Marion Marlowe's Peril, or, A Mystery Unveiled — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

6 MY QUEEN. : not an attempt to unveil a mystery—to solve a problem which interested all humanity? She had undertaken it fearlessly and with a perfectly light heart; there was not a sus- picion in her mind that any danger to her might accompany it. As she reached the sidewalk and hesitated a moment before venturing on the crossing, some one tapped her on the shoulder in a_ decided manner. “Beg pardon, miss, but you dropped this,” said a curiously strained voice. Marion felt a letter being thrust into her hand; then as she glanced back she saw a slight young man running up the steps of the building, which she had just left. There was a crush on the crossing as her car came ‘along, and forgetting all else, the young girl hastily boarded it. As soon as she was seated she looked at the letter. It was addressed to her and had not been opened. Marion discovered in an instant that it had never before been in her possession. “That is very strange,’ she thought, as she broke the seal. “Some one has written me a letter, and taken pains to have it de- livered in a most extraordinary manner!” As she glanced at the contents she could not repress a start. Her face turned pale in spite of her courage. It was very brief, but the words alarmed her exceedingly. ‘Their import was unmis- takable—ihere was no room for misunder- standing. “Dear Miss warned in time! gerous and will bring you trouble! Avoid Vincent St. Clair as you would the evil one! No woman is who enters his studio!” Marlowe,” it began, “be This assignment is dan- safe The note was unsigned and was written on a typewriter. In an instant Marion looked down into her lap for the envelope but she was doomed to disappointment, for it had disappeared -—a gust of wind from the open car door had apparently blown it into oblivion. _ She folded the letter and placed it in hes pocket, while a look of defiance caused her beautiful eyes to flash like diamonds. “Pooh! ITI not be scared by an anony- mous letter!” she whispered to herself; “but, oh, it does seem as if danger was always about me! I am a victim of fate if ever there was one, but I will not turn back! That would be weak and cowardly!” CHAPTER ‘ETE. MARION HEARS MORE OF THE ARTIST. The residence of Geoffrey Townsend was uptown in one of the city’s handsomest blocks, and as Marion was bound thither to interview Leonie’s parents first of all, she settled back in a corner of the car and tried to compose herself a little. Presently two young women entered the ear and made their way directly toward Marion’s corner. They were both handsome and graceful, but neither was expensively dressed; on the contrary, it seemed to Marion, as she glanced at them idly, that they were just a little tawdry in appearance. As the car ambled along they began chat- ting together, their first remark attracting Marion’s attention. 2 “St. Clair is a crank of the very first “Why, T only posed for him a week, and he nearly killed me! as for breathing, that was out of the ques- water,” said one of them, spitefully. He wouldn’t let me wink, and tion!” “You are a dandy if you can go a week without breathing,” said the other, laughing. “Why, Winterton is bad enough, but he By the way, it was funny about St. Clair’s wife, CORNICE OOO KS.COnn does let me breathe occasionally.