The Redemption of Marie Gordon, No. 9

This pulp magazine issue contains an installment from a serial novel titled "The Tempter," featuring novelist Carlton McLain who claims to know the identity of the man who murdered artist Waterford Burley. Betty Harding languishes in prison, charged with the murder and unable to defend herself at her preliminary hearing. McLain visits her in her cell and offers to reveal the killer's identity—but only if Betty abandons her city and leaves with him that night, exploiting her desperate situation. When Betty refuses, declaring she would rather face prison than sacrifice her honor, McLain withdraws his offer. The narrative follows Betty's subsequent mental deterioration as she awaits trial three weeks hence, refusing food and descending into acute melancholia. The passage also contains a distinct scene involving a character named Marie and Mr. Boswell at an industrial plant where a chemical laboratory explosion occurs.