Show M c l AUTHOR ot I BY I UM Ill II I U AND THIS HAS HAPPENED The summer she is 16 Sally Ford ward of the state orphanage from the time she is four Is farmed out to Clem Carson She meets David Nash athlete and student who is working on the farm for the summer Carson makes remarks s about Davids David's innocent friendship with Sally and the student strikes him a smashing blow Sally and David flee and join a a. carnival David as cooks cook's helper and Sally in a sideshow disguised as Princess Lalla a crystal gazer NIta Hula nula dancer who knows the police are after David and Sally and who is infatuated with David threatens to expose Sally if it she doesn't keep hands off the young student In Capital Cit City Sally successfully esca escapes detection under the disguise of or Lalla until one afternoon when the orphanage wards troop In with witha a beautiful woman who is playing Lady Bountiful to them One lit littie little little lit lit- tle tie girl recognizes Sally and shouts her name Gus the barker comes to Sallys Sally's rescue and diverts attention from her and gets the children out of the tent Sally is ls surprised to see the beautiful Lady Bountiful stop and talk with a eyed dark-eyed well dressed welt dressed Easterner who earlier in the afternoon has bas teasingly read Sallys Sally's r fortune in the crystal and asked her to po IrO to supper with him Sally dislikes him and refuses She hears these two speak of New York and ca call cail l each other Enid and Van A terrible storm comes up and the tent blows down Sally finds hergel herself herself her her- self gel In the strong arms of or the Easterner Easterner East East- erner who tells her he knows who she is When the they are rescued Sally looks about and finds David and Nita missing missing- That night Bybee's Bybee's Bybee's By- By bees bee's safe sate Is robbed Now go on with the stor story CHAPTER Everybody tumble out Pop Bybee wants us all In the privilege car a carnival shouted running down the sleeping car and pausing only to thrust a hand Into each birth like a Pullman porter awakening his passengers But Sally wa was already dressing getting her dress on b backward and sobbing with futile rage at the time ost lost In reversing It When she was scrambling out of her upper berth a tiny hand reached out of the lower and tugged at t her herM I foot M the Dont forget me Sally midget commanded sharply And for heavens heaven's sake dont don't take on so You'll make yourself sick cryIng crying cry- cry Ing like that Of course your Darid David David Da Da- Da- Da vid rid didn't rob the tho safe Im I'm all dressed d. d Saly Sally parted the green curtains and stretched out her arms for the midget who was so short that she could stand upright upon her bed without her head touching the rounded of the upper berth Little Miss lis Tanner ran into Sallys Sally's arms and clambered to her der Its that Nita She nodded her minature head emphatically I I always did have my about her Always turning white as a a. sheet when a policeman hove into sight But Davids David's missing too Sally sobbed as she hurried down the aisle which was becoming choked with headed frowsy-headed women in all stages of ot dress and undress Of course he didn't do it it- it Hurry up ev everybody Dont Don't take time to primp girls a man bawled at them from the door They found most of the tle men em em- and performers of the carnival car car- already assembled with the In the privilege car Pop Bybee's usually lobster-colored lobster face was as white as putty but his arm was gallantly about his wife's wiCe's shoulder SIrs Mrs Bybee still wore the black sateen petticoat and red sweater in which she had hurried from the show train to the carnival carnival carnival car car- immediately after the storm Her reddened eyes showed that she had been crying bitterly but as th the carnival family crowded into the privilege car she searched each face with fury and suspicion Come here to me sue Sally Ford she shrilled when Sally entered the car with Pitty Sing riding rIding- on her shoulder Now hone honey go easy go-easy easy Pop By r bee cautioned her futilely Better let me do the talking talking- You shut up his hig wife ViCe commanded commanded com corn angrily Sally you ou knew where I kept the money You saw saw the safe Oh I was a fool all allright allright right but I T wanted to show that I 1 trusted yo you Huh Thought Id I'd wronged you by accusing you of ot takIng presents from my husband Tell him you OU saw the safe Tell him And she Sallys Sally's wrist and shook her so that the midget had to cling tightly to the girls girl's neck to keep from be being ng catapulted catapulted cata cata- to the floor Yes Mrs Bybee Sally answered an an- her