Beatrice Dunn

Beatrice Dunn is a 17-year-old orphan. When she was 10, her parents died of the pox and she was sent to live with Aunt Lydia, a widow who lived alone in a big house in Stony Point. Beatrice spent the next seven years in the small village on the Hudson River. Nothing interesting ever seemed to happen to her or her town, but she was constantly reading books and newspapers in search of magic and wonder. She kept a journal full of curious happenings so that she could have a tangible record of the world’s mysteries.

When she turned 17, she decided she wanted to move to New York City and start a new life there for herself. She memorized Mr. Morse’s code and intended to become a telegrapher in the city after enrolling in a women’s course on telegraphy. However, she happened across a notice...