Well, recently I have gone back and edited much of this story, simply because I felt as though parts of it were badly written. Hope you enjoy the new and improved, even if it is only form chapter eight onward.
Prologue
The evening air ripped clean through me as I got off the boat in Manhattan. It had been a long journey. Damp passengers groped with cold hands for their baggage. Most of these had come from upstate New York. Not me. I grabbed my old, small carpet bag, which held my few belongings; a hair brush, a bar of soap, nightshirt, one pair of stockings, my hat, and my boots.
I gave the small boy at the baggage claim a smile as he offered to carry my bag. "I think I can manage," I said wryly. His face fell. As I looked at the little urchin, I realized he couldn't be more than 7 or 8 years old. He had been wandering around the docks for a while, and I'd seen him carry several of the wealthy ladies bags ashore. It then dawned on me.
"Okay, partner," I drawled, "If you'll be real careful I'll let ya carry my bag."
His eyes lit up and he tipped his newsboy hat at me with a grin. "Yes, ma'am!"
I hurried to keep up with him as we walked off the docks toward the street. He carried my little bag to the place where most of the passengers were either being picked up by friends or relatives here at the street corner. "Here, pal." I dug in my leather coat pocket and pulled out two dimes. "Thanks for your trouble." His face broke into the most adorable smile I'd ever seen, front teeth missing and all.
"Thanks, lady," he said shyly.
I bent down to smooth the wrinkles out of my buckskin breeches, aware of how odd they must look in a place like this.
"What's your name, partner?" I looked back at the scruffy young-un who was fingering the money with a dreamy look in his eyes. It was almost comical.
"Chance. My name is Chance."