From Farm to Fortune, or, Only a Farmer's Daughter — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

about the thing you want,” she said, handing it to Marion. | “Pll bet she has run away from home,” she said to a waiter, as Marion thanked her and moved away. “She looks like a rich girl all right, but it’s ten to one she’s had a scrap with her folks! She’ll get sick of it, I’m thinleing, especially if she goes to board- mee (ve. y . When Marion reached the sidewall she opened Bert’s letter and read it again. It was a. Bowery lodging-house that he was stopping at when he wrote, and she decided to hunt him up and consult with him before - going to her uncle. | ».“He may be able to advise me,” 4 thought, “and I need a friend now if I ever did, for I am alone in this big city with only _ five dollars! Oh, shall I ever be able to find _ my poor sister?” As she walked slowly along the street she »studied the street signs carefully, and more 3 ten once she saw both women and men half stop to stare at her. Finally she saw a big man in a blue uni- _ form, and knowing that he must be a police- _ man she went up boldly and asked him to direct her to the lodging-house. “Ts there some one there you know?” asked the officer kindly, “ cause if there isn’t z _you’d better ep out of that neighborhood. et can see you're a stranger, although you _ don’t look like a country girl by a jug-full!’”’ £ _ “Well, I am nothing else,’ answered _ Marion, smiling a little. “But I am not _ afraid to go to the lodging-house if you will _ tell me the way. I can take care of myself, I am ‘sure, and there i is a boy there that I must “see, sir.” 5 “All right, then,” said the officer as she a finished speaking. “Just walk over two blocks and take a Third avenue car. Tell the conductor to put you off at the number you ve got. I wouldn’t try to walk there— ° ‘aed re apt to get tangled.” _ Marion thanked him and hurried on, her P MFiécks tingling with excitement. It was lovely to be in a big city at last. To be actually experiencing one of her daisy chain _ Wishes, but the next moment she thought 3 tas Dollie, and all the pleasure vanished. There was no car in sight so Marion ”~ “» > * MY QUEEN. she 17 walked on. She was thinking deeply of Dollie now, and was almost crying. Suddenly a man brushed past her and leered into her face. Marion turned her head instantly and stepped up as if to glance into a nearby window. The man waiked on, leaving Marion staring absently at an array of jewelry, seemingly odds and ends, which were displayed in the window with price marks attached to them. Slowly, and almost without realizing it Marion’s gaze concentrated itself upon a pair of curious shaped earrings. They were golden brown topazes in quaint, old fash- 1oned settings. Then with a little scream she leaned forward until her head nearly touched the pane. They were her grandmother’s topazes—she recognized them instantly. ~ ~~ CHAPTER VIIL. THE FIRST NEWS OF DOLLIE. As soon as Marion had recovered from —. her surprise at discovering the familiar jewels in such an unexpected manner in this little shop, she determined to make some inquiries. “Will you please tell me where you got those r’”’ she asked of the big nosed Israelite behind the counter, at the same time point- ing to the topazes in the window. “I comes honestly by doze, is dat vat you vant to know?” said the shopkeeper, shrewdly. He was on his guard instantly, and had no notion of parting with the jewels. From the nature of the place and its sur- roundings Marion easily guessed that it was one of those establishments where the possessor of jewelry is not too closely ques- tioned as to where it was obtained, so long as he is willing to sell it at a low price. In other words a place where stolen goods are bought and sold. “I don’t want them,” said Marion quickly, as she guessed what he meant, “I just want to get the address of the person that left them here. She is a friend of mine, the woman who owned them, and I want to find her if she is in the city.” The man looked at her sharply and saw that he had nothing to fear. “T tells nottings,’’ he said, crossly, “excen} CORNICLOOOKS.CO