Marion Marlowe's Noble Work, or, The Tragedy at the Hospital — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

husband, and such a thing would kill vim !”’ -“Tt’s a wonder she’s where she is if he thouglit so much of her,” muttered one of the onvicts. ‘You don’t understand,” said Marion, sad- y. “It is just as the guard said—somebody has blundered.” The captain was consulted, but he was an obstinate man. _“Can’t do it, nurse! I’ve got orders and I have to obey them! It’s government biz. You can’t monkey with the government.” “Tt shall never be buried in Potter’s Field,” aid Marion, pointing to the coffin, “for I will 10t leave the boat until I have your promise, You must not refuse me! The ng would be too awful!” ‘Tl put back, then,” said the captain, after noment’s thought. “It won't take a half our, and I guess it won’t matter.” : As they neared the dock they could see a oup of people waiting for them, among em was Dr. Brookes, waving and shouting “You see they want us to come back ed Marion, triumphantly. “I told you it was a blunder, and they have discovered it!’ Then the brave, beautiful girl turned sud- enly paler than ever before, for there on the dock, with his head bent.in grief, stood her friend, Archie Ray, this dead woman’s hus- band. F a 17? CHAPTER XIII. THE END OF THE TRAGEDY. _ Marion had kept her promise to watch for Mr. Ray’s wretched young wife, and it was her grim determination alone that secured for’ the poor creature a Christian burial. _ Never to her dying day would the brave girl forget the scene on that little dock when the “dead boat” drew alongside with her -drez dful cargo. _ “Gently, men!” she cried as a couple of onvicts lifted the pine coffin. “Remember that all are not so accustomed to these sights 5 We are, and this poor creature was once a beautiful woman!’ The men heard her silently, but they obe) ed her commands. The box was depos- : a MY QUEEN. 25 ited gently, and then the Fidelity steamed away again at an order from the official. Marion’s glance swept hastily over the group on the dock. They were mostly at- taches of the monstrous prison, but the next instant her- gaze rested upon two manly forms, and the pathos of the scene brought tears that blinded her vision. Mr. Ray was standing like on stricken by some fearful blow, his arm resting heavily on Dr. Brooke's broad shoulder. “Bear up!” whispered the doctor. “You have saved her, Ray! She has come back to you at last, and you must forgive her—in her coffin.” “Poor girl! Poor Mary! Mr. Ray’s words came brokenly. He had forgotten the great wrong that this woman had done him. Dr. Brookes had to leave him to give an order about the coffin, and at that instant a young man wearing a press badge came run- ning down from the prison. | One of the guards whom he met turned and pointed toward Mr. Ray, and the next moment the reporter was close beside him. “Do you mind giving the details of this frightful mistake to the New York Daily?” he asked blandly. “Awfully sorry to distress you, sir, but, of course, we would like to have the story.” “I will give them to you,” said Marion, stepping up at once. It seemed wicked that this man should intrude upon Mr. Ray at this moment. | The reporter turned to her respectfully, and Mr. Ray thanked her with a look. A mo- ment later he was again leaning on the arm of Dr. Brookes, on his way to the Morgue to identify the body. Marion told the story as briefly as she could, but as she mentioned the name of Au- gustus Atherton the stolid reporter gave a long, low whistle. “He is here, Lawyer Atherton,” he said, quickly. ‘“‘He came up in the boat with me. and he acted like a madman. Every one of us kept our eyes on him—we thought he was going to jump overboard.” “Well, he is a very wicked man!” said Marion, impulsively, “so I don’t pity him as much as I do her poor husband!” 33 CORNICLOO SS (SO)