Marion Marlowe's True Heart, or, How a Daughter Forgave — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

6 MY QUEEN. ham sunbonnet.” She looked down at her neat cloth dress and her soft fur collar and muff, and a smile of content crossed her beautiful features. _“It has been a hard struggle, but I am sure it is nearly over now!” she sighed. “Oh, I shall win fame and fortune yet, I feel sure that I shall! All it needs is the three Ps— ‘patience, pluck and perseverance.’ ” She was just passing the gate of an old red farmhouse now, and her eyes wandered a lit- tle curiously over the familiar premises. “Silas Johnson’s farm,” she said, aloud. “Oh, I wonder if he is kind to the poor, un- fortunate girl that he married !”’ Almost as if in answer, a young girl came _ Tunning down the path. Marion recognized her at once. It was Sallie Green, her old playmate. “Oh, Marion! Marion! How do you do!” cried Sallie. “I knew you in a minute in spite of your lookin’ so stylish!” Marion put her arms around the girl and kissed her tenderly. | Sallie was pale and thin, and even homelier than ever. “Oh, Marion! This life is awful!” she said, as soon as she could speak. “It is. killing me to live with Sile! You have no idea how cross he is, now that he’s got me where he can boss me!” * “But don’t let him ‘boss’ you!” said the young girl, quickly. “Have some will of your own, Sallie, and make him respect it!” “Oh, [ can’t! I can’t!’ sobbed Sallie, dole- fully. mighty spiteful! “He'd kill me, I believe, he’s so al- tle wasn’t so bad at first, but it’s awful now. Why, sometimes, Mar- ion, I believe he just hates me!” “Tt’s dreadful!” said Marion; “‘but I don’t see how you can help it. You were weak and foolish enough to marry him, and now you'll have to suffer forever unless you can summon up the courage to rise above it. “Dll run away, that’s what T’ll do,” said Sallie, sullenly. “I'll run away like Dollie did and go to the city.” “Hush!” said Marion, sharply. “You must | not say that, Sallie! Dollie did not run away of her own free will. She was hypnotized and abducted by the fellow Lawson! Oh, you have no idea what a terrible experience she had; but I rescued her, and now she ‘has a position. She is to be typewriter ina lawyer’s office.” - | Poor Sallie Johnson. looked at her in per- fect bewilderment. “Couldn’t I do that ?” she asked, rather stu- pidly. | . “It requires a great deal of practice,” said Marion, kindly. “I am afraid you would not have time to learn, even if you had a machine; but I must hurry, Sallie, it is time I was at the station.” _ Sallie’s eyes were full of tears as Marion kissed her.: | | “PI run away some day, you can be sure of it, Marion,” she repeated. “I jest hate Silas Johnson, and I won’t stand him much longer! I’ll either kill myself or run away © x to-the city.”, “Don’t! Don’t!” was all that‘Marion had time to say. “Try to bear it, Sallie, Perhaps » things will get better.” There was a distant shriek of an engine whistle, and Marion fled down the street. It was the last train to the city, and she had‘té catch it or remain in Hickorytown until an- other day. Just as she reached the little station a burly form confronted her, and the coarse voice of Matt Jenkins, the keeper of the Hickorytown Poor Farm, growled a word of greeting. “Been up to visit the old folks, T s’pose,” he said, sneeringly. “Waal, it’s well you came now, fer they won't be long at the home- stead. Thev ‘ll be a boardin’ with me at the . . SJ Poor Farm in a week or so. Gomicbool CS €O n | — * a?