Marion Marlowe in Chicago, or, Trapped by a Lunatic — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 he was coming; she could see him descending from his high seat in a clumsy manner. She braced herself in the carriage to await his approach, If he opened the door on one side, she would spring from the other, then, if he caught her, she would fight desperately for escape from his embraces. In that instant it came to her how foolish she had been not to have brought either Bert or the doctor with her. But there was no time for self-censure now, for the driver’s hand was on the door and his drunken eyes were leering at her through the carriage window. His hand was so clumsy from drink that he fumbled at the heavy catch, and, before he had opened it, Marion had loosened the other. “How dare you!” she cried, as he suddenly thrust his bloated face and coarse body half way into the carriage. There was only a hoarse laugh and then the fiend made a lunge at her. With a cry of horror, the young girl fairly bounded from the vehicle and made a dash for liberty down the almost ink-black thorough fare. She heard a curse fall from the man’s lips and understood at once. He was too drunk to follow her, and she had not paid him. For a moment, she almost smiled, even in the midst of her terror. “Can I help you, miss? Are you in trouble?” called out a peculiar voice, as she sped along. Marion stopped short in amaze- ment. She had come upon another cab stand- ing still in the middle of the street, and the man who had spoken was leaning from its window. For yust a moment Marion's only thought was one of Joy. . Here was help at hand to protect her from that brutal driver. “Oh, sir,” she cried, gratefully, “if you only would help me! I hired that fellow to drive roe to the Sheltering Arms and he has been drinking all the way and now he has insulted me !” ».fore the words had left her lips, the occupant of the second cab was on the pave- ment beside her. “Ouick! He ts coming!” he said, briefly. MY QUEEN. Get into my carriage! He is a burly brute! Too big for me to handle!” . Marion had no alternative, and she was sick with fright. In an instant she sprang into the cab, and - her rescuer followed her; the next minute they were dashing along in the most reckless manner. Marion stared out of the window until the cab that she had hired was swallowed upgn ~ the darkness; then, with a sigh of relief, she turned to her companion. “Oh, sir, how will I ever thank you!” she began, in grateful tones; then her tongue seemed to become palsied and her heart stood still with terror. The man who occupied the same seat with her in that tiny space had sud- denly leaned forward and put one hand on her knee, which brought his face close to her own and in the full glare of the cab lamp. Marion took one sharp glance at the clev- erly-disguised features, and, in that glance, | her keen eyes seemed to penetrate everything ; she knew in an instant what fate had come upon her. “Percy Preston! You!” she murmured, between her white lips. The fellow moved his face a little closer so that it nearly touched her own. “No, not ‘ Percy Preston now, but Jack Hart!” he cried, shrilly; then he burst out into a peal of the tnost blood-curdling laughter. Marion drew back as far as she could against the heavy cushions. ' She was face to face with a desperate char- acter—a man whom she knew to be a danger- ous maniac, She shut her lips tightly and set her teeth for the ordeal, then the hand that held the silver arrow closed upon it determinedly. > CHAPTER VI. A HIDEOUS RIDE, But Percy Preston had no idea of attack- — ing his victim. He had followed her to this spot for quite a different purpose, Whether her own driver had been in league with him Marion could not tell, but, as she sat holding her frail weapon where his wan- dering glances TC GOMmIiCDOoOks: com Le ‘* . «