Marion Marlowe Entrapped, or, The Victim of Professional Jealousy — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

26 Fe could be conceived—as if the dreamer was being tormented by unspeakable visions. Two Chinamen in théir native garments, but with queues curled tightly around their heads, were sitting by the sleepers, prepar- ing the opium, and as they rolled the little “pills” in their long yellow fingers, Marion clasped her hands before her eyes—it was too horrible to witness. “Oh, [ am lost, I am lost!” she whispered to herself. “If ever I am forced to touch that stuff I shall die of horror! --Oh, this is awful! awful!” : | ‘She sprang back into | the large room which she now. concluded ‘was a sort of par- Jor, and just at that instant she became aware that some one was watching her. She turned to find the beady eyes of an Oriental fixed steadily upon her. He was better dressed than the others, and his fin- gers were covered with jewels. _ “Oh, sir!” cried Marion, desperately, “for the love.of Heaven, save me! Help me to escape from this place and [I will reward you handsomely | F. Much to’ her delight the fellow understood | her, but he shook his head -and crept softly nearer, as he answered: — : “Chi-Lung-Hing. no savee, he keepee, treat allee light. Chinamen muchee love Amelican bleauty,”’ he murmured, clibly. Marion shuddered as she caught the full meaning of his words. His eyes were fixed upon her with ap-expression of gloating that filled her soul with horror. “But I will not stay! He shall not keep me!” she cried, in desperation. the house on fire and perish in the flames before you shall keep me prisoner.” She spoke so firmly and her eyes gleamed with such fury thatthe Celestial actually looked frightened. He edged a little nearer. “What, no love Chinaman money, Missee? No workee—no slavee—Chi-Lung- Hing mally Amelican bleauty—Dlive her plenty pletty dresses—makee her happy!” “Never!” cried Marion, who was now thoroughly alarmed. She bounded away from him and began examining the prem- ises, There was nothing but the four walls and they seemed almost impervious to sound, MY QUEEN. si ee your” wr. dently happening. The three Chinamen in- “T will set ; low her, She began to think that the magnificent . room was located in a cellar. | The Celestial watched her with glitter 4 | stealthy eyes as she peered behind each cur- tain and then in a fit of desperation shook the one door of the apartment. “YT amo prisoner!" she cried, at last. “Oh, Dollie; little sister, Fo I ever come back > * She sank down ona divan.to think a little, | then once more she rushed over to Be cur- tain to look for Carlotta. «. — As she peered behind the heavy cpaieegs she saw that something unusual was evi-- side were whispering excitedly to each other, Carlotta was lying in one of the bunks, her face strangely blue and distorted, and as Marion stared at her from the entrance, she felt the bejeweled Chinaman slip past her. Something was wrong with Carlotta, she did not know what—she moved forward a step and her foot struck something lying on the | carpet. 7 apes : Marion bent down and picked it up—it_ was an ordinary key. In an instant she had flown back aeragss the room to the door and had opened ft softly. The next moment she found — ina heavily. draped hall-way. It was so thickly — strewn with rugs and mats that no sound ~ from the outer world could ae pene- — trate to ite . The young girl darted ahead, “pecting be- | hind the heavy curtains-in hopes of finding an exit, but after a few terrible moments, during each of which she expected that her Chinese jailer would notice her flight and fol-_ she suddenly heard muffled voices behind one of the draperies. and tried to calm herself enough to listen. “You promised the woman five hundred dollars,” said Jack Green's voice on the other side of the thick curtain, “and you promised me three hundred if I would help | her. Now the girl is here—we have kep ? our part of the bargain. If shesescapes you. now, it is not our fault, is it?” “She. will not escape,” answered a soft, Oriental voice, in the clearest ‘ome >