Secrets on 26th Street Read Online Free Page A

couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Mum laugh so hard; surely it was before Dad died.
    Then right in the middle of Bea’s story about her Welsh cousin who herded sheep, there was a knock at the door. Susan feared it was Lester Barrow, come even before she’d had a chance to warn Mum, but it was only a man bringing Bea’s trunk from the depot. Then, of course, Susan had to tell Mum about Lester, which wiped the smile from Mum’s face and brought back her tired, haggard expression.
    â€œA plague take that Lester Barrow!” said Mum. “He must know I’m doing the best I can.” She sighed. “Perhaps if I give him three dollars more on payday, he’ll wait for the rest.”
    â€œThat’s half your week’s pay, Mum!” Susan was thinking of the coal they’d be needing.
    â€œYes, but what else can I do?”
    â€œAsk for a raise,” Bea said. “I don’t have the pleasure of acquaintance with your boss, but it sounds as if he’s taking advantage of you, love.”
    To Susan’s surprise, Mum agreed with Bea. “That he does. He pays us women half what he pays his male clerks.” She sighed again. “I think you’re right, Bea. I need to make more money, and that’s the short of it. I just might ask for a raise.”
    Mum’s words worried Susan. Discontent was dangerous down on the docks where Mum worked. Susan remembered Dad telling them about a couple of longshoremen he worked with who’d disappeared. They were colored men, Dad said, and they were assigned the worst job on the docks—unloading the dark recesses of the ship’s hold. These men, it seemed, made the mistake of complaining to the union about their work conditions. The next day they didn’t show up for work, though they had never missed a day in ten years. No one ever saw them again. Dad figured they had ended up at the bottom of the river.
    â€œMum, I’m not sure you should do that,” Susan worried. “Remember those men Dad worked with who disappeared …”
    â€œAh, and you think the same thing might happen to me.” Mum reached across the table and patted Susan’s hand. “Don’t think so, lamb. Mr. Riley’s hard to work for, it’s true, but he’s a Tammany man. He’d never do such things to a woman—it would be against Tammany code. No, the least I can do is ask, and the worst he can do is say no.
    â€œIt’s paying Lester Barrow four months’ back rent I’m worried about now” She sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to stay up and wait to see if he comes by, though I would dearly love to go straight to bed.”
    Mum yawned. “Run on to bed, Helen and Susie. I’ll be in soon to tuck you in.”
    Helen obeyed, but Susan hesitated. Whether from worrying or from the excitement of the day’s events, she felt wide-awake. “May I stay up with you and wait for Lester Barrow?”
    Before Mum could answer, Bea asked if Susan would like to help her unpack and get settled.
    Mum accepted for her. “Susie’s a marvelous helper, Bea.” Mum patted Susan’s hand. “You go on, lamb. I’ll sit here and rock awhile.” She was already settling into the rocking chair.
    Susan nodded. If it would make Mum happy to keep Bea happy, Susan would do her best to oblige. She followed Bea into “her” room, empty now except for the bed, lumpy with age, the nightstand, and the dresser. The bare look of Mum’s room sent a pang shooting through Susan, but she knew this was Bea’s room now, and there was no use wishing it wasn’t. Besides, she couldn’t help being curious about that huge trunk of Bea’s. What on earth could she have in there?
    Susan eagerly watched Bea unlock the trunk and open the lid. An awed “ooh” escaped her lips as Bea began unpacking beautifully embroidered, lacy linens and nightgowns