Marion Marlowe in St. Louis, or, A Forger's Bold Deed — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

MY QUEEN. “Then that yarn of the ingénue was all straight,” she whispered to herself. “I was mistaken in thinking Bert Jackson had money. Well, I’m glad I found it out quick ; but I’m sorry for Mab, for blest if I don’t think she’s really stuck on the fellow!” She glanced across the stage to where her chum was standing, and a moment later her eyes snapped with a flash of anger. Mabel was talking to the manager and smiling up into his face. It was provoking to see it, when she wanted all the attention. “Well, she shan’t have the doctor; no, nor Marion Marlowe shan’t have him, either,” she muttered, between her teeth. ‘‘He’s the hand- somest man by far in the company, and I have sworn a million times over to marry a man with money!” A moment later she was at liberty to Teave the stage; but as she made her exit she looked back over her shoulder. | Marion and the doctor were in the middle of a thrilling scene. Little Ruby was with them, and Mrs. Burnside was on the opposite side of the stage, watching. Both Mr. Tem- ple and Mabel had disappeared, but she did not doubt for a moment that they were to- - gether. There was only a dim light in the scene- room, but as she made her way carefully be- tween the variotis ropes and around the nu- merous piles of scenery she caught sight of Olcott, Bert Jackson and Miss Ellis. I[t was all she wanted—to know where they were at that minute. 4 “Now is my chance,’ she muttered, as she darted down the stairs. “They won’t one of them miss me, for I’ll only be gone a second.” She had reached the door of Mdation’s dressing-room, which was now standing half ajar, and, exactly as she touched it, somre-one swung it violently open. Lou gave a little cry and then stood per- fectly still. “Hush! T’ve got them—the whole batch!” whispered Mabet Maitland, excitedly. “T’ll hide them in mv bosom until we get back to the hotel, and then won't we have fun learn- ing all of the star’s secrets!” Lou was petrified for a minute; but there was nothing to be done. A minute later she tt ras listening’ f > ae ee ~~. her back happened. Siu : ~ ~ 2 about >= Oo 6 aie 7 8 8 $e. | ; “Oh, Alma! What do you think Nas-rap- pened! I have lost or mislaid all of Archie Ray’s letters!” Marion Marlowe said the words with a sort of gasp as she was rummaging through the trunk in her dressing-room just before the evening performance. Alma was touching up her eyebrows with cosmetic as her friend spoke, but she imme- diately dropped the pencil and went over be- side her. “Are you sure they were in the trunk?” she asked, anxiously. Marion wrinkled her white forehead in an effort to remember. : “They must have been, Alma. There is no other place that I could have put them in, un- less had “Unless they are in your trunk at the hotel, and that 1s probably where they are, dearie. You can’t have mislaid them; the pile was too big! Let’s see, how many did you have— about five hundred ?” “Oh, Alma, what a tease you are!” said Marion, laughing. “There were only about a dozen; the rest were all destroyed. It isn’t my practice to keep many letters.” ‘Love letters, you mean,” went on Miss A]- lvn, jokingly. “Well, it isn’t a good plan. ' never keep them, either. The insurance companies object, you know, my dear: and really, it is dangerous to be carrying such ardent epistles about with vou; they are liable to go up any minute in spontaneous com- bustion!” “IT don’t receive that kind, Alma, so vou need not try to tease! Mr. Ray’s letters were lovely, of course, but they were not love let- ters; not what you would call ‘love letters.’ at any rate, Alma.”’ “Well, yvou’ve been mighty careful of them, Marion, that’s all I’ve got to say,” laughed Alma. “Whiy, the minute you get One you hide it away where no eye but your own shall see so much as the inscription.” COMICHOOKS,. Conn