Marion Marlowe in Chicago, or, Trapped by a Lunatic — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

There were two men in the case now that must not be lost sight of; one was Preston, the madman, and the other was the drunken driver. After the searching party had left the sta- tion-house he explained the case more fully to the sergeant, and received from him all the assurances possible in so doubtful an under- aking. . “If it was daytime now it would be differ- ent,” he said, anxiously; “but the inhabitants of those alleys are always drunk at night, and an officer walking through there in the dark is an easy target. They’d ‘pop’ him be- hind his back in a minute if they felt like it.” “Then what a place for an innocent girl!” cried the young physician, with a shudder. “The worst in Chicago,” was the solemn swer; “and that’s saying a good deal, if it is my native city.” The doctor turned from the desk almost overwhelmed with anguish, ; _“Here’s a call for you, sergeant!” cried out a voice from one corner of the big room, as a telephone bell sounded. _ “A lady from the Sheltering Arms wants to say something to you.” _ “That must be Miss Allyn, the lost girl’s friend!” said the doctor, quickly. “We sent them to the hospital when we confiscated that carriage.” _ The sergeant went to the telephone, and in a minute he was scowling savagely. “She says that lunatic has been raving ever since he arrived there, and he says that Mar- ion Marlowe is lost forever: that she has been raffled off to a gang of the toughest Naracters in Dago alley!” _ The doctor bit his lip. “It may be only his delusion,” he tried to say, hopefully. Without replying, the sergeant turned to nis assistant. “Wire McCafferty at Dominick’s groggery to search Dago alley thoroughly,” he said, sternly. “Dominick is the only man in that section who is anything like honest, and I told my men to call there, in case I needed them,” he explained, turning to Dr. Brookes. The doctor turned again to leave the sta- tion-house, and again a cal over the tele- phone prevented him. MY QUEEN. 21 “The livery stable where this drunken brute belongs,” reported the assistant at the instrument. ‘“‘His name is O’Shea, and he’s very unreliable. They were just on the verge of discharging him.” | There was a moment of silence, and the balance of the conversation was reported. “Left the stand at Dearborn street at eleven-fifteen. Fare, a young lady; did not report her destination to the office. They want us to hold horse, cab and driver, as they are already on the way out here.” “We'll hold ’em fast enough,” was the ser- geant’s grim answer. “He'll stay right here until that girl is found, if it isn’t until the day after the millennium.” Once more the doctor thanked him, and then started for the hospital. There was no car line nearby, so he was obliged to walk. As he hurried along he looked up at the sky where the faintest glimmer of dawn was showing. Would they find her, his idol, the loved ctie of his heart? A groan of bitter anguish was the only answer, He thought of Bert, now peering here and there into the dark, grimy corners of the al- ley, and for a moment he regretted that he had not insisted upon accompanying him. Bert, the lad with a lion’s heart in his breast, was searching for the woman they both loved. The drunken driver and the maniac were both safe now, and he would have been so much happier could he have been with him, searching for Marion. lor a moment he was strongly tempted to turn back toward the alley, but as he stood undecided his natural caution warned him. What could he'do, alone and unarmed, in that - dangerous locality? It would be the extreme of folly to risk such an undertaking. He glanced at his watch and once more hurried on. It was nearly three o'clock, and yet he was not even sleepy. The streets were deserted, and there was a peculiar mist over everything, which made even the most commonplace objects look strangely weird and distorted. ' A shuffling’ step, coming toward him on the pavement, suddenly <@ymog YABWGG CO