Escape to the World's Fair by Wendy McClure Page A

Eli whispered as they crawled into the dark space behind the trunks.
    Jack couldn’t answer. He could only put his finger to his lips to indicate
be quiet.
But it was anything but quiet inside his head.
It can’t possibly be her,
he thought.
It can’t be!
Yet Jack figured there could be only one reason why Frances would look so scared.
    â€œHow can
she
be
here
?” he said under his breath.
    â€œ
Who?
” Eli asked.
    Just then Jack heard a voice speaking to the older boys. A voice that he knew could be sweet sounding but could also be flat and cruel and cold. . . .
    â€œI suppose you boys are
enjoying
your little journey.”
    Miss DeHaven.
    Jack peeked out to get a better view—it really
was
her! She stood next to the deck railing in the late afternoon sunlight. She was more elegantly dressed than he’d ever seen her—her shoulders were bare, and she was wearing a fancy black gown with beads and scalloped trimmings that reminded Jack of serpents’ scales.
    She was one of the finely dressed passengers who traveled on the upper decks, Jack realized.
Why did she come down here?
    Frances and Alexander had found places alongside Jack to peek out at the scene just beyond their hiding spot.
    Miss DeHaven looked the older boys up and down. “With all this racket,” she told them, “it would seem that you’re enjoying the trip a little
too
much.”
    â€œS-sorry, ma’am,” Finn stammered.
    Jack couldn’t see his face from where he was hiding, but his shoulders were tense and he stood as if frozen in place. All the boys looked on edge.
    â€œâ€˜Sorry, ma’am,
’” replied Miss DeHaven in a sneering imitation of Finn. “Spoken like a servant boy! Perhaps there’s
hope
for you
yet
.”
    Finn reminded silent, though he nodded.
    â€œThe
rest
of you,” Miss DeHaven continued, “appear too lowborn for that sort of work. But
happily,
we have found suitable positions for all of you, you know.”
    The four older boys were looking down at their feet now. Jack sensed that they’d had to endure Miss DeHaven before.
    â€œAnd
this
time it better work out,” she said. “No more getting yourself into clumsy little
predicaments
to shirk your duties.”
    As she spoke, she looked over at Owney, who rubbed his scarred arm self-consciously.
    â€œYes, ma’am,” he mumbled.
    A bell clanged from the upper decks, and Miss DeHaven smirked and gathered the skirt of her fine gown. “
So
delightful to have this
visit
,” she said, her voice becoming more silvery and musical, as if she was suddenly someone else.
    Her shoes tapped along the deck and then up the iron steps to the next deck above them. Jack listened hard until he couldn’t hear them any more.
    â€œYou can come out now,” Owney called.
    Alexander was the first one to emerge. “You know Miss DeHaven?” he asked the older boys incredulously.
    â€œShe was on our orphan train,” Jack added.
    â€œIs that what her name is?” Dutch said. “She started showing up at the glass factory saying she had to ‘check on us.’ At first we all thought that meant she
cared
or something. . . .”
    â€œBut all she would do was go on and on about hard work and how lucky we were to be working,” Finn added.
    â€œShe’s the worst,” said Owney. “Even if she is awful pretty.”
    Harold shook his head. “She’s awful
awful.
”
    The older boys laughed. “Ha, she sure is!” Chicks said with a snicker.
    â€œWhat are you laughing at?” Alexander said, his voice suddenly icy. “This isn’t a joke. Miss DeHaven is our
enemy.
I can’t believe anyone would ever think she’s pretty.” He was pacing around the deck, his hands clenching.
Keep your head,
Jack wanted to tell him.
    â€œSettle down, buddy,” Finn warned.
    â€œBesides,” Dutch said,