Marion Marlowe's Courage: A Brave Girl's Struggle for Life and Honor — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

2 struggle for existence in a city which shows but little mercy to the poor or the unfortu- nate. For two weeks they had occupied this shabby room, which they obtained, with their. board, for eight dollars per week, and during this time poor Marion had been very busy, for it was chiefly her information that se- cured the indictment against her sister’s ab- ductor. : “Thank goodness there’s nothing more to be done in that direction,” she said, wearily. “That dreadful Mr. Lawson, or ‘Dabroski’ as he calls himself, is safe in jail, and the Chief of Police tells me that it will be some time before he is brought to trial. Justice is so slow,” she added, plaintively, “but ‘then, it ig sure, so there’s no use in getting im- — patient. I’ve been to seven places to-day in my search for work. Oh, I am sure [ will get something soon! I don’t see how I can help ee SYouy are . just, wearing yourself out, dearie,” said Dollie, remorsefully. “You look a lot older than you did at home. Oh, dear, tO think that I should be the cause of all your worry!” “Hush, Dollie!’ cried Marion, “you are not to blame, sister, and, oh, I am so glad that it isn’t any worse!” Her beautiful face flushed scarlet as she made this admission. | Dollie’s blue eyes filled with tears and her lids drooped heavily. “It’s bad enough, I am sure, but please don’t speak of it. You love me just the same, don’t you, sister?” she cried, piteously. Her loving sister rushed over to her and kissed her penitently. “Rorgive me, dear, but I can’t help ¢hink- ing of it sometimes! It is perfectly awful, and to think the papers are full of it!” “They have been for two weeks,” said ' Dollie, sighing, “but they have been so kind in their judgment of me, I can never be too erateful to them. Still, Tam glad we changed our names when we came to this house! If our fellow-boarders knew who we were they ’ would probably snub us! “Well,” cried her noble sister, scornfully, “T should not care for that. We have done MY QUEEN. no wrong, why should we be scorned by them? “Tt is the way of the world, I guess,” said Dollie, sadly, “for even my own father and mother condemned me’ before they knew I was guilty.” oa: a “Oh, just hear this!” cried Marion, who - had picked up the evening paper; “poor Mr. Ray’s father was buried to-day! The grief has killed him! And what do you think, Miss Ada Ray’s lover has thrown her over, and all on account of her sister’s misfortunes ! Oh, I can hardly believe it! It is too utterly abominable !”’ j | ss She threw down the paper in a burst of anger. She could not tolerate injustice, it made her furious to think of it. | “T expect that is why we have seen noth- ing of Mr. Ray this week,” said Dollie. Tae poor old father, he must have been over-sen- sitive, for if his daughter was innocent he should not have grieved so. As for that fel- low who professed to be a lover, why, he must have been a good-for-nothing to do a thing like that. ‘She's lucky to be rid ob ; him!” she added, with unusual spirit. | But Marion was walking the floor in a per- fect frenzy_of indignation. She clenched her | hands together as she thought over what she | had just read. “Mr. Ray, our dear, good friend. Oh, I ani so sorry for him!” she cried. “He is go- ing to take his two sisters abroad immedi-. ately. He has to, I can see that. It would be dreadful for them to stay here.” : “And we won't see him again,” said Dollie, almost ready to cry. Marion bit her lips and her gray eyes grew almost hard with agony. “T’m afraid not,” she said, shortly; “the paper says he is to sail to-morrow.» There was a sharp rap on the door, and — Marion composed herself quickly and opened — it. The stout, coarse figure of the landlady — completely blocked the doorway. “Good-evening, Mrs. Garvin,” young girl, politely, then as she observed the woman's expression she stood still and stared at her. “You are a nice pair, I must say!” began — the boarding-house keeper angrily. “To ‘ Gomicbooks.con said the — >