Marion Marlowe in Buffalo, or, Betrayed by a Rival Company — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

all 10 MY QUEEN. “For goodness sake! What does he mean ?” | The question was asked by Miss Ellis, the ingenue, who was sitting at the next table. “Tt’s one of Bert’s jokes, I guess,” chimed in Mrs. Burnside. Marion flushed a little, for she knew what was coming, and the huge dining-room was full of guests, who were all listening intently. “Why, according to the bill boards, she has to play the leading réle in two theatres this evening,” explained Bert, promptly. “She is billed for the Palace as well as the Alham- bra !” The other members of the company had only just heard of the condition of affairs, so _ Mrs. Burnside did not hesitate to express her opinion. “Rippel and Rose have got nerve to play a trick like that!” she cried, indignantly. “The idea of their daring to steal Marion’s name! I do hope that Mr. Temple will make them pay for their colossal impudence. “The one and only Marion Marlowe will be at the Alhambra?” said Bert, distinctly. “Oh, there’ll be music at the box office of the Palace to-night, when the people find how they have been lied to!” _—---or-- — a” CHAPTER V. THE FALLS. ‘ “Tsn’t it perfectly magnificent, Alma?” Marion was standing as near the slippery edge of Table Rock as she dared, and was gazing down at the roaring cataract, which seemed fuming with fury at the walls of ice on either side which were narrowing its grandeur. The young ladies had gone to Ni- agara by train, and found their new friends at the International, and the four had walked down to the Falls together. “Tt is grand, but the ice spoils it just a lit- ‘le’ was Alma’s answer, but Marion was so absorbed in the scene that she hardly heeded her. “We come down and stay at the hotel a great deal,” remarked Mrs. Gray, a sweet- Paced lady of fifty. “We enjoy the Falls, especially the Rapids, and, | fancy, | sleep better when I am here. | do so love the sound of the water.” * a “Perhaps Mr. Temple can arrange for us to sleep at Niagara! It’s a pity we have only three nights, isn’t it, Marion?” said Alma. The young girl turned her beautiful eyes from the loveliness of the scene before her. “Oh, I wish we could stay here forever!” she exclaimed, in a tense, subdued voice. “It is the most fascinating place that I ever dreamed of! I could be perfectly content just to sit and gaze forever!” Miss Allyn laughed and put her hand af- ‘fectionately upon her companion’s shoulder. “Oh, no, you wouldn’t, Marion! It would soon become tiresome. Just fancy looking at the same old spray, and listening to the. same old roar forever! It is not your nature to love monotony! You were born fer so- ciety and excitement, dearie!” “T seem to have it, whether [ was born for it or not,” replied Marion, with a sad smile crossing her lovely lips; “something seems to happen very frequently in my career, and I don’t have to stand on a corner and wait for it, either!” 3 “No, your luck, good and bad, seems to come unexpectedly,” was the answer; “but I do hope, Marion, that the bad is all over. We are all going to try and look out for you sharper in future.” “This affair that Miss Marlowe told me about is most extraordinary,” remarked Mr. Gray. “Why, Rippel and Rose must be most | unscrupulous fellows! The idea of their daring to steal the name of a woman!” “Perhaps they still think they can get her,” said Miss Allyn, slowly. “As I understand | it, their show is really on the vaudeville order. They could easily sandwich in a spe- cialty of some sort, you know, and it is quite probable that they have heard that Marion is a fine singer.” “Ts that so? Oh, I should love dearly to hear you!” cried Mrs. Gray, delightedly. “My daughter Maude is a singer, but not a beautiful one exactly; she is having her voice cultivated, and it has really a very sweet quality.” “Marion’s voice is glorious,” said Miss Al- lym. “Oh, girlie, it would sound heavenly with the accompaniment of the water !” She turned to Marion as she spoke, with a merry twinkle in TC oOmicbooks, com .