| Show NN AUSTIN THIS HAS HAPPENED I IThe I The summer she is 16 Sally Ford orphan is farmed out to Clem task- task Carson farmer and severe There Thero she sho meets David Nash ash handsome student of ot scientific farming fannIng who Is Js working on the Carson farm for the summer David likes Sally and shows he prefers the little orphan to Pearl Clems Clem's daughter David Is so enraged by Carsons Carson's s insinuations about bout him hini and Sally that he ho strikes him sending him crashing to the ground Not knowIng knowing knowing know know- ing whether C Carson is dead or not Sally and David decide decide- they must get et away as quickly as liS possible All that night they tramp through fields toward the town of Stanton At daybreak they come to a railroad railroad rail rall- road track and find a carnival train on the spur Sally Is overJoyed overjoyed overjoyed over- over Joyed to see her I friend I Eddie Cobb a former Cormer orphan who ran tan away to Join the carnival She tells him their plight and h he asks Winfield Bybee owner of the carnival to tomake tomake tomake make a place for th them m. m Bybee agrees and sends David to the cooks cook's car Mrs Irs Bybee Bybe the real manager of the show gives Sally the role o of Princess Lalla Laila crystal gazer azer Sally makes her first bo bow on the carnival platform She is terrified to see Ross Wills friend of Pearl Carson Carson Carson Car Car- son come forward to have his s fortune for- for I tune told I Now go on with the story CHAPTER XV I While Ross Wills awkward and I embarrassed shuffled to the canvas chair hall which Gus the spicier I whisked i eked forward Sally reflected that there was no need for her to remember any of or the multitudinous instructions with which Mrs Bybee had lad primed her for her job of She curved cu her small brown painted tainted nailed glided hands over the he crystal and bent her veiled yelled face tace low ow In a seductive song sing voice she began to chant bringing some sonic of the words out hesitantly as if English had been recently learned and came hard to her TurkIsh lips I zee ze beeg field wheat fIeld wheat field corn fields ees fields eeg it If not zo She raised her shaded eyes coyly coyl to the face of the young farmer The crowd pressed close breathing hard the odors of their breath and perspiration coming up on hot waves of summer air to the gayly dressed little figure on the platform plat plat- form I I J mean sure Princess Ross noss Willis wilis stuttered and the crowd laughed pressed closer still Two or three women waved quarters quarters quarters to attract the attention of Gus the spicIer who lia stood behind her to aid her if necess necessary necessary ry You are are what what you ou call it Ita It-a a a farmer Sally went vent on In her Seductively se seductively seductively se- se deepened voice 0 Ice Oh it was fun to play act and to be bo paid for fOl it You va ry reach young man Va Va-ry beeg farm You have mother father lil lii seester Thank heaven her ears had been keen that night of Pearls Pearl's party part even if she had been inarticulate with love shyness Yol Tel re ar-re in I t zee a sIr rl a a. beeg beg pretty rl gin with red hair hall an blue eyes Ees Kes It not zo Her little low laugh was a gurgle which started a shout of laughter in the crowd x Yeah I reckon so Ross Hoss Willis admitted blushing more violently than eyer ever Oh you ou Pearl a girls girl's voice olce shrilled from the crowd You ry mar-ry with rl gin have three va va-ry childs Sally went on delightedly After all aU why shouldn't Pearl marry Ross noss Willis since she could not have David Zo That ees all I zee zet she concluded concluded con con- eluded with sweet gravity gravit Zee crees tal she go dark now new Ross noss Willis thanked Princess Lalla awkward awkwardly I and dropped from the platform to the grass grass- ground entirely unaware that the marvelous was littIe little little lit lit- tle tIe Sally Ford Confidence and mirth welled up in Sally She began to beli believe ve in herself hersel as Princess Lalla Llla Just as she had always ahva's more than half- half believed d that she was the queen or orthe orthe orthe the actress whom she had impersonated impersonated impersonated imper imper- in the old days s 5 so recently ended forever when she had playacted play acted for the other orphans The next seeker after knowledge of past present and future was not so easy but not very hard bard either for the applicant was wasa a a. girl a pretty very urban-looking urban girl who wore a tiny solitaire ring on her engagement finger and who had been clinging to tho arm of an obviously obviously obviously ob ob- ob- ob adoring young man For Forthe Forthe Forthe the pretty girl Sally foretold a happy marriage with a adark adark adark dark tall young man va-ry va handsome handsome hand band some a long Journey and add two children The girl sparkled with pleasure utterly unconscious of the fact tact that Princess Lalla had told her nothing of tho the past and very little of the present Quarters were thrust upon her thick and fast Because of at the brisk demand for her services Sally Sally Sal Sal- ly iy gave only the briefest of or readIngs readings readings read ings and only a few muttered an angrily angrily angrily an- an that it was a swindle To a middle-aged middle farmer she gave a bumper wheat crop a new eight eight- cylinder car car a prospective son-in- son law for the girl whom Sally had unerringly picked out as his Unmarried un unmarried un- un married daughter and the promise of many splendid grandchildren To a freckled open faced ing youngster o of 10 thrust upon the platform by his adoring mother she grandly promised nothing less than the presidency of the United States as