MAYBERRY was quite right in thinking that Marion fully intended to marry Owen. Not that she was in love with him, although apart from his boringly serious outlook on life, she liked him well enough. But despite her somewhat exotic appearance, Marion was essentially practical. She had every reason to be, since before Owen had set her feet on the path of fame she had known what it meant to count every penny. She was one of a large family and her parents had not been able to afford to give her a specialised education of any sort—not, as Marion admitted in her franker moments, that she had sufficient brains to have taken advantage of it if they had. As a result she had never been able to command more than a very mediocre salary doing jobs which held no future at all. To the possibility of earning a living by singing she had never given a thought. It was simply a useful little amateur talent which had enabled her to enjoy a limited loyal popularity.
