Marion Marlowe's Skill, or, A Week as a Private Detective — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

her. “They've caught the shabby woman and arrested one of the culprits !” Marion sank into a chair. She was too upset to speak, so Miss Merton made haste to tell her all that had happened. No less than seven of the @nployees had been found guilty in that one day, for by the arrest of one, they unveiled the whole sys- tem. Mrs. Sampson had made her last call at the store, and not only had she been sold some goods for which she paid only a third of the marked price, but other goods had ac- tuaily been passed to her over the counters, for which she did not pay so much as a penny. i . It was a case of rascality from beginning to end, these clerks all being actually in the employ of this woman. i When Miss Day was arrested she had, wept and begged, pleading that she had to steal to support her crippled brother. It was Marion’s own discoveries that had clinched the whole case and fastened the guilt securely on the offending parties. | As‘for Bessie Ross, she, too, had met her fate that day, for she had been caught shop- lifting in a neighboring store, and Howard & _ Uoward’s woman detective had helped to _ identify her. As Miss Merton told her news her brother came in. and then Marion, in turn, told of __ her thrilling adventure. | Both her friends were horrified at the a, awful tale, and Mr. Merton went out at once to see what could be done for the wretched cripple. _ The story which Marion had to tell Dr. Brookes had lengthened considerably before evening, but in his horror at her frightful experience he entirely neglected to tell his _ Own, although Marion could see by his eyes that it would surely come in the near future. At the court the next morning both Ter- ‘4 ence O’Connell and his sister received their MY QUEEN. 27 just deserts. They were sent to jail for years, not only because of their plot against Marion, but because they were proven to be pick-pockets and all around sharpers, while the woman was one of Mrs. Sampson’s gang of shop-lifters. Howard & Howard’s clerks were not tried for some time, but at last they, too, received their just share of punishment, and Miss Day, who seemed the ring-leader of the gang, was one of the first to be sent to prison, Thus another thrilling episode in Marion’s life She had _ battled bravely for the right and won, as_ usual, through her own loyalty to truth and the had been passed. cause of justice. She only worked as private shopper for the balance of that week, for she had discov- ered that to do it justice she must neglect her lessons, and she was wise enough to know this would be an unwise proceeding. One triumph had been hers that in her modesty she did not dream of, for in the short week of their acquaintance Mr. Tom Merton had lost his heart to her, and Dr. Brookes in the future would have a formi- dable rival. Marion never saw Danny, the cripple, again after his sister was sent to prison, but she learned that he had been cared for by Messrs. Howard & Howard. This fact was perhaps the brightest ray of sunshine in her path, for she had surely ben- efited and gladdened the future of one poor creature. THE END. Next week’s My QuEEN (No. 10) will con- tain the story of one of Marion Marlowe's most dangerous experiences in the metrop- olis. It will be entitled, “Marion Marlowe's Triumph; or, In Spite of Her Enemies.’’ Marion’s engagement to appear as a star on the stage, followed by the jealousy she arouses in the hearts of her fellow actresses. leads to a series of thrilling climaxes which are bound to prove of absorbing interest. GO DOO) AUUC Ha(CO@