Marion Marlowe's Courage: A Brave Girl's Struggle for Life and Honor — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

* mk az a + - * 2 ‘ . s oe ” , 5 ~ - ry » / ’ “ : x “ # ? eet ep: a . .. a 7 = ae ; Gal ¥ ; a ad * > * MY QUEEN. before the private door opened, and a flash- ily-dressed man of about fifty years came out, twirling the ends of an enormous mustache. There was not a sound from the girls as he looked them over, although they each posed involuntarily and tried to look attractive. Suddenly his eye fell on Dollie, and he stared in amazement. The girl’s fresh beauty astonished him, it was so entirely unex-_ pected. “Ahem! You will please step this way,” ‘he said to her at once, at the same time indi-, eating by a wave of his hand that she was to enter his private office. “IT was here first,” said one of the girls, - shrilly. “Tve been here an hour,” said another, o ~ wearily. “T will attend to you all in a few moments,” said the man, pompously, as he stepped into the office behind Dollie and closed the door: after them. : | CHAPTER IV. SILAS JOHNSON’S PROPOSAL. 3 Ten minutes later, when Dollie Marlowe emerged from the private door, her face was flushed and her-eyes were blazing. | “The whole thing was a hoax!’ she whis- pered over and over. “That man lured us all there for no purpose but to insult us.” “I guess that is right,” said a voice at Dol- lie’s side. The young girl looked around quickly and recognized the consumptive. “T got tired of waiting,’ went on the cir, “besides, I had a presentiment that the thing was all a hoax, but just for the joke of the thing, do tell me what he said to you.” There was a tone in her voice that awak- ened Dollie’s sympathy. It was plain that the girl was both discouraged and disap- pointed. “He told me he would make an actress of ‘me, put me on the stage, make me famous, and all that, but he expected me to pay him for my tuition. The idiot! As if I had any money to spend that way,” cried Dollie, in- dignantly. | “Is that all he said?” asked the other girl, =e ‘ 7 slyly. “I don’t believe you'd be so mad if that had been his only proposition.” Dollie’s anger was so violent that she was glad to relieve it, and the young girl looked so sympathetic that she didn’t mind telling her. i “Tle told me I. would have to wear tights,”’ she stammered, furiously, ‘and, oh, he said. a lot more, but I cannot repeat it.” The sick girl burst-into a roar of bitter laughter. | “Same old gag,’ she said, shortly.. “Well, I'm glad I didn’t tarry. No danger of his interesting himself in my direction.” “It was disgusting,” said Dollie, who could not understand her laughter. “T’d have given a dollar to have heard you go for him,” said the girl, looking at her ad- miringly. “I didn’t dare to Say very much,” said Dol- lie, more quietly, “I remembered what -you said about his having us arrested.” “You learn quickly,” said the companion, “do you live in New York?” “IT am here with my sister, and we have no money,’ said Dollie, frankly. “We are trying to get work, that is why I came here this morning.” “Haven't you any friends who can help you?” asked the girl, with interest. “Not a soul,” said Dollie, her lips quiver- ing a little. “I don’t know what we will do. We can't live without money.” . They walked on together for a moment in silence, then the sick girl spoke in a cautious manner. “Mr. Max, that man you just left, has money, I suppose, and he looks like a man who would spend it freely.”’ “Well, what of.it?” a&Sked Dollie, turning to stare a little. “1 was wondering whether you were wise: You are without friends or money. Don’t you think his proposition was worth ‘con- sidering ?” “What! pay him for teaching me to act!’’ cried Dollie’ “No, I didn’t mean that,” said the sick eirl, slowly, “but———~”’ coy? You needn’t go on. I understand you,” said Dollie, her lips curling a bitte... Doyau- (0) —_