Marion Marlowe in Chicago, or, Trapped by a Lunatic — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

« LO Another girl who had passed through Marion’s dangerous experiences in the vari- ous big cities she had visited would have hesitated before venturing on such an er- rand in Chicago, but the little country girl was eager and impulsive; besides, she never thought of danger to herself when her iriends were in peril. Over and over again she had gone to the rescue of some one, only to become a victim herself in some frightful tragedy; but the thrilling episodes in her career hardly left a trace of nervousness, and she would have braved threefold greater dangers to save a friend like Mr. Temple. When the curtain was raised for the per- ' formance a little later no one in the audience would have dreamed that she was suffering, for the young star had thrown her whole heart into her efforts in order to please her absent friend and manager. : As she was hurrying from the stage after the second act, she suddenly stopped in the scene-room and stood motionless a moment. The words of the “personal” had been burn- ing themselves into her brain, and, all at once, she understood them. “Oh, it must mean the ‘Sheltering Arms,’ ” she whispered to herself. “Why, I read the name of that hospital to-day! It is way out on the north side of the city! He is there, ‘insensible,, and needs ‘immediate’ atten- tion!” She bounded up the stairs and into her dressing-room, intending to tell Miss Allyn lier deciphering of the puzzling paragraph. ' «“T don’t believe I will tell a word,” she whispered, finally. “It will be such a disap- pointment to them all if I am mistaken. Ill eo there myself and see if [ am right, and, what is more, I'll go to-night, right after the performance ’ She set her sweet lips firmly, onda little frown darkened her white fore- head, but, a moment later, when Alma came in, she was smiling brightly. ; in : ota 99 “You were macnificent to-night, dearie, began her friend, admiringly, “and you just ought to have seen the doctor look at you. Why, his heart was 1n his eyes, the dear fel- low!” “Poor doctor! desires,” said Marion, sadly. “He is so | wish I could love him as lie MY QUEEN. loyal and true; but I seem incapable of lov- ing. Oh, well, some day, Alma, I shall learn the sweet lesson !” “T hope so, dearie,” was Miss Allyn’s an- swer. Then both went down to the stage again to go through with their duties. When the final curtain was reached, Ma- rion hurried to her dressing-room; she was very anxious, indeed, to get ahead of Miss Allyn, | Miss Ellis called to her, but she hardly waited to reply, as she was determined to leave the theatre ahead of the others. “T will not let them worry about me,” she thought, as she scribbled a note to Miss Al- lyn, “but I must get to that hospital this very night. I can ride there in a cab, so I'll be perfectly safe, and in two hours I ought to be back at the hotel, perhaps with the knowledge” that Mr. Temple is safe.”’ . It was not an easy matter for her to leave the theatre without any one seeing her, but, by watching her chance, she finally managed it. Once outside, she fairly flew down the street in search of a cab, and, in less than ten minutes she was speeding toward the hospi- tal known as the Sheltering Arms, her heart throbbing with the hope that she would find Mr. Temple. And in another cab directly behind her fol- lowed a fellow wearing a clever disguise, who had been watching the stage door throughout the whole evening. It was Percy Preston, or “Jack Hart,” as he called himself, and his brain was seething with vicions thoughts, which had been aggra- vated by copious drinks of whisky. “T’ve got her at last,” he muttered, while a crafty look crept into his eyes. “She’s the beautiful star who is making Temple’s for- tune! Before morning I shall square my ac- count with my ex-managep!” “ CHAPTER V. THE MANIAC. ‘“ As the cab sped along, Marion caught her first glimpse of Lake Mihigan, and the sight of the gleaming water gave her a shudder of horror, Suppose he was there, lying in those silent (E(0) MIGVOOKSTEGOM *