Marion Marlowe's Christmas Eve, or, The Treachery of a Factory Inspector — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

thing happened. MY QUEEN. “She’s a brick!’ exclaimed a man on the “?Tain’t ther likes av Faith, and edge of the crowd. her that’s afraid of anything. she naden’t be, fer the saints will purtect her!’ As the policeman went off to call an am- bulance the bartender came out of the saloon and watched the crowd sullenly. | “Ye've killed ’er, Jim! Better run fer it!” suggested some one. “No, no! Don’t let him escape!” cried Marion, quickly. “If she dies, it is his fault, and he must be punished!” “She’s right! Don’t let him sneak!” said another voice. But he was a minute too late. The fellow had vanished. | Just then the ambulance rattled up with its gong clanging loudly, and in a second a skill- ful young surgeon was bending over the in- jured woman. “Done as well as I could do it,” he mut. tered, as he examined the bandage. Then, for the first time, he took a sharp look at Marion. “Great Scott! what a place for a girl like you !” he said, impulsively. “T am here on an errand of mercy,’ ex- plained Marion, quickly. “There is a sick girl in this block, and 1 was on my way to geet some medicine for her when this terrible I used to be a’ nurse in Charity, so [ knew just what to do; but, oh, do hurry and get her to the hospital! I’m afraid the brute has killed her, and made his escape in the excitement!” “Don’t worry about it! These things hap- ’ pen frequently down here,” said the surgeon, as he helped his assistant place the woman in the ambulance. “They happen so often that nobody minds _them, miss,” he said again; “but let me ad- vise you to get out of this neighborhood at once! It is no place for any woman, much less a lady.” 15 “I'll go now, only do please tell me where there is a drug store! There seems to be nothing but saloons around here, and poor Sadie will be worried if 1 dont get back soon with that medicine.” The surgeon directed her, and then sprang to his seat, and as the ambulance rattled away the crowd around Marion fell back al- most respectfully. In an instant Marion’s eyes fell upon the form of the officer. “That man who threw the woman out of the saloon has escaped,” she said, distinctly. “1 don’t understand how these men who have wives and mothers of their own ever let him get away in such a perfectly easy manner. They ought to be ashamed of themselves for letting him go free, for, as like as not now, you will never be able to catch him 1” “Oh, Jim’ll come back when he thinks it's “TH report it, of course, and thin I'll kape watch If she dies, we’ll ketch him, If she don’t, twon’t make blown over,” said the officer, promptly. of the woman. never fear, miss. no diff, for she’s used ter such treatment.” Marion shuddered with disgust, but hur- ried on to the drug store. Not a person fol- lowed her, and when she came back that way the saloon was in darkness and the street de- serted. She found Sadie Webster nearly frantic with anxiety. The lame girl had revived, but was still so hysterical that she dared not leave her to look for Marton. An hour passed rapidly, with both girls bending tenderly over the form of the poor cripple. Suddenly a ringing call came floating up the stairway. Marion sprang to the door, al- most trembling With eagerness. “Oh, Dr. Brookes! do come right up,’”’ she cried, quickly. “It is too good to be true! I did not suppose he would obey me!” COMIC OOO LS} (CO) mn