“I’m afraid I’m an impostor,” I said. “My name’s Molly Murphy and I’m only here because my neighbors dragged me along to boost numbers. And because I feel strongly about the cause.”
She was tall, with a thin, sallow face, serious brown eyes, and black hair severely drawn back into a bun beneath a plain bonnet. One would never call her a beauty, but there was something vaguely exotic about her, and her face lit up in a lovely smile as I indicated Sid and Gus. “Why, it is you, Augusta,” she said. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
“Emily, dear. How good to see you again,” Gus said, and they embraced. “Sid, look, it’s Emily.” As Sid greeted the newcomer, Gus turned to me. “I was Emily’s mentor during my senior year. She is quite the brightest girl I have ever encountered.”
“You exaggerate, Augusta.” Emily blushed. “But I will admit to having a thirst for knowledge.”
“Sid and I were quite devastated when we didn’t see you at the reunion earlier this year,” Gus said. “It was marvelous fun seeing the old crowd again, and you were sorely missed.”
Emily’s smile faded. “I really wanted to attend, but my employer would not hear of my taking time off work. He’s a disagreeable old man, someone akin to Mr. Scrooge, and would probably not even grant me the day off for the death of my mother. Since my mother is already dead, I’ve yet to test that theory.”
“You have a real job? How wonderful.”
“I wouldn’t describe it as wonderful. More necessity than anything,” Emily said. “I am alone in the world and need to support myself. I balked at being a governess so I’m working at a pharmacy.”
“How perfect for you,” Gus said. “You were always interested in chemistry, I remember.”
“I was and still am, but my employer resists letting me do anything more than work at the counter, taking the money and wrapping up the prescriptions. I have tried to persuade him to give me a chance to be his apprentice, but he thinks that such work is beyond any woman, even a Vassar graduate.”
“How typical,” Sid said. “What will it take for men to see that we are as capable as they are of rational thought?”
“Let us hope that demonstrations such as this one will begin to change their minds,” Emily said.
“I had hoped for a bigger turnout,” Sid said, looking at the group, which numbered less than twenty. “Frankly, this is a disappointment.”
Emily nodded. “I contacted several friends but they declined. Some thought it was a lost cause. Some thought this was neither the time nor the place for this kind of demonstration, and some husbands or fathers forbade them.”
“Forbade them? Then why did they bother to educate us if they didn’t want us to think for ourselves,” Sid said angrily. “Never mind, we’ll wave our banners proudly and maybe we’ll open a few minds today.”
“I see we are starting to line up,” Emily said. “We had better take our places.”
Emily and I unfurled our banner and held it aloft. She gave me an encouraging smile. “So where were you educated, Miss Murphy?”
“In Ireland. But I wasn’t fortunate enough to go to college like you and your friends. And please call me Molly.”
“Gladly, if you’ll call me Emily. So you’ve recently come from Ireland, have you? With your family?”
“Two years ago and quite alone.”
“And you’ve managed to make your way in New York City? I admire you for that. New York is not a city that is kind to immigrants, so I’ve heard.”
“No, it’s been a struggle at times, but I’ve managed to keep my head above water, with the help of Sid and Gus, who have been so good to me.”
“You are also employed then?”
“I run my own business. A small detective agency.”
Those brown eyes shot open. “A detective agency? How thrilling. But can you actually make a go of it? Do men entrust their secrets to a woman?”
“Sometimes they do. I have just this week concluded an assignment for Mr. Macy.”
“Of department store fame?”
“The very same. And earlier this year I went abroad for Tommy Burke, the theater impresario.”
“Mercy me,” she said. “How I envy you such an exciting life.”
“Sometimes it’s a little too exciting,” I confessed. “I try to take only simple cases but they’ve landed me in hot water more than once. My young man tells me that I’ve used up most of my nine lives.”
“You have a sweetheart too? You are indeed fortunate.”
“Sometimes I dispute that claim as well.” I grinned. “He’s a policeman.”
“Then you can be of assistance to each other in your work. That is ideal, isn’t it, when a couple can share interests and talk as intellectual equals.”