Marion Marlowe's Triumph, or, In Spite of Her Enemies — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

ey are » awfully queer, Dut Mrs. Denison ays t acy are not ‘vicious.’ In some way i nt to ‘study them for myself before I de- le to be one of them.” “You would neyer be one of them, Marion, a thousand years,” said Miss Allyn, laugh- o Se but that there are lots of dear, good omen among them, but there is something vat ‘ou that is fafrercnt, dear, and I think > quite tight to wish to study them.” Bat Marion was not destined to spend the ening behind the scenes, tor another hasty ee rom Mr. Temple made her presence “in ” imperative. Bay iss Lemadrid has a cold,’ » fe wrote, in rried scrawl, “and if it should develop aly ewe would be caught in a hole. 2 i er you to come to rehearsal to-morrow.’ i copy of her role was carefully inclosed, h proved conclusively that the manager s in earnest. Marion read the note, and t hen went down to see Miss Villette. The stress was out, so she left a note under her 00: wine Bas. rn e evening. be with her to-morrow evening, all ight,” ’ she whispered to herself. Then she be: can to wonder how her fellow actors would ~M arion’ s married sister, Dollie, was living iB the city, and, after cine the note for Miss Villette, the young girl started out to visit her. aa block from the house she came suddenly ace to face with Mr. Ray, the old friend whom the newspapers stated was only just eaving Florida. ‘There was an exclamation of delight as the two sprang forwatd. For a moment neither Sp oke, but only clasped hands, silently. _ “My dear Miss Marlowe, how are you?” # sked the young man, finally, at the same _ time scrutinizing her face in the most eager manner. , a am as well as ever, thank you,’ mur- m ured the young girl, sweetly. “And you, Ray ;*you are looking splendid! Bee _ And feeling better,” said the young man, cig laughing. “But I have a disappointment for ‘a you,” he added, quickly; “my sister did not Se 3 come up with me. I came—well, principally on business.” | | J od MY QUEEN. sking to be excused from her promise . chances,” Said Mr. Ray, quickly. 19 The little hesitation in his speech made Marion glance up at him, and instantly both her face and neck were suffused with blushes. No woman could have misunderstood the look in Archie Ray’s eyes. It was one of pa; tient, ardent devotion, for he had loved her long and devotedly. : For a moment there was a silence, and then Marion spoke. “You were coming to call on;me, were you not?” she asked, shyly. “Do come right to the house, where we can have a long talk! It is only a boarding house, but there's a monstrous big parlor.”’ é “A little one would do, Marion,” said Archie, Ray, softly; “but tell me, are there any fussy old ladies in that ‘monstrous’ par- lor? I have always been told that there was no boarding house without them.” Marion laughed gaily at his words, for they were pretty nearly true. There were three old ladies, at least, in the house, and they were all dreadful gossips. ‘“T guess they are inevitable,’ she said in reply; “but we might be lucky enough to es- cape them.” “Kxcuse me. We'll fbb _ take any “We'll just walk over to the Fifth Avenue, and you can rest while I call a carriage. ‘Then a drive ° through the park will give us a chance to chat a little.” This programmeé sounded delightful, for Marion loved driving, but that look in her friend’s eves made her a trifle uneasy. Archie Ray had fold her that he loved her in days gone by. If he told her so again, how should she answer him? During her life in the city she had met many men who interested her—many that were all that was good and noble. Of these, she had been the most inclined toward Archibald Ray and Dr. Reginald Brookes. Both had asked her for her hand. Both had been told to wait. Ma- rion felt that she must thoroughly love the man to whom she would finally entrust her destiny. She admired both her lovers, but as yet her heart had not felt for any man that responsive thrill that would tell her def- nitely that she had met “the one man in all the world.” As friends she accepted Mr. Ray and Dr. Brookes. GOmilGeao OMS Perhaps eho \ ‘guid. oA