The boys moved en masse with Addie in the middle of them. They shouted crude insults back at Bud and continued their way to the river. The steamer waiting there blew its whistle to let everyone know it would soon be leaving. Again, the boys made a scene, racing up the gangplank and past the man taking tickets. Addie slipped away from them and was helped by one of the captain’s men. It was all over in a matter of minutes. She was with the boys one second, and in another, she was being pushed into a small cabin by one of the captain’s men. How in the world Bud had managed it all, she didn’t know, but she was ever so glad she’d left him a nice bonus with Mr. Lundstrom.
“You’ll be safe now, boy. Stay here. Someone will bring you something to eat in the morning.”
Addie nodded and said nothing in reply. She’d been practicing a lower voice but wasn’t at all convinced that she could pull off speaking as a boy. Once the steamer was underway, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the bed.
The room was stuffy, but she didn’t mind. The last few days had been unbearably hot, so at least she wouldn’t have to worry about freezing to death on her trek south. She leaned back and closed her eyes, her pack still secure on her back. It was all she had to her name, except for some ready cash Millie had insisted she hide in the socks she was wearing and the binding they’d used for her breasts.
She thought of her brothers back in Dawson City without enough money to leave. They would be livid when they learned she was gone. Millie was going to cover for her for a few days, telling them Addie was sick, and the doctoragreed to help by insisting she needed to be quarantined. That would buy her precious time so that just in case they were able to come up with enough for their passage south, Addie would have a good head start.
Now, if she could just reach Seattle.
1
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
MAY1909
Oh, what a busy day,” Pearl Fisher said, coming into the kitchen. “How’s supper coming along?”
Addie Bryant stirred the thick beef stew. It was one of Pearl’s favorites. “The stew is ready. I just pulled it from the oven. If you want to call Otis, I’ll have it and everything else on the table momentarily.”
“Wonderful. I swear I have such an appetite these days. I believe it’s all due to the extra work with the expo. I’ve never worked nearly so hard.” The older woman left Addie to finish up and went in search of her husband.
Placing the stew in a serving bowl, Addie smiled at the creation. She had always been a decent cook. People in the Yukon used to come calling just in hopes of getting a sample of whatever she was serving for supper. That was saying something, too, because they had to endure her father and brothers in order to eat at the Bryant table.
She hurried to gather up the vegetable side dishes and biscuits. Once Otis knew supper was on the table, he’d wastelittle time getting there. The Fishers were good people, and Addie thought Pearl was right. The soon-to-be-open expo was making them all work harder and eat more.
The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was opening in Seattle on the first of June, and Addie’s employer, Otis Fisher, had the brilliant idea of creating what he called “Camera Girls” to promote photography and in particular the sale of Kodak’s new Brownie camera.
Otis had hoped to be the expo’s official photographer, but that went to his rival Frank Nowell. To counter his disappointment, Otis had come up with the idea of training pretty young ladies to take pictures with the new cameras, and then folks could stop by his little store at the expo and buy the postcard-sized photo that had been taken. And with any luck, they’d buy a new camera as well.
Addie thought the entire thing was brilliant. She knew the pretty and personable young ladies would attract attention. Otis and Pearl had even invented a uniform for them to wear. Black skirt, high-necked white blouse with long sleeves, and a straw boater hat trimmed in black ribbon, which they provided for each girl, as well as a name tag that Pearl had fashioned. The uniforms were smart looking and distinguished them as Camera Girls to the roaming expo crowd.
Pearl returned to the kitchen to help with the coffee. Addie handed her a tea towel so that she wouldn’t burn herself.
“Otis is so worried that people aren’t going to buy the photographs or cameras,” Pearl tsked as she followed Addie to the table.
“I think folks are really going to be excited about this, and Otis is selling the photos quite inexpensively.” Addie grabbed the sugar and cream from the sideboard.
“So long as he has the camera sales he anticipates, we should do fine,” Pearl replied.
“I believe the sales will go well. The girls are quite excited about the commission they’ll earn for each camera they sell.”
They went to the table, where Otis waited to take his place. Addie surveyed the scene, making sure nothing was missing, then took her seat as Otis helped Pearl into her chair. Once seated he offered grace, then immediately dug into the stew to serve it up.
Addie passed her bowl to be filled, as was the routine on something like stews or soups. They never stood on formality here.
Once the stew was served, Addie passed the biscuits and butter. After that the creamed peas and a platter of asparagus made their way around the table, and they were finally ready to eat.
Otis sampled the stew and smiled. “Good, good. Our Addie is quite the cook and takes the load off you, Pearl. We are blessed.”
He was a pleasant employer and even better landlord. Addie had found them on her first day in Seattle, seven years ago. She had spied a notice declaring there was a small room for rent on the third floor downtown. Fisher Photography occupied the first floor of the building, while its owners were on the second floor. The small room on the third floor suited Addie just fine. She was living with other people, and there would be no need for her name to be listed at the address.
Knowing she was newly arrived, Otis asked if she was interested in a job. He had presumed her a boy in need of work, and for a time, Addie let them both believe that. Itgot her established and solidified her friendship before she confessed the truth.
The Christian couple had been loving and kind, very nearly becoming the parents Addie had always longed for. Eventually she confided in them, explaining that she wasn’t a boy at all, but rather a young woman trying to make it on her own after her father’s death. She told them of how her brothers sold her in marriage to a man she didn’t love. Pearl was horrified at the thought. Addie was careful not to reveal the truth of the matter in full. When she’d seen Pearl’s upset over the idea of being sold in marriage, Addie could hardly admit to the situation being so much worse. Fortunately, the Fishers had told her they would do whatever they could to help her. In turn, Addie admitted to having some gold in the bank. She had offered to help them on several occasions, but always Otis told her no—that he would find a way to provide for Pearl and himself.
“Well, the shop is ready for opening day,” Otis admitted. “I stocked the last few crates of supplies and made sure the darkroom was ready.”