voice almost dying In her throat with fright I saw the safe sare But I didn't tell anybody anYbOdy- a liar Uarl Mrs Irs Bybee screamed You told that David boy that very night Sneaked off oft and went walking with him and cooked up this robbery so you two could make your getaway Thought It was a grand way to get out of ot the state so the cops couldn't pinch you didn't you ou Didn't you she repeated beside herself herselt with gith anger an an- ger her er fingers clamped like Ike a a. vise on Sallys Sally's wrist Oh please Sally moaned writhing with a pain of ot which she was scarcely conscious so great wa was her fear and bewilderment at this I unexpected charge I Sall Sally certainly didn't go with him Pop Bybee i Interposed rea rca Sure she didn't his shrilled with angry triumph She couldn't She wa was wall buried burled under the tent If U It hadn't been for tor the storm she wouldn't be here now working on your sympathies with them dying calf eyes of or hers hers hers- Better let me handle this honey Pop Bybee interrupted this time more firmly Turn the ild loose Aint a bit of use breaking her arm Now folks I might as wen well tell you OU all just what happened and then try to get to the bottom o of this matter When the worst of or the storm was over Mrs Irs Bybee left the show train to look for me to see if I was hurt or if il she could do anything for anyone anyone any any- one who was She hadn't been out of th the stateroom all evening till tin then then not not since shed she'd put some money into the safe right after supper She found the boy Dave starting out to look for Sally and she ordered him to stay on the train to keep an eye on It in case tramps or crooks tried to board it There wasn't anybody else on the train That right Mother He turned to Mrs B Bybee bee who nodded angrily She tord told him shed she'd look 1001 after Sally but hed he'd have to stand guard on the tho train She didn't say anything anything anything any any- thing to him about the safe safe just Just told him to patrol the train while she was gone The The Thern safe i Is under undera a sea seat t In our stateroom and far tar faras faras taras as we knew nobody knew where i It was except Sally here Who happened happened happened hap hap- to come into the stateroom when my wife was counting a aday's aday's aday's days day's receipts Please Mr 11 Bybee Sally Inter- Inter memory struggling with the panic in her brain Someone else did know Nita knew When I left heft the stateroom that last day day- In Stanton I saw Nita disappearing Into the women's dressing room and I thought shed she'd been listening She She She- Hold on a minute Bybee cut cutIn cutin cutin In stern sternly now How do you know shed she'd been listening Any proof Yes sir Sally cried eagerly Mrs Bybee had been telling me that shed she'd found out that Ford Isn't my real name that the woman woman- I always thought was my mother wasn't really my mother at all She said she guessed I that I-that that my mother moth moth- er was ashamed Id I'd ever been born And that same day Nita called me inc mea that means means- means of a bad a-a-bad a bad name She could not go go goon on Sobs began to shake her small body a again ln and her face was scarlet with shame right Gus the barker edged toward Bybee through the crowd I found Sally lighting In Into into in- in to Nita for calling her that name And Nita didn't deny shed she'd done it It Reckon that proves she was eavesdropping all right And If It she was listening In she was probably probably ably peeping in In too or heard Mrs Irs Bybee talking about the safe Was Vas the door open maam ma'am I 1 dont don't know Mrs Irs Bybee snapped Yes It may have been It was awful hot And I didn't know anybody was on the train It was open a little way war Sally cried I remember distinctly BecaUSe Because Be Be- cause I worried about whether Nita had overheard what Mrs lIra Bybee Bybee By- By bee had been telling me And theres there's something e else some ese some thing that happened that night when David and I were walking Memory lemory o of that blessed hour in the moonlight brought tears to her eyes ees but she dashed them away with the tle wrist which bore the the marks of Mrs Bybee's rage What hat was wag it it Sally Pop Bybee Bybee Bybee By- By bee asked askel gently All we wc want Is to get at the truth of ot this thing Dont Don't be afraid to speak up I hate being at tattle tale Saily Sai- Sai ly Iy whimpered I never told on anyone before In all my life lite But Da David vid and I 1 were sitting under a tree not talking when we suddenly sudden sudden- ly iy heard Nita's voice She couldn't couldn t tsee see us for the tree but we peeped around the trunk of ot it and we saw Nita and a