Marion Marlowe Entrapped, or, The Victim of Professional Jealousy — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

16 "The stage manager had already sent for a physician, but before he arrived~Marion had stopped the flow of blood. “Well ‘done, my brave girl,” said the doc- tor, smiling at her. “You have saved this girl’s life. It is a~pity there are not more women like you.” “Oh, but I have had experience as a nurse,” said- Marion, quickly. “I. was in Char- ity Hospital for awhile this winter.” | ~ That accounts for it, then,” said the doc- tor, as he applied a ligature. Marion helped him deftly, all the time lis- tening for her cue. Fortunately there was a good deal for the other performers to do be- fore she was needed. For in less than five minutes the curtain had gone up again, showing the sword drill exactly where the momentary tragedy had left it. | “One of the chorus girls has pricked her; self with her sword,” the audience was told. Noone, except a few of her companions, dreamed that the injury was serious. | Miss Lindsay’s arm was all bandaged and she had When. Marion’s turn came at last, just opened her eyes with a return of con- sciousness. As Marion rose from her place beside her on the dusty floor of the scene-room she caught a glance from Jack Green’s eyes as he stood a little way from them. The fair girl shuddered as she saw his look ; red, it was so full of an ugly, brooding hat- “Fe hates her and she loves him,” was her whispered comment. The next moment she was out on the stage, and everything else was forgotten. “Ila de the signal for great applause, the seemed as though they were determined to Parloa’s”’ appearance was always but to-night audience fairly outdid themselves. _ It give her an unusual welcome. Once, as she MY QUEEN. sang, Marion glanced suddenly into the wings. Carlotta stood there watching her, with a face that was almost ashen. _ When the song was ended there was tre- mendous applause. Marion had’ never sung better, and her atidience appreciated the effort. . She was encored until she was oblized to go back, and this time, just as she stepped on the stage, she caught sight of Mr. Gra- ham in the rear of a box, talking to a gentle- man. A curtain call followed, which Marion took graceiully and modestly. It was the crown- ing whisp of fuel to Carlotta’s already flam-. ing fire of jealousy. “I tell you, she shall not sing in this com- pany another week,” she said, with choking voice, as Clayton Graham passed her. _ Graham had gone behind the scenes to con- gratulate Marion, as well as to present his friend, ‘Howard Everett, who had for a week past been begging for an introduction. | ' “How are you going to prevent it?” asked Graham, carelessly, as both he and Everett, who was a newspaper critic, paused for a moment, “ll find a way!” was Carlotta’s answer as, with a disdainful glance at Everett, she flounced out upon the stage. | “She hates you almost as badly as she does “She'd knock our heads together this minute if she dared.” me,” said Graham, chuckling. “It isn’t always a critic’s lot to be loved,” “but, then, I am not ambitious to be loved by a said Everett, shrugging his shoulders, creature like Carlotta.” “You prefer a dainty maid like Ila, I sup- pose,” said Graham, laughirig. cee Signorita de Parloa’ is glorious!” was the critic’s answer, and, strangely enough, his words were honest—he felt them as he spoke them. Marion was greatly pleased to make the EOLMICLIOOKS (eon g) I —a eS -_ — oe