Marion Marlowe's Christmas Eve, or, The Treachery of a Factory Inspector — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

= | MY QUEEN. she had visited the day before, and, mount- ing the stairs, bravely opened the door of the workroom. , There, just in front of her, was the eleven- 4 year-old child whom Miss French had as- sured her would be removed. She was bending over her machine, as usual, which was exactly what Marion had expected. . CHAPTER IX: DECOYED INTO TROUBLE. ae ~ -. Marion closed the door softly without any- - one having seen her, and as she descended ; the stairs she had much food for reflection. a Sadie Webster’s words had. opened her eyes, and here was’ absolute proof of Miss _ French’s treachery to her duty. She took out her list again and looked it over. No doubt those were the places which the inspector favored for a money considera- ai 4 tion, but the question was—how could she prove it? | As she turned a corner she came suddenly upon Sadie Webster, but the girl had her “back toward Marion, and consequently did not notice her. She was standing on the curb, talking to a well-dressed man. He was a Hebrew, of e middle age, and fairly glittered with dia- _ monds. Almost instinctively, Marion felt _ something was wrong, for Sadie’s cheeks were crimson as she listened to what her companion was saying. a _ For the first time it occurred to Marion _ Was pale and hollow-eyed, of course, but her * features were unusually winsome. A little fresh air and sunshine would have worked _ a miracle with a tace like hers, and a breath of happiness and love would have rendered ‘it beautiful. that. + what a really pretty girl Sadie was. She . 19 attracted by Sadie’s expression. Her lids were downcast.and her cheeks suffused with “blushes. Evidently the man was whispering tender things in her ear, and for a second Marion felt a sympathetic thrill of delight. Then her whole frame was shaken with an ominous shiver. Just -before she reached them the man walked on, and in a second Sadie was, sur- prised to find Marion’s arm about her shoulders. “Who was he, dear?” asked Marion, as ~ sweetly as possible; “some great nabob of the East Side, I should judge, by the glitter ot his diamonds.” The girl’s cheeks burned deéper, but her ~ eyes flashed a little’ ¥ ) “He’s a very rich man,” she began, almost defiantly. end of diamonds, and “He owns houses and land and no 93 She could not seem to go on, so Marion helped her. j “And is he going to lay all these at your feet, Sadie?” she asked, trying to be as calm as possible. “You are plenty sweet enough, Sadie, to richly deserve them.” | A sudden pallor took the place of the blush on the young girl's face, but in an instant a spark of resentment shone in her eyes at Marion’s question. “Do you think a rich man like him would marry a poor girl like me?” she asked, ab- ruptly. “No, there’s no such good luck for Sadie Webster. She must slave, slave, slave, or else—do something entirely different!’’ “What! you don’t mean that he insulted “Oh, Sadie, did he dare suggest anything—different ?” Sadie tossed her head and a deep red Spot you!” cried Marion, quickly. glowed on each cheek. “Well, what does it matter if he did?” she asked, sharply. “Isn’t he rich enough to do as he pleases; and am I in any position to resent his offer? Look here, Miss Marlowe. COmuicboooks.€ ©)