Marion Marlowe's Disappearance, or, Almost a Crime — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

T: > ' a2 w ¥ ” Pie : a MY QUEEN. brow became crossed with the tiny wrinkles _ which betoken perplexity. Ed. Gordon, not . —. daring to ask, had written her one of the notes. In it he begged the honor, just for once, of taking her to supper. Marion crumpled the note in her hand and then dropped it in her pocket. For a mo- ment she was almost angry at her fellow actor’s presumption.. “As if I could ever forget,” she mur- mured to herself. Then she hastily tore open a note from Thomas Merton. “My sister and I are in the audience and are longing to congratulate you,” he wrote. “Will it be possible for you to join us in a little supper?” Marion hastily seized a paper and pencil ‘ & and scribbled an answer. It was to the effect ‘that she “was sorry, but it would be impossi- ble.” A boy was soon handing the note to Mr. ° Merton, who had mentioned where her answer would reach him. Marion’s next note was from a stranger, whom she had never seen—a “Johnny,” as they call them behind the scenes, but who - really deserved a much stronger epithet. This she destroyed in disgust and tore open another. It was from Howard Everett, ' a musical critic, and one of her best friends, but for reasons of her own she was obliged to disappoint him also. ‘ Then came notes from Mr. Ray and Dr. Brookes—the latter claiming that as her physician, he “really ought to see her safely home and her arm made comfortable.” Marion burst out laughing at the doctor’s ruse, but she had a notion in her head that she should get along very well without him, ~ Al for she had planned exactly how she should get home, and then Dollie was there to take care of her. There were two other notes, but Marion hardly gave them a glance, they were from “Johnnies” also, and soon followed their companion. Miss Ellis came in as she was tearing them up, and the honest girl could not help ex- pressing her opinion. “Tt’s strange how little a girl cares for ad- miration when she has lots of it,’ she said, solemnly. “Why, do you know, Miss Mar- lowe, I never got a ‘mash note’ in my life and I would like to have one, even if it came from an old bald-headed first-nighter.” “Well, there are three you can have,” said Marion, laughing, as she. pointed to the scattered scraps of paper on the floor. “But for my part I think you have been lucky, dear; they are both an insult anda nuisance to any actress.” , : “Oh, I don’t think they mean it that way; 39 they are just fools,” said the girl, blandly. “They admire you a lot and don’t know how to show it. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were real good fellows.” “They may be,” said Marion, dubiously, “but they are a lot of boors. Imagine a man trying to force his attentions upon a woman. It is only because we are actresses that they dare try it.” “I guess that is so,” said Miss thoughtfully. Ellis, “There are lots of society women whom they might insult, but, some way, they always take it out on the ‘profes- sional woman.’ ” 4 y . Society women are protected in a way,” said Marion, scornfully. “They can wear - COMIC oo SS 4 COM!