I do not know what might have happened had we been a little later in
appearing on the scene. As, after having sent a couple of men around to
the back of the block, we turned into the street we saw three or four
men enter the house as though in a hurry. We quickened our steps, but
found the door locked, and the voices within told that something unusual
was going on. The high pitched voice of a woman in a tirade and the low
growls of men came to us through the door, followed by the noise of a
scuffle and the smashing of furniture; a thunderous knock on the door,
however, brought a sudden silence.
As there was no response either to the knock or ring, another summons
even more imperative was made, and this time a window was opened above,
a woman thrust her head out and in a rather frightened voice asked what
was wanted. The reply given was a command to open the door instantly,
and as the delay in obeying appeared somewhat unreasonable, a different
method was adopted. The door was forced with an ease which gave me a
high idea of the officer's skill. Within everything appeared quiet, and
the only circumstance to distinguish the house from a rather tawdry
small hotel of a flashy kind was a man and that man, John Marvel, with a
somewhat pale face, his collar and vest torn and a reddish lump on his
forehead, standing quietly in the doorway of what appeared to be a
sitting-room where the furniture had been upset, and the woman whom I
had formerly seen when I visited the place with a police officer,
standing at the far end of the hall in a condition of fright bordering
on hysterics. I think I never saw men so surprised as those in our party
were to find a preacher there. It was only a moment, however, before the
explanation came.
"She's here, I believe," said John, quietly, "unless they have gotten
her away just now."
His speech appeared to have unchained the fury of the woman, for she
swept forward suddenly like a tornado, and such a blast of rage and
abuse and hate I never heard pour from a woman's lips. Amid tears and
sobs and savage cries of rage, she accused John Marvel of every crime
that a man could conceive of, asserting all the while that she herself
was an innocent and good woman and her house an absolutely proper and
respectable home. She imprecated upon him every curse and revenge which
she could think of. I confess that, outraged as I was by the virago's
attack, I was equally surprised by John Marvel's placidness and the
officer's quiet contempt. The only thing that John Marvel said was:
"There were some men here just now."
"Liar! Liar! Liar!" screamed the woman. "You know you lie. There is not
a man in this house except that man, and he came here to insult me--he
who comes here all the time--you know you do, ---- ---- ----!"
"Where are the men?" demanded the marshal quietly, but he got no answer
except her scream of denial.
"They were after me," said John, "but when you knocked on the door they
ran off."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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