rewarded by the expressions of surprise on the two girls’ faces. “You promised you wouldn’t tell on her, and that’s all very well and good, but you’re going to have to break your promise to her, because she could be in danger.”
She waited, giving the girls a chance to digest this piece of information. Biddy finally broke the silence. “What kind of danger?”
Biddy was the larger of the two girls. Like Angel, they both wore their dark hair in braids. Also like Angel, their eyes betrayed their Chinese heritage. Except for her eyes and her coal black hair, Biddy looked just like her mother, though. Her plain Irish face was broad and open, and her figure would be full.
“The boy she ran away with might not really want to marry her,” Sarah said, taking another risk.
“But he loves her!” Una cried, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth as Biddy elbowed her viciously in the ribs. Una probably took after her father, with her birdlike delicacy. A smattering of freckles stood out starkly across her nose as her face paled.
“Maybe he does love her,” Sarah said. “I hope so. I hope they’re happily married by now, too. But I’m afraid there are young men in the city who trick girls like Angel—girls like both of you, too—into thinking they’re in love. They get the girls to run off with them, and when they’re away from their families, they sell them to…” How to explain this? Would the girls even know what a brothel was? “To evil men who make them do terrible things and mistreat them.”
Now both girls had gone pale. “But she said…” Biddy began, then caught herself.
“I know you don’t want to break your promise to Angel,” Sarah said, “but if she’s been tricked, she’ll be very glad you did. We might be able to find her and rescue her if you help us.”
“But what if she wasn’t tricked?” Una wanted to know.
“If she’s married, that’s fine. There’s nothing her parents can do, but at least they’ll know she’s safe. Her mother is very worried about her. You can see how upset she is. You wouldn’t want your own mother to be that worried about you, would you?”
The girls exchanged a glance, silently debating.
“But if Angel is being held prisoner by evil men, she’ll be terrified. If you were being held prisoner, wouldn’t you want someone to help you?”
“But we promised,” Biddy said. “Angel made us swear!”
“She’s probably praying that you’ll break your promise and tell someone what happened to her. If we know who she was meeting, we’ll have a chance of finding her. If not…you may never see her again.” Sarah tried to make it sound even more ominous than it was.
“You mean…she might die?” Una asked in a whisper.
Sarah thought that was not the worst fate that could befall the girl, but she said, “Yes, she could.”
This time the look the girls exchanged was horrified.
“We…we don’t know where she went,” Biddy confessed.
“Do you know the boy’s name?” Sarah asked.
“Quinn,” Una said, earning another elbow from Biddy. “I don’t care,” Una told her friend defiantly. “I don’t want nothing bad to happen to Angel.”
“What’s his first name?” Sarah asked.
“That is his first name,” Biddy said, angry with her friend but determined to set the record straight. “Quinn O’Neal. But he loves her. They’re getting married. You’ll see.”
“I hope so,” Sarah said fervently. “Where did she meet this boy?”
“He ain’t no boy,” Biddy said. “He’s twenty.”
Sarah’s heart sank. Why would a twenty-year-old man want to marry a child like Angel? “Do you know where he lives?”
They shook their heads.
“Where did Angel meet him?”
“At the market,” Una said quickly, before Biddy could. She wanted to be as helpful as her friend.
“The market? You mean the Gansevoort Market?” Sarah asked, naming the area on the West Side of the city where farmers brought their wares to
She waited, giving the girls a chance to digest this piece of information. Biddy finally broke the silence. “What kind of danger?”
Biddy was the larger of the two girls. Like Angel, they both wore their dark hair in braids. Also like Angel, their eyes betrayed their Chinese heritage. Except for her eyes and her coal black hair, Biddy looked just like her mother, though. Her plain Irish face was broad and open, and her figure would be full.
“The boy she ran away with might not really want to marry her,” Sarah said, taking another risk.
“But he loves her!” Una cried, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth as Biddy elbowed her viciously in the ribs. Una probably took after her father, with her birdlike delicacy. A smattering of freckles stood out starkly across her nose as her face paled.
“Maybe he does love her,” Sarah said. “I hope so. I hope they’re happily married by now, too. But I’m afraid there are young men in the city who trick girls like Angel—girls like both of you, too—into thinking they’re in love. They get the girls to run off with them, and when they’re away from their families, they sell them to…” How to explain this? Would the girls even know what a brothel was? “To evil men who make them do terrible things and mistreat them.”
Now both girls had gone pale. “But she said…” Biddy began, then caught herself.
“I know you don’t want to break your promise to Angel,” Sarah said, “but if she’s been tricked, she’ll be very glad you did. We might be able to find her and rescue her if you help us.”
“But what if she wasn’t tricked?” Una wanted to know.
“If she’s married, that’s fine. There’s nothing her parents can do, but at least they’ll know she’s safe. Her mother is very worried about her. You can see how upset she is. You wouldn’t want your own mother to be that worried about you, would you?”
The girls exchanged a glance, silently debating.
“But if Angel is being held prisoner by evil men, she’ll be terrified. If you were being held prisoner, wouldn’t you want someone to help you?”
“But we promised,” Biddy said. “Angel made us swear!”
“She’s probably praying that you’ll break your promise and tell someone what happened to her. If we know who she was meeting, we’ll have a chance of finding her. If not…you may never see her again.” Sarah tried to make it sound even more ominous than it was.
“You mean…she might die?” Una asked in a whisper.
Sarah thought that was not the worst fate that could befall the girl, but she said, “Yes, she could.”
This time the look the girls exchanged was horrified.
“We…we don’t know where she went,” Biddy confessed.
“Do you know the boy’s name?” Sarah asked.
“Quinn,” Una said, earning another elbow from Biddy. “I don’t care,” Una told her friend defiantly. “I don’t want nothing bad to happen to Angel.”
“What’s his first name?” Sarah asked.
“That is his first name,” Biddy said, angry with her friend but determined to set the record straight. “Quinn O’Neal. But he loves her. They’re getting married. You’ll see.”
“I hope so,” Sarah said fervently. “Where did she meet this boy?”
“He ain’t no boy,” Biddy said. “He’s twenty.”
Sarah’s heart sank. Why would a twenty-year-old man want to marry a child like Angel? “Do you know where he lives?”
They shook their heads.
“Where did Angel meet him?”
“At the market,” Una said quickly, before Biddy could. She wanted to be as helpful as her friend.
“The market? You mean the Gansevoort Market?” Sarah asked, naming the area on the West Side of the city where farmers brought their wares to
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