Marion Marlowe's Christmas Eve, or, The Treachery of a Factory Inspector — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

“*“Oh, I'll help you escape all right,” said ' the fellow, grinning; “but, of course, you don’t expect me to do it for nothing. A tel- low don’t often meet such a peach as you are. Gee! but you’re a dandy! Prettiest thing that ever happened!” | He had stopped directly in front of Marion, and was staring at her rudely, with an ex- pression on his face that covered her cheeks with blushes. ' All the depravity in his nature seemed concentrated in his glance, and the pure girl actually cowered and shrank before such a show of bestiality. “Tf you'll come with me without no kick, Til take you down,” he said, finally. “I’ve got the bulge on them Jews, so that they - don’t dare say anything; but if you’re going to balk, I'll just leave you right here. The Lord help you, my beauty, if they ever come up here!” Marion shivered with horror at the fel- _ low’s suggestion.. Another sight of those - fiendish features would almost drive her to _ desperation. “Have you no heart, no conscience?” she _ pleaded, earnestly; “is it possible, Mr. French, that you cannot respect helplessness in a woman?” The man burst out into a rude laugh a her words. ‘s “That kind of talk would go all right with a parson,” he sneered; “but, as it happens, I’m a man with blood in his veins, and one that ain’t flinging his good fortune over his _ shoulder, neither !” As the man was speaking, Marion’s glance wandered aimlessly, and, just as he finished, one of the skylights moved a little. Without appearing -to do so, the girl watched it intently. There was a thrill in her soul that told her instinctively that help was near her. “Tf you are a man, you will be brave and _ honorable,”.she cried, suddenly, her whole _ fixed upon her features. _ “If you are a man, you will protect me, in- _ Stead of injuring me. See, I throw myself upon your mercy!’ she cried, almost hyster- Again the fellow stared at her, for her changing emotions puzzled him. Her eyes _ Seemed riveted upon his face, and their ex- _ pression startled him. He seemed powerless _ to remove his gaze from the magnetic charm _ of her countenance. “Tl protect vou, of course; that is, from the Jews,” he began, coarsely; “but you un- derstand you've got to promise to go with _*te; there mustn’t be no kick when we reach the sidewalk.” - = MY QUEEN. . Jim ‘French’s attention. _ desire at the instant being to keep his gaze | 25 It was only by a heroic effort that Marion © forced herself to answer and to keep her eyes upon his face, instead of upon the creeping form just behind him. One false step on the roof and the secret would be out. With this thought in her mind, she almost screamed her answer : “Oh, you must rescue me without any promises, Mr. French! I am helpless and at your mercy, and you must show yourself a man. Say you will conduct me to the street in safety from those rufhians, and accept my sincere thanks for the nobility of your serv- ice !”” Another burst of laughter followed this appeal. “Well, you’re a corker and no mistake! Do you think I’m any such fool as thatr No, not on your life, my little beauty! If I take you from this roof it is for one purpose alone. Refuse, and you stay here; that’s all there is about it!” - Marion took a step backward and held her breath as the brazen-tongued bully made his cowardly assertion. Then a light step just behind him attracted He turned quickly and confronted an athletic young man. The next second he fell heavily, struck down by a blow from the heavy end of a polished walk- ing-stick. CHAPTER XIII. SAFE ee} Marion Marlowe breathed the word as her foot touched the sidewalk. She was leaning on the arm of her rescuer, Dr. Brookes, and, aithough her face was pale, she was smiling happily. 4 The young physician said nothing, but hur- ried her along, and, almost before she knew it, Marion was in the room with Fannie, the cripple. “Try and rest, Marion,” he whispered, when he had placed her in a chair. “I will come for you in an hour, and, meanwhile, I will send in some supper, for you must be famished.”’ “No, doctor, it isn’t necessary,” spoke up the cripple, quickly. “See, I have plenty of food. I can give Miss Marlowe a regular banquet !”’ Marion’s cheeks turned even paler, but she let the doctor go before she replied; then, as she glanced at Fannie, her great, honest eves spoke for her. “Sadie brought them,” said the girl, who was fairly beaming with happiness. “Just think, Miss Marlowe, Sadie has actually got ONCE MORE.. ' CORMMICMOOOKS. ECO