Show I IANNE II I COPYRIGHT C A sAUTH AUTH T OF 1928 BY I O ANNE AUSTIN J I II 1 s ANH THIS HAS HAPPENED Sally Ford ward of or the state stat or orphanage orphanage orphanage or- or from lom the time s she he is four is farmed out to Clem Carson when she is 16 She m meets ets David Nash athlete and student who Is working on the faun farm arm for the Imn sum bum mer Carson makes remarks about Davids David's friendship with ith Sally and the student strikes him a terrific blow Sail Salty Sally and David nee flee and anil join a C carnival David as cooks cook's helper and S Sally lly In a sideshow disguised as Princess Lalla crystal gazer Nita Nila Hula dancer who knows the police are c after the newcomers and who in infatuated with David threatens to expose Sally If It she doesn't keep hands off the young student The Tho carnival next goes to Capital Capital Capital Cap Cap- ital City Sally spent so many years in the orphanage She sue sue- ces fullY detection under the disguise disguise- of the l gazer until one afternoon when the orphans troop in with their hostess a a. beautiful beautiful beautiful beau beau- woman v ho fascinates Sally One o of the children recognizes Sally Sally Sally Sal Sal- ly and shouts her name but Gus the barker comes to her rescue and diverts attention Sally is Js surprised to see the beautiful Lady Bountiful Bountiful Bountiful ful stop and talk with a well- well dressed handsome Easterner who earlier In the afternoon has teasIngly teasIngly teasingly teas- teas read Sallys Sally's fortune in the crystal and as asked he her to go to supper supper supper sup sup- per With him When hen a terrible storm blows blows' up lp and the tent falls Sally finds herself herself herself her her- self supported in the arms of of the Easterner tie lie tells her hel he knows who she Is and that the police are after her When hen they are rescued rescued res rca cued Sally learns that David and Nita are arc missing Later Latel that night Winfield Bybee calls e everybody into his car and tells them his his' safe has been robbed Mrs III'S Bybee acc accuses lse Sally and David recalling that Sally ono one day saw her place mone money in the hidden safe Sally p pleads ds her and Davids David's innocence and tells of Nita's menacing voice in the theda darkness and her conversation with the unknown man Steve Bybee says he will I call In police to find Dav David Id and Nita o Now Kow go on with the story CHAPTER Top Pop B bee looked down upon Sallys Sally's Ul upturned turned face faC with troubled troubled trou trou- troubled bled indecision In his bright blue eyes eves He lie tried to lift her to her hex feet jut but iut her arms arias were 10 locked I about his knees The midget had I scrambled from Sallys Sally's shoulder to tc I the floor of ot the car and as Bybee hesitated her iEr tiny flats fists beat upon por his hig right leg los lor attention Youre roure not going to break your Jour promise to Sally are you jou Mr fly Uy- gee the tiny voice olce piped shrilly You told lold her and the boy you'd youL protect them She's told you the truth Do Dont Don't t you Jou know truth when you OU hear It I always as knew Nita was a a. crook She never saw a policeman po po- or a constable or A sheriff without turning white a as asa a ghost S She joined up with the carnival Just to learn the la lay of ot the land and tip off her accomplice this Steve person person where where to find the money That's why she was spyIng spying spy- spy Ing on Mrs Bb Bybee Bybe e that day in Stanton Listen to me Im listening Miss Tanner Pop Bybee acknowledged w wearily arllY I And I swear I dont don't know what wha shatto to sa say or do If they get cleat away Vay with that money the show oe 00 stranded Ever Livery Every cent I had ii lit h. the he world was in that safe Reckon I was a fool tool to carry it with mE ma but DUt I never trusted a bank ana anait anait it t was more convenient having it right ht with me Tomorrows Tomorrow's payday payday pay pay- da day too and all o of you are in the same boat with me Listen boss lets let's take a vote yote on it ft it Gus the barker spoke up suddenly and loud loudly Now me meI mcI me mc- I believe belie the kid here i is telling the truth No college boy could crack a safe like that It was a professional professional professional job or Im I'm a liar Of Or course Nita may have tolled the boy off odi with her and this Steve since she was so about him but ut we aint got no proof ProC she did and asSally as asSally I Sally Sany says sars if j you Jou ou sick the tho cops ori ott the boy the jig will be up with her as well as as' as tho boy Another thing Dave may be he lying in the bushes somewhere with a bullet bullet- I Oh S Sally lly scrEamed as fis the full fult significance of Gus' Gus words burst upon her She then her little bod body slumping lumping into a heap I at Bybee Bybee's feet hr head striking one of oJ his big shoes shies and resting there thee When Eshe he g consciousness conscious conscious- ness she was lying in the lower berth which had belonged to Nita and the midget wms kneeling on the pillow beside leI ler head dabbing dabbing dabbing dab dab- bing her face with ith a handkerchief soaked in aromatic spirits of ammonia am am- monia Mazie lazle and Sue lue two of ot the dancers in itt the lie