Girl Alone

vid's low-spoken speech, made them spring guiltily apart.

ry, frustrated animal, through the

o spy upon them. When Clem Carson's harsh bellow startled them out of their innocent confidences Da

h indignation. "I'll have to ask you to apologize for what you said, sir.

as if he were braced for attack, and the farmer, after an involuntary shrinking tow

nsible to the orphanage for Sally, and I don't aim to have her going back in disgrace. Better get back to the house, Sally, and go to bed,

the house, Mr. Carson

doggedly along behind them as they walked single file between the rows of corn. When they reached the kitchen, where Mrs. Carso

on the back stairs, and knew that he had cut short the farmer's "little talk" with him. Reckless of conseq

a faint blur in the dark, but at her whispered

leave, too. And that will hold him, because he can't do without me at this busy season. He couldn

rl's eyes bore traces of tears shed during the night, and the high color of anger burned in her plump cheeks. Carson's anger and chagrin at losing all his hopes of David

, Ma?-our little 'Orphunt Annie' is stepping out! Yes, sir, she ain't

e," Mrs. Carson commanded impatiently. "She's

n gushed into Sally's eyes, so that she could not see t

meek and mild as a Jersey heifer all the time! I tell you, Ma, it t

Pearl cried angrily, tossing her head. "Sally's we

ned in tears, flut

oing pretty far, Mr. Cars

'm a man that likes his joke, and it does strike me as funny that a fine, upstanding college man like you,

and clear out, all of you! Sally and me have got a big day's work ahead of us. Pearl

the kitchen, dressed for her trip to the city, her arms

an these shoes for me today and wash out these stockings and unde

arms and hands, accepted the pile of garments du

busy every minute today," Mrs. Carson rebuked Pearl

oday, and I need these things for tonight. I'm going to a

ishpan she heard the little old gran

rl run over Sally. She's a nice, polite-spo

too busy now to take it out of her. I wonder, Ma, if you couldn't rip up them other two dresses that Pearl gave Sally? The c

on Mrs. Carson's hand. Then, flushing vividly, she ran back to the kitchen sink, se

caress, the girl felt that from that moment the fa

g sent back to the Home, Sally found a ray of comfort in the fact that Grandma Carson, probably because she felt sorry for Sally, constantly hectored as sh

nd gloat over them. Then, her eyes darting now and then to the closed door, she hastily made a bundle of the three new dresses and hid it under the corns

ing. The farmer suggested that Pearl drive her in, since he himself was to be busy setting up th

Ma and Benny go in with you. They haven't seen

dity. "Would there be room for me, Mrs. Carson? I c

answered. "I got a lot of trottin

ut shrilly. "I won't have her tagging after us all af

"I'll bring you a pair of them fiber silk stockings, Sally, to wear to church tomo

pon her with the realization that Carson had not accompanied his family to town. The two hired men had left the farm for Capital City, immediately after the noon meal, wages in their pocke

gather enough hard, sour apples to make pies for supper. Carson, she began to hope, was so busy setting up the cider mill that he would have no time to take her

pie crust called for. At the orphanage the pie crust was tough and leathery, because the matron would not permit the cook to use enough lard. What joy it was to co

d pie crust, she thought wistfully of Mrs. Carson, who

me because David likes me and won't marry Pearl. And I like David better than anybody in the world," she confessed to herself, as the pink in her cheeks deepened. "But I would love to have a mother, even if it

orously the big yellow pine board and rolling pin, and restored them to their proper places. Then, feeling very useful and virtuous,

a deep, golden brown, with little gl

her head cocked sideways as she surveyed her handiwork, "those a

climbed the steep back stairs to the garret, intending to take a cooling sponge bath and a short nap bef

g your singing, even if I did spend

p here, David," she told him. "I'm sorry I interrupted your

covered with books and papers, but as she

model chicken farms and champion egg-laying hens and things like that. Look," he commanded snatching up a book as if eager to detain her

man's bedroom, slipped into the chair he was holding for her

r, enthusiastically. "Look, here's the kind-" And he bent low over her, so that his arm was ab

absorbed they did not hear the faint click of the lock. Nor did they hear, a little later, th

merits of crop rotation, and pointing out text-book confirmation of his theories, when sudd

ying, nasty little-" Carson's voice, hoarse with anger and exultation over his coming revenge upon the girl who had dared jeopardize his daughter's happiness, stopp

