Fair Game by Carol Cox

Author:Carol Cox [Cox, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aspen Hill Press
Published: 2020-04-12T04:00:00+00:00

15

"I bet I can beat you to the other end of the bridge. One, two, three, go!"

"My rock can make a bigger splash. Watch!"

"Hey, Miss Mayhew, watch how long I can balance on the railing."

"Not the railing, Cleo. Get down from there immediately." A quick check told Dinah the other girls were in no danger to life or limb at the moment, so she let Tilda and Frances race from one end of the bridge to the other and watched Jenny and Anastasia drop their pebbles into the lagoon. She slumped back against the bench at the foot of the Mines and Mining Building, grateful for the clouds that blocked most of the afternoon sun.

"You look like you've had a rough day."

Dinah looked up into the smiling face of the dark-haired guard she had met on her first day at work and managed a weak smile in return. "Running all over the fairgrounds as part of my job is one thing, but keeping track of nine little girls is a whole different matter."

The guard looked back at the girls on the bridge. "How did you wind up being in charge?"

"Believe it or not, I volunteered for this." Dinah couldn't help laughing at his look of astonishment. "At the moment, I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but I did."

She waved to Tilda, now down at the far end. "Don't go out onto the island. We need to stay together. Pastor Howell will be here soon."

The girls raced toward them at the sight of her talking to the guard. "Who are you?" Rosemary asked.

"I like your uniform," Cleo told him.

Anastasia edged closer to Dinah. "He's really good-looking, isn't he? Is he your beau?" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Does Pastor Howell know about him?"

Dinah felt her cheeks flame. "Really, girls!"

The guard inclined his head. Dinah could see the corners of his mustache twitching. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, ladies," he said. "My name is Stephen Bridger, and I am one of the Columbian Guards. I'm here to make sure everyone stays safe and happy at the fair. Are you enjoying yourselves?"

The girls erupted into a mass of giggles and scampered back toward the bridge.

Dinah could still feel the heat flooding her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

Stephen Bridger stared after them. "Don't be. That kind of innocence is refreshing." His expression clouded.

"Is something wrong?" Dinah asked. "You seem troubled."

His brow furrowed. "There are reports of girls going missing around Chicago. We've been told to be especially watchful to make sure nothing of the kind happens here on the fairgrounds." His face grew stern. "I intend to do everything in my power to prevent it."

Dinah got to her feet and did a quick head count, as if the girls might disappear right from under her nose. "What is happening to these girls—do you know?"

"It's hard to say. So many young women have come to the city looking for jobs or a new start."

Like me. Dinah shuddered.

"Some of them have probably

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.