It was a long cold night. Several times I nodded off, only to wake myself as my head banged against the cold damp stone of the wall. At times voices cried out in sleep, waking me from my doze. And in my half consciousness I saw phantom rats about to eat my toes. I wanted to spend a penny, but not into that bucket, not having to cross that floor.
“It’s only one night,” I told myself. “I can put up with anything for one night.” Then I shifted myself into the corner and touched a spider’s web. If there’s one thing in the world that I hate, it’s spiders. Without warning I started to cry. It was all so shocking and unfair and I was being punished for something I didn’t do when I was trying to do was help people . . . I sat there sniveling and feeling pretty sorry for myself until I gave myself a stern talking-to. “Just listen to you, behaving like a proper ninny,” I said out loud. “Poor Jacob had to endure far worse than this. They tortured him, they tried to kill him when he was only a boy, and he’s come through it all right. He’s even brave enough to go on fighting, so the least you can do is stick this out for one night.”
Thus fortified I rested my head on top of my knees and fell asleep. At first light I woke to the rattle of something against bars and a mug and piece of bread were shoved through. I drank the hot coffee, and ate all of the bread. Then I spruced myself up in preparation for my release. I was not going to let them see that my night in jail had upset me or dampened my spirits.
An hour or so later old toothless-mouth shuffled up to my door and opened it. “Out you go then, girlie. You’re free.”
A guard escorted me up the flight of steps, through to the front of the building, and out into the gray morning air. I stood, breathing deeply and watching the pigeons flapping and pecking in the little park opposite. As I came down the flight of steps I saw a figure sitting on a bench in the little park. He got to his feet.
“Molly!” He called and ran to me.
“Jacob!” I was enveloped in his arms.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Never felt better. The food rivaled Delmonico’s, the bed was softer than at the Waldorf-Astoria.”
He gazed at me. “I am in awe of you. What does it take to dampen your spirits?”
I neglected to mention my weeping session in the small hours of the morning. “What’s one lousy night in jail?” I said with a good attempt at a carefree smile. “Uncomfortable maybe, but not unbearable. I’m ready to go right back on duty and let them see that they can’t crush us so easily.”
“You are not going back on duty,” he said firmly. “You are going straight home to bed and you are going to stay there.”
“But the girls will think I’ve deserted them.”
He put his hands on my shoulders and held me securely. “Didn’t you understand what the judge said? The first offence is minor. If you are arrested again for the same offence, it will be off to prison for a long while. People die in prison, Molly—typhoid and any number of foul diseases are rampant. And you’d be sharing a cell with the dregs of society—violent, conscienceless criminals. I am not going to let that happen to you. If necessary I’m going to lock you in your room and take away the key.”
“You can’t stop me,” I said defiantly.
“Molly, you seem to have forgotten. This is not even your fight. It was brave of you to help in this way, but you are not one of them.” He was shouting at me now.
“Oh, and you’re a lady garment worker yourself, are you?” I demanded. “You could have fooled me.”
“I help them because I have the knowledge. It is the business of the United Hebrew Trades to help all unions. I paid your fine, by the way.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m not a pauper.” I was still angry with him.
“It wasn’t my money. We have a fund to assist strikers who run afoul of the law.”
“Then save your money for the real strikers, since I’m not really one of them.”
“So your present job makes you a millionaire, does it?”
I couldn’t come up with a ready answer to that one.
“Molly,” he said quietly now. “Don’t be so stubborn. I admire the way you have taken these girls’ cause as your own. As I said before, I am in awe at the way you toss off a night in jail as if it were no more inconvenience than a broken fingernail, but when it comes to your common sense—” He shook his head and I had to laugh.
“Come,” he said, taking my arm. “First things first. You need a good breakfast, then I am taking you home.”
I gave him an embarrassed grin. “If it’s first things first, then I need to find a public convenience in a hurry. I wasn’t about to use that bucket in my cell.”
Jacob laughed and escorted me across the public garden where a wrought-iron-decorated public lavatory was indeed a welcome sight. Then I allowed myself to be led up Broadway, away from city hall, away from Lowenstein’s.
“But what about the other girls? Do you know what happened to them? And what about you? Did they release you last night?”
“The three girls were sent home with just a warning, so I understand. I was detained for the night just like you.”
“But that wasn’t fair, Jacob. You did nothing. At least I hit that great lout.”