Marion Marlowe's Christmas Eve, or, The Treachery of a Factory Inspector — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

ence. There was no one in Mr. Landale’s office when she arrived but Tom, the office boy. 4 “Mornin’, Miss Marler!” exclaimed that individual, politely. “I’m all erlone in my glory ter-day! There’s er note on ther desk fer you, an’ his nibs won't be here this mornin’.” Marion opened the note that the boy Then a puzzled expression swept across her features. handed her and glanced over it. “°’Tain’t no love letter, I reckin,” said the “His joblots must er bin as mad as er wet hen when he boy, who was watching her. writ it, ‘cause he’d been havin’ a Jim Dandy scrap wid Frenchy!” “What in the world do you mean?” asked - Marion, wonderinely. , “Why, his nibs, ther boss, and Frenchy had er go-as-you-please after you’d went vyester- day,” explained the boy, calmly. “She’s jeal- ous or sumthin’—I don’t know ’zactly—but, Jimminy! didn’t the fur fly! seen ’em! You'd orter She knocked him out in one Ther _ Corbett an’ Fitz fight .wasn’t a marker to it, | _ Miss Marler !” “Well, but what has that to do with me?” . asked Marion, innocently, as she read over round, tho’, jest as easy as nothin’. _ the note again, which she was still holding in her fingers. 7 *; “I reckin it has sumthin’ ter do wid yer, _ but I don’t know jest wat,” said the boy. “She kep’ a mentionin’ yer name, an’ accusin’ : him of bein’ stuck on yer. Yer see, she’s hot _ after him herself, an’ that’s where ther shoe _ pinches.” _ Marion’s red lips curled in a disdainful smile, but she did not deign to ask any more _ questions. “You will please tell Mr. Landale that I > will go about as usual,’’ she said, a little proudly. “But he need not worry about my > MY QUEEN. 17 annoying Miss French—and I will report what I see in future to Dr. Brookes.” “Vou’re a dandy, all right!” said the boy, admiringly ; “but I reckin he was rattled w’en he writ that note. He'll get over it, most likely, an’ be as meek as Moses!” Marion started to leave the office, but Tom had not stopped talking. | “Took out fer Frenchy, Miss Marler; she’s he “She’s er scrapper from Scrappersville, an’ I er treach’rous critter,” said, quickly. don’t reckin vou are much on the scrap, are you? If Frenchy pitches inter yer, jest let me know, Miss Marler—I'll get in ther row wid bote feet an’ be mighty glad ter be there!” “Thank you,” said Marion, smiling at the interested lad. “J appreciate your offer, but I hardly think I shall have any trouble.” She turned toward the door, and at that moment it opened and Mr. Landale entered. Both Marion and Tom stared at him in surprise, which only deepened when he smiled and greeted them as pleasantly as OVER. Almost without thinking, Marion covered the note that she was holding; for in an in- stant the thought had come to her that the gentleman had never written it. “On time, I ‘see, Miss Marlowe,” began Mr. Landale, kindly. , “Well, I am glad of that, for I have a lot to say to you.” Tom threw up both hands behind his em- ployer's back, and Marion took the mute sign to mean that the gentleman’s words had com- pletely dumfounded him. As Mr. Landale handed her a chair, she slipped the note quietly into her pocket, thinking that it would be weil to keep it until matters developed a little. Mr. took Marion completely by surprise, and it was only by a great effort of the will that she succeeded in concealing’ it. Landale’s first words COMMICooOoks. CO