Martie lay on her stomach and looked at Ben. He looked back without saying a word. Martie hit the pillow. "Well? D'ya mind tellin' me what happened two years ago? When you jest up an' disappeared?"
"Oh, yeah, well, I disappeared July 5th right?" Ben leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
"Yeah."
"Well, what happened the day before that?"
"It was the 4th of July. An' dere was dat rally on Liberty Island wit' the fireworks. An' you sung da national anthem, an'--"
"Right, I sang the national Anthem. Well, the next day, this big fat guy in a pinstriped suit, comes up to me and asks me if I'd do a show on Broadway. He had this cigar, right in my face, and a smile like a Cheshire cat. He had heard me sing and said that I was real good. So of course, I said yes, and right away, he whisked me off to the theater. They kept me real busy for the next six or seven days, practicing from six in the morning to ten at night.
"My first piece of trouble that I should've recognized was when Mr. Leitch showed me the program. Instead of Ben Thompson, he had me credited as Willie Donaldson. I asked him about it and he stammered about how nobody in show business used their real name. I was too starry-eyed to see that he was lying.
"Then, on August 18th, during the night, they drugged me and loaded me into a carriage to go to the East Coast, back to Maryland. You see, Mr. Leitch had forgotten to tell me one thing; the show wasn't opening on Broadway.
"It was opening at the Opera House in Washington, D.C.
"When I came out of my drugged stupor at noon the next day, I told him that I was going back to Manhattan, that this whole thing was all a mistake. He laughed and told me that the contract I had signed was for two years. If I tried to escape, I would be caught and sent to a jail much worse that Snyder's Refuge. Same if I didn't act better than I ever had on that stage.
"What else could I do? I sang and danced as hard as I could. Sore throats and twisted ankles plagued me. The show was never a hit; tickets sold for $1.50 and we only got 2 sentences in the Maryland Gazette. Mr. Leitch had planned on $10 tickets and rave reviews. Served the jerk right.
"So, the two years finally ended. I tipped my hat at the other cast members and wished them many injuries. See, to them, 'good luck' is bad luck, and 'break a leg' is good. To Mr. Leitch went a sneer and wishes for real injuries as I took my pay. 150 dollars. It seemed like a lot until I realized that it was for two years. Two years!!
"I bought myself some new clothes and shoes, some food, and a ticket to Grand Central Station.
"I got here with $75. I put 72 of it into a bank, thinking it was a good investment. The bank was robbed that same day.
"I straggled into the Battery lodging house, very clean and full, but only 3 bucks to show for it. That's good for a newsie, but I didn't want to do that anymore. I wanted to buy a house, get a real job. Instead, I was back where I started, only this time, I was 2 years poorer and without anyone to love me.
"That was a month ago."
"And you couldn't find five minutes out ta send somebody wit' a message?" Martie looked at him, a mix of confusion, sadness, anger and betrayal dancing over her eyes.
"They wouldn't let me!! I could barely sign an autograph without getting fined."
"Hey, uh, we better get going." T stood in the doorway. He waited until Martie and Ben were in front of him before he said, "Where we gonna go first?"
"Brooklyn." Martie grinned at the shocked look on T's face. "What, are ya scared?"
"Well, ain't Spot Conlon in Brooklyn?"
She nodded.
"Ah, I just heard that he was real tough, 's all..."
Martie and Ben laughed as they walked out the door.
"Oh, yeah, well, I disappeared July 5th right?" Ben leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
"Yeah."
"Well, what happened the day before that?"
"It was the 4th of July. An' dere was dat rally on Liberty Island wit' the fireworks. An' you sung da national anthem, an'--"
"Right, I sang the national Anthem. Well, the next day, this big fat guy in a pinstriped suit, comes up to me and asks me if I'd do a show on Broadway. He had this cigar, right in my face, and a smile like a Cheshire cat. He had heard me sing and said that I was real good. So of course, I said yes, and right away, he whisked me off to the theater. They kept me real busy for the next six or seven days, practicing from six in the morning to ten at night.
"My first piece of trouble that I should've recognized was when Mr. Leitch showed me the program. Instead of Ben Thompson, he had me credited as Willie Donaldson. I asked him about it and he stammered about how nobody in show business used their real name. I was too starry-eyed to see that he was lying.
"Then, on August 18th, during the night, they drugged me and loaded me into a carriage to go to the East Coast, back to Maryland. You see, Mr. Leitch had forgotten to tell me one thing; the show wasn't opening on Broadway.
"It was opening at the Opera House in Washington, D.C.
"When I came out of my drugged stupor at noon the next day, I told him that I was going back to Manhattan, that this whole thing was all a mistake. He laughed and told me that the contract I had signed was for two years. If I tried to escape, I would be caught and sent to a jail much worse that Snyder's Refuge. Same if I didn't act better than I ever had on that stage.
"What else could I do? I sang and danced as hard as I could. Sore throats and twisted ankles plagued me. The show was never a hit; tickets sold for $1.50 and we only got 2 sentences in the Maryland Gazette. Mr. Leitch had planned on $10 tickets and rave reviews. Served the jerk right.
"So, the two years finally ended. I tipped my hat at the other cast members and wished them many injuries. See, to them, 'good luck' is bad luck, and 'break a leg' is good. To Mr. Leitch went a sneer and wishes for real injuries as I took my pay. 150 dollars. It seemed like a lot until I realized that it was for two years. Two years!!
"I bought myself some new clothes and shoes, some food, and a ticket to Grand Central Station.
"I got here with $75. I put 72 of it into a bank, thinking it was a good investment. The bank was robbed that same day.
"I straggled into the Battery lodging house, very clean and full, but only 3 bucks to show for it. That's good for a newsie, but I didn't want to do that anymore. I wanted to buy a house, get a real job. Instead, I was back where I started, only this time, I was 2 years poorer and without anyone to love me.
"That was a month ago."
"And you couldn't find five minutes out ta send somebody wit' a message?" Martie looked at him, a mix of confusion, sadness, anger and betrayal dancing over her eyes.
"They wouldn't let me!! I could barely sign an autograph without getting fined."
"Hey, uh, we better get going." T stood in the doorway. He waited until Martie and Ben were in front of him before he said, "Where we gonna go first?"
"Brooklyn." Martie grinned at the shocked look on T's face. "What, are ya scared?"
"Well, ain't Spot Conlon in Brooklyn?"
She nodded.
"Ah, I just heard that he was real tough, 's all..."
Martie and Ben laughed as they walked out the door.