well a as riches and anda a beautiful wife Some of the prophecies such s1 as twin for tor the newly married couple brought shouts of or laughter from Crom the crowd and some of or her vague guesses as to the past went very wide of the mark as the applicants applicants cants rants did not hesitate to tell her herthe herthe herthe the the old ord maid for lor instance who looked so motherly that Salty Sally lavIshly lavishly lav lay endowed her with a husband and three children but nearly nearl everyone who paid a quarter for what Princess Lalla could see in tho magic crystal went away wondering won won- dering dening and thrilled and satisfied the lul between During slipped clipped out of ol performances Sally darIngly daringly daringly dar dar- Wonders and the Palace of crowds out ut- ut mingled with the I side It was all aU Le beautiful and wonderful wonderful won won- to Sal Sally Who had been to a circus omy ony once in her life lire and anu never to a carnival before Before the tent which housed which the big glass Klass tank into bathing beauties dived and in which they ate bananas and dranK I soda pop under water she encountered encountered red tc-red WInfield Bybee enormous majestic benign for it was a a. good crowd and a fine da day and money was pouring into his pockets Well cH well vell he grinned down at her I 1 hear from Gus that youre you're knocking cm em cold Better Detter run along in now and you ou might see how many of the tho rubes robes you OU can make follow you ou into the Palace of Wonders We Ve dont don't want to give em too much of a a. free show And remember girlie ginlie for every quarter Princess Lalla carn earns carns as a fortuneteller fortune fortuno teller little Sally Ford gets a nickle for tor herself Dont Don't take many nickles to make a dollar Oh Mr 1 Bybee Im I'm so happy Im I'm about to burst Sally confided In him in a rush of gratitude But But do do you ou think its it's very wrong of me to pretend to be a crysta gazer azer when really I cant can't see a athing athing athing thing in it to save my life Ute Bybee bellowed with laughter so 50 that the crowd veered suddenly sudden toward them lIe He stooped to whisper whisper whisper whis whis- per claser to her little brown brown- stained ear Dont you worry sister As old P. P T. T Barnum Darnum used to say Theres a sucker born every minute and nd old Winfield Bybee knows that they like to be You Just kid Id em along and send em away happy and I reckon the good Lord aint going td te waste an any black Ink on your our record to to- to night Its It's worth a quarter to be told a lot of or nice things about yourself yourself your your- self aint it As she tripped swiftly across the dusty lot toward the Palace O ol of Wonders the crowd following her grew v larger and anti larger Becoming bolder because she felt that she was really Princess Lalla and not timid little Sally Ford she deliberately deliberately flirted with the men who pressed close upon her even waved a a. little brown hand invitingly toward the big tent When she reached the tent door the barker leaned down from his booth behind which was set a small platform and beckoned her to mount the narrow stairs Smilingly she did so and the barker Introduced Introduced introduced intro Intro- her Here Hero she Is boys the boys the Princess Lalla LaJla of stan no the prettiest girl that ever eyer escaped I from the Sultans Sultan's harem Princess Lalla LaJla favorite gazer crystal to the Sultan of Turl Turkey ey before she she- es esca escaped escaped es- es ca cap ed d from Crom his harem will tell your fortunes la-dees la and gentlemen gen tle men Princess Lalla Lana sees all knows all Just one of the scores of ot at attractions attractions attractions at- at tractions in the Palace of Wonders onders Admission 2 23 cents one quarter of ot ofa ota a dollar two bits Sally bowed her l little brown hands spreading in an enchanting gesture then she skipped down the steps the great ropes o of black hair wound with strands of imitation pearls flapped green satin tunic M III She Sho was very tired wl wEt h per hour came but the th sho aho would soon toon seeto ee D lent wings to her sancil was about to hurry OU ace of Wonders released the apparently i j er Gus when a tin tiny It t caled called to her Princess Lalla LaIla I M Pr la Ia Would you mind a to the cars mindi Sally startled look looked d about the tent that was wasa a a aUe Ue tied 1 of or spectators before on her that the tf come from Crom Pitty Sing est woman In the w wor worin or orin in a childs child's little red redU on the platform jj All An of Sal Sallys Sally's ys y's passion little things thingS- SpeCial y surged dren-surged surged up ii in her skipped down the steps ar little plait ort with hit Kan midget Pitty SIngia Sing Singa Singa a pretty thing a very ery woman the flaxen iha small head her little plump cheeks ing babyish lips tinted In her miniature hand holding a newspaper big in comparison wit size that it served as ail screen jol jolOf Of or course Ill I'll carry earn so glad you'll let me Sand s sand and dimpled You lit you Please dont don't mei bab Sing admonished her I little HUle voise Im old en your mother even ifal enough And the ti hands began to papers with great defini Sall Sallys Sally's s e eyes ej es abash abashed t from the tho disapproving to the paper Odd that thing could read read read-bu read bus but she Bhe was grown up even only 29 itches inches tall tall tall- m mOh Oh please Sally SaIly I I Ing very pae under th the thai I 1 der del May l I see your Just a minute 61 1 For her eyes had cau a name which h had d been to her memory memon fore forever forer r the name of Carson To be Sall Sally gets a kind o oU fe Bybee In the next c cbs cha cd |
