Marion Marlowe Entrapped, or, The Victim of Professional Jealousy — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

harem. She will stay from preference after she becomes acquainted.” “Or after you have made her your wife, you mean,” said Jack Green, with a laugh. “Well, I’m telling you right now—this girl is a beauty.” , “T must see her before I pay,” voice again. “Wait here; I will go in; like her, you shall have your money.” “T agree to that,” was Jack Green’s quick answer, “but don’t expect a tame bird, Chi- I sung, for Marion Marlowe is a wild one!” _ “T will find a way to tame her,” said the oily voice. There was silence after that, and Marion clenched her hands in fury. “Listen!” _Jack Green spoke suddenist and in evident pettere was a commotion of some kind bove her head. Marion listened intently as e crouched in the semi-darkness. Be ome trouble in the laundry,” said the musical voice. “A great scheme, that laun- dry in the front of this building.” “Nevertheless that noise sounds serious, said Green, again. said the if I There was the sound of chairs moving as if they had both risen. pation listened again. The noise above er head was growing louder. Not only were there sounds of trampling feet, but a great confusion of voices, all talking to- gether. ; . : a Suddenly Marion heard a crash and a fear- seemed scampering to shelter. :. For an instant the young girl stood al- a most petrified with fear; then she turned and = fled through the narrow hall-way, hardly of knowing or caring in which direction. CHAPTER XIV. ’ THE END OF THE TRAGEDY. A sharp turn in the hallway caused Marion ‘te shriek with terror. Two hideous China- her in their arms, one of the beady-eyed 4 etches forced a saturated cloth over her “~ MY QUEEN. ' ful shriek, then a score of slip-shod feet | 27 short gasps. She struggled feebly, but her brain seemed reeling. In a flash she was carried along the hall, down a flight of steep steps, and then, after the click of a key in a lock, she was taken into a room that was as dark as a dungeon. A confused jargon of voices came faintly to her ears, and she could feel that the place was fairly swarming with the yellow devils. The entire roomful of beings seemed to fall back as she was carried along, and at last she was placed on a sort of divan in the very darkest and most heavily- -draped corner of what seemed to her to be a subterranean apartment. The cloth on her nostrils was pungent with narcotics, but she managed by , a great effort of the will to somewhat resist its influence. Suddenly the light of a swinging lamp flashed from somewhere above her head, and one glance about her made Marion’s heart grow sick with horror. A score or more of those gaunt-cheeked pressed forward and peered at her sharply. In the onslaught which his companions fellows were surrounding her, and as the first ~ . ray of the lamp fell upon her face, they all made on him the fellow who was holding the. cloth to Marion’s face dropped it from his fingers, and with the first clear breath Marion dashed to her feet and confronted them. “Stand back! Don’t you dare to touch me!” she cried; springing. up on the divan, which stood directly under the hanging lamp. In a second a dozen pairs of long, skinny hands were reached out forsher, and as Mar- ion felt them clutching her arms and body, she gave a shriek that awoke the echoes. The next instant she reached up qttickly and, with one blow of her white hand, shiv- ered the glass of the lamp; then, with- the flame blowing wildly in the draughts of the room, she broke it from its fastenings and began swinging it like a censor. “Stand back!” she shouted again. ‘Don’t you dare to come nearer! I will burn your house down about your heads if you lay a finger upon me!”’ . . As she spoke she waved the lamp closer to the draperies, and the Chinamen fell back and began chattering excitedly. For just a second she belt ther atohas: (CO te