The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09

| CHAPTER III.
Mary Monk, of all girls walking down
| Clifford High street with young Wormaid.
the butcher. flirting with him. and letting
him give her flowers. What in the world
| does it mean? And the other Wormald lii
close attendance, and the little linen-drapor
chap, and that extraordinary old washe
woman she pointed out as her chap
| eron.
How on earth did that lovely well-brcd
| girl-she is prettier than ever, by the way,
| the prettiest girl, on my soul, l have ever
! seen-fnd herself among such a crew? And
| what on earth can her mother be thinking
| about? No doubt, since the doctor died ana
| they suddenly left Harley street, they are
! not well off. But they lived in such
| splendid style they must have had an in
| come apart from his profession ! won
| der
| Sir John Seaton's cogitations were cut
| short by the sight OF placard in the town
| hall. The young baronet had been in Lon
| don for several weeks, and had not be-
| fore seen the announcement of the Oldford
A. d. C's. coming performances in aid of
local charities, and Mary's name faced him
for the first time. Elspeth in "Old ClO."
and Lady Plantagenet in THE Little
| Heiress"-Mss Mary Monk, from the
| Duchess Theater London.
$50 Mary has gone on the stage By
scve!''
The news, though it surprised and rather
annoyed him. undoubtedly heightened the
| strong interest Sir John already felt in his
| old sweetheart He was devoted TO the
| atrical entertainments. and although
the A. D. C. at Oldford was composed al
| most entirely of local tradesmen. he could
not air his amateur talents in that town,
| he loved nothing better than to play at
| acting.
| At once, therefore, he hied himself to the
| bookng-place and engaged the best seats
remaining for himself, his mother and
| party of friends staying at Seaton Place.
| And then began for the fair Mary a
| most exciting time. The amateurs fell in
| love with her to a man. She was, Mr..
| Leeming expressed it. $50 much the lady"
| The advent of the professional actress"
| always gives a FLIP TO the dulness of the
| country town, and in this particular in
| stance Miss Heather had provided the club
| with a beauty and a novice of so much
| grace and intelligence. and exquisitely
clear a delivery that she easily passed for
| a genius among the Oldford A d. c.
| Miss Heather was bursting with envy at
the adulation offered to her protege; but
she contented herself with the reflection
| that out of the five pounds given by the
| amateurs for Miss Monks services outside
her fares and expenses only pound
would reach that young ladys pocket.
In other ways, too. the good lady reaped
| the benefit from Mary's charms. Should
ers of lamb sweetbreads and kidneys for
| breakfast were delivered with astonishing
rapidity at the chemists side-door. Miss
| Heather having artfully represented her
companions appetite as Gargantuan in ex-
| tent.
Those slim girls always eat a lot" she
! confided to William Wormald. but Miss
Monk wants the best of everything as
| we'll" And Marys Supplemented admirer
| was charmed at her reported appreciation
| of his stock, though little disillusioned
by the remarkable nature of her appetite.
Elsewhere Miss Heather pursued the
same tactics. The stock of the leading
| grocer who played the heavy father" in
the second piece, was likewise laid under
contribution to satisfy Miss Monks i'm
| aginary needs.
"a sweet girl. that Miss Monk" the
| worthy grocer remarked romantically. as
| he StOOQ at the mary re-
| hearse on the first evening of her visit.
80 she is, Mr.. Purvis. And dear, what
an appetite; New-laid eggs and streaky
| bacon, and a good bottle of stout-thats
what she told me she would like for sup
per. But. you know. L shan't have time
10 go out and buy the things
Say no more. Miss Father, The things
shall be sent round from my place before
you can wink your eyer
All the next day Sir John Seaton en-
deavored, without success, to waylay Mary
in the streets of Clifford His mother had
been delighted to invite her to lunch, and
Jack determined to deliver his mothers
note in person. This. however. proved a
difficult task. Wherever Miss Monk moved
she was surrounded by solid phalanx of
amateurs, all anxious to do her homage I'M
der the keen eyes of her jealous little chap
eron: and when at length in despair he was
forced TO leave the note at Mary's lodg-
ings her answer was far from satisfactory
| Dear Lady Seaton. Mary wrote. 1T IS
most kind of you to invite me to lunch to-
morrow or the next day and much regret
having 10 refuse. But l am only here to
work. and l leave early on the day after
the second performance. under the care of
Mrs. Hubbard. who brought me down You
write so kindly that / must tell you we are
exceedingly poor now, too poor to dress
we'll and go anywhere among our own
class. My mother has married a German
doctor and gone TO Germany, and my sis
tiers and i earn our living, they teaching
and l acting l live in such humble lodg-
ings that could not ask you to come and
see us, as you most kindly suggest.
Thanking You and your son for the in
terest you have shown in us. 1 remain. dear
Lady seaton.
Very sincerely yours.
MARY MONK"
"A nice sweet letter. and / am sure she is
a dear good girl exclaimed kind Lady
Seaton. lis she as pretty as she gave
promise of being?"
She's a regular beauty-but she looks
: half-starved." was her sons answer, art