Marion Marlowe's Noble Work, or, The Tragedy at the Hospital — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

4 “By Jove! What a treat that will be after two years of Miss Dixon!” Flis extraordinary manner astonished the girl a little, but after a moment of embarrass- ment she managed to stammer: “Oh, but I may never be as proficient as Miss Dixon; she takes notes like lightning, while I can only write fifty words a minute.” “Well, I could talk slower,” said the law- yer, slyly, giving her another sharp look over his glasses. Dollie Marlowe smiled, but she was con- siderably puzzled. It was the longest con- versation that she had had with her employer. For she had only been working two weeks, and it was the first position of any kind that she had ever occupied. She was only seventeen, but quite large for her age, and up-to a few months before had always lived in the country. As she bowed politely to the lawyer and hurried away from his desk, she could not help wondering if he had guessed just how green aud simple she was, and whether his words were intended for anything more than kindly encouragement, When she reached the little office where her typewriter stood, Dollie went on with her work as Steadily as ever, but more than once she caught herself thinking of her em- ployer’s words and wondering if he really did want her to sit in his office. Dollie Marlowe’s life in the city had not heen without its experiences, and at times there was a cloud on the fair girl’s brow as though some of those experiences had been woefully bitter. She rarely said anything about her own life, but the name of her twin sister was fre- quently on her lips, and this sister was now a nurse in Charity Hospital. “My Viarion she had told Miss Dixon, sister ic as beautiful as a , ¢ . , saint, She has MY QUEEN. _you, Miss Marlowe,” “and I should judge by his looks that he had 3 magnificent gray eyes and such a queenly © air. half of Marion’s virtues!” “Tf she is prettier than vou are she must be beautiful,’ Miss Dixon had said, honestly. _ She was one of the few plain women who — could see beauty in others and admit it. Oh, I could talk forever and not tell ke She came into the little office while Dollie _ was working, only a few minutes after the talk with Mr. Atherton. “There is a boy out in the hall looking for she said, pleasantly, . some important news. Oh, no, not bad news, I am sure!” she added, as she saw the change in Dollie’s face. “He was grinning and -™ showing every tooth in his head. A mighty _ nice-looking boy, too; perhaps he is your a sweetheart.” _ “My sweetheart is not a boy, Miss Dixon,” said Dollie, proudly. ‘‘Hé is twenty years old and is a bookkeeper at a good salary. This must be Bert lage i one of my old neigh- . bors in the country.” i She rose from her machine and recall outs into the hall. very impatient, but still grinning. Sure enough, there stood Bert, “I just dropped in to tell you the good news,” said Bert, as quick as he saw her. “[’'ve been adopted by a rich man, and Tm | to have my choice of a future profession.” cried Dollie, en- } She could hardly believe that such good fortune had befallen him, “Oh, Bert, how lovely!” thusiastically. “His name is Captain Hobart, and he’s a or used to always wait on him at the store where © millionaire, I am told,” went on Bert. ' worked, and he tells me he took a fancy to © How Matt Jenkins, the keeper of the Poor Farm, — "he said, “That's doing pretty well for an me because of my good manners, would swear if he could hear that, roaring, | orphan boy to be adopted by a millionaire, | isn't it, Dollie?” (EO) ANILICE JOOKS-com