Sarah Sunshine: A Montana Romance Novella by Merry Farmer Page A

“We’re on a Tour of Sin.”
    “A what?” Roy asked.
    “A Tour of Sin,” Sarah repeated as though reciting a lesson.  “We are making a circuit through the town, stopping to observe the immorality of those citizens who choose to fly in the face of God’s will.”
    “I’m sorry, whose will was that?” Delilah asked from the top of the stairs, humor gone.
    “Sinners should be punished for their iniquity!” Miss Jones insisted.
    “Funny, I thought God loved a sinner.”
    “Do you hear that, Sarah?  Blasphemy!”  Miss Jones jerked her chin up, Miss Archer and Miss Pickering mirroring her in a trifecta of indignation.
    Sarah moved to tip her chin as well but ended up bobbling her head in confusion.  “I think she’s right though,” she said.  “When Rev. Andrews comes to preach to the girls at the saloon he always says that God loves us and forgives us and seeks nothing more than our redemption and-”
    “Silence, girl!  You will speak when you’re spoken to.”  Miss Jones’s brow darkened.  She pursed her lips and pointed up at the hotel.  “You are here to learn from me, and I am telling you that this structure you see before you represents the worst kind of sin.”
    “This here is a place of business,” Roy rushed to defend Delilah and his livelihood.  “It is a home away from people’s homes, and my aim is to make them feel at home.”
    “Disrespect.”  Miss Pickering shook her head.
    “You will see, Sarah, how those who build themselves up with sin fall harder in the end.  A hotel is nothing but a brothel in disguise.”
    “But,” Sarah twisted the end of her ragged shawl, “but didn’t the Virgin Mary give birth to baby Jesus in a hotel?”
    The biddies laughed and snorted.
    “The good Lord was turned away from the inn.  That says something if nothing else does!”
    “Don’t confuse the poor girl, Viola.”  Delilah planted her hands on her hips.  “If the baby Jesus or his mother or anyone else in need of shelter for the night and food in their bellies wants to come to either of my hotels, I won’t turn them away.”
    A hint of a smile touched Sarah’s eyes as she met Delilah’s.  It vanished a moment later when Miss Jones clamped a hand on Sarah’s arms.
    “Come away, Sarah!  We have more to see, and I fear if we stay here too much longer, our very souls could be in peril!”
    Sarah sent an apologetic look to Delilah.  While she was off balance Miss Jones yanked her.  She stumbled and the biddies closed around her.
    Roy jerked towards her.  Jumbled up in the anger and indignation he felt over the way his Sarah was being treated ran a deep river of shame.  It was his fault things had come to this.  He should have stopped her when he could.  He ached to chase after Sarah and whisk her away to safety.
    “I reckon you’ve got the right idea there, honey,” Delilah said, nodding to his feet as they inched toward the road.  “You’d best go after her.  I don’t trust that woman as far as I can throw her.”
    He jumped immediately into motion.  “I won’t be too long,” he said, forgetting the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.
    He jogged to catch up to the biddies and Sarah, keeping his distance once he’d matched their pace.  If Miss Jones or the others knew he was following, they didn’t let on.  They kept their backs straight, their noses in the air, and their skirts swishing as they marched.  Sarah peeked over her shoulder a time or two, but that blasted brown bonnet covered her face so he couldn’t tell if she was pleased or angry with him.
    They kept marching until they got to Main Street.  Plenty of folks were out and about on morning business.  A few turned to see what was going on as Miss Jones led her band down the street and up to the front of the saloon.  Roy’s gut felt as though someone had dumped a load of rocks in it.  Sarah must be in agony with so many people watching.
    A handful of girls were sitting out on the