Marion Marlowe's Money, or, Brave Work in the Slums — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

; 0 she might have guessed the truth, but at _ present she ad no inkling of the young “4 man’s “new voeation. *; : As soon as she reached the hotel office she ~ made i inquiries of the clerk, but there was no ; information to be gained from that quarter. \ > Mr. Fairfax had left the week before, leav- : "ing no address behind him; he had said he would call occasionally for letters. _ = “He left the day of the robbery,” said the clerk, as he consulted his ledger. “Luckily he went that morning, or he’d have shared the mg _ general suspicion !” . ere words were spoken lightly, but Marion huddered as she heard them. She was still thi king of the jewels which she knew to be n the young man’s possession. 6] can’t be mistaken,” she thought; as she turned away, “but, oh, I wish I was! Mr. Fairfax !’’ ae 2 was just leaving the office when a -looking stranger entered. He had a arpet bag in his hand which attracted her attention. | glanced at her sharply, then, much to her surprise, stopped short and spoke to her. “By gum! Is this where you live?” he asked, with great cordiality. | ~ Marion glanced up into his face, and then smiled eood-naturedly. S “Yes, sir, I live here,’’ she answered, sim- “ply. “Did you have any trouble in finding ‘Headquarters’ ?” _ She had recognized him at once as the countryman whom she had met in the car, and once more a feeling of sympathy for him ha as creeping into her heart. 7 “Ves, I found it,” he said, sadly; ‘an’ they - ‘told me a lot. Thar wuz a time when [ c ouldn’t have stood what I have heerd tew- da , but, thank God, I am stronger now; yes, t | ave the courage fer anything! p “a * arion. stared 1p at him stupidly. -She << vo ef ty < at MY QUEEN. Poor*. As they passed through the doorway he | 17 could not quite understand, but she seemed to feel instinctively that she was right in giving -him her sympathy. There was a little reception-room just out- side of the office, and, acting upon impulse, she turned and beckoned for him to enter it. “Do please tell me what they told you?” she said, in her earnest voice. “I can see that you are sorrowing and, oh, sir, you remind me of my father! Do, please, let me help {?? “you if you are in any trouble! The honest man drew his. sleeve across his eyes as he followed_her into the room, and sank down upon a sofa. He seemed suffer- ing for the comfort that this loving girl could give him, and there was no reluctance in his words Or manner. “It’s jest the same old story,” he said, with a weary sigh. “Jest another pure country gal who has run away frum home an’ drifted out tew destruction on the tide of the great ety’ ; “But you have learned something of her to-day, have you not?” asked Marion, eag- erly. “The chief has given you some hope! He knows something about her!” | The man brushed his eyes again and his voice trembled as he answered: ' “She is in the ‘slums,’ he told me, ef yew ~She is one of them wuthless critters that the angels pity, but whom both God and man seem to have hully desarted.!”’ know what that means. “But you can find her! You can redeem her!” cried Marion, eagerly. up the search! “Oh, don’t give Remember she is a woman!” ‘An’ my daughter,” said the man with a “Oh, I forgive her freely! God grant that I may find her!” Marion moved closer to him and laid her hand on his arm. sob in his voice. cc Such love as yours must be rewarded,” she said, sweetly. “Not all fathers are so lenient,=so merciful, or so forgiving! ECORNICLOOKS (CO)