Marion Marlowe's Disappearance, or, Almost a Crime — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

22 The carriage was secured and the three young men piled into it, taking the boy with them so that he should not escape them. “Now, go on and tell us all you know,” said Mr. Ray, as he poured a handful of sil- ver into the urchin’s pocket. The beggar’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. It was the first time in his life that he had ever seen so much money in his own - possession. “Wot d’ye want ter Kees first?’ he asked, with alacrity. “I kin tell yer anything from Watson ter de cellar!” “Tell us about Watson. the first eager question. : a Who is he?” was “He’s de king of de beggars,” “boy’s prompt reply. “He owns a lot on us an’ makes us steal an’ beg ter serport him. W’en dis here gent litked him -yesterday he tried ter wing him, but he hit de loidy in- ste’d an’ he’s mighty sore dis mornin’.” He pointed to Mr. Ray, whom he seemed to have recognized at once, although he had not said a word of having been present at the shooting. : “That explains where Watson gets the money that he spends at the clubs,” Ray; “now about this cellar, just what and where is it?” The boy’s keen eyes took on a cunning expression. He could not answer this ques- tion as accurately as he would like, but he knew he must not admit his ignorance until he was sure they would not take back his precious money. 4 ©) warehouse On de river, it’s de sullar of an old tumble down “De crooks an’ river t’ieves has dug a lot er tun- ” he said, glibly. nels t’ro it, so dey kin skin out wid der stuff w’en de cops gits after “em!” “And is this where Watson’s beggars hang out 2” asked Bert, quickly; “and what reason have you got for thinking that Miss Mar- lowe has been taken there?” was the : _beggars,”’ said Mr. MY QUEEN. The boy looked up with a beaming smile, for here, was a question that he knew he could answer. “Skinny lives dere,” he said, tersely ; “she’s de crookedest kind of er beggar, Skinny is, dat’s w’y she wuz chose fer nabbin’ de ac- tress!” ; “Hurry, driver!” shouted Bert; “and go straight to the river! We'll double your pay, so don’t spare your horses!”’ said the ‘““Youse’'ll have ter leave de “He can’t go very near de sullar,” boy, grinning. kerridge er block away, den dere comes de scrabble fer ter find de right sullar !” “We'll find it if it is there!” said Bert, eye- ing him suspiciously ; “but Heaven help you, — kid, if you really have been ‘stringing’ us!” * ~— CHAPTER XIII. - IN AWFUL PERIL. - During all this time poor Marion had been passing through a fearful experience, for she had indeed fallen into the hands of “Watson's and a more vicious lot of crim- inals could hardly have been found in the big city. When the beggar woman men- tioned the address of her home Marion- rec- ognized it as being near the bank of the Har- lem River, but she knew nothing whatever of that particular locality. ¢ It was uptown, at any rate, and could not “be so very far from Dollie’s flaf, so she de- cided that there was time to investigate the wonmlan’s story and then, get back home in plenty of time for dinner. _ But, as they neared the neighborhood in which the woman lived, she could not help erowing a.little nervous. There were a’lot of old tumbling down tenements or built out to the very river bank, and the only way fo get around them was by following narrow streets “rookeries”’ and crooked alleys, They left the carriage at the entrance to Eomicbooks