“Hello, ma’am,” Grace said, suddenly wishing her dress were not so small and faded. “Welcome to Cincinnati. My name’s Grace Morgan. My father builds boats over at the boatworks down there.” She waved toward the far end of the landing. Grace didn’t want this fine lady to think she was some waif from Sausage Row.
A smile made the picture-perfect face come alive beneath the delicate bonnet. “Well, good morning to you, Grace. And who might this be?” She motioned to Drew, who stood at Grace’s elbow.
“Oh, this is Drew Ramsey, my cousin. He’s my friend, too. You can call him Drew.”
The lady adjusted her ruffled parasol and held out a dainty gloved hand. “Drew, Grace. My name is Sadie Rose. I’m honored to make your acquaintance.”
“Sadie Rose,” Grace said softly. “That’s a beautiful name. Sadie Rose what?”
“Just Sadie Rose. It’s enough, don’t you think?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. It’s perfect,” Grace replied. Why, Sadie Rose even smelled like roses. “Where are you headed?” Grace asked, suddenly remembering her mission.
“I’m going to stay at Kingsley’s boardinghouse.”
“Drew and I know right where that is. We can show you the way and carry your bags, as well.”
Again came the smile that seemed to light up the entire landing. “That’s a kind offer,” said Sadie Rose. She gave her reticule a little shake. Grace could hear coins jingling. “Of course, I’d make it worth your while. Wait here while I see about having my trunk carried up later.”
Since the streets were still fairly muddy, Grace deemed it best that they take Sadie Rose up Lawrence Street, which was not quite as steep as the others.
The bags were heavy, and before they were halfway to the boardinghouse, Grace and Drew were puffing.
“I hope it’s not too much for you,” Sadie Rose said. “Oh no, ma’am, not at all. Drew and I like to work. We work all the time. That is, we would work all the time if there were more work to do.”
“I’ve heard your city has suffered hard times this summer.”
“You heard the truth,” Drew put in.
“How long are you staying?” Grace asked between breaths. Sadie Rose paused. “I’m undecided just now,” she said. Grace knew it was rude to ask too many questions, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to know everything about this lady. “How did you travel all that way by yourself with those ornery boatmen?” she asked. “I paid for protection.”
Grace gave a little chuckle. “That’s a smart plan.” Drew wasn’t so sure. “I’ve heard of boatmen who’ve killed their passengers just to get the money,” he said.
Sadie Rose stopped and looked at Drew. “Those passengers were probably snooty dandies from back East who thought they were better than those of us out West. You have to understand the boatmen in order to get along with them.”
Grace saw Drew’s ears turn pink. He used to think anyone on this side of the Allegheny Mountains was some kind of mindless ruffian. But he was learning differently.
“Mrs. Kingsley’s boardinghouse sits at the end of this block, Miss Sadie Rose.”
“Good. And you can just call me Sadie Rose. Plain and simple.”
“Yes, ma’am, Sadie Rose,” Grace answered.
At the front porch of the boardinghouse, Drew and Grace struggled to get the heavy bags up the steps. Once they did, Sadie Rose pulled open the reticule and placed two coins in each upturned palm. Grace hadn’t seen a coin for many months. It felt cool and solid in her fist. She looked at Drew and smiled. Now she could pay for the damaged hymnals at the church.
“May we show you anything else in town, Sadie Rose?” Grace wanted to know. “After you’ve unpacked and settled in?”
“Why, yes. Do you know a man by the name of Eleazar Dunne?”
Grace felt Drew looking at her. “Yes, ma’am, I surely do. And I can take you right to the door of his place.” Drew nudged her in the side with his elbow. She ignored him. “We’ll be right here on the steps waiting for you, Sadie Rose.”
“Thank you, children,” replied the melodious voice. “How kind you are to a stranger.”
Just then, the portly Mrs. Kingsley appeared at the door, wiping her hands on her apron. “Ain’t takin’ no boarders, ‘less you got real money,” she said curtly. “No credit.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Kingsley,” Grace said, stepping forward.
“Well, morning, Gracie. What are you doing around here?”
