Marion Marlowe in St. Louis, or, A Forger's Bold Deed — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

24 stairs, never stopping until she reached the door of the new soubrette’s dressing-room. “Come!” said Miss Allyn, quickly. “Let’s go with her and see it out. I could annihilate the little vixen for daring to make trouble for Marion!” “Hold ona minute! She isn’t in the thea- tre!” exclaimed Bert, suddenly, and at that moment the stage door opened and Miss Leland entered. Marion had found the dressing-room va- cant and returned to the scene-room just in time to come face to face with the girl who had injured her. For just a moment both stood perfectly still, looking straight at each other; then the soubrette’s lids fell, and her face was suf- fused with blushes of shame and contusion. Something in the great gray eyes, looking so scornfully into her own, made her suddenly shrink into insignificance. The rest of Marion’s friends were staring at her, but she did not think of that then. The rebuke upon the beautiful face of the star seemed burning through and through her. She attempted to speak, but the words died upon her lips. It was a moment of torture— one that she would never be abie to drive from her memory. “Miss Leland,” said Marion, finally, in her ringing voice, “have I ever harmed you in any way? Have I been other than kind to you since you came into this company?” The soubrette did not answer—her lips seemed to have grown dumb, but the sweet tones of Marion’s voice thrilled her in every fibre. “Then why have you tried to injure me—to hurt me with my friends? Answer me, Miss Leland, why did you write that letter?” The soubrette raised her eyes in a brazen attempt to deny the accusation, but her glance fell upon Bert’s face and again her lids fell guiltily. “Tt does not seem possible to me that you could do such a thing—you or any other woman,” went on Marion, softly, “and you might have known that you would be found cut, Miss Leland; but, perhaps you did not realize that both Mr. Ray and Dr. Brookes were men of honor.” The Jast words were said scathingly, and Miss Leland winced. As her eyes flaslied a glance around, they suddenly lighted on the face of a stranger. Archie Ray stepped forward where she could see his face distinetly. “You are a disgrace to your sex, Miss Le land. if you wrote that letter!” he said, dis- tinctly. “It is a sad pity, indeed, that you should ever have joined this company.” MY QUEEN. . Miss Leland found her voice at last a lifted her head defiantly. : “Who says I had anything to do with tt letter?” she asked, inetrembling tones. “Ji —. because I was trying to protect my room-m by carrying those letters, you all think I ; guilty of stealing them, don’t you!” “And so you are, Lou Leland!” called ou shrill voice, sharply. Miss Maitland had come into the sce room and now stepped forward, coolly. “So you did take the letters and, wh more, you forged the hand-writing, too! got a witness right here who will corrobo my statements!” 1 Miss Leland’s attempt to cast suspi upon her companion had sent Miss Maitl; into a fury of anger, which was more inte since Miss Leland had accused her, think she was out of hearing. Lou turned around with a cry of horro The man who had written the forged ter was standing right behind her, look her in the face “geen exultant expression his coarse features. | | “Oh, she’s a daisy, Lou is!” wert on Maitland, showing her vicious nature. “ swore to queer you with your friend, D Brookes, but she’s queered herself, and elad of it! You just ought to have seen’ when she read your letters, Miss Marlov Why, you are in luck that she didn’t bla mail you when she had them in her po sion!” : She was half-way up the stairs before s finished, and Lou and the newcomer were elaring at each other. Before anyone had spoken a word, Mabel — Maitland was back with her valise, and the next minute she had left the company foreve As the door closed after the woman her companion, Lou Leland at last found voice and burst out, vehemently : } “Tt's a lie! I did not steal the letters! | did it herself! And he copied the hai writing! [swear that he did it!” 7 Marion turned from her, coldly, and w straight to her dressing-room, She \ shocked beyond expression at this display treachery. 3 Miss Ellis did the dual réle, her own ¢ Miss Maitland’s, and as Lou did not have appear until the second act, there was an portunity for Marion to calm herself bet she saw her. © , CHAPTER XIV. ei REPENTANCE, a The moment the final curtain fell rushed to her dressers * Tt had- eck | -~