A Lover's Quarrel, or Marion Marlowe's Deceitful Friend — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

& MY QUEEN. lowe? Do put it on! You must look exquis- ite in it!” She went forward as she spoke and picked up the velvet waist, her eyes taking in every detail of its style with wonderful quickness. Miss Ellis was still having hard work to control her tongue, so Marion rose promptly and exhibited the costume. “Tt is to wear at the masquerade ball at Mrs. Parker-Stetson’s,” she said, very pleas- antly. “I don’t know that I just like it; still, it is very pretty.” Miss Fredericks was holding up the waist, - but she dropped it in sheer surprise. “Why, Miss Marlowe! Is it possible that Why, she is a society leader, the very Queen of the Exclu- you go to Mrs. Stetson’s? sives!”’ she cried, excitedly. “And I am a protegée of hers,’ said Mar- ion, simply. “She introduced me as_ her friend into the exclusive circle.” “What luck!” cried the young girl, with an envious glance. “Do you know, it has been the dream of my life to get into society! Do tell me, Miss Marlowe, how did you man- age it?” pA | Miss Ellis could not restrain herself a min- ute longer and, as Marion hesitated, she blurted out, angrily: “Marion does not have to ‘manage’ stch things, Miss Fredericks. She was born a lady, and Mrs. Stetson is her friend. Besides that, Marion is an heiress and she is engaged ta be married to a gentleman who belongs to that ‘Exclusive Circle,’ and he is to be her escort at the masquerade ball, so you see, she has three claims upon society. She does not need to ‘manage!’ ” Marion tried to stop her, but Miss Ellis would not be balked. Thegfloodgates of her speech were always opened when any one spoke slightingly of Marion. “Perhaps you did not know that Marion refused to marry a real, live duke last sea- son,” she went on, recklessly. “Well she did, and the society girls were just green with envy! Oh, we actresses are not such a de- spised lot, after all! There are people in the world who respect as well as admire us! We are not nonenities, by any means, are we, Marion ?” Marion was folding the velvet . costume and putting it back in its box and Miss Fredericks spoke again before she could an- swer. , “Is your lover one of the ‘exclusives,’ too, Miss Ellis?” she asked, sweetly, “or is he just a common-place plebeian, like your. hum- ble servant?” Miss Ellis flushed proudly and raised her head a little higher. “Alberto Jackson Canfield is the son of a railroad president, who is also vice-president of a bank and a millionaire,” she said, loftily. “He is invited to all the social functions, and 1 guess he is just about as nice as any one he meets in the drawing-rooms on Fifth avenue. Il have never been with him on these occa- sions, for, of course, we have only been en- | gaged a little while, and people don’t know yet that they are in duty bound to invite his sweetheart. Of course, I am only a soubrette. I don’t ‘cut any ice’ at all, but I know my lover well enough to know that he would never accept an invitation that did not in- clude me. In fact, Bert would never do anything dishonorable unless he was in- by some unprincipled veigled into it woman!” To save herself Miss Ellis could not keep hack that thrust, but she was amazed to see that Miss Fredericks did not even Change color, her face, which was as innocent as a baby’s, looked, if anything, more smiling than ever, | . “What a model young man he must be, and how I envy you,” she said, merrily, “Poor me! I never had so much as an ordinary Eomicbook _— s7¢om j