Marion Marlowe in Chicago, or, Trapped by a Lunatic — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ot a twinkle in his eye, “that no other woman has the least possible chance to make any impression on him.” “Oh,. pshaw! Dr. Brookes; now you are trying to plague me,” laughed Miss Ellis. “It won’t do any good, though, for all we girls are in love with Marion, quite as much so as you and Bert and Mr. Temple.” It was Dr. Brookes’ turn to change color. He had been in love with Marion Marlowe for a long time before she went on the stage, and since both of them had been traveling in the same company. his affection had grown almost daily, am Mr. Temple, the manager of the company, had also fallen in love with his beautiful star, and the fact had been made evident to the members of the company that, in a sense, he and the leading man were rivals for the hand of Marion Marlowe, though it had not inter- fered with their relations toward each other. “My regard for Miss Marlowe,” said Dr. Brookes, gravely, “is that of one satellite for another. It’s a simple astronomical propo- sition, isn’t it, Miss Allyn?” “Yes, I can see that,” said Miss Allyn, laughing, “and when you gaze at her in that admiring, ‘all-for-you-and-the-world-well- lost’ style, I suppose you are simply star-gaz- ing! Well, I.am awfully glad I’ve got so much company! Being in love myself, I can appreciate your feelings. But, oh, dear me, what an awful racket!” The brakes grated noisily upon the wheels, and the train came to a sudden stop just as she finished speaking. “Tello! I wonder what’s up now,” ex- “more wash-outs, I claimed Dr. Brookes ; suppose.” Bert Jackson stuck his head out of the win- dow and pulled it back hastily. “Band of Indians on the track!" he cried ; “they ve scalped the locomotive and are now surrounding the baggage-car! They are MY QUEEN. mounted on buffaloes and one of them is a-straddle of an automobile. I suppose he is the high-muck-a-muck !” ‘What nonsense, Bert,” replied Marion; “why don’t you tell us what really is the mat- ter?” “Do you want to know?” asked Bert. “The engine is in the same condition asthe famous governor of North Carolina—its throat is dusty and it’s taking a drink. There is really one Indian out there, though, for a fact; he’s a wooden one and he’s nailed up on the top of the tank-house doing duty as a weather-vane.”’ / “T hope that Temple has secured berths for us at a good hotel,” said Dr. Brookes, as the train started again. “Tt was real good of him to go on ahead,” observed Marion; “I know he will get much - nicer quarters than the advante agent would ~ have secured, and I think it was very thoughtful of him.” “I hope so, too,” remarked Bert. “If I have to sleep on a billiard-table, I’ll strike’ for a raise of salary. That’s what most of the beds have reminded me of since we start- ed. But that’s better than sleeping in the station-house, eh, Miss Marlowe?” he finish "4, slyly. Marion Marlowe laughed aloud and the company all joined her. Bert’s sly reference to Marion’s being locked in a cell in a police- station in Columbus was a joke now, even if- | She had been made the victim of a cruel con- it had been serious enough at the time. spiracy, but through friends was released after a few hours’ im- prisonment. “T don’t think that Mr, Temple is looking for free board,” said Marion, “and that is the sort one gets-at the resort you refer to, Bert.” world who ought to have free board and have it per- “There’s one fellow in. this manently,” remarked Bob Hinton, the cal- Gomichooks.com the efforts of her | a * — =