Marion Marlowe in Omaha, or, Held up by Accident — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

be b’ars in Nebrasky, but ther res’dents of Omaha don’t git nigh enuff ter git er bead on ’em.” ‘ “I’d like ter see one, you bet!’ piped a shrill, boyish voice, and Jack Evans, or “Jackets,” as he was ustially called, suddenly put his head aver the comedian’s shoulder. _ “Jackets” be overlooked. He was a new recruit, picked from the very gutters of St. Paul, and called by Marion the was a character that could not “mascot”? of the company. It was through finding him that they had “found Ida Inez, his mother, and the history of both their lives was one of the world’s many tragedies. The ranchman had taken a great fancy to the boy, as he locked at him, he stroked a long, grizzled mustache that added and now, greatly to his fierce appearance, while he smiled at the child with almost fatherly ten- derness. In fact, every member of the company in- terested the old fellow, and he jad stayed with them persistently during the last day of their journey. : A more attractive group of young people he had never seen, and yet the buckskin-clad stranger, admitted that he had been a great traveler. Marion Marlowe, the star of the company, was a girl of rare beauty. Her hair’ was a rich chestnut hue, and rippled over her white forehead, while her gray eyes were luminous with courage and honor. She was only a simple girl, but there was an unconscious grace about her, and every word from her lips showed that she was a thorough lady. a Mrs. Burnside, the ‘‘first old lady” of the cast, was a charming little woman, while Miss Alma Allyn, Varion’s dearest friend, was as stylish as she was clever. Little Ruby, Burnside’s only baby, Mr... dainty the child actress, anc was a sweet, MY QUEEN. o little cherub, who won all hearts as a mat- ter of course and made hefself as much at home on the knees of the other passengers~ as on her mother’s. The soubrette and the ingénue were both bewitchingly pretty girls, and every man in the company seemed re- fined and gentlemanly. While they were waiting for the sheep to cross the track, the ranchman had an oppor- tunity to study them all a little closer. Little Ruby was in her mother’s lap, gaz- ing delightedly at the sheep, but one hand Alto- gether, they were a charming group, and de- was clasped warmly in Marion’s cidedly out of the ordinary. They resemble.l a happily family much more than they did a theatrical company. “We'll see big game, * hope before w: return from our tour,” said Bert Jackson, taking his head in from the window and ad- - dressing the ranchman. “We are to play in several cities that will give us a glimpse of wild country en route, and I’m just like ‘Jackets’ here—I’m long- ing to see bears, or any ae beast that fre- quents the Rockies.” +B “T’ve seen ‘em all, T reck’n,” said the ranchman, smilingly, “an’, powerful snakes! They ain’t none on ’em no great sight when wou get used ter "em." \ é He smiled at Bert in his peasant manner, and then, pulling an enormous roll of bills from his pocket, he proceeded to count them. and then Bert stared .at him a minute, glanced anxiously over the car. There were three me f on the opposite side of the car, and, as they caught sight of the ranchman’s Ber. but he was terribly “roll,” he saw them exchange glances. tried to lo k innocent, worried: then, as he glance! again at the sialwart form of the ranchman, he smiled at his own anxieties, : “Ain’t it a bit dangerous to carry a ‘wad’ he asked, in a low tone. “I'v: Eomichooks.com ‘4 like that?” as ‘ . .