man walking awfully I close together and Nita was talk talk- ing We Ve just heard a few words She said No monkey business now Steve If It you ou double-cross double me Ill I'll cut your OUr heart out Fifty Fifty- fifty or nothing nothing- f p Unconsciously her voice had mimicked Nita's so that to the startled carnival family It seemed tha that t Nita the Hula dancer had appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap suddenly in the car Sounds like Uke Nita all right Gus the barker nodded with satisfaction sat sat- Steve huh Who Vho the devil is this Steve What did he look like Saly Bybee asked I dont don't know she answered her big blue eyes ees Imploring him to believe her We ie e couldn't see their faces We just recognized Nita's voice voke and her yellow hair that looked almost white In the moonlight He wasn't tall not any taller than Nita and I 1 guess he i wasn't veI very vera big either elther because they were so close together that they looked almost like Uke one person We Ve didn't hear the man say a word Nita was doing all the talking talking talk tan ing Ing- Ing Nita would a voice from the crowd growled Reckon I can tell teU I you something about this Pop I Iwas Iwas was just read ready to ballyhoo the last performance of the show when Nita come slouching up to tome me me pulling a long face and a song- song dance and-dance about being knocked out with the heat Bessie had fainted tainted at the last show and I thought Nita might really be all in so I told her she could cut the last performance per per- and go to the dress iress tent I never seen hair hall nor hide of her again and and and- he paused significantly significantly cantY cantly I dont don't reckon I ever wib No I 1 reckon you wont won't not un unless unless unless un- un less the cops nab her Mrs 1 Bybee cut cut- cutIn In bitterly I always said she was a snake In the grass rass And that David too Them goody- goody goody good kind aint ever worth the powder and lead it'd take tale to blowout blowout blow blowout out their brains I told you ou Win- Win field Bybee that there there was somethIng something something some some- thing phony about that hussy and Dave Taint like Uke a star performer perform perform- er like Nita thought she was to trail around after aCter a cooks cook's helper like she done with Dave They TheY- didn't pull the wool over m my eyes even if it they thoy did double-cross double the kid Idd here here If if they did lid double-cross double I her Mind lind you yoi Bybee I aint sayIng sayIng saying say- say Ing I 1 believe a a. word she's been saying She knew where the safe sare was and she tipped off the boyI boy I aint forgot they was both wanted by the police when they joined up with us As I said be before before before be- be fore if It it hadn't been that she was buried under the ik fre tent shed she'd have skipped with Nita and Dave You roped Nita Nite in on your our little mUe scheme didn't you because shed she'd had more experience cracking safes than you or il the boy That's right aint it The old lady de dem o of Sall Sally m Sally shrank from flOm her In n but the midget still pe 1 on her shoulder patted r reassuringly No no I lid d even tel tell David where th the thel J was I didn't David it He couldn't ITe Hes He's the best man in the w woj Then where is he he Mrs Irs bee screamed Why did h hI hel hero I II I left leU him to guard the trained I And he aint here Is he hei wasn't here when we got back backi the carnival lot after atter the tents raised If Ie hes he's so why did he blow with Nita this Steve youve you've made o your head JB Now now Mot Io lr r 1 Pop s 's B soothed her but his eyes y troubled and suspicious Ret Re wed we'd better notify notly the t I hate to call In the law Ive ways wan said I was the law oU outfit but I suppose If Ivell harboring thieves Ill I'll have to the help of the law Jaw to track down Ben you rou and it down the tracks to Hiep station and give em cm a a. of or Nita and Dave and this s 1 person as much 5 ag s Sallys Sally's able to tell teil us anyway anyway- M Please Mr 11 Bybee Sally to the showman and seiz seized d 1 l his hands in hers set the police poUce on David 1 k khe's hes he's innocent Theres There's so son why he isn't here here here-a a goodison son But he didn't have to do with the robbery like I k that But If it you ou tell telI the po hes he's been with the carnival th find him somewhere and jail on those other charges charges- me too It doesn't me mt but I couldn't live if JD wa was wag put in jail on my account please Youve You've been so good goodus I us And she went suddenly her knees to him her face raised in an agony of appeal To be continued Where is David In the chapter Sally finds him |