Marion Marlowe in Denver, or, The Tragedy of Pike's Peak — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

16 great calmness had come upon her. Her hand was steady now and she could write her letter. CHAPTER IX. IN MARION’S ROOM. When Miss Allyn came back she found Marion reading over her part with the ‘bas- ket of beautiful flowers standing on a table - near her. She had dispatched her note to the lawyer and bathed her eyes, so there were no traces to betray her turbulent emotions. “From Mr. Waldo,” she said, quietly, as she touched the flowers. “Aren’t they lovely, Alma! I just love orchids!” “And do you love Mr. Waldo, Marion ?” Miss Allyn asked, quickly. Marion flushed, but she was able to an- swer calmly: “No, Alma, I do not think I do. I like him very, very much, but I do not love him! This morning, when I was with him, I thought I did, but now I am sure I do not. Can you understand it, Alma?” She looked at her friend wistfully, for she was still greatly perplexed, but Miss Allyn seemed able to explain the mystery. “It is a form of magnetism, I fancy,” she said, slowly. “Some men attract us like magnets and we can hardly resist them. It is something in our natures that we cannot control, but I am sure it would be danger- ous to yield to it wholly. Just imagine the result if one should become thoroughly mag- netized! We'd lose the stick-to-itiveness completely, Marion!” “You mean that the object that attracted us would cease to be attractive, and that it would be looking about for other worlds to conquer!” laughed Marion. “Well, that’s about it,” replied Miss Al- lyn, dryly, “but listen to my news about Mr. Temple. The man has come to his senses in the most wonderful manner! Why, I had all IT could do to keep him from hugging the doctor.” Marion clapped her hands. They had been but, if they had achieved heroic measures good results, it did not matter. ‘And what did the doctor say?” she asked, eagerly. MY QUEEN. “Well, he did not take it joyfully, exact- ly,” was the laughing reply, “but he was able to hide his feelings as usual. Still I could see that it was a tremendous effort.” “Well, they shali neither of them know definitely whether I love Mr. Waldo or not until Mr. Temple has entirely recovered from his foolishness,” said Marion, decidedly. “Poor Mr, Temple! Of course T am sorry for him, but I did hope fhat he was getting over his jealousy, Alma.” “He'll never get over it altogether,” was the answer; “but here comes Miss Ellis and [am sure she has some news! You can al- ways tell by her step whether she is sad or happy !” The ingénue rushed into the room almost before she finished, , “They’ve got it, every word of it!” she cried, waving a daily paper. “Here is a full account of Marion’s experience in Omaha with Commodore Dickson and, what do you think, they say it is a million! Just think of it, Marion! You are reputed a million- airess !”’ The fair young girl laughed heartily as she glanced at the paper. “No one ever gets a news item straight except you, Alma,” she said, gayly. “Do you remember how you used to write me up when you were on the S/ar? Why, between you and Floward Everett, the dramatic critic, Il was the best-boomed girl in the world—.- isn’t that what you call it?” . “That is it, Marion! and you did credit to our ‘booming!’ retorted Miss Allyn. “Why a thousand times I have wished that I was the advance agent for this show! Oh, I could write ‘ads’ about you that would set people crazy! I should have implored Mr. Temple to let me put my talent to some use during our tour but alas, I didn’t!” “What! And have an audience of luna- tics? Pray excuse me, Alma,” laughed Mar- ion. “I prefer that when people come to see me they shall be in their sane and sober senses !” “They'll have to be different from the houses that you have been drawing lately, then,” . haven’t gone mad with admiration I don’t know what you call Comicbooks, cried Miss Ellis, laughing, “for if they | om