Marion Marlowe in Cleveland, or, The Mystery of the Red Rose — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

a MY QUEEN. theless, I am sure he is the one!” repeated Marion. Archie Ray had been explaining to the off cers and the crowd; and, as neither of the culprits made the slightest resistance, they were both led away to the station-house. ; “Tt will be a week before the repairs can be » made here,” said the owner of the thea- tre, as he came out with one of the firemen. of its force on those iron stairs. If it had not struck just where it did there would have een lives lost, I reckon.” - “Gee! It did damage enough!” cried Bert, who had been on a short tour of inspection. “Tt blew the moon out of the sky and tore up a whole forest on canvas, to say nothing of a big hole in the floor of the scene-room and a whole ocean of green waves ripped into - million pieces !” -“T thought the world had come to an end,” said Miss Ellis, who had been both laughing and crying. “I was in my dressing-room, and | of course I knew in a minute that it must be an explosion! I was sure Miss Marlowe s killed, and I nearly went crazy.” ; oy was at the head of the stairs, just com- ing down,” began Miss Allyn, who was limp- ing painfully. In an instant all eyes were turned upon her positively ghastly features. _ “What in the world did you do?” gasped Marion, anxiously. “Went Baek, to be sure, and I went with a vengeance,” replied Miss Allyn, with a brave effort to smile. “Something hit me in ‘my back and knocked me up against the dressing-room door, and, of course, that flew Open and IJ landed in the corner !” “Oh, Alma! You poor dear!’ cried Mar- ion, running over to her; “and to think I was on the stage and wasn’t hurt an atom!” “What made you shriek when Ruby let that box fall?” asked Mrs. Burnside, sud- denly. “TI was watching from the wings, and 1 couldn’t understand it.’ -Marion’s face turned a shade whiter as she recalled her emotion. _ “Why, I had just discovered that fellow n the audience, and as I glanced at the par- Cel in her hands I seemed to forget what it eally was! Instead of a fake property par- cel a pecemed to think that it was something -_ io. * tis -— * *¥, “A lucky thing that that cartridge spent most. 25 dangerous, and the next instant I screamed— I could not help it!” ) “And then the explosion occurred! There is something strange about it!” said Dr. Brookes, thoughtfully. “Has anybody seen that parcel since, or was it lost im the con- fusion?” “T have it here,’ said the property-man, coming forward. “I’ve been picking up the ‘props’ wherever I have seen them, but— hello! That isn’t the property parcel at all! Here, Jackson, where the deuce is the parcel I gave your” “That’s it,” said Bert, taking a sharp look at the package. “I found it on the box just in reach of the left exit, exactly where it’s been every night of our engagement.”’ The property man looked it over carefully. “Some one has changed the parcel, or I'll eat my hat! Just hold on a minute till I see what’s 1n it.” “Great Scott! Not here! Put it in soak, man!” yelled Bert. “Don’t take any chances of another blow-up this evening !” _ But the man had already untied the string. The next second he disclosed a tiny bottle containing some liquid. Dr. Brookes took it instantly and scrutinized it carefully, “Well, what is it, doc?” asked Bert, who was beginning to turn pale. “I handed it to Marion, so for Heaven’s sake, don’t say it is an explosive!” “That’s exactly what it is! It is nitro- glycerine,” said the doctor, grimly. “Here, officer, you had better take possession of it; but look sharp, man, and don’t drop it!” ‘“Here’s a note for you, Miss Marlowe. The prisoner begged me to give it to you,” cried Olcott, coming in. “I went to the sta- tion-house with the gang, and they let him write it there. He's the right chap, all right! He admits it in his letter!” Dr. Brookes opened the letter and read it aloud. The handwriting was familiar to al- most the entire company. “The Red Rose has failed—dynamite has ieee but vengeance goes on, on, on for- ever. There was no signature to the missive, but none was needed. The note had been writ- ten by the crazy masher. The next day there was less rioting and GOmIGDoOo HaCO©)