Marion Marlowe's Money, or, Brave Work in the Slums — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

\ MY QUEEN. CHAPTER V. A BREATH OF SUSPICION. An hour later Marion was tapping lightly on her music teacher's door. Their rooms were near together in a quiet little hotel on Twentieth street. “Oh, Miss Marlowe, come in quick !” cried Madame Leopold, as she. opened the door. “What do you think? I have been robbed! Serie one has taken all my jew els!” ’ ‘ She was a large, florid- faced woman, but her ek 5 were like ashes now, and her Pi e “strong, melodious. voice was trembling with ~ emotion. ~~ ~ > them” only last week! Now ‘they. are gone ae completely-—there is not a trace of them! es ii “Tt is dreadful!” cried Marion, her eyes 38 filling from sympathy. “Have you notified 4 the authorities, madame ? 7 ~find them.” | b~ : s “Oh, I am ageid not! _. things | go,” Perhaps pe can bs oS, sf said the lady, - disconsolately. a | “They, are probably all in the,pawn shops be- « - “= fore this—and to think they were the jewels 17? " that belonged to my dear mother} . & wan ~ then they are not those beautiful * — diantonds cried Marion, quickly. ~ * “Tear me, no! I almost wish they were,” > - was the answer. “They were old-fashioned >gems that I always kept in my trunk. I rare- ly ever wore them except when I ‘was sing- ing in costume.” There was nothing to be done, so after a time they walked around to the madame’s studio, which was on Fifth avenue, a few blocks from the hotel, “Vm afraid vou do not feel much in the mood to give me a lesson to-day, madame,” . said Marion, earnestly. ‘‘Please don’t bother about it if you are too nervous.” se - ° e : On the contrary, it will relieve me,” was the woman’s prompt answer; “your voice al- ways soothes me, my dear, it is so sweetly a “Just think,” she went on rapidly, “I wore x know. how. seh 11 sympathetic—ah, I would love to hear you in grand opera !”’ “Will I ever be able to sing like that?” asked Marion, breathlessly. “Oh, do you really think that I shall ever be fit for madame, erand opera?” ‘ The madame laughed happily, for she was really very fond of her pupil. “Why, Miss Marlowe, you could almost do it now,” she said, candidly; ‘all in the world that you need is a better knowledge of the actress’ art and the strength to sing steadily without injuring your muscles.” In an instant the young ‘girl had flushed scarlet with pleasure, and as they walked onward down the avenue she drifted into a pleasant dream of’airy castles. _ Oh, if the day would ever come how happy she would be! To be a singer of grand opera was her highest ambition. “T could support father and mother in “and, oh, doa world of good with my money !” luxury,’ she thought, wouldn’t I This thought led her back to her ‘experi- ence of the morning, and she began wonder- ing how poor Maggie would fancy living on the old farm where there was nothing to be Sud- denly it occurred to her that she was acting seen but cows and pigs and chickens. very rudely toward her teacher, for that lady was talking to her and Marion was not even listening. “One was a bracelet—a perfect beauty,” the lady was saying. “Of course it was old- fashioned, but it was so odd and quaint. I have never seen one like it.” “Do tell me the design,” said Marion, She was trying to make amends for her inattention. quickly. “A Cleopatra asp bracelet, I believe they called it,” was the answer, “but unlike ee snake bracelets it had a three-pronged taii, and each was studded for half an inch with tiny green diamonds.”’ CONnNICLOOOKS.EO©