Marion Marlowe in Denver, or, The Tragedy of Pike's Peak — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

10 and she trembled for fear a reaction would follow. “She must be in love,” she decided, as she watched her, “and love to Marion will mean something far more serious than to most girls!’ Oh, I do hope he is worthy of her, my peerless darling! But Marion did not “go to pieces.” She grew more and more superb, and, as the cur- tain fell on the final act, a perfect storm of applause rewarded her. ‘ Over and over again they demanded her .return, and a perfect garden of flowers was passed over the footlights. At the very last moment Homer Waldo rose in his box and tossed a magnificent bunch of roses at Marion’s feet. In an instant the blood rushed to the young girl’s face. She longed to turn and thank him with one grateful glance, but she did not dare for fear of what might follow. As she stood almost trembling in her ex- citement. Dr. Brookes raised the flowers and handed them to her. The curtain fell as her white hand closed over them, and the lawyer disappeared ftom the box a moment afterward. When Marion reached her dressing-room, she would have been besieged with questions, but Miss Allyn promptly locked her in and put the key in her pocket. Then the two young women sat down and stared at each other. There was no need of words to express their consternation. “What does it mean, Alma?” Marion asked the question tearfully. She was flushed and almost panting from the strain of the evening. “T am sure I do not know, dearie,” was Miss Allyn’s thoughtful answer. “He seemed to be looking you through and through! J] stood right where I could see him plainly and J could see something in his look that frightened me. He—he admires you, ex- ceedingly, <i that is not it. There was something else, but I can’t explain it.” Marion’s eyelids fell and her lips trembled as she answered: “That is the way he looked this morning ‘n the office and this afternoon when he called. Oh, Alma, do you really think he ad- MY QUEEN. mires me so much? I don’t know why it. should, but it makes me very happy to think so! He is so clever and wise, you know. Why, he is one of the leading lawyers of Denver! It doesn’t seem possible that he can admire a poor young actress!” - : “Humph! As if you were not the peer of any lady in the land!” cried Miss Allyn, in- dignantly.- “I do wish you would stop mak- ing so little of yourself, Marion! But I think I understand what ails you, dear. We've done an awful lot of traveling and you have - been through so many thrilling adventures that it isn’t any wonder your nerves have given out. ‘I shall ask the doctor to prescribe a tonic to-morrow; and then, perhaps, our climb in the mountains ‘will brace you up. You are tired out, little sister, and no won- der, I say! So now jump into your street clothes! The doctor and Bert are waiting!’ “And you don’t think it is love, Alma?” asked the young girl, shyly. Miss Allyn laughed gayly, but there was an anxious look in her eyes. “I’m not an expert in love affairs, so I really can’t say,’ she said, sweetly, “but oh, Marion, how I shall watch you and that searching-eyed lawyer !” CHAPTER VI. A DILEMMA. “No Pike’s Peak to-morrow! Mr. Temple has the epizootic or tic douloureur, or some- thing or other, so you need not turn out until the regulation hour in the morning!” Bert shouted the words through the key- hole of Marion’s door as he went to his room. He had just left the manager in the Turk- ish bath in the basement. “Oh, that is too bad!” cried Miss Allyn, who was sitting, all doubled up, on the foot of her friend’s bed. ‘“Now,ywhat shall we do to fill in the day in Denver?” 5 Miss Ellis was rocking herself back and forth, Turk fashion, on one end of a wide couch, and as Miss Allyn asked the ques- tion, she made a suggestion. tN “Oh, let’s go and visit the refineries; I’ve never been through one!” she cried. “We've seen the Capitol, the “Comicbooks: com