Marion Marlowe in Society, or, A Race for a Title — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

14 society notes, pointed out a paragraph to Marion. As the young girl glanced it over her eyes dilated with wonder, but, as she reached the end, she burst out laughing. ‘ “Mrs. Parker Stetson-Stetson’s Latest,” was the heading. “The well-known society leader, Mrs. Parker Stetson-Stetson, is about to introduce a new protégée into the inner- most circles. ‘The young lady is a Miss Ma- rion Marlowe, an actress, and a great beauty. Mrs. Stetson declares that she will settle a cool million on her young charge if, at the end of the season, she has married with her approval. This brings one more beautiful heiress into the social field and promises a season of more than the usual amount of so- cial rivalry.” “How I would have liked to have seen Miss Allyn’s face when she was writing that,” she burst out, impulsively. “Miss Al- lyn is the society reporter for the Star and my dearest friend. Oh, Mrs. Stetson, you have no idea how strange all this seems to me !” CHAPTER VII. THE PRESENTATION PARTY. Mrs. Stetson had spoken of her party as “a small affair,” but, as Marion saw the guests arriving she became more and more astonished. ‘They came so thick and fast that she had hardly time to breathe, and by eleven o’clock she had béen presented to fully two hundred. Ft was a trying otdeal for her to be intro- duced to’ so many strangers, but the young girl soon learned that the same smile and the same words of greeting would do for them all, so, by the was all over, she was feeling very natural and easy, time it “So charmed to meet you again,” Mrs. Van Twiller had said, as she came smilingly up to Marion; then the young girl received her first shock of the evening, for, by the side of his mother was Augustus Van Twiller, She bit her lips as she ‘ntroduetion, but, for a moment, it that he acting a part, acknowledged the seemed for to her must be _arm of her brother. MY QUEEN. such a fop she had never seen in the whole course of her existence. “Aw, chawmed to meet you, don’t you know,” simpered the loudly-dressed dude, foolishly; “such a tweat! the very first dawnce, Miss Marlowe.” “How kind of you,’ murmured Marion, feeling as though she must laugh or die; then Miss Rushlyn' was presented and she was enabled to control her feelings. ~ As Marion heard this name she looked up a little curiously. Miss Rushlyn was, per- haps, the richest girl in the charmed circle and the one whom the Duke was s supposed to be after. As the two girls bowed and smiled they stared frankly at each other, but, as yet, there was not a Suspicion of jealousy i in their glances. “Miss Marlowe, I am delighted,” Miss Rushlyn said, promptly ; “we shall be friends, I am sure, and see each other often.” - je - I shall give you Marion thanked her warmly; she rather - liked Miss Rushlyn. She seemed as cold as marble, but absolutely honest. Kitty Glenham came next, leaning on the 7 As Marion was intro- duced they both looked her over critically. “A beauty,” murmured Roy Glenham, as they passed on among the guests; “and. she has the inside track on Lord Curry already. Oh, well, who cares for a Lord, when there’s ‘a Duke within reach, sister?” “Miss Rushlyn will bag the Duke,’ without doubt,” said Kitty Glenham, quickly. “He’s sure of her, they say—still he hasn’t seen Miss Marlowe.” Marion was getting accustomed to her sur- roundings sufficiently to quite enjoy them now, but the costumes of fhe ladies” had brought a crimson blush to her face. Every one who had been presented had given a sharp elance to her modestly exposed neck, and. in one or two instances, the expressions of surprise were amusing. Young girls passed before her with shoul- ders and necks exposed in what Marion thought was a shocking manner, But Ma- rion was trying to put her own feelings aside: she was in the hallowed precincts of society and, while she marveled, she was silent, ss Eomicbooks (elo) m _—