Marion Marlowe in Buffalo, or, Betrayed by a Rival Company — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

» ™| Papi fhe allow himself to believe that any- ~ thing had happened to Marion. 2. After that first prolonged shriek, there was hardly a sound. In their excitement, the people almost ceased to breathe, but their eyes followed the Fe craft with féverish interest. Some poor soul had gone down and was, 4 perhaps, at that moment, being dashed over the Falls! “As they mts wagered, the - group of onlookers shuddered. Now a glimpse of the boat’s bottom could 3 be seen above the > water ; then a huge piece of ice would take its place; then the waters would churn and dash and foam, and another elimpse of the ‘dddmed craft would reward their watching. Suddenly a monster wave caught the boat and turned it toward the island. There was a grating and crunching of the ice upon the shore; then it was flung high upon the icy _ rim that encircled the island and the waters ‘swept by, leaving it wrenched and shattered. A moment of breathless silence followed this thrilling scene; then a native of the river bank turned and faced the group that sur- _ rounded him. | — “T know that boat,” he said, with almost a groan. “She belongs to the Dauntless, one _ of the steam launches on the river. Her r. ~ owner is Herbert Gray, a iine old gentleman; his home is up the bank a few miles ; they call _ tt Gray villa.” a CHAPTER IX. A CLEVER BARGAIN. _ At the very moment when her friends were a “staring in horror at what they supposed was ) t proof of her death, Marion Marlowe | te from her sleighride up the river. % There was a train from Niagara Falls _ which would bring them into Buffalo at _ Seven-thirty, and Mr. Gray and his wife in- tended following on the next train after, _ which would enable them to reach the thea- | tre at the rising of the curtain. ___ On the train they heard the first rumor of the thrilling tragedy, but neither Marion nor ee aa Allyn dreamed of the true situation. It gthe greatest surprise to find, on their re- ae oa MY QUEEN. 19 turn to Buffalo, that there.was not a member of the company about the hotel, and, more- over, the Alhambra Theate was as dark as a camera, while the Palace Theatre was brill- iantly lighted, “T can’t understand it, Alma!’’ Marion re- marked, as soon as they reached their room. “What in the world has happened since we have been gone? Has the manager ab- sconded and taken the balance of the com- pany with him?” Alma ah shook her head with an anx- ious frown. “IT can’t understand it, either, Marion! Why, the box office should be open, at all events! There was a perfect crowd of peo- ple at our rival’s theatre!” Marion burst out laughing, as a thought of Rose entered her mind. “Just think of his offering me three hun- dred dellars, Alma! Why, how in the world could they pay me so much money!” “You'd probably have to sue them to col- lect it,” said Miss Allyn, disdainfully. ‘They are determined tg make money on their one- night stands evi lently, and they don’t mind how many lies they tell to do it.” “Well, they'll make no money out of me, if I can help it,” said Marion, firmly. “Why, there’s nothing that would tempt me to join their ranks. I may be an actress, but I am not an unprincipled one, and never wil I associate with unprincipled people. If a girl cannot earn her living on the stage without losing her sense of honor, she had better give it up and try another vocation. Of course. there are some things in the plays that grate on me a little, but every one knows they ere plays, so it really does not matter: still. I would not play a part where the character was really immoral.” _ “Of course not! And to think that Rippel and Rose should expect you'to join their com- bination! Why, they play nothing but farces. with specialties thrown in, and there’s a sus- picion of vulgarity in all their plays, they tell ’” me. “Well, when I pronEe, it will be for some- thing better, not worse,” said Marion, fimmly. zs just long to play Rosalind and lin and to think of their trying..to, bribe mp tonadon.