Marion Marlowe's Skill, or, A Week as a Private Detective — page 22: what you’re looking at

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20 “Oh, I shall be glad to help you, if I can, Mr. Merton! I am ready to carry it to the bitter end. I shan’t turn back when I can see so plainly that my services are needed!” “You are a brave girl,’ cried Miss Mer- ton. “You are just brimming over with spunk! Why, I’d be frightened to death if I got into any such mess!” “Well, if you had seen me bolt out of that side door, you would have thought I was a bit scared myself,” said Marion, laughing. “But in that case I thought discretion was better than valor. I did not wish to spoil my usefulness by being taken to the office.” “That was grand of you, Miss Marlowe,” cried [Tom Merton, cordially. “The idea of your thinking of your duty to the store when you were in such a predicament!” “It was about all I did think of,” said Marion, simply, and just at that moment a proposition occurred to her. “Oh, Mr, Mer- ton!” she said, quickly, “will you do me a favor? Let me ferret out this mystery of the shabby woman! I have a clew to work on, and [ shall enjoy doing it so much! If [| don’t learn who she is in twenty-four hours, you are at liberty to put one of your detect- ives on the track of her.” “Oh, don’t, Miss Marlowe! It might take you into danger!” cried Miss Merton. “I hate to say yes, Miss Marlowe; still, if you really wish it, I will; but be cautious, my dear girl—you don’t know what it may lead to!” Tom Merton spoke seriously, and with a little restraint. It hurt him strangely to give her the permission. During the entire forty years of his life no woman had ever made his heart beat so fast as did this beautiful, gray-eyed girl, with her impulsive manners. When he said good-night to her he held her hand for a moment, atid the touch of her soft, tapered fingers sent the blood whirling through his veins. When she had _ finally gone a cloud seemed to settle down upon him, It was as if the light had in some way been completely obscured, and an unaccountable ° fecing of loneliness stole over him. (fe turned at last to find his sister watching him intently. There tears in her eyes, but her lips were smiling bravely. were MY QUEEN. nevertheless, and yet had not attached to it a — “T knew you would like her,” she said, as he walked directly up to her. “She is a sweet — woman, and the only one I ever saw whom I — wanted for a sister,” she added, laughingly. CHAPTER XI. MARION’S CLEVER RUSE. Marion hurried her singing lesson the next ; morning, for she was anxious to be out on — her self-imposed errand. As she walked to- ward the store, she was thinking deeply, and — her gray eyes shone with unusual excitement. , The clew which she had spoken of to Mr, — Merton had come as an after-thought almost, while they were talking, and now she was_ blaming herself bitterly for her own stupidity It may have been a peculiar thing for a_ young girl to notice, but she had noticed it particle of significance at the time when, per- — haps, it was the very thing, which would iden- tify the woman. As Marion had stood gazing at the shining carriage and the handsomely equipped horses” her quick eyes had been attracted to a mono- — eram on the carriage, and which she had — even seen glittering on the corner of the car- _ riage robe. q The letters. were in silver, and they were — "eh | She recalled them distirictly, now that she had reason for doing’ so. | sut how should she find out what “A. D. S.” meant? No doubt they were the initials” of the owner of the carriage. Suddenly it occurred to Marion to adopt a little ruse in order to secure the desired information, “She had noticed that the “door opener” who stood just outside of that particular store was a genial, bluff, good- natured Irishman. Without an instant’s hesitation she walked up and spoke to him. “Can you tell me who the lady is who owns those handsome horses with the silver | mounted harness? There is a monogram ‘A. D. S. on the blankets and on the car riage, ” che said, sweetly, The bluff Irishman looked down into oe innocent face. . “Bless yer swate face, miss, that do be a very rich loidy,” he answered, promi GOMIGHOOKS;cOom Ps. :