Marion Marlowe's Disappearance, or, Almost a Crime — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

™~ rt is FE + Ue ‘ ¥ 4, The lash descended again, and yet the fel- low had not moved. He stood glaring at his _ assailant with one hand resting on his hip ; “Do stop, Mr. Ray,” ed again, and this time she stepped almost in pleaded Marion front of her angry escort. "There was a quick motion of the clubman’s | hand and a sharp cry from the crowd. Then bate the flash from a revolver was followed by a ~ loud report. d = CHAPTER II. _ - WO HONORABLE RIVALS. i’ Fifteen minutes later the wounded girl lay a on a sofa in the office of her friend, Dr. Regt- — nald Brookes, while Archie Ray paced back : -and forth in an outer apartment almost § groaning in anguish. 2 “Tt is all my fault,” he said, over and over. ce “I had no business to notice the fellow, but by Heaven, how could I stand by and hear that brute insult her! I could have killed him outright, yet I ought not to have _ touched him!” ten KE - “Miss Marlowe is coming around all Miss Lee, the doctor’s office nurse, had just come right,” said a sweet voice in his ear. out of the inner office to bring the good tid- ings, “Thank God!” cried Archie Ray, with a “Then You have taken a glad look springing into his eyes. the wound is not fatal! terrible load off mv conscience.” “It is not even serious,” said the pretty nurse, smiling. “It is only a flesh wound and will probably be painful, but the doctor MY QUEEN. 3 thinks she will be able to go on with her en- gagement.” “Tt was my bad temper that brought tkis upon her,” said Mr. Ray, sighing. The nurse smiled sweetly as she answered, in a soft voice: “No man with blood in his veins could have done differently, sir. ‘You were right to horsewhip that fellow, for how could you know that he was carrying a revolver?” 1 “He'll not use it again, in a hurry,” said Mr. Ray, scowling. “The fellow was ar- rested before I left and, fortunately for me, Besides, he has always borne a bad reputation.” I have three reliable witnesses. “You knew him then?’ said Miss Lee, quickly. ; “As a loafer around club-rooms, a hard drinker, and in many other ways a very sus- “He belongs to three of the best clubs and pays picious character,” answered Mr. Ray. his dues promptly, yet not a gentleman in any one of them cares to be seen in his com- pany. This affair will end his career as a clubman, though, and I shall have him looked up at once, so as to be ready in case he should bother me in the future.” “I hope he goes to State prison for life,” said the nurse, spitefully. “Miss Marlowe is so sweet that I am in love with her myself. You would not have been half a man if you hadn't punished the fellow for his words.” “Thank you for your sympathy,” said Mr. Ray, smiling, but he could not quite forgive himself yet for bringing this trouble upon Marion. Archie Ray had loved Marion M-rlowe for many months, but he never realized just how much she was to him until this accident hap- COomichoOoks.com