Chapter 4
3 o'clock that afternoon at "the corner"---
Jack quickly sold his papers and headed over to Destiny. "Here I am!" he announced when he reached her.
She picked her head up and smiled. Jack looked in her eyes again. So… dead… he thought to himself. He noticed again that they weren't looking at him. "I feel your eyes," Destiny mumbled as she dropped her head. She sighed and stated, "I guess I've probably made it obvious that I'm blind."
"Oh?" He leaned against the corner pole and watched her.
She nodded. "I figured you'd know by now but…?"
Jack shook his head and realized she wouldn't see his gesture. He felt stupid. It was obvious and he hadn't really thought about it enough. "Uh, no," he said. "I mean, you wouldn't look at me and… I donno… I thought you was ignorin' me or sumpin'…"
"Oh no!"
"Look…"
"I can't." She giggled.
"I mean…" He thought for a moment and went on, "Listen…"
"Now that I can do."
Jack chuckled. "Listen, I ain't gonna treat'cha different, if youse was wonderin'." He kicked at some newspaper pieces that had come up from the street.
Destiny felt awkward. She changed the subject, "Anything interesting in the paper today?"
Jack nodded frantically, as if he had been asked that question many times. "Roosevelt came fa a'nudda' visit. He's plannin' on fixin' up da refuge."
"That's good."
"Pulitza's worried. He tinks it's gonna be too nice and everybody will wanna get put in der. What a bumma'. Da bulls only do what he says anyhow." Jack shook his head, as if to throw some memories out.
"I'm sure it will all turn up. I mean, Mr. Pulitzer can't keep you all in his grasp forever," Destiny explained.
"Dat's just it," Jack sighed, "he can. He still got all da power, even after we won dat big strike in 1899. Now it's da 1900's. I guess we're all gonna be in da past fa awhile. We gotta move on, ya know? But Pulitza'…" he shook his head, "he ain't gonna change nuttin'."
"Well, maybe we can transform him. I wonder if we could get him to actually see what's happening around him."
"Like how?"
Destiny bit her lip and thought hard. "I guess we could…"
Racetrack came running out of nowhere and was screaming, "Jack! Da bulls is at da house! Dey's wreckin' da whole place! Dey says dat Pulitza' wants ta see ya!"
"Wow," Destiny began, "just when we were talking about him."
Jack jumped to immediate attention. "Why would he wanna see me?" he inquired.
Racetrack shrugged. "Donno… but I'd keep away fa a bit. You could stay wit Spot maybe…"
"Nah," Jack said, shaking his head. He turned his attention to Destiny again and told her, "Dis is a chance ta talk ta Pulitza'… any ideas come to ya yet?"
She shook her head. "Just… say anything to get him out and see what the refuge needs. Tell him to look at it and make him see."
Racetrack laughed, "Pulitza'? Seein' anyting? He's crazy!"
Jack shrugged and then nodded. "Yeah, he's right." He sighed deeply, "I guess I should go somewhere's."
"I'll go with you," Destiny told him.
Racetrack glanced at Jack. "I don't tink so," he whispered, "Pulitza' isn't…"
"Hey!" Destiny crossed her arms. "I'm good at debating. I can get him to. Trust me."
Jack shrugged. "What da hell." He grabbed her hand and they walked together to the refuge. Racetrack had run in front of them back to the refuge and tried to get the cops away before Jack and Destiny got there; No luck.
Jack and Destiny reached there. The cops went crazy. One of them grabbed Jack's arm and twisted it back while another got his other arm. A third cop pushed Destiny away. Luckily, Racetrack rose to her aid and caught her. Jack jabbed at the cops, trying to break free from the hustle bustle. "Get da hell off'a me!" he yelled, "I came in peace, don't ya see?"
They loosened their grip a bit. Destiny held onto Racetrack and screamed, "Why does he want to see Jack anyway?"
"That's da Pulitza's problem," one of them stated.
"Take me to Pulitzer's home Racetrack," Destiny whispered.
He gave her a confused look. She explained her blindness after Jack and the cop's left. Racetrack slapped his forehead. "Boy," he said, "I feel stupid."
"I tink I knew," a few people stated.
Racetrack agreed to walk Destiny to Pulitzer's house. When they got there, Racetrack expected to see a clear entrance, but strangely enough, there were butlers and maids scattered all on the outside of Pulitzer's gate, along with guards. "Dis is crazy!" Racetrack grumbled.
"What? What's happening?"
Racetrack took Destiny's arm and they walked up to the house. "Uh, ay," Racetrack greeted a guard, "We's friends'a Jack Kelly's. He's in der wit Mr. P." He started walking past the guard but the man stopped him.
"You can't see him," he stated, "No one does, all except for those he wishes to see." He crossed his eyes and kept his eyes fixed on Racetrack.
