Marion Marlowe in St. Louis, or, A Forger's Bold Deed — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

ya ae she cried out, happily. “He will be at the theatre this evening, if possible!” __ Dr. Brookes turned as white as death and did not reply, but Bert gave vent to an ex- -clamation that was positively startling. : “By thunder! I've just thought of some- § thing! Quick, Marion, let me see that letter! J] want to look at Archie Ray's hand-writing, if you have no objections !” Marion handed him the letter with a puz- -zied look upon her face, and the next instant Bert was trembling with suppressed emotion. “It’s the very same! Oh, I believe I’m at the bottom of it!” he cried out, wildly, “come, Doc, come to the dressing-room; I’ve got something to say to you!” Marion followed them up the stairs. was pale with excitement. , Bert had certainly some good cause for his extraordinary actions. “Oh, Alma! I do believe there is some treachery at the bottom of it all!” she mur- -mured, as soon as she-could relate the oc- currence. os Pi “T have thought so éver since Bert found the letters,” was the anxious answer. “Oh, I think he did wrong not to tell us where he fdound them! No doubt he is trying to pro- tect the guilty, but I am sure it is a case of mistaken honor on his part!” _ “T’ll try to be patient,’ said Marion, with tears upon her long lashes; “but this misuny detstanding that has come up is killing me, Alma! It is doubly hard, because I do not deserve: it !?. | “Indeed, you do not, Marion!” cried a sym- pathetic voice, as Miss Ellis stepped into the dressing-room and closed the door carefully, “but don’t fret another minute,’ she whis- -pered, cautiously. ‘“Why, the riots in the city _ are beginning to look positively tame com- pared with the one that has just been going on in thé office!” “What do you mean?’ asked Alma and Marion, both at once. Miss Ellis sat down on a theatrical trunk and burst out loughing. ' “Why, the new soubrette, Miss Maitland, has been flirting with Mr. Temple again, and __ he gave her the benefit of the two weeks’ no- tice. Now, if someone will only flirt with the other little snip with the whisky breath tg _ Which there’s no danger of anyone doing!” broke in Miss Allyn. “Hello, Marion! Come, quick! He’s here!” called out Bert’s voice, suddenly. Marion darted from the dressing-room, _ with. Miss Allyn following her, and as they Teached the scene-room they saw Archie Ray t nd Dr. Brookes in earnest conversation. She € MY QUEEN. CHAPTER XIII. DOUBLE TREACHERY. In the next five minutes the star of the com- pany was put in possession of some startling information. As fast as he could talk, Archie Ray told what had brought him to St. Louis. He had come in answer to the doctor’s letter of con- gratulation on his engagement to Marion. “Tt was the first I knew of it,” he said, with a wistful glance at Marion, “and, of course, I couldn’t come fast enough to seek an ex- planation.” =~ | Marion was completely mystified until the doctor stepped forward and handed her a let- ter. It was addressed to himself and in Mr. Ray’s handwriting. “I supposed it was genuine,” he said, with a bright smile, ‘but, as I was asked in the let- ter not to mention it, evey to you, | was put in a very embarrassing pésition.” “But why should you not mention it to me —if it were true?’ asked Marion, who was still a trifle bewildered. “That is the one thing that should have told me it was forged,” was the disgusted an- swer. “I can’t-explain my stupidity when I read the letter.” | Everyone present who heard him could have explained it readily, but there was no time now to tease the young lover. “T shall ferret this out myself,” said Mar- ion, with sudden determination. ‘Please let me have the letter, doctor! I am going to find the miscreant who wrote it!” She turned away with a queenly gesture. Her blood was on fire with righteous indigna- tion. “T'll tell you where I found those letters, now,” said Bert, coming forward and lower- ing his voice, cautiously. “Miss Leland dropped them in the street and I picked them up! She must have stolen them from your trunk—and there you have the motive.” He pointed to the letter in Marion’s hand. “T see,” said the young girl, slowly. “She wished to make trouble between the doctor and myself! Oh, how can anyone be so ma- licious and cruel!” “T was so stupid that I didn’t catch on until to-night,” went on Bert, disgustedly; “and yet the minute I saw those letters scattered on the sidewalk, I knew I’d seen the handwrit- ing somewhere, and very recently, too, and to-night I remembered that it was on one of the doctor’s letters, the one that kicked up all this infernal trouble!” _ “It shall be ended, and at once,” said Mar- ion, again. “I shall confront Miss Leland and demand an explanation!” She turned as she spoke and hurried up the GOMIGIOOKSAGO y