Chapter: VII Tulip & an Angel
"Madison, Maddy!" Smokes tries to wake Lady who is un-phased by his persistent calling to her. Jack walks up to Smokes who is leaning over Lady's bunk and sympathizes.
"Just leave her, she'll be okay. Someone can come check on her later." Jack passes Smokes to the stairs while adjusting his red bandanna around his neck. Down at the distribution center they all get some papers. The Cincinnati newsies get less than what they're used to, not to take any more profit away from them. They need just enough to pay rent at the end of the week and a train ticket, though most of them would just as well stow away. Smokes goes and get his papers after Jack. He shows no fear of them recognizing who he is.
"Hey Tulip where you goin'?" Smokes watches as the girl dressed as a boy runs down the street with out any papers or anyone with her.
"I just forgot something!" She looks back waving and continues on her way.
"Lodgin' house is dat," Jack begins shouting, and pointing when he notices her running, in the opposite direction of the Newsboys Lodging house, she is already out of hear shot. The newsies pair off and disperse through out Manhattan. Morris approaches Smokes and Jack.
"Cowboy, I know you know where Lady is an well, we wrote her parents 'bout her, an got a reply and days not too happy." Morris waves the letter contemptuously at Jack's face. Jack grabs it. They glare into each other's eyes for a moment. Jack hands the letter to Smokes. Morris looks at Smokes in the eyes.
"I know you."
"Must be mistaken, I'm from Ohio. Nevea been here." He replies without skipping a beat. Morris peers at him, then with his mean face shoves past him, hitting his shoulder. Jack begins to start something, but Smokes stops him.
"Do you know any place were I can get a charm?" He asks while passing a boxing rink.
"Whada mean, like one a doguhs little dangly figures, comin' off Lady's bracelet?"
"Yeah."
"Medda Larkson, dis lady I knows sells her collection. We'se can go now if ya want." He and Smokes head to Irving Hall. Jack talks to a guy for a moment kind of low and then with in a matter if seconds they are on there way through the back stage door. Smokes beholds a red haired woman wearing all different shades of pink. She walks down some stairs.
"Kelly, who's your friend?"
"Medda, dis is Smokes Ocean." Smokes smiles at the Swedish woman.
"Handsome aren't you. Please to meet you."
"You too ma'am." Jack tells her what Smokes wants and he looks through a collection of silver little figures. He chooses one and then they are back on the streets hawking the headlines. Back at the lodging house Lady wakes up. She dresses in one of her deep purple skirts and white shirts. She straightens up the place feeling bad for not being up with everyone else. Lady steps outside for a few moments to get some fresh air. She'd be willing to go and explore, but she doesn't know her surroundings so decides against wandering and stays near the block. She sees something resembling Oscar, but then Tulip, and resolves it must have be a newsy she doesn't recognize. She goes inside to read some.
In the days following Lady starts selling with Bumlets and sometimes with Smokes and Jack. She and Bumlets tell each other more of their odd dreams that they share. The two are becoming really close friends.
"Tulip, where's all your money?" Smokes is beginning to get a little aggravated with this girl. She has forgotten her money for lunch a few times and never pays anyone back and now that it's almost time to go and time to pay for the lodging, she is broke.
"I used it for food an stuff. What's the big deal? Can we hurry this up, I have somewhere to be." All the newsies look at her. She has been behaving odd since they got to New York.
"Fine, just, go." Smokes says as he rolls his eyes. Tulip leaves with delight and heads out the door. Smokes sits down and pull some money out of his pock.
"Are you okay?" Lady walks over to him."
"Yeah. Lucky I saved some extra, huh?" He laughs a little. He has the letter from her parents sticking out of his pocket still. She notices it, and grabs it.
"What is this?" She begins to read it. Tears form in her eyes as she reads of disowning, disappointment, and things of the sort written on the paper.
"I'm sorry I was going to give it to you later, but,"
"No, it was going to happen. So you're leaving tomorrow?" She switches her disposition.
"I got something for you."
"Again? How are you paying for,"
"Will you just let me give it to you?" She lowers her head in embarrassment. He holds it up to her. It shines in the light, and the figure becomes recognizable.
"I love it." She begins to cry again. This time they hug and don't stop for a few minutes. It wis getting late and the lodging house crowed so they take to the roof. They sit there for a few hours talking of the past. Bumlets walking past them hears her happy and he feels happy, and content, but every time he even looks at Smokes the feeling of jealously, and competition comes over him. Depressed he walks to his bunk to sleep. The addition to Lady's bracelet is an angel, something very special to her, since her little brother had passed away from consumption some years before.