It was about 8 o'clock and Kid Blink was headed home from a late night date with a girl he had met this morning. The October night air was chilly and filled with a frosty smell. He would be happy to get back to the lodging house that night. As he passed an alley, he noticed a body curled up under a tattered blanket, with the feet poking out from under it. He felt the feet and they were stone cold, and he knew she wouldn't survive the night if he left her out there. He picked her up and carried her the remaining to blocks to the lodging house. When Blink arrived at the lodging house, he carried the girl upstairs and over to where the rest of the boys where talking and playing marbles with Race.
"Whoa! Blink where'd youse find dat?" Mush asked, trying to be funny.
"On da streets. She'da froze out der. Where should Ise put her Jack?"
Jack looked at the girl. Her face was dirty and the blanket worn, yet she had a captivatingly peaceful look to her.
"She can stay in da attic." He said and walked up the stairs with Blink. When Blink laid her on the bed, jack replaced her old blanket with two new ones. The dress the girl was wearing was so filthy you couldn't tell it had an original color, and was torn in various places. She looked to b about 18 or 19 and very fragile. Jack wondered how she could have ever survived on the streets.
"So, wat happened with you and Sara today?" Blink asked quietly.
"She dumped me" Jack responded
"Well, youse ok?"
"yea, I'll be fine"
"Den I'm going ta bed. Youse com'n?"
"yea, I'm jus gonna clean 'er up a lil."
"Suit yourself." And with that Blink descended down the stairs.
Jack walked over to the little sink across from the bed and filled a small bowl with warm water and soaked a washcloth in it as well. HE then sat next to the girl and proceed to wash her face, neck, arms, and hands. She had very soft skin and a buttermilk complexion. She looked very beautiful under the dim light of the attic. As he left her side to wash her feet, she yawned and stretched her body. When she finished she asked sleepily,
"Jack Kelly?"
"Ya, dats me" Jack said a little unsurely.
"I've been expecting you Jack Kelly." And she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
"Whoa! Blink where'd youse find dat?" Mush asked, trying to be funny.
"On da streets. She'da froze out der. Where should Ise put her Jack?"
Jack looked at the girl. Her face was dirty and the blanket worn, yet she had a captivatingly peaceful look to her.
"She can stay in da attic." He said and walked up the stairs with Blink. When Blink laid her on the bed, jack replaced her old blanket with two new ones. The dress the girl was wearing was so filthy you couldn't tell it had an original color, and was torn in various places. She looked to b about 18 or 19 and very fragile. Jack wondered how she could have ever survived on the streets.
"So, wat happened with you and Sara today?" Blink asked quietly.
"She dumped me" Jack responded
"Well, youse ok?"
"yea, I'll be fine"
"Den I'm going ta bed. Youse com'n?"
"yea, I'm jus gonna clean 'er up a lil."
"Suit yourself." And with that Blink descended down the stairs.
Jack walked over to the little sink across from the bed and filled a small bowl with warm water and soaked a washcloth in it as well. HE then sat next to the girl and proceed to wash her face, neck, arms, and hands. She had very soft skin and a buttermilk complexion. She looked very beautiful under the dim light of the attic. As he left her side to wash her feet, she yawned and stretched her body. When she finished she asked sleepily,
"Jack Kelly?"
"Ya, dats me" Jack said a little unsurely.
"I've been expecting you Jack Kelly." And she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.