, and stopped at the anteroom's threshold to show him the two overturned chairs, While they were talking Lamar, true to his trade, was looking; so it was he who found June’s bag in the dark corner of the hall. “Here's the bag, unyhow!" he ex- plained. “The man must have dropp it when ‘he ran! See what Ban Claus brought for a good little gir! he called to June, waving the bag i front of her eyes as he entered the a thank you, Mr. Lamar! I knew you would find it for me ff an, mortal could! I'm a million times rateful to you!” fot at all—not at all,” sald La- wv - mar, pleased, nevertheless, The three’ men tried to outdo one another in their solleitude for her; and when Latnar said tenderly, “Are you still feeling terribly upset?” June thought it was time to begin to re- Rising, she said: at a little bit un Vil go home, Mr. me go home h you,” ved and amar.” urged w ‘Ob, nd, really—I'll be perfectly all right by myself! 1 dor onpe meet another thief, swered Juno with a smile. ‘Anyway, 1 sual on you down to tt do "All right reluctantly Once outsid enewed his request to take “No!” said June. m feeling very firm and decided, though at the samo time I'm a bit shaky and hysterical—- and I'm going home alo She turned to hold out her hand. iby." ont you at Jeast let me call a Yo, no, no It really ian't neces- sary at I'm feeling more Hke my self avery minute; but ndby, and hanks, awfully much ‘The Red Circle Lady. “Goodby,” sa mar fer ) Then th shook hands a par Lamar stood looking tenderly after Jur fo! nomen Y we weal back to join Farw Aw he 1 the door he coliided with Farwell, who, wi panting, gripped hi f, drags m tuner off! 4 Gordon receipt’s gone!" he the same moment Lamar saw he whi re dd hin most in pleas ‘arwell pushed him towa See “I'm robbed They've t of banknote Read this th he spoke he ed circle off the safe ob and thrust it into Lamur's hand What Lamar read was this “The money will be put to a good ed Circle Lady.” od uld only pulled the 1 d Farwent, are you going ” Get buay, "t you? Are you going i t »bed this way In my ow broad Jaylight while you s think ing? That : Lamar slowly 4 ar to table. Speaking to h. rather than to Parv 3 cion does point to Miss Trav- 4—bul that's imp lmpos albias” By Albert Payson Terhune The Newest PATHE Picture, Now Being Presented at Leading Motion Picture Theatres of Greater New York “When I am myself,’’ sobbed June; “I loathe the things The Red Circle makes me do. But when the circle begins to throb and glow on the back of my hand, something scourges me on from one mad crime to another ;—some power I can’t control.” He wat down and pulled the tele- Phone toward him. He gave the num- ber of his own office, As soon as Gage recognized his voice the vierk began pouring forth his tale about the mysterious woman who handouffed him to the door; where he might still have been If two clerks from other offices, hearing his Eg for help, had not come running 0. “I told them to get your handcuff keys from the top drawer of your desk, and they finally got me free,” he added. “One handcuff is still hanging to the” — “Wait a minute,” called Lamar over his end of the wire. “Could you ace who it was that snapped the cuffs on you?” yelled Gage, “I couldn't see a thing except woman's hand—with a Red Circle on: the back of it.” Lanfir turned white. Then he asked sharply: other elue?” "# voice came hesitating!y, over * he mumbled, “Miss Travis called. ‘I showed her Into your offic to walt—and then she disappeared. Lamar siowly hung up the recetver, Just as slowly he got up. He stood thinking 4 moment, then turned to Varwell and said, curtly: “Keep this absolutely quiet until 1 —-€ I'll do all T can—gpod day Meanwhile, June, (he trouble she had caused, made her way to the park, the coveted rece! and the banknotes hugged tight to her breast. She walked quickly and hummed a little tune as she walked, She thought: am certainly ‘First Assistant’ now to Mr. Lamar and to Mr. Gordoa, too!” The idea pleased her, And uncon- sclously she waiked a bit faster and hummed @ little louder. By the time she reached the waiting tax! she was quite out of breath from both causes, Gordon was still there, though the biivious to ail chauffeur had wandered onto the grass somewhere. A» she neared the cab Gordon leaned out eagerly, To the Rescue. “What luck?” he said uneasily. “If L look as happy as I feel surely wouldn't have to ask," ed Juno, holding out the receipt. “Hooray!” cried Gordon, opening the paper and reading It, Then he looked at June and the tears came into his eyes. “You are a wonder,” he sald in @ low voice, “I ca mover repay you, narvellous girl! How did you t the paper?” he happy light died out of June's eye: “Don't ask me how I got It,” she he only thanks I wis! is your silence, You do pot kno whit am, Now you must go and so must I, but first I want you to accept this little roll of mon it may come in handy.” As she spoke sho opened murmured. vor Wrist bag and handed him some not those she had taken afe, "I ci take this,’ stanumered Gordon. u have done too much for mo alread, “You can and you must,” answered June firmly. ‘You don't know how much you may need it, nor bow ‘xoon.” nee you insist, we'll call it a loan,” — sald rdon, reluctantly pocketing the money, “and thank you @ million times With a hurried handshake and xeodby June disappeared. Gord looked about for his driver, who presently slouched into view, half op. Evidently he had found the grass very soothing and comfortable rheumatic old bones. ne to dmve on, my son,” sald Gordon . right,’ b awned the ‘Jes’ soon's T crank ‘er up.” Then he ambled around to the front of the cab and began to turn the crank, As the engine started to buzz hopefully, Gordon, still nervous and on the lookout, saw and recognized a piainclothes detective, who was run uing toward the cab, It took Gordon bare} leap to the steering whi sleepy driver to the car forward, 4 second to , knock the one side and send The plainclothes man was just tuo quick for him, however, and managed » onto the run 1 as the ning moved off Jon put the car at full speed snd thanked his stars that he was Jextrous. Steering a bit wildly hand, he suddenly leaned out on the other side and struck the scrambling policeman fiercely in stomach, The officer doubled up, b don like a mountain goat A Running Fight. It was a more ss even fight as each man had but one arm free, and neither c advantage. There was none for uid use bis legs to any An, fighters beat at each other in futile, awkward fury The cab swirled and cavorted; but t were no park policemen to be seen, and the plainclothes man could not take time to draw out his whistle But he did get out his revolver, presently, and was about to level } it his quarry, when Gordon feinted and drove his clenched fist into his foe's throat Just below ‘he point of the jaw lt was the first d blow of the whole nmage, And tt did ite work vw detective reeled back- ward, t yn thin air aud catapulted into the road, where he hued on his head and one shoulder here Gordon left him, with never @ look back, His whole thought was centred upon getting far enough away that he might safely leave the without fear of being tracked ume Finally, nearing a park entrance, he slowed to a normal pace, and then stopped. No one seemed to notice him, so he got out quickly, and leavs ing the park, made for the downtown district. He still had his hard-won “re- ceipt.” and he felt that ag jong as it Was in existence, even though It was in his own possession, his liberty was more or less in danger, The next step must be to get rid of tt, Just then he passed by a vachnt lot, and he saw what he needed miost —a bonfire! into tiny Tearing the receipt pleces he threw them on the fire and watched them burn until every C4 had vanished into ashes, Then he gave a long sigh of relief. squared his shoulders to the world. and continued on his way. Is it strange that hie tho should turn to June, the girl who done so much for him? He would at been less jubilant if he could have guessed the néw complications in which she was just bey <7 ’ ‘ter leaving Gordon in the June had gone straignt nome and oe stairs to her boudoir. There re still signe of the hurried return to town-—an empty trunk and some afti- cles of clothing lying around; she wondered idly what Mary been about, not to put the room an better shape, Restitution, June never liked a mes ” she went right. on’ into her "den" before taking off her hat. } With a sigh of relief and a amile she took the package of bank out of her dress, A dreamy lool very sweet look—came inte her ad whe thought how much good money was going to do. In her. was a vivid picture of the hard- ing men in Farwell's foundry, w! “oo-operative” profits had been away from them. 1 They shall have their the same,” she said to herself.” tt ‘was stealing when I took it, it wan | AY @ good cause—and I cannot believ: that it was really stealing, for th money did not belong to Mr, Farwell y it belongs to those poor men—and they are going to have it!” With the dreamy smile ae aes ing her face, June aigod los i thought, when suddenly “she Mary's familiar Cae a oi look changed to one of alarm, She thrust the papers into the near- st hiding place—a table drawer, and just managed to get it shut- as Mary came in from her own with horror written in every her face, “Why, Mary,” cried June, “what on earth the matter with you? You look as if you'd seen @ “t have, dearie-I have worse'n that! Oh!" wringing’ hands and crumpling her face w a mask of tragedy, “What ever do now, my lamb! such a lot of trouble—we no " out of it than we get into some~ hing worse! Oh, why was we ever mixed up in such a mess of things?” went on the lament before June could stop it long enough to find out what had happened. ow, Mary darling, be calm,” phe the nurse, “and tell me all about it--I'm sure isn't as bad a@ You think" —— 4 “It is, baby, it's worse! It’ t awful man!” aie “What awful man?” June's toe went white, "You can’t mean”—» “Yes,” went on Mary huskily, “t's him! ‘That ‘Smiling Sam’ Bagan .we thought we were rid of for good'n ally Not here?” panted June tn stark terror, "He's ught | of er into we We're: in here in this house-—-we with us! He made Yama him into the big wardrobe trank and when I started to. unpack it. there he was with bis old cunning, sneaking face grinning at me’ ad sassy as could ve : jood heavens!" cried June, at her end, “Will trouble never end? © iy he now?” “Up in the attic,” sald Mery, “And I've had to feed him and make him comfortable. I was #o ‘fraid he'd start a rumpus." “What about mother? querted June fearfully. “Mrs, as yet time from right Travis But ess © rig don't know a thing, iv's only a question of We can get him away oft. Ho isn't gis posed to make things any easier Yor us than he can help, either, I hepra a big noise up there Just now, I gion 8 stumble something. en moan--or, maybe, Wear ’ A New Menace, The Hear that?’ eried Juae nd Mary simultaneously, Then they w he clung to each er, expectine they knew what . . . . A iat moment, unconscious of ai) that was going on inside the house, se Lamar slowly passed by; hiv head’ bent drawn. He tending to see the facts; whi she his face had Jun and to a knew haggars ang to come there in- to face her with i her to tell him about all the wretched business. But when *he reached thé house he someliow found that he loved her too much to put her to the tes “Oh, it can't be said aloud. “She my own mother t can't be," he 1s as holy as—as She is above sus picion. As far above suspicion as « saint in @ cathedral, And yet—end yet—every circumstance points t her as—as' An idea flashed into his mindy elec fying him to a quick decision, morrow!” he muttered, half in half in triumph, “yes, that {9 it. To-morrow will tell! "To-morrow will prove the truth “Po Re Continued) “«K q =