Marion Marlowe in Society, or, A Race for a Title — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

=4 r et. him, and in a moment, he, too, was ming- jing in the crowd about Marion. ~ “A cad and a sneak,” whispered Bert, as he moved away. “Oh, I'll watch you, young q man, and see what you mean to do! So -" a Marion Marlowe is an adventuress, is she?” “Oh, Mr. Jackson, how do you do?” cried ‘Kitty Glenham, the next minute. She dis- engaged her hand from an elderly lady’s arm ~ and stepped before him, with a sweet smile on her features. | ~ “Oh, I don’ t do very Well,” was Bert’s dole- > ful reply. “T’m such a kid, Miss Glenham, _ that none of the ladies will-talk to me. Won’t . you please take Bey on me and talk a ~ minute?” — Miss Glenham nodded to her companion, who moved a-short distance further on, and in another minute Bert was leading the ~ young lady to the refreshment room. 5 “I’ve been dying to talk to you alone ever since I first met you, Miss Glenham,” began aad are such crazy things one hardly gets ee: ced before one has to say good-evening.” “And that is about all one cares to say,” broke in Miss Glenham, quickly; “especially actresses and forced to be wall flowers at a ‘ tr tacy.” ~~, ~~ - . 2 -. - * > ‘ ~® - © CHAPT ER xX. a BERT DOFS A LITTLE THINKING. For the second time that evening, Bert felt | 8 e knocking some one down, but, for the * second time, he controlled himself wipee d “You refer to Miss Marlowe, I presume,” ; btle. said, very calmly ; “and is it true, do you think, that she is really after his joblots?” : Mice Glenham turned upon him with a _ look of surprise. _ “Beg pardon! I mean his Grace,” cor- _ tected Bert, quickly. “You see, I took in Whitechapel when I was over there, and, well, I ‘fawncy’ my visit rather corrupted my -English—but do you think that Miss Mar- lowe is really hoping to wear the coronet ?” | | Miss Glenham shrugged her shoulders as she accepted a confection from a waiter. = “I’m sure I don’t know or care,” she said, he MY QUEEN. ! ‘Ber, promptly; “but these social functions where one is introduced to commonplace . _ function which is supposed to be for the aris- 19 sweetly; “but I must confess I am disgusted with Lord Curry! The Duke can look out for himself, but Lord Curry is so suscepti- ble,” “Humph! I should fancy wealth!” thought Bert, but out loud he only said: | “T should never have guessed it, but, then, you ladies are so clever—you read ws just as you would a novel.” | “Yes, a woman can trust her intuitions,” said Miss Glenham, quickly, and just then a group of ladies and gentlemen came in and Bert was forced to keep silent on the subject. But, as he watched and listened, he did a good deal of thinking, and once he smiled sarcastically as he thought how little they knew Marion. He knew, if they did not, that this was all distasteful to the candid country girl; still, he did not doubt that she was being some- what amused by it. The little country girl was decidedly out of her element, and Bert was honestly per- plexed over what was to be the outcome. The Duke came in after a while with Marion on his arm, and Bert was delighted to see how radiantly beautiful she was look- ing. | “She'll win handssdown! There isn’t one of them that can touch her!” he muttered, to himself. “She’ll corral that coronet and all that goes with it, unless some one tells tales about her, and scares his joblots off; and the fellow that does that will have me to settle with !” | As he was thinking he chanced to notice Roy Glenham. He was some distance away, leaning over the bare shoulder of Miss Rush- lyn. The conversation between the two ap- peared to be very earnest, and Bert would have given a good deal to‘ have heard what they were saying. “It’s Rushlyn’s doings, I'll bet,” was his mental comment. “She wants the Duke and Glenham wants her. She’s trying to make a cat’s-paw of him and he’s going to fool her. Well, I guess it will be advisable for little Bertie to keep his eyes open. There are others who think that Marion is an adven- ECOMMICMOOOKS.€O©