's window looked, they would necessarily have heard his approach, but as it was they were totally unprepared for the sight

e window. She had a fleeting glimpse of his rage-dist

er voice a high, thin wail of terro

roke in its rage, but there was no faltering in the pow

ore awful noise of a big body sliding rapidly down the roof. She half fainted then, so that when David tri

le tremulous with awe at that which he had done

rom the window to his set, pale young face. Then she n

ound since he crashed to the ground." David's hazel

going to do?" She began to cry then, in little, frightened whi

en, and in that instant he seemed to grow older. Color came slowly b

here and get us both sent to jail just to ease a pain that that beast, if he isn't dead, may be having! Oh, God, I hope I didn't kill him!

e full of trust and adoration as she answered: "I'll go wit

possible. Cut across the orchard to the cornfield and wait for me where we were sitting the other night. I'll join you alm

es as she ran through the orchard, the brown paper parcel of clothes clutched tightly to her bosom. Twice she dashed the tears from her eyes, glanced fearfull

of the field she paused, opened her bundle with shaking hands, drew out the dark blue linen dress and put it on over the blue-and-white ging

unsmiling, but his lips managed an up

rson had been-hurt-and asked him to come over. I didn't answer when

did, David. It was lik

e kid you are, Sally! What a darn nice little thing you are! But I've been thinking hard

go back to the orphanage! I'

s thing I've done, Sally. I'm sorry. I thought I could. I'm going to give myself up, after

r-stricken animal, and David watched her for a long moment, his eyes dark with pity and uncertainty. Then he gave chase, his long legs clearing the distance between

y alone like this-Oh Lord!" he groaned suddenly. "There they come!

his arms, for she had gone limp with terror, and ran,

eet. "We can't leave here now. The place will be swarming with people. But wh

alks. They did not talk much for they were listening, listening for faint sounds comi

ng into the lane from the state highway, told them that the doctor to whom David had teleph

ring. "They hadn't found him. T

ed. A little later they heard Mrs. Carson's harsh

tle, shuddering. "She was-good to me. She-she liked me, Dav

soft gray dust upon the cornfield, passed somehow. Several cars arri

m. "They won't dream we're still so near the house

e, with only a fence between the two hay meadows. We can cut across his farm, giving the house and barns a wide berth. Then we'll strike a bit of timberland

his hand, which he had withdrawn as he rose to his feet.

gruffly. "I'll lead the way. Let

future. Indeed, her imagination was incapable of picturing a future for a Sally Ford whose life was not regulated by orphanage routine. She held only the

avid's voice called

trees, and under that whispering rustle came the cool, sweet murmur of a brook. She crouched beside David on the bank of the tiny stream and thirstily drank

our or five thousand inhabitants, the town in which the woman who had brought her twelve years ago to the orphanage had lived. Days before Sally had memori

ng, drunken-looking fences into meadows or fields for a terribly needed rest. Once, with his head in her lap, her fingers smoothing his crisp chest

nger, caught their first glimpse of Stanton, a pretty little town snugly asleep in the hush that belongs peculiarly to ea

he lookout for us. We might stop at a house that has no telephone-they wouldn't be likely to have heard about Carson-but I don't like to arouse anyone this early on Sunday morning. Th

hundred yards from the railroad tracks where they crossed the dirt

is to act as if we had had nothing to hide. Remember, we've done no wrong. I

undered down the tracks toward them. Her face was drawn with fatigue but her eyes managed a smi

s Bigger and Better Show.' I'd forgotten the carnival w

ge cigar, seated cockily in the palm of the giant's vast hand. Big red type below the picture announced: "Bybee's Bigg

e turned toward Sally, beheld the miracle of her transformed face. "Wh

ice again-sent tickets for all the orphans. And, oh it was wonderful, David! We all planned to run away from the orphanage and join the circus. We talked about it for weeks, but-we didn't run away. The girls didn't, I mean, but o

d track. "This is a spur of the main road, a siding, they

om which the engine had been uncoupled, and as she ran she called shrilly, joyou

ddie Cobb