Marion Marlowe on the Prairie, or, A Thrilling Ride Across Kansas — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

16 ’Ten-thirty, Thursday morning.” It certainly had been a lucky deal. As it happened, large sums of money were being carried daily on the through trains to the West. At the time Ajax had joined the company he was in a plot to rob one of the through trains at a lonely spot on the prairie’ His infatuation for Marion had nearly spoiled the scheme. | And now it turned out that the company was to travel on the very train on which a larger sum than usual was to be carried. Marion was never told how much Madam If she had, she would not have been so much mystified by her strange fortune. CHAPTER VIII. AJAX ASTONISHES THE DOCTOR. Zhangara knew of the plot. On the road again! The company had finished its engagement at Topeka and was now being whirled as fast as steam could take it toward Denver and the Rockies. The ladies were seated in one end of the day coach, except Miss Allyn, who was tak- ing in the view from the rear of the train, while the men had retired to the smoker. As the train pulled out of one of the sta- tions Mr. Temple burst into the car holding a yellow slip of paper in his hands. “Here's iness,’” were his first words, as he handed Marion a telegram that “My advance a pretty he had received at that station. agent wires me that our theatre in Denver was nearly burned That throws us out of our week’s engagement.” to the ground, “What a pity!” cried Marion, turning a trifle pale. ‘Now, where will we go next, Mr. Temple?” There was a whoop of joy as Bert Jackson came flying into the car, waving a long dis- MY QUEEN. patch that had been forwarded to him from his father. “Gee whiz, Temple! Just listen to this!” he cried, delightedly. “That fire at Denver comes just in the nick of time, for dad is to have a special car meet us at Pueblo to hustle -us all back to Washington for the President’s inauguration ! cancel our engagement at Denver and some oe other places!” Marion and Miss Allyn stared at ces in wonder, and then Marion clapped her hands at the delightful prospect. “Oh, how perfectly glorious!” she cried, happily. “What a dear, good man Mr. Ho- bart Canfield is, Bert! And how proud you must be of such a thoughtful father!” “We can go all right, can’t we, old man?” asked Bert, turning to the manager. Mr. Temple did a little figuring in a note- book, and a relieved look passed over his features. | “Tt can be done, all right, I am sure,” was his answer. “Denver is out of it, anyway, and the next week was ‘one-night stands’ that I don’t mind canceling one bit. Yes, we'll go to Washington, Bert, thanks to the cap- tain, and then for a long ride back to Salt Lake City!” “Oh, that won't bother us any when we own the train!” said Bert, loftily. “I tell you, a railroad president is the biggest kind of a gun! Now, what wouldn't I give if the gov- ernor would change his mind and let me fol- low in his footsteps, instead of being a minister !” The young man’s face was so serious that his It always struck friends all laughed. them as being highly amusing when Bert talked of being a minister, ' “T'1] wire the advance agent both at Den- ver and Salt Lake City,” said Mr. Temple, thoughtfully, “and I’m sure we will not be GEomicboo SEO Y ©... He was going to have you — j