Part 6: It's Not Your Fault


After Spot had to pry her off of Jack, he gestured 'bye' to them, and was off to the Sheepshed Races. He still couldn't believe that was the same Spot Conlon. He started to feel a little depressed. Spot had a great family, and he didn't have anyone. He hadn't been with anyone since Sarah. It was too hard for him to start a relationship with anyone after what had happen…
Jack sited the Sheepshed Races in front of him - picking up his stride. He was fixing to walk into the races when he saw two kids - that looked familiar - in a dark area next to the brick wall that housed the racetrack. He softly went up to them, not wanting to disturb their kissing frenzy.
"You two havin' fun?" he asked the two kids, leaning close to them.
Dice nearly jumped out of her skin. She broke apart from Kingpin, and ducked behind him. Pin caught Jack's eye and glared.
He smirked, sarcastically. "Kingpin and Dice, roight?"
"Yeah, you remembah us. Jack Kelly?" Pin said, holding out his hand. His other was behind him grasping Dice's hand.
"Dat's roight." He tried looking around the boy. "Heya, you can come out."
Dice frowned as Kingpin pulled her out from behind him. She refused. "Don' mind 'er. She's a little shy."
"Oh, dat's why youse was smuchin' out in public?" Jack snickered out loud.
Dice finally emerged from her hiding place. "We were away from anyone who could see us. Your probably jist bein' a snoop" Dice corrected, pushing a lock of her hair out of her face, frustrated.
"Dice, he didn' find us a purpose" Kingpin told her, linking his arm around her waist. "She's shy ta show affection out in public. No one at da lodgin' house knows wese even togetah."
"Don' blame me fer dat. I was raised as a boy, remembah?"
Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Youse was raised as a boy?"
"Yeah. Me mudder taught me how ta play poker an' othah gamblin' games when I was little. She would disguise me as a boy, so, I could go inta da poker hall an' stuff. I had ta live like a boy fer years. Now, Ise real shy 'bout all dat affection junk." She cringed. "I don' trust no boys 'cept Hawk, Townie, Cock, an' Pin heah. By da way, yer da guy who was in Tibby's taday." She said it more as a statement than a question.
"Dat's me."
"Pin told me 'bout ya on da way heah. I already knew who ya were, but ta see ya in poison is a honor" Dice rambled, spitting in her hand to shake. Jack did the same. She grinned, contently. "You kids know where I can find Racetrack Higgins?"
Kingpin nodded. "Shoa. We'll bring ya ta 'im."
They started walking into the races. Dice pushed Pin's arms from around her waist. He placed his arm around her shoulder. She shot him a deadly glared, but he didn't pay attention. He'd learned over the passed couple years, that they'd been together, just to ignore anything Dice did that wasn't important. Jack followed them up to the announcer's booth. There wasn't a race going on at that moment.
"Hey, Racetrack! Ya there?" Kingpin shouted, knocking on the door.
"Ise comin', ya idiot!" Jack heard the so well known voice he had taken wise cracks from years ago.
The door opened to reveal a short Italian with a cigar permanently attached in his mouth. He appeared to of age way more than Spot or Crutchy had. Jack wondered why.
"Heya Pin. Heya Dice. Whatcha need? Ise not leadin' youse two anymore money no more, y'know dat" he said, not seeing Jack behind them.
"Naw, wese not heah fer dat, Race" Dice retorted.
Kingpin spoke out. "We brought ya a gift."
Racetrack looked up to see his old friend standing there. The biggest grin fell upon his face as Race embraced Jack.
"Good ta see you too, Race" Jack said, trying to breathe.
"Where da heck have you been, Cowboy?" he asked, pulling away.
"Bein' a cowboy fer real." Jack remarked.
"Ya finally made it ta Santa Fe, huh?"
"Actually, I did."
"Come on in ta me booth. Ise da announcer of da races now instead of the better."
Jack walked into the small booth with Race. He turned to the two kids to see if they were coming. "You two joinin' us?"
"Naw, you two need ta catch up on ole' times. See ya latah" Kingpin said.
"Okay. Bye." Jack said. Race just waved the two off.
Jack watched Kingpin and Dice walk off then shut the door. Race was elated as he took the speak to start the next horse race that was about to begin. Jack sat down in the creaky wooden chair beside him.
"And there off! Reindeer takes the lead with Bookmark in second…Red Coat in third…And, Pocket Watch in a slow fourth…"
Jack was in deep thought - thinking of everything that had happen in the passes day. He'd found three of his old friends in one day! It was sort of overwhelming. Meeting the new kids of the Manhattan Lodging House was a highlight of the day. He was having a great time being back. It made him think of the time during the strike…

