They reached the lodging house to find Kloppman, the owner of the lodging house, reading the day's paper. "Good heavens! What happened?" he exclaimed, noticing the limp body in Mush's arms.
"No time to explain! My arms are getting tired!" Mush moaned as they walked up the staircase to the bunkroom. Mush gently laid the girl on the closest bottom bunk to the door.
Soon there were the sounds of over 30 feet clomping up the stairs. The door flew open with a loud "bang". "Shhh....the four said in unison. "Do yall have ta come up here makin' all a dat racket?" Race whispered. Brady, a tall boy with light brown hair and moderate build, wrestled Jack, trying to nudge him in the stomach.
"Gosh you're makin' enough racket yourselves." Brady said with a smile. Jack sat down on the bunk, rubbing the place he had been nudged.
The young girl began to stir behind them.
"Um...um...um...um..." she stuttered. "Where am I? Who are you?...." she sat up quickly, knocking her head on the bunk above her. All of the boys just laughed. Blink pushed her back down to rest and said, "Just calm down....Just calm down now." She just stared at him unknowingly.
I guess we should introduce ourselves and explain how you got here." Mush said, breaking the silence. They all preceded to talk to her.
"What's your name?" Race asked. She began to studded again. I can't...I can't ....I can't remember!" she said with a sob as she began to cry into the pillow she was clutching as a barrier between her and the strange boys before her.
By then a whole group of boys had surrounded the bed and she was becoming more and more intimidated by the minuet. "Don't cry.... um... We're here ta help ya...not hurt ya. I'm da leada' of dis here group, da Manhattan newsies."
She looked up at him with a very confused expression. "What's a newsie?" she asked. Most of the newsies just shook their heads in disbelief. Race stepped up and said, " Haven't ya eva' heard of da strike?.... or Pulitzer?
She just shook her head saddly and began to cry into the pillow again. He proceded to explain, "We're da ones dat sell da papes." she wrinkled her nose in question. "Papes?" "Newspapers!" they all said at once.
She quickly covered her face again with the pillow with fright. Mush grabbed the pillow and slung it. "So do ya wanna be a newsie?" he asked. "Why not!" she replied some what cheerfully.
"Okay it's settled den. All we have ta do is give ya your newsie name and it'll be official,"
Race said. "How 'bout Ellenoar?" a short stocky boy named Snipeshooter yelled from across the room.
The girl and all the boys stuck out their tongues in disgust. "What kinda name is Ellenoar?" a strange voice from across the room bellowed. The boy who had yelled walked through all of the boys and Jack introduced him, " This here boy is named Pieboy."
He was a medium sized guy around the age of 15 with brown hair. "Hello," she said shyly. Pieboy just smiled and said, "Since that's my pillow that is drenched with your tears I should have some say in this. You seem like an Anne to me." The new Anne blushed and giggled at him. All of the boys seemed to agree. "Well, there you have it...da next newsie." Jack declared.
More to come soon