Marion Marlowe in Denver, or, The Tragedy of Pike's Peak — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

20 she had seen commit suicide in the peni-_ tentiary on Blackwell’s Island, New York. Would this be the fate of the ruffian who now confronted her, and who had exercised this diabolical power over her will, in spite of all her efforts? She tried to calm herself and be prepared for what was coming; but the horror of her surroundings had unnerved her terribly, and she trembled involuntarily at the moaning of the wind through the cave. Would he never speak? She peered forward eagerly. The wind was growing faint. Perhaps, in a moment, she would be set at liberty. He could not be so fiendish, so dastardly as she had fancied. With a desperate effort to be just, she leaned forward in the. darkness, almost touching the lawyer’s arm as he towered before her. | “Please let us go now, sir,” she pleaded, softly. “See! the storm is over, and we can soon find my friends! You surely have no wish to detain me any longer!” She waited in breathless silence; but there was no reply. Whatever were his plans, he was laying them with deliberation. “Think, Mr. Waldo! How perfectly b| dreadful they will feel if they think I am lost!” she went on, eagerly. “Oh, I have been through such terrible experiences and have worried them all so dreadfully! Do, please. let us go, and let us forget this awful conversation! You cannot mean to be so ricked! Iam sure you cannot, Mr. Waldo!” A low, hoarse laugh greeted her last agonized words, and the lawyer suddenly hent forward so that their faces were close together. “Your friends will never find you until vou have given me your promise to be my wife.’ he said, sullenly. “I will keep you here all night, if it is necessary, Miss Mar- lowe. As I told you before, I will not take ‘no’ for an answer.” “Put vou would not force my consent, surely,” cried Marion, hotly. ‘‘You would vot wish me to marry you if I loathed you, Mr. Waldo! Only a demon could desire such a thing as that, and you are a gentle- van--a lawyer with a splendid reputation! tween her tightly-closed teeth. MY QUEEN. Another laugh was his only reply. Her frenzied words had produced no effect, ex- cept to make him move a little nearer in the darkness; then, suddenly, the young girl felt his hand upon her shoulder, She sprang back in horror and a cry broke from her lips. “Oh, Bert! Dr. Brookes! Come! Come?” she cried, frantically. ‘Oh, will no one res- cue me from this dastard! This’ fiend! Stop! You shall not touch me, you in- famous monster!” She had moved back in the cave as far as she could go, and, at her last, almost hope- less cry, the hand slipped from her shoulder. “Once more, will you marry me, Marion?” asked the cruel voice. “Remember, love, honor arid respect will attend our union if you give your free consent, but, if I am obliged to force it, what will be the result? You will be scorned by those who love you now, and of rae He could get no further, for Marion understood it all now. His true meaning had come to her like a flash as he was speaking and, the next instant, he reeled backward from the blow that her strong, white hand had dealt him. “Coward! Krave!” she whispered, be- “T will de- fend my honor with my life, do you hear! As powerful as you are, I defy you to harm me!” The flash of her eyes pierced the gloom of the cave, and as the lawyer steadied him- self from the blow, a dull gleam from the -~ sky struck full upon their hiding place and _ the weird beauty of the heavens illumined her features. There was not a trace of terror in the wide gray eyes now, for Marion had‘ for- gotten fear in a new sensation. This man’s motive in separating her from 4 her party was apparent now, and every drop of blood in her veins was on fire with in- dignation. Ile intended to compromise her, if nothing more, so that she would be scorned by those who loved her—it was this that. aroused all the fury in her nature. “Let me pass!” = She spoke the words celdiy,..pt (sico m © ‘eer & - ?