Read Online The Fall Of White City (Gilded Age Mysteries Book 1) by N. S. Wikarski - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: N. S. Wikarski
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reverently. Catching herself, she added, “Oh yes, that’s right. I’ll have that.”
“Very good,” said the waiter, “and to drink?”
“I’ll have tea, preferably Darjeeling , and the young lady will have a glass of milk.”
The waiter hastened back to the kitchen to place the order.
After he left, Evangeline asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you learn to read, Patsy? I’m sure Elsa would have taught you. I know that she taught herself with a little help from Mast House.”
“She tried to teach me once.” The girl seemed disturbed after she let the words escape. “Ma caught us one night working over the alphabet, and she threw the copybook into the stove. She said she didn’t want me ruining my eyes over letters like Elsa had done. She said I should save them for the sewing work because I get paid for that.”
“I see.” Evangeline sighed dejectedly. “And just how long have you been working in a factory, Patsy?”
“Since I was seven. Before that, I used to do piece work at the kitchen table on the sewing that the neighbor ladies brought home each day. I would pull out the bad stitching, and ma would get paid for each piece that could be resewed the next day.”
“How young were you when that started?”
“I can’t remember.” Patsy sounded puzzled. “It seems like it was that way from the start, but I think I was about four.” She smiled uncertainly. “I guess you can’t hold a pair of scissors until you’re that old, can you?”
“No, I guess not,” Evangeline agreed half-heartedly. “I don’t suppose there’s any likelihood your mama would allow you to go to school?”
The girl’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t get paid if I go to school.”
“Perhaps there’s a way in which you could.” Evangeline smiled mysteriously.
“How?” Patsy’s face remained bleak.
Evangeline shook out her napkin and resettled it decisively. “I’ll speak to your mother and offer her a greater incentive to send you to school than to keep you at the factory. I can be very persuasive when I need to be. My bank book can be even more so.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You may tell your mama I will call on her later in the week to collect Elsa’s belongings and to discuss a few other matters of importance.”
“But...” Patsy seemed on the verge of asking several more questions when their order arrived. Evangeline took some temporary satisfaction in seeing Patsy devour the sandwich filled with thick slabs of roast beef.
“But Miss Engie , why...” Patsy took another mouthful. “Why did we come here if we were supposed to have a secret meeting?”
Evangeline smiled. “Patsy, look around you.”
The girl obeyed, still chewing happily. Her eyes wandered toward the couples and families and society matrons all chattering away at nearby tables. She then gave Evangeline a quizzical look.
“The best place to be private, Patsy, is in public. All the people in this room are preoccupied with their own concerns. Have you seen anyone, aside from the waiter, who has taken any notice of us since we walked in?”
“Well, no. I guess not.”
“In this store, all classes of society mingle without anyone commenting about it. If you and I were seen together anyplace else, it might draw some attention, but not here—never here.”
“Oh, I see.” Patsy glanced down self-consciously at the patched sleeve of her frock. “I guess that makes a deal of sense.”
“Of course it does, my young friend. And now to the matter at hand. What can you tell me about Elsa?”
Patsy had finished eating but was picking up every crumb on her plate, intent on leaving nothing behind. “Well... ,” she began, “I know she had a gentleman friend.”
“Did she, indeed?” Evangeline raised an eyebrow. “And who was this fine fellow?”
“I never knew that, miss.” Patsy shook her head emphatically. “She never told me. But, I know she went with him to the World’s Fair, because he sent her a
“Very good,” said the waiter, “and to drink?”
“I’ll have tea, preferably Darjeeling , and the young lady will have a glass of milk.”
The waiter hastened back to the kitchen to place the order.
After he left, Evangeline asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you learn to read, Patsy? I’m sure Elsa would have taught you. I know that she taught herself with a little help from Mast House.”
“She tried to teach me once.” The girl seemed disturbed after she let the words escape. “Ma caught us one night working over the alphabet, and she threw the copybook into the stove. She said she didn’t want me ruining my eyes over letters like Elsa had done. She said I should save them for the sewing work because I get paid for that.”
“I see.” Evangeline sighed dejectedly. “And just how long have you been working in a factory, Patsy?”
“Since I was seven. Before that, I used to do piece work at the kitchen table on the sewing that the neighbor ladies brought home each day. I would pull out the bad stitching, and ma would get paid for each piece that could be resewed the next day.”
“How young were you when that started?”
“I can’t remember.” Patsy sounded puzzled. “It seems like it was that way from the start, but I think I was about four.” She smiled uncertainly. “I guess you can’t hold a pair of scissors until you’re that old, can you?”
“No, I guess not,” Evangeline agreed half-heartedly. “I don’t suppose there’s any likelihood your mama would allow you to go to school?”
The girl’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t get paid if I go to school.”
“Perhaps there’s a way in which you could.” Evangeline smiled mysteriously.
“How?” Patsy’s face remained bleak.
Evangeline shook out her napkin and resettled it decisively. “I’ll speak to your mother and offer her a greater incentive to send you to school than to keep you at the factory. I can be very persuasive when I need to be. My bank book can be even more so.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You may tell your mama I will call on her later in the week to collect Elsa’s belongings and to discuss a few other matters of importance.”
“But...” Patsy seemed on the verge of asking several more questions when their order arrived. Evangeline took some temporary satisfaction in seeing Patsy devour the sandwich filled with thick slabs of roast beef.
“But Miss Engie , why...” Patsy took another mouthful. “Why did we come here if we were supposed to have a secret meeting?”
Evangeline smiled. “Patsy, look around you.”
The girl obeyed, still chewing happily. Her eyes wandered toward the couples and families and society matrons all chattering away at nearby tables. She then gave Evangeline a quizzical look.
“The best place to be private, Patsy, is in public. All the people in this room are preoccupied with their own concerns. Have you seen anyone, aside from the waiter, who has taken any notice of us since we walked in?”
“Well, no. I guess not.”
“In this store, all classes of society mingle without anyone commenting about it. If you and I were seen together anyplace else, it might draw some attention, but not here—never here.”
“Oh, I see.” Patsy glanced down self-consciously at the patched sleeve of her frock. “I guess that makes a deal of sense.”
“Of course it does, my young friend. And now to the matter at hand. What can you tell me about Elsa?”
Patsy had finished eating but was picking up every crumb on her plate, intent on leaving nothing behind. “Well... ,” she began, “I know she had a gentleman friend.”
“Did she, indeed?” Evangeline raised an eyebrow. “And who was this fine fellow?”
“I never knew that, miss.” Patsy shook her head emphatically. “She never told me. But, I know she went with him to the World’s Fair, because he sent her a
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