Marion Marlowe's Christmas Eve, or, The Treachery of a Factory Inspector — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

26 married, and she has made her husband cive Mamie and me some money, ‘just exactly as if we were her sisters.” Marion tried to smile, but it was a feeble effort, and as for the “banquet,” she hardly tasted it. , Her own misfortunes were as nothing com- pared to this, for her heart seemed scorched by this news of Sadie. When the doctor came he found her almost in a fever, and in less than an hour he had her safelv back at Mrs. Stetson’s. “T think this will end your slumming for the season, Marion,’ he said, decidedly. “Why, if you were not the healthiest girl in the world, the shock of vour outrageous treat- ment would alone have killed you! The scene in that work-room must have been sim- ply awful! It makes my blood boil to think of those scoundrels!” Marion turned upon him a questioning glance. She was wondering just how much he had discovered. “One of the men told me the whole story,” he explained; “he told me that- that Miss French is a dreadful woman. Why, she actu- ally quadruples her salary by neglecting her - duty, and those contractors pay her hand- somely for not reporting the condition of their factories. She has been so sly that Landale has not learned of it; but Tom, the office boy, has suspected her for some time. This afternoon he followed her home, and found that she lives in actual luxury !” “And supports her brother in laziness!” said Marion, quickly. “That fellow that you knocked down was her brother, doctor !” “Ts it possible? Well, he’s safe for awhile,” was thethankful answer. “I sent an officer up for him while you were waiting at Sadie’s.” “And what can be done with those miser- able factory men?” asked Marion, shivering; “those black-hearted creatures who so nearly killed me?” A dark frown gathered on the physician's handsome face. “Tandale will know what to do with them when T tell him about it,” was the answer; “but, meanwhile, I have detectives on the track of Miss French, and I fancy that her arrest will show up the whole matter.” Marion had been resting in an easy chair ‘a Mrs. Stetson’s parlor as they talked, and her head fell forward on her hand as her friend stopped talking. “Poor Sadie! poor Sadie!” she whispered, softly. “Oh, I cannot blame her, for her life was awful!” “What about her?” asked the doctor, as he enddenly recalled where he had last seen Sadie. MY QUEEN. ~ “I am afraid she has yielded to tempta- tion,” she said, sadly. “Poor thing! The weight of poverty. and suffering was ‘too great! She has given her soul for a rich — man’s money!” “[ hope not, indeed,’ said the doctor, frowning; “but I will look her up the first thing to-morrow, and, perhaps, it will not be too late to make her reconsider her actions.” Marion shook her head. She seemed to be © doubtful. “IT feel that she is lost; she is so weak,” she said, softly; “besides, she has no work. She has sinned to provide for her friends— Mamie and the cripple.” . A maid entered at that moment and handed Marion some letters. As she noticed the ad- dresses, she smiled more brightly. ic “Old friends and true,” she murmured, — tapping the envelopes. “A letter from Mr. Ray, Burt Jackson and Alma Allyn!” - “Old friends, indeed, and good ones, too,” said the doctor, laughing.- “Are you happy to hear from Archie Ray, Marion?”’ There was such a tinge of meaning in his tones that Marion looked up, archly. “Tam very proud of Mr. Ray, and I am -always glad to hear from him,” she said, smil” ingly. “He has been away from New York for some time now. Yes, I shall be glad to see him.” “Good-night, Marion,’ was the only an- swer, as the young man arose to go. “Good-night, Dr. Brookes,” said. Marion, still smiling. As their hands met, all the coldness in the doctor’s voice melted. “Dear, noble girl,” he murmured, tenderly. “Alike tender and true to old friends and new! You are too: good for this world, Marion, my queen! If you would only culti- -vate a few shortcomings, I should feel so much easier.” “Oh, I am not so good that there is any danger of my dying,” laughed the young girl. “A person who can go through what I have been through is pretty sure to have a long life before her.” 2 The physician smiled. Her words sounded : prophetic. He seemed to feel in his inner- most soul that Marion had a long life before her. But what sort of a life was it to be? The question puzzled him, for he was — powerless to answer it. This beautiful girl’s career thus far had been one succession of extraordinary ept- sodes. Would it change some time for worse — or better? ; But Dr. Brookes was not a man to waste | much time in speculation, so, as he left her presence, he put all puzzling questions away = from him. Christmas Day he was again — Sen -