A Lover's Quarrel, or Marion Marlowe's Deceitful Friend — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

20 the half-drunken woman and the detective stared silently at each other. Then a scene followed that Marion will never forget, for the officer suddenly sprang at the woman and seized her by the shoulder. The next moment he was actually tearing the gaudy clothes from her bulky body. CHAPTER X. A WOMAN’S TREACHERY. “There! Now you look more like your- self, Barney McGillin!” he -cried, a moment later. Marion had covered her eyes when the scene began, but she uncovered them now and fairly gasped in astonishment. Miss McGillin had vanished, and in her place stood a coarse-faced young man, while skirts and petticoats seemed to be scattered all over the apartment. “It’s lucky he’s got such a jag on,” went on the officer, chuckling. ‘Barney never could navigate when he had a drink or two aboard. We've nabbed you before, just for that reason, haven’t we, you sinner?” “Is it really a man?” gasped Marion, faint- ly; “and to think he locked me in here! Oh, isn’t it awful, Mr. Burnham ?” MecGillin had dropped back in his chair with a look of chagrin upon his features, for, as the officer said, he was too drunk to navigate, and as the clerk had closed the door, Marion told them what had happened. She did not mention Miss Fredericks at all, only that she had heard the young woman close one door as her companion opened the other. “Well, you've done us a good turn, and the public as well,’ said the officer, admiringly. “Barney has been out of jail exactly two months, and it’s been eight uneasy weeks for the force, I can tell you.” ‘“What’s his forte?’ asked the clerk, who was growing more composed, now that he saw there was no further danger of excite- ment, “Ask me something easy,” replied the off- cer, smiling. “Barney, here, is a crackajack at everything! He’s got a dandy record !” Marion caught her breath with a little ’ MY QUEEN. gasp; then she turned appealingly toward the speaker, “You'll keep him safe, won’t you?” she asked, hurriedly. “Oh, I wish I knew for sure whether he was guilty or not! Can’t you arrest him, officer, as a suspicious per- son !” : } “I think I can,” began the officer, who had been watching his charge carefully; then he suddenly bent forward and stared closely at the fellow. “Here!.what’s the matter, Barney? You're as white as a ghost!” he said, sharply. “You've got more than a jag on! Speak— quick, you spalpeen !” : ; McGillin’s head was nodding slightly, and there was a dazed look in his eyes as he tried to answer. * The detective grabbed him by the shoul- ders and shook him vigorously, but the man only groaned and his head drooped even lower. pre Suddenly the clerk sprang forward and picked up the nearly empty bottle, ) As he shook it quietly he saw a little sedi- ment in the bottom. “Drugged, I'll bet! And by his own chum!” he muttered. “Well, if I was ever taken in, it was by the innocent face of that’ woman !” Marion did not wait to hear any more, but fled froni the apartment. She was too con- fused to either think or act for a moment. | Of all the strange occurrences that she had ever experienced this was one of the strangest, and it was imperative that she calm herself as rapidly as possible. Mrs. Burnside had finished her letter and had gone, and Marion turned the key in her own door and threw herself upon the sofa. She heard the clerk hurrying down the hall, and a few minutes later she heard him return with some one, whom she rightly guessed was a neighboring physician. It seemed incredible to her that Miss Fredericks could really be ag wicked as she seemed, and, of all things, to think of her even drugging her companion ! “Such depths of degradation! such fearful cunning!’ she whispered, sharply; “and to think that our Bert is in the toils of such a woman !”’ Eomicbooks.com