Marion Marlowe on the Prairie, or, A Thrilling Ride Across Kansas — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

MY QUEEN. 9 live on fove and moonlight and stars and the great, vast silence forever. One has to have potatoes and bread and things; and just think .- of housekeeping in a ‘prairie schooner’!”’ Marion burst out laughing, and Miss Ellis came running in. She was sure by the sound that Marion had recovered from her blues, and when the beautiful star was happy she made every one else happy. : “Is there anything to see at Topeka, Alma ?” for some pins.. | she asked, as she began searching and grain elevators that I don’t know what to do,”’ “There’s a lunatic asylum and a reform school,” began Miss Allyn, dryly, “and there’s a capitol building, I suppose; but that is all I know about Topeka. Of course, there'll be three nights there, but that is all. It will be awfully stupid; still, the scenery is all right, they say, and “And then comes prairie, and lots of eal suppose,” said Miss Ellis. like solitude will do for me! “Well, anything I’m positively used up with all the excitement that we have been through.” “We'll enjoy the scenery in Colorado, if we ever get there,” “but, oh, how stupid it will be from Topeka to went on Miss Allyn; Denver! I think we leave at noon and get in at ten the next morning.” | “We'll vary the programme a little, Alma,” called out Bert, as he passed the door, “I mean to chum in with the engineer when we leave Topeka; then, hurrah for a ride across the prairie on the engine!” “Oh, that will be jolly!’ cried Miss Ellis, Clapping her hands. ‘to ride on a locomotive!’ “T have always wanted “I have ridden on them, and it is great,” laughed Alma, as she twisted some roses in | Marion’s hair; “only, whenever I am in the cab, I can’t keep my hands off the throttle. “I’m so sick of stock yards I seem possessed with a desire to run the en- gine !” “Oh, that’s nothing! mania for running everything,” Bert. “Why shouldn’t you try your hand af running an engine?” “Oh, Alma! That reminds me of some- thing!’ cried Marion, “*' Titat fortune teller told me I had great mechanical ability, and that it was lucky I had a cool head and a steady hand, for I should need both badly in the coming emergency.” You women have a laughed suddenly. The laughter had left her face, and for a minute all were silent. The ominous gloom had again fallen upon them, and it was only dispelled by Mr. Temple calling to them to all come out and have some supper, CHAPTER. V, A NEW APPLICANT FOR THESPIAN HONORS. _ The moment Marion opened her eyes the next morning’ she asked for the morning pa- per, but she could not fiid a wotd about the whereabouts of her Arizona admirers. “I would so like to keep track of them: but, of course, that is impossible,” she said to Alma. commodore’s neighbors, and I do hope they “some way, I feel interested in the will make their journey safely.” “Why, what is to harm them?” asked Miss Allyn, quickly. “Of course, there might be a cyclone, but that is hardly probable in this weather. Oh, I am sure we will hear from them somewhere in Colorado—that is, if we don’t go up in a cyclone ourselves before we escape from their native haunts. There are no storm cellars on the train, so we'll have to take our chances.”’ “T’ve heard of trains being blown from the track; but it seems incredible, doesn’t it. Alma? I do hope that is not the calamity that is about to befall us!” “Oh, Marion! do put that nonsense out of your head! I really believe ven. are cating.