"Lousy kids can't even get up in the morning" grumbled Kloppmen as he stomped through the foyer to the door to get the early milk. "One day I won't be here and then what are they gonna- oh!" He had opened the door and instead of milk bottles there, it was a drenched girl.
She looked up at him with worried eyes, blushed and scrambled up from the stoop. "I'm dreadfully sorry, I was just stepping out of the rain, and I hope I didn't bother you, truly I'm sorry. I was just waiting till the rain stopped." she said hurriedly. Now realizing how flustered she sounded, she blushed deeper, looked at her toes, and said meekly "I'm sorry."
Kloppmen, who had never heard someone apologize so much in his life, could only chuckle. The girl looked up at him. Only now did he realize that she was shaking from the cold water. "Come in come in. I was just about to wake the boys. Don't just stand there girl."
"Oh no, no I couldn't that's too rude of m-" she said trying to back away.
"Of course you can. Girl, your lips are blue and your face is pale. Come in." he said steering her inside.
He led the girl to the poker room "Now just stay here an' I'm gonna go wake da boys." The girl could only nod. Kloppmen took that as a good answer and stomped upstairs.
The girl could here muffled shouting upstairs and many pounding feet. What is this place, she thought. After a while of waiting, Kloppmen returned from upstairs.
"Takes 'em a little time ta get up in the mornin'. Now come on child we betta get ya cleaned up, you'll catch a feva' if ya don't." He motioned for her to follow and she did.
But as she passed the stairwell, many a boys came running down it. A bit shocked by the whole thing, she hurried past but not quick enough.
"Heya Kloppmen, whose da goil?" a boy with brown hair and a bandana called out in front.
"So ya boys finally got up did ya?" Kloppmen said turning around. The boys rolled their eyes at the comment.
"So goily whats youse name?" a boy with black hair on the stairs asked. The girl just stood there shivering.
"Um… it's Evangeline." The girl said meekly. "Pleased to meet you all."
There were a chorus of 'Oohs' from her pretty name. "Are ya stayin here or sumthin'" the boy with the bandana asked. The boys looked at her expectantly.
"Oh…no, no,no I couldn't possibly intrude. That's too rude of me. Besides I live already somewhere. Its not the nicest but I deal." The girl had gotten red again and flustered. The boys looked at her state of clothing.
She, besides having soaked through clothes, had on a navy skirt that was muddy and tattered at the bottom. Her shirt was the cleanest, being an off white shirt. Her light brown unbuttoned sweater was a bit large on her and hung limp around her skinny frame. She was definitely not in a nice condition.
"Look Evangeline, ya definitely ain't goin' back out dere-" the boy started.
"But" she blushed, "Its only till my grandfather is done remodeling his new house."
"Wheres ya live?" the black boy asked.
"Right now, I live on the street." She said shivering slightly.
"Well if ya stayin' 'ere, we 'on't want ya dripping wet." The bandana boy said. "Come 'ere I' ll find ya some clothes and ya can get ya self dried off."
"Oh, no I really couldn't, I really couldn't-"
"Look wes are askin ya ta stay. Ya like house woik?"
"Yes… um why?" she asked blushing. The boys looked happy.
"Welcome ta the Newsboys Lodging house, Evangalene!" the bandana boy said smiling. "I'm Jack Kelley, and des are some of da boiys Skittery, Bumlets, Boots, Dutchy, Snoddy, Snipeshooter, Crutchy, Mush, an' Race. I's a lotta boies ta remeba' but ya get used ta it. Come on upstairs. Boies go on wit out mes."