Most of her fear of Enid Barr, which had resulted from the connection of
the golden-haired woman with the orphanage children the day before, had
evaporated. It was absurd to think that a woman of such wealth and
beauty, whose philanthropy had undoubtedly been a gesture of boredom,
was seriously interested in one lone little girl who had run away from
charity.
It did not even seem odd to Sally that Enid Barr should have paid a
second visit to the carnival. Probably Capital City afforded scant
amusement for a woman of her sophistication, and the carnival, crude and
tawdry though it was, was better than nothing.
Since “Princess Lalla” was not a side-show all by herself, but only one
of many attractions in the Palace of Wonders, Gus never made any attempt
to cajole reluctant “rubes” into surrendering their quarters for a
glimpse of “past, present and future,” but always hustled his crowd on
to the next platform—“Pitty Sing’s”—as soon as the first flurry of
interest had died down and the crowd had become restive.
By this method, those who were faintly or belligerently dissatisfied
with Sally’s crystal-gazing, at which she was becoming more adept with
each performance, were quickly placated by the sight of new wonders, for
which no extra charge was made.
Sally was straightening the black velvet drapery which covered the
crystal stand, preparatory to returning to the dress tent for a rest
between shows when a lovely, lilting voice, with a ripple of amusement
in it, made her gasp with surprise and consternation.
“Am I too late to have my fortune told?” Enid Barr, gazing up at Sally
with her golden head tilted provocatively to one side, was immediately
below the startled crystal-gazer, one of her exquisite small hands
swinging the silvery-green felt hat which Sally had so much admired the
day before.
“Oh, no!” Sally fluttered, both delighted and frightened at this
opportunity to talk with the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.
Just in time she remembered her accent: “Weel you do me ze honor to
ascend the steps?”
Laughing at herself, and looking over her shoulder to see that she was
not observed by anyone who knew her, Enid Barr ran lightly up the steps
and slipped into the little camp chair opposite Sally. Her small white
hands, with their exquisite nails glistening in the light from the
center gas jet, hovered over the crystal, touching it tentatively.
Sally leaned forward, her own hands cupped about the crystal, her eyes
brooding upon it behind the little black lace veil, her mouth pursed
with sweet seriousness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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