Marion Marlowe in Cleveland, or, The Mystery of the Red Rose

# Marion Marlowe in Cleveland; or, The Mystery of the Blood-Red Rose

This 1901 penny dreadful serial by Grace Shirley follows Marion Marlowe, star of the Temple Theatrical Company, after she receives threatening anonymous letters. An admirer warns he will attend the theatre each night wearing a blood-red rose and threatens to destroy the theatre if Marion doesn't smile upon him on the third night. Mrs. Burnside, another cast member, receives a similar letter warning her to keep her daughter Ruby away. The letter's authorship raises suspicion within the company. Marion and her companions—her friend Alma Allyn, ingenue Miss Ellis, and the attentive Bert Jackson—investigate the threat. A tense exchange erupts between Marion and a new company member, Miss Chester, over conduct and morality for stage actresses, with Marion defending proper behavior as paramount. The narrative sets up a mystery surrounding the mysterious writer's identity and intentions regarding the threatened third night.