Ignoring the question, Grace introduced Sadie Rose and assured the matron that Sadie Rose was good for the rent money.
Mrs. Kingsley squinted at the immaculately dressed lady standing on her porch. “Very well, I’ll take your word for it, Grace.” She pushed the door open farther and stepped back to let Sadie Rose inside.
When the women were out of earshot, Drew said, “Grace Morgan, have you gone daft? We can’t take her to a tavern! Especially a tavern on Front Street! Your mama will tan your hide and hang it up to dry if she ever finds out.”
“If she ever finds out. But she won’t. And this money can pay for new hymnals at the church. And maybe even a little food, if there’s any food left in the city to buy.” Grace sat down on the top step of the porch to wait. “These are desperate times, Drew. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Once she’d said the words, she was pleased at how grown-up it sounded. Maybe when she handed the money to Mama, she could say, “Now, please don’t call me Gracie again.” But how was she going to explain the money without telling the story? She’d have to think of something.
Drew, she could tell, was still stewing about going to a tavern on Front Street, but Grace pretended not to notice. Presently, Sadie Rose came back out the door. Gone was the moss green traveling dress with matching jacket. Now there was a beautiful afternoon dress of the finest raspberry-colored taffeta Grace had ever seen.
Jumping to her feet, Grace said, “Sadie Rose, you’re so beautiful!”
Sadie Rose just smiled. “Thank you, Grace. Now, shall we be on our way?”
“I’ve never heard of a lady traveling alone on a keelboat, and I never heard of a lady going alone to a tavern,” Grace said. “What will you do there?”
Sadie Rose’s lilting laughter bubbled like a little stream up in the hills. “By my leave, Grace, you’re about the most curious girl I’ve ever met. If you must know, I’m the new singer and piano player for Mr. Dunne.”
Grace felt her heart pick up a beat. She glanced over at Drew, whose eyebrows were raised. “You know how to play the piano?” Grace asked.
“Been playing since I was knee high to a mosquito.”
“And you sing?”
“Like a bird.”
“Grace sings,” Drew said, hardly able to keep out of this conversation.
“Does she now?”
“Oh, Drew,” Grace said, but inwardly she was glad he’d told Sadie Rose.
“Yes, ma’am,” Drew went on. “Last May she was chosen to sing at school commencement.”
Last May seemed like such a long time ago to Grace. The long, hot summer had not been fun at all.
“If you’re such a good singer,” said Sadie Rose, twirling her parasol, “let’s hear you sing something.”
Grace never had to be asked twice. She burst out in a lively boatmen song. On the chorus, Sadie Rose joined in but moved a couple of notes higher to harmonize perfectly.
When the song was over, Sadie Rose said, “Your cousin was right, Grace. You do sing well.”
“Thank you, Sadie Rose. Your voice is like an angel’s.”
“An angel I am not, but I thank you kindly for the sentiment.”
“Right down there is Dunne’s Tavern,” Grace said, pointing down Front Street.
“I see the sign,” said Sadie Rose. “You two can run on now.” Again Grace heard the lovely clink of coins. This time Sadie Rose handed each cousin a single coin. Now Grace had three. She could hardly believe it.
“But you can’t stay in th
is area alone,” Drew insisted. “Don’t you want us to walk you back?”
Sadie Rose touched Drew’s shoulder lightly with her gloved hand. “Young Drew, what a gentleman you are. Thank you, but I need your help no longer today. Mr. Dunne will see to my safe journey back to the boardinghouse.”
Grace knew Sadie Rose would be singing at the tavern until the wee hours of the morning. Even in the worst of times, there still seemed to be business at the taverns, especially those down on Front Street. Papa said when times got hard, men either prayed or drank. Grace was thankful her papa prayed.
As she and Drew trudged back through the muddy streets toward home, Grace could hardly keep still. She wanted to laugh and sing and shout. What a splendid day it had turned out to be!
“I can hardly believe such a fine lady would sing at a tavern,” Drew was saying.
“There’s nothing wrong with singing at a tavern,” Grace said in defense of her new friend. But she wasn’t sure she was right. She’d heard stories about men fighting and killing one another after becoming drunk at a tavern. One thing she knew for sure—Sadie Rose was a very nice lady.