gille IlIe show silo sat on the edge of the bIrth their theil cod od- creamed faces beautiful with anxiety and the mattir Is it time timeto to g get t. t up Sally asked dazedly What hat are you OU doing doinE Betty The midget in her tin tiny brisk voice Im Ini bath bathing Ins Ins- your jour ta face e with ammon ammonia a. a which Mrs Irs Bre Bybee Bybee By- By bee e sent It should be to cologne and this ammonia wilt will probably dry jour your skin something dreadful but it was the ont only onry thing we could get You fainted you know Oh I remember Sali SaU moaned ncr ner er head beginning to thrash from side to side aide on the pillow Have I they found David I know hes he's i been hurt lo looking kingi for for him tin the I midget assured her briskly Mr Ir Bybee took a vote on whether he hc was n-as to notify the police abo about t David's Davids Davids David's Da Da- vid's being gone as well a as Nita and the vote ote was No o That ought to make you jou feel happier Oh I It does Sally began to tc S CT softly You have all been a so kind so kind lind You said Mrs Mis Bybee Bybee By By- bee sent the ammonia 1 she asked aske I wIs wistfully ull She he certainly did and she's in ir 1 the kitchen of the privilege car right now making nicking you jou OU some hot tea She vont wont say she's sorry probably but shell she'll tr try to make it up to you Jou Sues She's like that that always always flying ot off the toe handle and suspicious of but she's got a heart as big as as' Ba Babe the fat girl s And dAnd so to have you jou Sally lIly told her brokenly taking both of ot the tiny hands into one one of hers heis and la ing them softly against her lips Aint lo love loV grand nd Mazie Iazle sighed deeply if It It had been my sweetie Id I'd fell a for that line of Ma 1 Bybee's Bybee's Bybee's By- By bees bee's about him running off oft with Nita but you JOU sure stuck by him I was in love Jove like that once when I was a kid I married him too and he ran rap off oft with the albino girl girt and took my grouch ba bag with him Ever Every damn cent I had But It sure was was' sweet before we we was mar mar- ned ried and he lie was n-as nuts about me inc Aw Aw let the kid alone Sue slipped from the edge edg of the berth berthand and yawned widely Im I'm Im sleepy If It the cops dont don't catch that Hula huss hussy Im I'm going s out looking for her myself arid and when I get gel through with her shell she'll never shako shake ano another he grass skirt Mazie Its It's three o'clock in the morning and weve we've got soot 18 shows hows ahead of u Us toda today Maybe 1 Mazie Mazle yawned If Jf Pop wasn't stringing us well we'll be stranded In this berg Sally Sahi Midge lIdge And say Sally even if It this Dave e bO boy has and left Ie J you ou U fiat lat y you u wont won't have no trouble copping off another another an- an other ler sweetie Gus was telling us s about that New York 1011 rube that's trailing you Hook up UI with him and jou youil 11 wear diamonds Believe me kid they aint none of em I worth losing sleep over when Youve you've got 18 shows a da day ahead of ot you G night ht When hen they had bad gone the midget yanked the green curtains together with wills comical f r r S I s. s then crawl led crawled ct under the t t the sheet that covered Sally Im going to s set sL here with you ou SaIl Sally she s said I don't dont take up much room AntI And the wom woman n who ibo was vas old enough h fo to be b Sally's Sallys Sally mother curled her ber inch 23 ln 9 h bod body its ill in t the e of or 4 A Sallys Sally's a right arm and laid her tiny tim cheek as soft sort and wrinkled iti 8 as a worn woin kid glove glo in the hollow ot 01 Sallys Sally's firm young joung neck But long after aCler the tho midget was sas asleep Sally Saily la lay wide eyed and tense in the dark her mind a welter welter welter wel wel- ter of tears and love and doubt She had pleaded passionately with Pop Bybee for lor David fiercely shoving shoving ahoy ahoy- ing lag to the dark depths of her mind even the memory of the jealousy which Nita had fiendishly aroused In her heart beart But now that she sha had saved him temporarily by convincing convincing convincing con con- Bybee th that t the boy could not have taken part in the robbery doubt began to Insinuate its ugly body upward from those dark depths wh where ro she ha had burned it Did he really love her her her-a a pathetic pathetic pa pa- pa- pa thelic immature girl from an or orphanage orphanage or- or orphanage a girl S-Irl who had been nothing but a a. responsibility and anda andEL a EL source of ot dire trouble to him since he ho had first met and championed championed cham chain her on the Carson farm Her old feeling of inferiority rose like nausea in her throat Life Lle in the orphanage is not calculated calculated calculated to give a girl gill Irl faith in her own beauty and charm chalm No one Davids David's teasing fond lond eyes had rested upon her hel had thought her beautiful Had he been only sorry for her glad Iad o of an opportunity to bow blow to get out of the state where whee he heI was wanted oi on two serious I charges Was Vas he ho dismayed too b by the fact that moonlight had tricked him into telling her that I lie he loved her thus adding the re responsibility responsibility s-c- s of her future