Marion Marlowe in Society, or, A Race for a Title — page 16: what you’re looking at

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if you will do this, Marion, and, besides, it will give the two of you more fun than a little this winter. Do promise me that you will appear not to know him.” “T’ll promise, if Bert will,” was the young % girl’s answer; “I’m sure you are only doing it for mischief, Mrs. Stetson, and, as you say, Bert and I will have fun playing strangers.” -* “Sit down and write to him now,” said 1 = - Mrs. Stetson, quickly ; “and I will have the " “< Jetter mailed at the same time as the invita- - tion.” Marion wrote her letter and then went Curry looking over the papers. = “So the Duke has arrived,’ he remarked, _ as she entered. “Landed this morning and went straight to the Waldorf.” F - “T wonder if Mrs. Stetson knows it,” ex- 5 ™ claimed Marion, quickly. “ial “She must,” was the answer, as Lord a Curry handed her the paper. “This says ie that his first appearance on this side will be e Stetson, at a party given in honor of Miss ~ Marion Marlowe.” | ; Marion glanced at the newspaper, while a flush overspread her cheeks. 4 - “Mrs. Stetson is so sly—why, she has never even whispered to me that the Duke was coming,” she said, laughing. “Have you met him, Lord Curry? Do tell me about him !” . A ghost of a smile flitted over the young Englishman’s lips. “T believe that his title is genuine,” he said, a trifle sarcastically; “and there is a castle somewhere that is his by right. Isn’t that as much as you wish to know, Miss Mar- lowe?” ok Marion looked at him quickly and caught the gleam of mischief in his eyes. “Ves, indeed,” she replied, promptly; “that will do very nicely. American girls are known to be title-hunters; of course, I can- ‘not expect. to be considered an exception.” “But you are an exception, aren't you, Miss Marlowe?” asked the young Lord, 2 eagerly. _He had come close to her side and was gazing down at her with a look in his eyes that almost startled her. MY QUEEN. down to the library, where she found Lord at the residence of Mrs. Parker Stetson-- 13 Marion shrugged her shoulders involun- tarily before she answered. It seemed such a stupid question to her. “I have a proper respect for nobility, if it is genuine,” she said, in her musical voice; “but nobility of the kind I mean is inde- pendent of titles,—of course, if the two go together so much the better.” “But you would not marry a man for his title alone?” asked Lord Curry, in a concen- trated tone. Marion glanced at him quickly and then burst out laughing. “Oh, a title is terribly tempting!” she said, mischievously. “Just fancy how it would seem to a poor girl to become a Duchess!” Lord Curry bit his lips and a heavy frown crossed his brow. He was a too thoroughly dull-witted Englishman to understand her banter. . “All alike,’ was the thought that flashed through his mind; then with a hurried bow he left the room, and a moment later Mrs. Stetson entered. | “Oh, Mrs. Stetson! The Duke is here!” cried Marion, completely forgetting Lord Curry for the moment. | “T know it, dear,” answered her hostess, calmly; “and the fun began the minute he landed. There were six invitations awaiting him to be the guest of six various families of the élite, and yet his Grace steered straight for the Waldorf.” “How do you account for that?” asked Marion, curiously. Mrs. Stetson smiled serenely as she made a rapid explanation. ‘To have accepted one invitation would have been to refuse the other five. The Duke is politic.—he cannot afford to show a pref- erence,—at least not until he knows which of our heiresses is to be the future Duchess.” “And that depends on the ‘dot,’ as you call it, | suppose?’ inquired Marion, coldly. “The Duke needs money and a great deal of it,’ was Mrs. Stetson’s answer: “but I con't intend that you shall be left out in the cold, Marion, and for that reason, when the society reporter of the Star called yesterday, I had her insert this paragraph.” As she finished she picked up a paper that was lying on the table, and, turning to the ECORNICLOO <Sric@