Marion Marlowe's Escape, or, A Dangerous Mistake on the Road — page 14: what you’re looking at

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12 “Exactly what Dr. Brookes told me be- fore we started,” said Mr. Temple, lighting another cigar. “‘With two rich actors in my cast who are inclined to be philanthropic, I can’t see why we shouldn’t have a great trip in spite of our rivals. By the way, I don’t mind telling you, Jackson, I’m deucedly anx- ious about Barton. He’s the advance agent, you know, and he’s a tricky fellow. If there should be any slip-up about that theatre at Cohoes, I’d be as mad as a hornet.”’ “Don’t cross bridges until you come to them,” said Bert, consolingly. “But I do hope our advertising man is O. K. We'll need booming, old man, before this trip ‘s over!” “Barton attends to that,’ said Mr. Temple, still dubiously ; but after a puff or two at his cigar he brightened up a little. “Preston is a good actor, in spite of his bad temper,” he said, hopefully; “and, as for Miss Marlowe, she is simply splendid! Of course, Miss Allyn is. an unknown quantity as yet, but if you are as good a comedian on the stage as you are off, the thing will go through without much pushing.” “You flatter me, Mr. Temple, but I’ll try and take it modestly,” laughed Bert. “If you've got the nerve to introduce me to the public, I'll make my bow. There’s no end of gall in my composition !” “And talent, too, my boy,” was the honest reply. “Of course it’s an experiment that most managers would not risk—that is why | hate so awfully to have it a failure.” “There’s no such word in my dictionary,” caid Bert, stoutly. “It’s Just this way with me: I’m on my vacation; I’ve got to go to college in the fall, but this is my play-time. Now, if dad has seen fit to blow me off hand- somely, there’s no. law in the world to prevent mv blowing other people, and—well, I don’t think [’d take kindly to walking on the rails! No. we'll go back in as good shape as we came if the natives won’t have us, Mr. ‘Tem- ple.” “Thank you, Jackson ! You're a brick!” said the manager, gratefully ; “but what I was going to say 1s this: If there is really any truth in that report about Lemadrid, I have ereat hopes that Howard Everett will help us. 1 forgot to tell you that he is to be at MY QUEEN. Cohoes to-night. Knowing how much he admires Miss Marlowe, I wrote him of our night at the Oneida. A bouquet over the footlights is a good ‘ad,’ you know, and Ever- ett won't do a thing but buy out every flor- ist in Cohoes! Then, again, Barton doesn’t know him from the man in the moon, but Everett knows him, and ten to one he’ll keep his eye on him.” | “And Everett isa shrewd one! He’ll know how to handle any crookedness that he hap- pens to see!” broke in Bert, enthusiastically. “TI don’t want to begin with trouble at the start,” said Mr. Temple, slowly. “It is bound to come; there is no ‘road tour’ with- out it. In fact, I saw symptoms of it in the car just now—and trouble is apt to mean bad business, Jackson.” “T expect I started it,” said Bert, a little sorrowfully; “but, between you and me, I couldn’t help it. If it comes, [ll try to bear the brunt, Mr. Temple.” CHAPTER V. THE MANAGERS WARNING. ~ There was another step upon the platform, and both gentlemen looked around. Marion was~standing in the door, with a heavy jacket thrown over her shoulders, her beautiful eyes fixed upon the sunset. -“Tt reminds me of the sunsets at home,” she said, sweetly. “Every night when I went for the cows I used to stop on the brink of the hill behind father’s farm to watch it. Oh, such a miserable little girl as I was in those days! Would you believe it? I did noth- ing but pine and pine for a life in the great city—for fame and fortune!” She laughed merrily as she spoke, and Bert joined in her merriment. “Little did we dream in those days that we would be racing through the country on par- lor cars, with an impatient world awaiting cur coming,” he added, pompously,. “T tell you, Marion, you and I are dandies ! I'd give a dollar if Matt Jenkins could see us!” “Matt Jenkins was the overseer of the poor farm where Bert was brought up,” explained Marion, candidly. “He was an awful brute, so Bert’s remark is excusable. Why, his eyes Eomichbooks.co ~~ / a ee - “ te — e — —— oie i shear. »