"But we've got a way to…"
The guard cut Destiny off, yelling again, "No one sees Mr. Pulitzer!"
Racetrack tugged at Destiny's arm. He whispered, "Let's go."
"But…"
He urged, "Let's GO!"
Destiny sighed and the two walked away. "Well, what's the plan?" Destiny inquired.
"The plan is dat if Jack ain't outta der by tomorrow den we break in and tear Pulitza' apart."
"Tomorrow?" Destiny pulled away from Racetrack and crossed her arms. "That's too long. He could be… dying or something," she pouted.
Racetrack looked over at the gate closing up Pulitza's house. It opened. "Or," Racetrack began, "he could be comin' out right now."
Destiny sighed. "It's not polite to tease the blind…"
"Nah, here he comes. Ay Jack!"
Jack jogged over to the two. "Ay guys."
"Oh." Destiny grinned and then simply asked Jack, "So?"
"So." Jack shrugged. "Pulitza' wants me ta stop whatever it is I'm plannin'. And I don't know what I'm plannin', but I guess I better stop."
"How odd." Destiny shook her head. Her mouth suddenly dropped open. "What time is it?" she inquired.
"Uh…" Racetrack glanced at his pocket watch and finished, "it's about 5." He added, "My how time flies dese days."
Destiny felt around and grabbed Jack's arm. "Walk me home?" she inquired.
Jack grinned and Racetrack scowled, "Gee, I did my best at walkin' youse around."
Jack, Destiny, and Racetrack all departed. "So what are youse doin' tomorrow?" Jack asked.
Destiny bit her lip and thought. "I think Margaret is taking me to fix my hair up. She loves hair," she explained. "She says she likes your hair Jack," she added with a giggle.
When they reached Destiny's house, Jack and Racetrack said goodbye and started back for the lodging house. "Youse was lyin'," Racetrack blurted.
Jack glanced over at him. "I know."
"So what's da deal den?"
"Pulitza' was talkin' about Destiny. He said sumpin' about her bein' in on some big plan. He said dat I need ta stay away from her unless I'm aimin' ta get sought or sumpin'."
Racetrack tilted his head and lit a cigar. "You tink she's been truthful ta us?" He stuck the lit cigar in his mouth.
Jack shrugged. "I tink so. Why wouldn't she be? I mean, what does she want wit Pulitza'?"
Read on!
3 o'clock that afternoon at "the corner"---
Jack quickly sold his papers and headed over to Destiny. "Here I am!" he announced when he reached her.
She picked her head up and smiled. Jack looked in her eyes again. So… dead… he thought to himself. He noticed again that they weren't looking at him. "I feel your eyes," Destiny mumbled as she dropped her head. She sighed and stated, "I guess I've probably made it obvious that I'm blind."
"Oh?" He leaned against the corner pole and watched her.
She nodded. "I figured you'd know by now but…?"
Jack shook his head and realized she wouldn't see his gesture. He felt stupid. It was obvious and he hadn't really thought about it enough. "Uh, no," he said. "I mean, you wouldn't look at me and… I donno… I thought you was ignorin' me or sumpin'…"
"Oh no!"
"Look…"
"I can't." She giggled.
"I mean…" He thought for a moment and went on, "Listen…"
"Now that I can do."
Jack chuckled. "Listen, I ain't gonna treat'cha different, if youse was wonderin'." He kicked at some newspaper pieces that had come up from the street.
Destiny felt awkward. She changed the subject, "Anything interesting in the paper today?"
Jack nodded frantically, as if he had been asked that question many times. "Roosevelt came fa a'nudda' visit. He's plannin' on fixin' up da refuge."
"That's good."
"Pulitza's worried. He tinks it's gonna be too nice and everybody will wanna get put in der. What a bumma'. Da bulls only do what he says anyhow." Jack shook his head, as if to throw some memories out.
"I'm sure it will all turn up. I mean, Mr. Pulitzer can't keep you all in his grasp forever," Destiny explained.
"Dat's just it," Jack sighed, "he can. He still got all da power, even after we won dat big strike in 1899. Now it's da 1900's. I guess we're all gonna be in da past fa awhile. We gotta move on, ya know? But Pulitza'…" he shook his head, "he ain't gonna change nuttin'."
"Well, maybe we can transform him. I wonder if we could get him to actually see what's happening around him."
"Like how?"
Destiny bit her lip and thought hard. "I guess we could…"
Racetrack came running out of nowhere and was screaming, "Jack! Da bulls is at da house! Dey's wreckin' da whole place! Dey says dat Pulitza' wants ta see ya!"
"Wow," Destiny began, "just when we were talking about him."
Jack jumped to immediate attention. "Why would he wanna see me?" he inquired.
