Marion Marlowe in Cleveland, or, The Mystery of the Red Rose — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

22 at the door. “What a memory you have! And a good memory is so essential to a suc- cessful actress!” Marion looked up quickly. The young girl’s manner puzzled her. In a second she saw that Miss Ellis had been crying. “What is it, dear? You must tell me,” she said, softly, with her arm around the in- ginue’s waist. Miss Ellis put her handkerchief to her face and burst out crying. “Oh, I can’t! I can’t! I'd be ashamed to tell you!’ she said, brokenly. “You’d de- spise me, Miss Marlowe, for being so weak and childish!” : “You know me better than that, girlie!” said Marion, soberly. “Do, please, tell me your trouble, and, perhaps, I can comfort you!” To the young girl’s intense astonishment, Miss Ellis burst out laughing. It was a hys- terical laugh, in which tears were freely in- termingled. “It’s too funny for anything, to think of your comforting me, Miss Marlowe! Why, I ought to hate you! We ought to hate each other! You see, Bert is dead in love with you, and—and—TI love him, Miss Marlowe!” Marion caught her breath with an aston- ished gasp, but at the same time the arm that was about her friend was drawn a little closer. a “It is funny, dear,” she said, with a weak smile; “and I’m awfully, awfully sorry that I stand in the way of your happiness! But Bert is only a boy. Have patience, Miss EI- lisi When he sees what a dear girl you are, I am sure he will love you!” ‘Nonsense! He’d be a ninny to love me as long as you are around!” cried Miss El- lis, stoutly; then she turned to Marion and kissed her ardently. “You are the ncblest girl in the whole world, Marion Marlowe!” she cried, ear- nestly. “Why, I verily believe wou would give up the man you loved rather than give any other woman the pain of seeing you marry him!” “No. TI wouldn't!” said Marion, stontly. No fear of my doing that! When I love a man trulv. and he loves me, there is no MY QUEEN. 3 woman or body of women who will keep me from marrying!” They were interrupted by some one ex- claiming: “Great Caesar’s ghost! Do my ears deceive me? Or, were those really the words of Marion Marlowe?” Miss Allyn stood in the doorway, all cos- tumed for the stage. As she stared at Marion, she held up both hands in wonder. “Last call! Quick, girls!’ cried Mrs. Burnside, from her dressing-room. The next second there was a rush to the wings by all hands, and the dreary dressing- rooms were temporarily deserted. CHAPTER XT. THE EXPLOSION. ' As soon as Marion reached the stage she scanned the audience carefully. In the sea’ of faces she almost expected to discover a pair of hollow eyes glaring at her threaten- ingly from over a red rose, and it was quite a relief to find that there was none. Archie Ray and his sister smiled at her from a box, and, in a very few minutes, she had conquered her nervousness. As she walked up the centre of the stage during the last half of the fourth act, Bert Jackson had occasion to pass her and offer her a parcel. : (/ Marion could not quite restrain her sense of humor, and, as she was back to the audi- ence, she whispered, softly: “Do you guarantee the contents of this parcel, Bert? Can you swear it isn’t a bomb or an infernal machine of some sort?” | Bert kept his face straight, and went on with his speech, while Marion handed the parcel to little Ruby, who was beside her. “A few sweetmeats, darling,” she was obliged to remark, and then once more she came down to the footlights to continue the dialogue. Little Ruby sat down on the floor, with the parcel in her lap. She was not to open it until a few minutes later. As Bert left the stage, Marion went on with a short, monologue ; then a ray of cal- cium light shot across the stage, giving just a hint of what was coming. The last scene was one in which a wronged but loving wife waited patiently for her hus- Gomichbooks:com