Chapter One
It was dark when Katie arrived outside of the Newsboys lodging house. It had been two years since she had left for Boston but now that she was back, she planned on staying put this time. Katie stepped through the door and stopped in the doorway. Newsboys littered the area as they sat around joking and gambling with Racetrack. No one noticed her as she studied each face, looking for the boys she knew from her childhood. Katie dropped her suitcase with a loud thud that made all eyes turn to her.
"Can we help youse, lady?" Racetrack asked moving to stand in front of her.
"Lady? Race youse mistaken. This heres ain't no lady." A cocky voice called out. Katie looked up and saw the smirking face of none other then Jack Kelly.
"If me bein' able ta soak you means I'm no lady, then I'se guess you're right, Cowboy." Katie laughed.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! Boys! It's Sky!" Race said bursting out laughing. Katie smiled as the boys she knew gretted her. She spotted Kloppman standing at the desk and walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello Grandfather."
"Katie-girl, you're home...why?" he asked. He and the boys hadn't expected her to be back for a few more years.
"Does it matter?" Katie sighed taking off her hat and placing it on the counter.
"Youse got kicked out, didn't ya?" Jack guessed. Katie rolled her eyes as the boys started cheering. Kloppman just shook his head in disbelief.
"So what happened?" Mush asked, eager to hear the story.
"I soaked this one goil." Katie stated.
"You soaked one goil and theyse kicked you out?" Blink cried out in surprise. To them, that was practically nothing. Fights happened all the time but then again that was life on the streets.
"Who was the goil?" Jack asked knowing that there had to be more behind it.
"Pulitzer's niece." Katie grinned.
"Katherine O'Connell! What am I ta do with you?" Kloppman sighed giving her his best disapproving look.
"Just be 'appy that I'm home?" Katie suggested with a sheepish grin.
"That I am me girl. That I am." Kloppman laughed wrapping his granddaughter into a hug.
"Well no offense boys, but I'm going to head up to my room to unpack and go to sleep." Katie said picking up her suitcase from the floor.
"Lemme help ya with your stuff. It's the gentlemanly thing ta do." Jack said reaching to take the bag from her.
"But Jack, youse not a gentleman." Katie laughed and ran up the stairs with him on her tail and the laughter from the other boys following.
It was dark when Katie arrived outside of the Newsboys lodging house. It had been two years since she had left for Boston but now that she was back, she planned on staying put this time. Katie stepped through the door and stopped in the doorway. Newsboys littered the area as they sat around joking and gambling with Racetrack. No one noticed her as she studied each face, looking for the boys she knew from her childhood. Katie dropped her suitcase with a loud thud that made all eyes turn to her.
"Can we help youse, lady?" Racetrack asked moving to stand in front of her.
"Lady? Race youse mistaken. This heres ain't no lady." A cocky voice called out. Katie looked up and saw the smirking face of none other then Jack Kelly.
"If me bein' able ta soak you means I'm no lady, then I'se guess you're right, Cowboy." Katie laughed.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! Boys! It's Sky!" Race said bursting out laughing. Katie smiled as the boys she knew gretted her. She spotted Kloppman standing at the desk and walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello Grandfather."
"Katie-girl, you're home...why?" he asked. He and the boys hadn't expected her to be back for a few more years.
"Does it matter?" Katie sighed taking off her hat and placing it on the counter.
"Youse got kicked out, didn't ya?" Jack guessed. Katie rolled her eyes as the boys started cheering. Kloppman just shook his head in disbelief.
"So what happened?" Mush asked, eager to hear the story.
"I soaked this one goil." Katie stated.
"You soaked one goil and theyse kicked you out?" Blink cried out in surprise. To them, that was practically nothing. Fights happened all the time but then again that was life on the streets.
"Who was the goil?" Jack asked knowing that there had to be more behind it.
"Pulitzer's niece." Katie grinned.
"Katherine O'Connell! What am I ta do with you?" Kloppman sighed giving her his best disapproving look.
"Just be 'appy that I'm home?" Katie suggested with a sheepish grin.
"That I am me girl. That I am." Kloppman laughed wrapping his granddaughter into a hug.
"Well no offense boys, but I'm going to head up to my room to unpack and go to sleep." Katie said picking up her suitcase from the floor.
"Lemme help ya with your stuff. It's the gentlemanly thing ta do." Jack said reaching to take the bag from her.
"But Jack, youse not a gentleman." Katie laughed and ran up the stairs with him on her tail and the laughter from the other boys following.