"Oh, Dangerous?" Kloppman said acting surprise. He knew all too well he was lying to Warden Snyder. "I better look in my files. This way please." He distracted Snyder as Jack ducked into the clump of newsies. They hurried to hold up their signs to hide Jack.
Racetrack was in front of them. He held up his sign that he just finished painting a few mintues later. "Give to the Newsies Strike fund, Mister?" he asked innocently.
Snyder looked at him in disgust, but held out a coin. Race took it in the same hand he had his cigar in. Snyder walked around the boys and out the lodging house door. One of the boys peeked out the door to watch if Snyder really left or not. When he was far enough away from the lodging house, he shouted "He gone!" A huge roar of laughter abrupted in the room.
Jack came out of his hiding place and bowed. "Thank you. Thank you."
"Cowboy, I just don't know about you sometimes" Kloppman said, walking back into his office.
Some of the boys walked over to Jack, slapping him on the back. Racetrack was the first. "Jack, youse pushin' ya luck wit da guy."
"Yeah, I know." Jack snickered. "I don' care. We got biggah things ta worry 'bout roight now den Snydah." Jack hopped up onto Kloppman's desk and clapped his hands. "Now, boys, we need ta figger out wha' ta do at da rally."
"Youse da one who's gonna tawk Jack" Dutchy said.
"Yeah, I know dat. But, wha' should I say? I need ta get Davey heah." He snickered again. "Didja see Snydah's face when Race asked 'im fer some money? Dat was a classic."
"Ise jist love da way wese can intimidate 'im" Race said, taking a drag off of his cigar.
"I know one thing, Jack" Kid Blink spoke up. "Ya bettah not stay 'round heah where Snydah can spy on ya."
"Ya roight, Blink. Well, Ise outta heah den."
Race frowned. "Ya gotta place ya gonna go?"
"Coise I do. See youse guys latah…"

"So, ya got ta Santa Fe, huh?"
Jack Kelly came out of his trance at Racetrack's words. He looked up and nodded. "Yeah. Been dere fer da last nine years."
Race stared at him. "I can' believe ya came back."
"Why ya can' believe it?"
Race raised an eyebrow. He remembered the morning the boys in the Manhattan Lodging House found the note from a certain Cowboy, saying he'd left for good. None of them thought he'd come back - not after what happen…
"Y'know" Race shrugged. "Ya left witout sayin' good-bye jist a few days aftah da funeral."
Jack cringed. Did he have to be reminded about the funeral again? "Well, I was hurt an' thought dat I wasn' welcome heah anymore."
"What?!" It was more than a little harsh, but Racetrack was meaning well. He calmed down, shaking his head. "Y'know, it wasn' ya fault."
"Yes, it was." Jack tried not to make eye contact with his friend.
"No…" Race made him look at him. "…it wasn't."
"Look, Race, I didn' come heah ta talk 'bout dat. So, could wese get off da subject."
They stayed silent for a few minutes. Jack tried to compose himself as Racetrack thought of a 'different' subject.
"Ya met any a da othah guys yet? Mosta us is still 'round 'sides a few."
"Yeah. I met up wit Crutchy an' Spot. Spot has da cutest kids." "Oh, yeah. He's da 'daddy' now. Spot Conlon a good fadder.
Who'da thunk it? But, he has some precious daughters. Tressa is a little con artist though."
"Yeah, I noticed."
"I saw ya awready met Kingpin an' Dice. Dose two…don' know wha' ta make a dem. I guess ya awready been ta da ole' lodgin' house?"
"Yeah. Met mosta da kids dere - Hawkeye, Coneflower, Townie, Doll, uh….a lot more."
"I know 'em all. Dey good kids. Love da goils."
"Dey cute too. Wish we had goils in da lodgin' house wese was livin' dere. Maybe I wouldn' a had ta leave."
"Naw, dat wouldn' a changed da way ya felt 'bout Sarah."
Jack glared at Race. The subject was up in the air again.
"Listen, I gotta go. I promised Coneflower an' Doll dat I'd be back at da house ta get ta met everyone else 'fore lights out."
"Okay. I guess I'll tawk ta ya latah."
"Yeah. Bye." Jack shook Race's hand, and was headed back to Manhattan.