Two Strangers Read Online Free Page A

yesterday.’
    ‘That’s all right. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Do you need help today?’
    ‘No, we can manage, lass.’
    Vicki smiled, waved to Doris, and began to walk through the market to see if there was work at any of the other stalls.

Three
    It was sheer luck her hiding place hadn’t been discovered for so long, but that was where her good fortune ended. The bitter March wind was ripping through Vicki’s thin coat and she was so cold she could hardly move. To add to her misery, it was beginning to snow again. She looked up at the small window and wondered where she was going to get the strength to pull herself through. She knew she must, though, because if she collapsed out here it would be the end.
    It was with sheer desperation that she managed to struggle through, and, with the last reserves of her strength gone, she fell on to the concrete floor. That was where she stayed for a while, gasping with relief. After that first hopeful day, things had become more and more difficult. In the struggle to earn enough money for food, ten months had slipped by. Her fifteenth birthday had come and gone unnoticed, and now her situation was frightening. She was so weak and scruffy that no one would give her a job. To her shame, she had started begging at the railway station. Several times she had stopped outside the cafe Bill had taken her to, but just hadn’t been able to make herself go in and ask for something to eat. The man had said she could, but she couldn’t go in there looking like this, and she wasn’t sure if he’d only said that because Bill was there. If she went in begging for food and got thrown out, then that would be the end of her. No, she just couldn’t do it.

    Forcing herself to stand up, Vicki went over to the small fireplace and knelt down in front of it. She had resisted lighting a fire because she hadn’t wanted to draw attention to her hiding place, but if she was going to see the spring, then she had to take the chance.
    There was plenty of paper and wood in the room and it didn’t take her long to have a fire ready to light. She had been lucky today when a passenger running to catch the train dropped a match box. Vicki had pounced on it. There were only six matches still in the box, but if she was careful they might last her a while. With shaking hands, she struck a match and held it to the paper. Luckily, everything in the room was dry, and the wood soon caught. She watched anxiously, hoping there wouldn’t be too much smoke pouring out of the chimney. She carefully fed small pieces of wood on to the fire and there was soon a good blaze going. She began to thaw out. The relief was overwhelming and, in her fragile state, she began to cry in great gulping sobs. When her dad had thrown her out and she had found this warehouse, she had been confident that it would only be a temporary place to stay, but she was still here. Where had her hopes and dreams of making a good life for herself gone?
    More composed after a while, she wiped her face dry and munched the bun she had managed to buy today. As she gazed at the comforting flames, her mind began to clear. There had to be a way out of this desperate mess, but everywhere she went they turned her away, saying they only wanted boys …
    Boys … boys … The word kept running through her head as she finished the last crumbs of her meagre meal. Then she nodded to herself. If that was the only way to get a job, then she would have to pass herself off as a boy. It shouldn’t be too hard. If she cut her hair and changed her clothes, it should be possible. Getting hold of trousers, jacket and a shirt wasn’t going to be easy, though, but she would find a way. The railway station would be her best bet. Even though she hated begging like that, it had to be done. If she was lucky, she would get enough money for what she needed. There was a stall at the market selling cast-off clothes, and they were cheap.
    The tears had drained her, but now