As she and Drew passed through the edge of Sausage Row, the smells were awful. Sewage and garbage lined the streets. Houses were little more than shacks, nothing like the fine brick home Grace’s papa had built for his family. Vacant buildings with boarded-up windows bore testimony of the hard times in the city.
“I suppose we should have gone up to Second Street,” Drew said, wrinkling his nose.
Grace silently agreed. Although there might be garbage in other parts of the city, nothing ever smelled as bad as Sausage Row. In her apron pocket were her three coins. She held them tightly in her fist and kept her hand in the pocket.
“What are you going to tell your mama about the money?” Drew asked.
He must have been reading her thoughts. She was wondering the same thing. “Why, I’ll just tell her the truth. That a boat came in, we went to watch, and then we carried bags for a passenger.”
Drew nodded. “I guess that sounds fine, but she doesn’t like you going to the landing.”
“Perhaps the sight of money will make it all right. What will you tell Carter and Deanna?”
“Carter has never forbidden me to go to the landing….”
Just then, a terrible ruckus in an alleyway behind the vacant buildings broke into their conversation.
“Give that back!” they heard a voice yell. “That’s mine. Give it back!”
“Someone’s in trouble,” Grace said.
“Stay out of it, Grace.” Drew tugged on her arm, but she pulled away.
“That voice sounds like Raggy.” She stopped to listen. “We’ve got to do something, Drew. Follow me.”
CHAPTER 13
A Visit with Amy
Grace backtracked and made her way carefully around a vacant warehouse, hoping Drew was right behind her. Peeking around the corner, she saw two boys, bigger than Raggy, who were taunting him. She motioned for Drew to come beside her and look.
“You stay here,” she said softly. “I’m going around the other way. When I give the signal, dive for their knees.”
When she arrived at the opposite corner of the building, she could see the boys had something that Raggy desperately wanted. Strangely enough, it appeared to be a piece of blue flowered cloth.
“Rag–gee, Rag–gee,” the boys taunted. “Carries his rag with him wherever he goes.” The taller boy waved the cloth in front of Raggy like a flag. Just as Raggy leaped to grab it, the boy passed it off to his friend. There were tears in Raggy’s eyes.
When Grace saw Drew peek his head around the corner, she waved her hand. The two of them ran, each one toward one of the tormenters, and slammed as hard as they could into the back of the boys’ knees with their shoulders. Both boys tumbled to the ground. In a flash, Raggy grabbed the cloth and fled, disappearing around the corner of the building.
“Why, you yellow-bellied little twerps,” one boy growled as he struggled to his feet. “I’ll grind you to bits and feed you to the crows.”
“Come on, Drew,” Grace said. “Let’s get out of here.” But she was quickly and roughly grabbed from behind.
“Not so quick, little girl,” the second boy said. “You’re gonna pay for buttin’ in where you ain’t welcome.”
“Pay?” Grace said. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out two of her precious coins. “Look here,” she said. “I’ll pay.”
“Money!” the first boy exclaimed. “She has real money!”
“And it’s all yours!” Grace yelled as she flung the coins as far as she could.
Immediately she was released. While the boys scrambled to retrieve the money, she and Drew made their getaway, leaving Sausage Row far behind.
When they were in their own safe neighborhood once again, they slowed their pace. Still heaving to catch his breath, Drew handed Grace two of his three coins and said, “Here, Grace. I want you to have these.”
She pushed his hand away and shook her head. “You earned that money fair and square. In fact, I want you to take my last one and keep it, too. There’s not enough to pay for the hymnals anyway.”
Drew solemnly took the coin. “I’ll keep it for you, but it’s still yours.”
Grace nodded.
They walked along in silence for a time. Then Drew ventured to say, “I thought you didn’t like Raggy Langler, but you helped him. That doesn’t make much sense to me.”
“I guess I just don’t like to see bullies win, no matter who the bullies are.”
That night at supper, Papa seemed in better spirits than he’d been for many weeks. “With a few keelboats getting through, perhaps trade will begin to pick up,” he said. “We’ll pray the fall rains come early and are plentiful. Before you know it, the landing could be booming once again.”
