Marion Marlowe on the Prairie, or, A Thrilling Ride Across Kansas — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

—_ & ¥ ial /_, ; = MY QUEEN. standing, and for a minute he stared blankly at the fellow’s expression. Marion was obliged to take a curtain call, and finally an encore, but, all the time she was singing, Dr. Brookes watched Ajax intently. “She has completely infatuated him,” he said, finally, as he approached Miss_ Ellis. “He is looking at her this minute as if he ewanted to eat her. I'll watch hima bit more carefully, Miss Ellis, for we can’t spare our Marion.” He tried to speak jokingly, but there was a serious ring in his voice, for while it was not possible for him to feel jealous of such a rival, still, he did feel anxious for Marion’s safety and happiness. “Well, he is certainly a good singer,” said the ingénue, turning away, “and if that Madam Zhangara told the truth, he must be brave and loyal, for he is certainly the ‘child of nature’ that she saw in Marion’s fortune.” Dr. Brookes laughed genuinely now, for he had heard about the fortune, and he was by far too sensible to give a serious thought ter it. | “When will girls and women stop consult- ing the oracle?” he asked, jokingly. ‘‘Why, I really believe it is a feminine trait to wish to peer into the unseeable.- I suppose it is another form of feminine curiosity.” ’ -“Or caution,” corrected Miss Ellis, with a reproving frown. “We are trying to get fore-armed, so that we can provide against emergencies. Now, if Marion had consulted a fortune teller before she started on the road, she might have protected herself against all her terrible experiences !”’ . She laughed gayly as she spoke, for she was only jesting, and, just at that minute, the curtain fell again, and Marion came running from the stage, her round cheeks flushed with "y ietory. ae . It was superb, dearie. I never heard “room. 15 * cried Miss Allyn, putting her arm around her. “The cowboy quartette is out of it com- you sing better, pletely! It isn’t one, two, three in the race with you, Marion!” chimed in Bert. “We shall only play pieces in future where we can introduce music,” added Mr. Temple, who had come behind the scenes while she was singing. “I am confident that your sing- ing alone would fill any theatre.” Dr. Brookes was about to add his word of praise, but the orchestra stopped just at that moment, and the bell tinkled its summons to raise the curtain. ’ Every one scurried away except Miss Al- lyn and Orrin Olcott, who were obliged to go right on, and then Dr. Brookes moved slowly across the scene-room. A moment later he caught sight of Ajax still standing in the wings, and a second later he saw him signal to some one in the at- -dience. It was only a movement of the head, but it was enough for the doctor. As he flashed a lightning-like glance across the sea of faces he saw a coarse-looking fel- low rise suddenly and leave the theatre, Dr. Brookes drew back quickly, and in a moment Ajax sauntered across the scene- As he passed the doorkeeper he offered him a chew of tobacco, then slouched out of the stage door and disappeared in the darkness. Dr. Brookes would have followed him if he could, but he heard his cue at that instant. As he hurried on to the stage he felt sorely perplexed. The new member of the company was a mysterious person. As Ajax turned the corner he was joined by the coarse-looking stranger. “Ts it all right?’ were the stranger’s first words. “The luckiest deal we ever made,” replied Ajax. “Good! x When do we start 2” CORNICLOO® SS (CO)