Marion Marlowe in Chicago, or, Trapped by a Lunatic — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

ui MY QUEEN. | % CHAPTER IV. "A “*RERSONAL.’’ An hour later a general alarm had been turned in for Mr. Temple, but the chief of police could only shake his head over the re- sults. “We may find him and we may not,’ he said, a little dubiously. “Anyhow, we can’t promise a report until this time to-morrow.” “Oh, that is dreadful!” cried Marion, when she heard the verdict. “To think that we must wait a whole day before learning any- thing definite! How will we ever endure it ?” The suspense will be awful! She was.on the verge of weeping when they reached the hotel, but she was by far ‘too brave to let her emotions overcome her. Everything must be done to make the first performance a success, even though their hearts were aching with this terrible uncer- tainty. . There was a hurried luncheon and a re- hearsal onthe stage of the theatre, but the hours passed with no tidings of Mr. Temple. As soon as rehearsal was over a personal search for the manager was instituted, each member of the company making a special effort to find him. At half-past seven in the evening Marion and Miss Allyn were just putting the last touches to their hasty toilets in their room at the hotel when Bert tapped on the door. “Oh, Bert! Have you heard anything?” were the young star’s first words. Bert tossed his hat on the table and sat down wearily. “Not a word,” he said, disconsolately ; “and the doctor and I have been everywhere that we can possibly think of. We've pulled every wire in town, but not a sign have we seen of Mr. Temple.” “I have been ‘to three newspaper offices and inserted notices,” said Miss Allyn. “TI thought it might do some good, and I had to do something.” , “And I have been to four hospitals,” was Marion’s reply, “and just as soon as the sun rises to-morrow morning I shall make a tour of the rest of them.” “I guess we've done all we can,” said Bert, with a sigh, “and there’s one thing sure— we're going to have a good house to-night. There’s not a seat left except a few in the gallery.” “How will we ever get through without breaking down,” cried Miss Allyn, nervously. “Oh, dear! If we only knew he was alive it would be a little better !”’ “Oh, Marion!” cried Miss Ellis, as she came rushing into the room; “I’ve just found a ‘personal’ in the evening paper; do read it, quick! It may not mean anything at all, but some way I can’t help thinking it-refers to Mr. Temple!’ She held out a paper as she spoke, and the young girl seized it eagerly. “Why, it is addressed to ‘M. M.’!” she cried, the moment she saw it. “I wonder if it really is intended for me!” Alma leaned over her shoulder and Bert listened as she read it, but the curiously worded paragraph was very bewildering. Fa A Immediate.” Marion read the words aloud and then stared at the signature. “ “Jack Hart’! who can he be? heard of him,” she said, slowly. Her friends shook their heads; they had never heard the name either, and before they had solved the mystery of the “personal” it was time to go to the theatre. Marion clipped the paragraph from the paper and put it in her pocket. She was de- termined to puzzle it out at her earliest op- portunity. “It may refer to Mr. Temple, and it may not,” she said, sadly ; “but, anyway, I am de- termined to begin my search early to-mor- row morning. I can’t wait for the police a minute longer.” ComicloolkxSseorn Insenstble. I never