Marion Marlowe in Salt Lake City — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

ee | MY QUEEN, m™, nor the soldiers will dream of looking, for sure that they are safe; and no doubt they are worrying about me this very minute.’ A peculiar expression crossed the woman’s face, and as Marion leaned nearer to her, she its mysterious threshold is never passed ex- cept by Mormons. CHAPTER XI. AN INDIAN’S GRATITUDE. Nearly twelve hours had passed since the explosion at the barracks, and Marion’s fate was as much a mystery as ever. After that blinding flash of flame and smoke the young girl knew no more until she came to her senses in a tightly closed car- riage. There was just a moment of dazed sur- prise as she discovered where she was, and then the brave girl realized exactly what had happened. There were a few stinging burns upon her hands, where she had raised them to her face at that dreadful moment, and the beautiful chestnut hair was badly singed, but otherwise she was unharmed, in spite of her nearness to the explosion. Almost instantly she raised herself and looked out of the window. -The blaze at the fort glowed brightly, but they were hurrying away from it, and, with an agonized cry, Marion turned to her companion. “Oh, Mrs. Canton! Is it you? Did you rescue me?” She cried. “It is so good of vou to think of my safety, but, pray, let us so back at once to the others! The fire is dreadful! They may be in danger!” There was no reply. ‘The woman sat star- ing at her dumbly. “Quick! Tell him to stop!” she cried again, pointing toward their driver. “No, no! We must not go back! It is impossible!” said the woman, quickly. Marion was trying to reach the driver as her companion spoke, and she was amazed to feel a hand laid upon her arm to stop her. “There are plenty to save them. We must go on,” the woman said, sharply. “I was told ~what to do, and IT must do ae “You mean that you were told to con- vey me to a place of safety, I suppose?” said Marion, as the carriage turned a corner and only the illumination of the fire could be seen. “Put T wish to go back for my friends, Mrs. Canton! I shall go distracted if | don’t make stared at her anxiously. “The soldiers will save them,” she mut- tered again, but her voice was as void of ex- pression as any parrot’s could be. “But I insist upon going back!” cried the young girl, desperately. “If,the fire is quick- ly controlled, it will be just so much harder for my friends; they will have that much longer time to worry about me.” She made another attempt to move toward the driver, and this time her companion did not offer to stop her. rk “Turn back at once, please, driver,” called the young girl, sharply. There was no reply, only a word to the horses, and the clumsy vehicle advanced even faster. The driver had no idea of heeding her orders. Marion turned back in astonishment and found the woman’s eyes fixed upon her face. There was a frenzied gleam in her eyeballs, but her gaze was wonderfully calm and stead- fast. “What is the meaning of this, madam? Where are you taking me?” Marion cried, furiously. “8 it possible that there is some treachery behind that fire at the barracks? Am I to be the victim of some fiendish con- spiracy ?” She laid her hand on the woman’s arm, and even shook it in her excitement, but she was only able to arouse a little spirit in the Mormon woman. “He told me where to take you—my hus- band,” she said, coldly; “and we Mormon It may must obey, especially when we are tied hand and foot and there is no salvation.” “Great Heaven! Are you all mad?” cried Marion, desperately, as she sank back upon the cushions-and stared at the woman. “You make the second who has talked to me that way to-day! But IT command you to order your driver to stop this minute! If you do women must obey our madden us, Miss Marlowe, not, I shall jump from the carriage without © ‘its stopping. Do you hear me, madam! am determined to go co husbands. micboo but we Ss) (Elo) I im ‘