As long as she lived, Sally Ford would remember with shame that for one moment she was tempted by Arthur Van Horne's offer to prepare her for a stage career in New York. She had "play-acted" all her life; her heart's desire before she had met David had been to become an actress, and in that one moment when she knew that realization of her ambition lay within her grasp she wanted to stretch out her hands and seize opportunity.
Her eyes glistened; she gasped involuntarily with delight. If Van Horne had not been hasty, if he had not snatched her to him with a strangled cry of triumph as his black eyes--mocking no longer, but wide and brilliant with desire--read the effect of his words, she might have committed herself, have promised him anything. But he did touch her, and her flesh instinctively recoiled, for every nerve in her body was still athrill with David's good-night kiss.
"No, No! Don't touch me!" she shuddered. "I won't go! You know I love David!" she wailed, covering her face with her hands. "Why won't you let me alone?"
Van laughed, settled back in his seat and crossed his arms upon his breast. "I can wait until you have your little tummy full of carnival life and of hiding from the police," he told her in his old, nonchalant way. "Incidentally I have always bemoaned the fact that conquest is so damnably easy. It is a new experience to me--this being refused, and I suspect that I'm enjoying it. Now--shall I say good-night, since we've reached the carnival lot? It's not goodby, you know, Sally. I assure you I'm admirably persistent. And remember, if Enid tries to make a nuisance of herself, you can always fly to Van. Good night, Sally, you adorable, ungrateful little wretch! No kiss? Perhaps it is better so. I'm afraid I should not care for the brand of lipstick that Princess Lalla uses."
Sally did not tell David of Van Horne's offer, for on Saturday, the last day of the carnival in Capital City, the boy developed a temperature which caused Gus, who had acted as volunteer surgeon, to exclude all visitors, even Sally.
Apparently Enid Barr had been convinced of Bybee's gallant lies that little orphaned Betsy had been mistaken and that "Princess Lalla" was not "Sally Ford, play-acting," but it was not until the show train was rolling out of the state in the small hours of Sunday morning that the girl dared breathe easily.