Racetrack shrugged. "Donno… but I'd keep away fa a bit. You could stay wit Spot maybe…"
"Nah," Jack said, shaking his head. He turned his attention to Destiny again and told her, "Dis is a chance ta talk ta Pulitza'… any ideas come to ya yet?"
She shook her head. "Just… say anything to get him out and see what the refuge needs. Tell him to look at it and make him see."
Racetrack laughed, "Pulitza'? Seein' anyting? He's crazy!"
Jack shrugged and then nodded. "Yeah, he's right." He sighed deeply, "I guess I should go somewhere's."
"I'll go with you," Destiny told him.
Racetrack glanced at Jack. "I don't tink so," he whispered, "Pulitza' isn't…"
"Hey!" Destiny crossed her arms. "I'm good at debating. I can get him to. Trust me."
Jack shrugged. "What da hell." He grabbed her hand and they walked together to the refuge. Racetrack had run in front of them back to the refuge and tried to get the cops away before Jack and Destiny got there; No luck.
Jack and Destiny reached there. The cops went crazy. One of them grabbed Jack's arm and twisted it back while another got his other arm. A third cop pushed Destiny away. Luckily, Racetrack rose to her aid and caught her. Jack jabbed at the cops, trying to break free from the hustle bustle. "Get da hell off'a me!" he yelled, "I came in peace, don't ya see?"
They loosened their grip a bit. Destiny held onto Racetrack and screamed, "Why does he want to see Jack anyway?"
"That's da Pulitza's problem," one of them stated.
"Take me to Pulitzer's home Racetrack," Destiny whispered.
He gave her a confused look. She explained her blindness after Jack and the cop's left. Racetrack slapped his forehead. "Boy," he said, "I feel stupid."
"I tink I knew," a few people stated.
Racetrack agreed to walk Destiny to Pulitzer's house. When they got there, Racetrack expected to see a clear entrance, but strangely enough, there were butlers and maids scattered all on the outside of Pulitzer's gate, along with guards. "Dis is crazy!" Racetrack grumbled.
"What? What's happening?"
Racetrack took Destiny's arm and they walked up to the house. "Uh, ay," Racetrack greeted a guard, "We's friends'a Jack Kelly's. He's in der wit Mr. P." He started walking past the guard but the man stopped him.
"You can't see him," he stated, "No one does, all except for those he wishes to see." He crossed his eyes and kept his eyes fixed on Racetrack.
"But we've got a way to…"
The guard cut Destiny off, yelling again, "No one sees Mr. Pulitzer!"
Racetrack tugged at Destiny's arm. He whispered, "Let's go."
"But…"
He urged, "Let's GO!"
Destiny sighed and the two walked away. "Well, what's the plan?" Destiny inquired.
"The plan is dat if Jack ain't outta der by tomorrow den we break in and tear Pulitza' apart."
"Tomorrow?" Destiny pulled away from Racetrack and crossed her arms. "That's too long. He could be… dying or something," she pouted.
Racetrack looked over at the gate closing up Pulitza's house. It opened. "Or," Racetrack began, "he could be comin' out right now."
Destiny sighed. "It's not polite to tease the blind…"
"Nah, here he comes. Ay Jack!"
Jack jogged over to the two. "Ay guys."
"Oh." Destiny grinned and then simply asked Jack, "So?"
"So." Jack shrugged. "Pulitza' wants me ta stop whatever it is I'm plannin'. And I don't know what I'm plannin', but I guess I better stop."
"How odd." Destiny shook her head. Her mouth suddenly dropped open. "What time is it?" she inquired.
"Uh…" Racetrack glanced at his pocket watch and finished, "it's about 5." He added, "My how time flies dese days."
Destiny felt around and grabbed Jack's arm. "Walk me home?" she inquired.
Jack grinned and Racetrack scowled, "Gee, I did my best at walkin' youse around."
Jack, Destiny, and Racetrack all departed. "So what are youse doin' tomorrow?" Jack asked.
Destiny bit her lip and thought. "I think Margaret is taking me to fix my hair up. She loves hair," she explained. "She says she likes your hair Jack," she added with a giggle.
When they reached Destiny's house, Jack and Racetrack said goodbye and started back for the lodging house. "Youse was lyin'," Racetrack blurted.
Jack glanced over at him. "I know."
"So what's da deal den?"
"Pulitza' was talkin' about Destiny. He said sumpin' about her bein' in on some big plan. He said dat I need ta stay away from her unless I'm aimin' ta get sought or sumpin'."
Racetrack tilted his head and lit a cigar. "You tink she's been truthful ta us?" He stuck the lit cigar in his mouth.
Jack shrugged. "I tink so. Why wouldn't she be? I mean, what does she want wit Pulitza'?"
Read on!