Mama had cooked up a kettle of the dried beans Papa had brought back from one of the farmers for whom he’d worked. At least it was a change from the steady diet of salt pork and cornbread. Grace noticed that Papa was always careful to say a blessing over their meals, no matter how little they had.
As they were eating, Mama shared her good news, as well. A letter had arrived from Samantha saying she and Owen would be coming for a visit and would bring as many provisions as they could. “Eggs and cheese,” Mama said, closing her eyes. “How good that will taste. Maybe watermelon. Mmm.”
Later that night, Grace lay tossing about in her bed. The hot August night made sleeping difficult. Not a bit of breeze fluttered through her dormer windows. Grace couldn’t seem to get the look of Raggy’s sad face from her mind. It was a puzzle. Why would Raggy Langler fight two bigger boys for a little piece of flowered cloth? Although she still didn’t trust Raggy, suddenly he didn’t seem like such a threat anymore.
A couple of times during the summer, Grace had received permission from Mama to walk to Amy’s house, or rather to the cabin where the Coppocks now lived. Since it was situated far on the west side of town, Mama didn’t like Grace to go there alone. But when Drew could go along, Mama was more willing.
Even though Grace loved Amy, it made her sad to visit the small cabin and see that the family didn’t have many of the nice things they used to have. Mr. Coppock had owned a lot of land, and when prices plummeted, suddenly he lost not only his money in the bank, but the land, as well.
On this day, Grace and Drew were taking a bag of dried beans to the family. The streets were once again thick layers of powdery dust, and the sun bore down hotter than ever. Perhaps Papa’s prediction for early fall rain was overly hopeful.
On the way across town, Grace insisted they go by the boardinghouse in hopes of seeing Sadie Rose. Grace desperately wanted to see her new friend once again. She bravely knocked on the front door and asked to see Sadie Rose, but Mrs. Kingsley glared at her sternly.
“There’d be no reason for a girl like you to visit with the likes of Sadie Rose, Gracie. You can’t see her anyway because she’s asleep. She slee
ps most of the day. Every day. Even Sundays!” With that, she closed the door.
Grace was indignant. “The likes of Sadie Rose,” she muttered as they walked away. “What a terrible way to talk.”
“She didn’t mean anything by it,” Drew replied. “Remember, Grace, most people don’t approve of ladies who spend time in a tavern.”
“But Sadie Rose is different.”
“From what?”
Grace shrugged. After all, what did she know about ladies in taverns? “I don’t know. She’s just different, that’s all.”
Thankfully, Drew didn’t argue. He never did.
The Coppocks’ cabin sat in a clearing near Mill Creek. Amy was sitting under a shade tree in the front yard, watching her new baby sister and sewing a patch on a pair of Jason’s trousers. Her little sister Leah played in the dirt nearby.
A smile lit her face when she saw the pair approaching. Jumping up, she ran to give Grace a hug. “How good to see you again! I miss you awfully.” After grabbing up the baby and taking Leah’s hand, she led them inside.
Mrs. Coppock greeted Drew and Grace graciously and offered to fix them each a cup of dandelion tea. Though Grace didn’t care for dandelion tea, she didn’t want to be rude, so she said yes.
Grace wished she and Amy could visit alone like old times at school. If only their families attended the same church, at least she’d see her friend on Sundays. Grace wanted to tell her about Sadie Rose and describe her fashionable frocks and bonnets. She wanted to tell her about seeing Raggy crying over a little piece of flowered cloth.
But a private conversation was impossible. As usual, the visit would be short. Mrs. Coppock was grateful for the beans, but Grace could tell it was an embarrassment to the woman to accept them and to Amy, as well. They had had so much, and now they had virtually nothing. The very thought made Grace’s heart ache.
Later that afternoon at Drew’s house, he showed Grace the stanchion he’d constructed. “See how it works?” He demonstrated by moving back and forth the slant that would hold Annabelle’s head firm as she was milked. They’d been tying Annabelle’s head close to a post when they milked her, but the goat moved around more than they’d like. “Let’s try it out,” Grace suggested.
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