to the burden of protecting protecting- her iser in this I hectic present Then a sweeter saner memory clamored for fOI attention She heard again aln his fond husky voice cai caressIng caress caress- essIng ess- ess Ing her his Dear little Sally And involuntary her mouth pursed In memory of f his kiss that kiss that had left leU her giddy gidd with delight How unfailingly kind and sweet he had been since that first cIa lay daj- when he had strode Into her life with the sun on his chestnut halland hair hall and the glory of the sun in his eyes He lIe had not failed her once but she was tailing falling him now by doubting him by picturing him hint as asa asa asa a fugitive in the dork fleeing teeing with witha a pair of criminals who had robbed the ho man whose kindness s had protected protected protected pro pro- him from the tho law Why she must be to think for tor or a moment that David could do doa a thing like that No Xo one in the world was as good and kind and honorable as David But where was s he Mrs Mis II'S IJ Bj Dyce ce had hiLd left him to guard the train Not for a moment could she be believe believe be- be lieve that he had failed in his trust Painfully SaIl Sally tried to toIs visualize via vis that dreadful thing that had happened David alone the train his eyes sharp shari for foi in intruders In- In Then Then the the sudden appearance appearance appear appear- ance of Nita and the man Steve weighted wels down with the contents of the safe they had robbed lobbed For Foi Sally knew that the robbery must haVe taken place before David caught his first glimpse ot of th the tho crooks Otherwise the safe would be Intact now even if It Davids David's dead dc-ad body had been found silent witness wit witness wit wit- ness that he had fulfilled hrs his ti tl usi Her lIer mind shuddered away from flom that imagined picture went back to the painful of what must have taken p place pace ace David Dand had seen them had given chase Of Ot course Otherwise he would be here now Was Vas he still pursuIng pursuing pm-au- pm I ing them or was he lying somewhere some some- where near the road rOal wounded his splendid young body ignominiOusly ignominiously flung into a a. cornfield cornfield She could bear no more could no longer lie safe in her berth David needed her somewhere Very carefully cardul for Ol all her haste she lifted the tiny body that nestled against her sl side e and laid it tenderly upon the pillow which was big enough to serve as a mattress mattress mat mat- tress for the midget Then sobbing sob sob- Wag bing ing soundlessly she groped for her shoes in the green hammock hammock ham ham- ham ham- mock swung across the windows w found them put them on slipped to the edge of the berth She was profoundly thankful that th the tho girls had not undressed her after she had fainted When she re reached ched the car In which Mr 11 and Mrs Bybee occupied a stateroom she saw the showman and his wife wife- through the open door talking to two strangers ers whom she guessed to to be plainclothes policemen police police- men from police headquarters o of Capital CIt City The two men wei-e wei Evidently about to leave nodding g impatiently that thc they understood when Sally appeared like a frightened frightened fright fright- ened pale little JulIe ghost in green and white striped gingham Ingham She forgot ot that she sheVa Va was without mak make up up that the police were lookIng lookIng lookIng look- look Ing for her Ier as well as for the crim crim- criminals criminals who lobbed i the safe afe But nut PO Pop Bybee had not forgotten Still talking with the plainclothes tI I hi he motioned to her hei violently r J I. I behind his back She turned and forced herself helsel to walk slowly and anil I sedately toward the othes- othes end of the car as the detectives made I their farewells and their brusque promises of quick action I When the men had left the car cai bees bee's voice summoned her in a husky stage whisper calling her I Lalla so that the detectives es I if they were listening should not identify her with tho girl who had run away from the orphanage ol Inthe in inthe inthe the company of a man wanted on ona ona a a. charge of or with the Intent intent In in- in tent to kill Are Aie you jou ou craz Bybee demanded demand demand- ed hoarsely sely when she had come running run run- ning to the stateroom Them was dicks clicks P Policemen understand They Ther nabbed you jou What are aie you jou doing up Get back to bed and try to sleep Have Ha you jou found David she abe quavered brushing aside his anxIety anxiety anxiety for lor herNot her Not a sign of him Bybee shook his head But I didn't spill the Ute beans to the licks dicks Id I'd given you jou my word and Bybee's word orel Is as good as his bond Im ins going to look for David she announced simply but her blazing biasing eyes dared him to try to prevent her Hes lIes hurt somewhere or or killed Im I'm going to find him And l before the astonished hed man manor manor manor or his wife could coull stretch out a a. hand to detain her hershe she was gone When she dropped from rOni the platform of or orI the car she she he heard the retreating roar of the tho police car Instinct ct I turned her in the opposite direction I tion away ay from the elt city down the railroad tracks tracks' |