Marion Marlowe in St. Louis, or, A Forger's Bold Deed — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

< : MY QUEEN. her old friends in the company, for that mat- Ler 3 “Then your envy has gone astray,” she said, very promptly. “Bert cares about as much for me as he does for his grandmother ! Why, he’s been in love with Miss Marlowe ever since he was a baby!” ‘The words were so frank that the two plot- ters stared for a minute. They had only seen the company at one rehearsal, but they had both paired Bert off with Miss Ellis imme- diately. “But he looked all sorts of things at you yesterday at rehearsal,” said Lou; “yet I guess vou'd admit it quick enough if he was teally in love with you.” “Oh, I don’t know.” Miss Ellis drawled the words laughingly. “IT might be afraid to tell it, you know! Some of you prettier girls would be stealing him from me.” “He’s rich, ain’t he?’ asked Mabel, try- ing to speak indifferently. Miss Ellis glanced at her sharply, and there was a twinkle in her eyes. a “Rich? Bert Jackson! brought up in the poorhouse perfect honesty. “Good heavens! Who would have thought it!” exclaimed Lou, in astonishment. “Why, he has the air of a lord, and I was sure he had money! Why, he flashed a wad as big as my wrist in the train last evening!” “Stage money!” said Miss [llis, with a toss of her head. “He’s a friend of the prop- erty man, and I suppose he carries it as a biuff! Don’t let him fool you, girls! Just ask him to let you see it!” There was a merry smile upon her face, but neither of her companions noticed it. They were too disconcerted by her startling infor- Why, he was she cried, with \?? mation. “Well, Dr. Brookes is rich, certainly,” said fou, after a minute; “I got that straight from Hinton, the calcium man. He told me that the doctor was only acting for fun, and that he would go back to his practice in New York as soon as this tour was ended.” “Oh. yes; the doctor ts rich: there's no denying that,” said Miss Ellis, frankly. “He | to carry stage money around in and,—oh, you ought to see an- don’t have his pocket ; cther of Miss Marlowe's lovers, girls! His nam’ is Archie Ray, and he’s a howling swell! Belongs to the aristocracy, the same as Dr. Brookes, and he’s completely daft over her. I never saw anything like it.” The girls glanced at each other, and Lou winked significantly ; then she smiled sweetly at the imgénue as she closed the door and ~ locked it. | “Tell us all about it. I just dote on love affairs,’ she said, with another wink at her room-mate. “Has she refused him out and out, or is she just playing with hime” Miss Ellis was never so happy as when — she was talking about Marion Marlowe; but — she was still endeavoring to be guarded with © her information. Every one in the company — knew about Archie Ray, so she did not hesi- — tate to talk on that subject. " “Oh, I think she must be considering it,” — she said, cautiously. “Miss Marlowe doesn't fall in love with every man she meets. If she did, she’d be up to her ears in the hottest kind of water. But they are all in love with her, every mother’s son of them! But, who in the world could blame them! She is the loveliest girl in creation!” Mabel tossed her head a little disdainfully. “Oh, she’s pretty, all right, and I guess che’s amiable; but there are others, Ellis, even if I do say it! Wait till I get into my stage clothes, and then take a look at me. I've got a neck that beats Langtry’s, and - “Miss Marlowe don’t travel on her shape!” snapped Miss Ellis, scornfully. “She is beau- tiful and talented, and a genuine artist! It wouldn’t make any difference if she was as ugly as sin, her voice and manner ‘would — charm the audience. And don’t you think for | a minute that Archie Ray don’t worship her! | Why, he’s her humble slave, in spite of his high position in society! He’s the only fel- low in the world that can make the doctor ~ G- jealous!” Another wink followed this bit of informa- tion: then Lou looked out of the window in# — differently as she asked a question. “This Mr. Ray don’t happen to be in this part of the country, does he, Miss Ellis? If — he is, it must be mighty uncomfortable for — the doctor,” “He's in Chicago at present. Marion told — Eomichooks. co n