The next few days passed uneventfully, at least in my eyes. Mush and
I would sell our papes, and have food every now and then when we got
hungry. (As the days passed, my hunger did, too, until I was able to
survive happily on the same servings as Mush did) In the evenings, we'd
hang out with the other newsies, and I met some girl newsies who lived in
the girls' house Kloppman had tried to take me to. They were nice, but
didn't exactly warm up to me right away.
For some reason, Mush no longer suggested swimming over with Spot's crew. I couldn't tell if he didn't feel like it, or if he guessed something was up with Spot; but I was perfectly content to stay as far away from Spot as I could.
One morning, I woke up to shouts from Boots: "It's Mush's boithday!" It took me a moment to realize that 'boithday' meant 'birthday,' and then I rose and looked down at Mush, who had taken the floor for me that night.
"It's your birthday?" I repeated.
"Well, I guess it is, if Boots says it is," he answered. "Boots knows ever'body's boithdays."
"You'se be seventeen t'day, Mush!" Boots shouted.
"Really?" he answered. "Dat means I'se be old. Like Jack!" he shouted loudly, standing up and clapping his friend on the back.
"Ah, shuddup," Jack mumbled. (He is NOT a morning person.)
"You shuddup!" Mush yelled back, grinning and punching Jack's shoulder.
"YOU shuddup!" Jack yelled back, but he too was beginning to smile.
"Boys," I said, rolling my eyes. I went to my suitcase and opened it up, rifling through. I found my pale reticule in the bottom, and opened it to see how much money I had. I smiled as I counted it, then stuffed it away. No one had noticed.
I took my purple dress and went down to Kloppman's washroom. For the occasion, I even washed my hair, then tried to brush through it. It took a while, but finally the brush got through all the tangles and knots. I washed my face and hands also, and then put my dress on. My long, wet hair dripped all the way down my back, and I didn't put on my cap, because for today at least, I wanted to look like the pretty girl Mush had fallen for. I made a face at the ugly dress, which was now so stained and faded it nearly looked gray, but knew that I didn't want to wear my fancy dress to sell newspapers. There'd be time for prettier dresses that night.
I brought a few ribbons out of the pocket of my apron and began the chore of braiding and tying my hair up in them. It went fairly quickly, though, with all my experience, and I headed upstairs to the dorm room nearly on time.
When I entered, Skittery shouted, "Finally!"
"Daffodil, it's time we's let ya in on a newsie tradition," Jack told me. He motioned over to the doorway, where Kloppman now stood with a piece of cornbread. Sticking out of it was a miniature lit candle. All the newsies burst into some "happy boithday" song, while Mush sat there and grinned. He blew out his candle and then dug into his cornbread.
"See, 'e's gotsta eat all a' it in one bite," Snipeshooter told me as I watched Mush trying to chew with the big mouthful.
"So what's ya gonna do's fer yer big day?" Racetrack asked, puffing on his cigar.
We had to wait a while until Mush had finished his cornbread. Then he shrugged. "I'se jus' wanna spend it wit' me goil!" he answered.
"Who saw dat one comin'?" Jack asked comically.
That day, it was just Mush and me. Occasionally another newsie would run up and pat him on the back, but the two of us just meandered through the streets, talking. When Mush mentioned getting hungry around dinnertime, I said I had a surprise for him, and I made him wait for me outside the lodging house. I quickly changed into the only dress I had left that wasn't completely ruined, because I hadn't WANTED to ruin it—it was a filmy white, with light pink ribbons. I even put on a corset underneath, though I couldn't pull it nearly so tight by myself as Rose used to. I looked at myself in the mirror, and noticed I looked kind of pretty. More than kind of, I corrected myself. Very.
I pulled on my white button-up boots (which I'd also kept hidden away to keep pristine) and as many layers of underskirts that I could, and then headed outside. Mush was joking around with Jack, David and Spot (oh, joy) when I appeared.
It was priceless. All four boys stared at me, their mouths open, for what seemed like eternity. Finally, I held up the reticule and jangled the money inside. "C'mon, Mush, I'm buying you your birthday dinner."
His eyes still wide, he nodded, and as he held out his arm to escort me, he peeked back at his friends as if to say, "Oh, YEAH."
We sat down in a restaurant that I used to eat at with my family on Sundays. Mush kept looking around himself in wonder, and, for once, let me do the ordering when the waiter, Ralph, came.
"Ah, Miss Victoria Thatcher!" he said with a smile. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you coming in with your family anymore!"
"That's because I don't live with them anymore," I answered, smiling back. Ralph had always been one of my favorite waiters. "This is Mush, my beau. No one approved of him at my house, so I left."
"You're kidding!" He leaned closer to the table, then turned to Mush. "You're lucky if you caught the eye of Victoria here. Many a man has tried to grab her up, but no, not just anyone will do for this princess!" He let out a laugh and straightened up. "Now what can I get you two?"
I ordered for us, and Mush continued to look amazed when we were left again. "I jus' cain't believe that ya used ta belong t' this whole woild, too," he said softly after a little bit, taking my hand. Then he looked at me closely. "Why DID ya choose me oveh any a dem udder fellas?"
I looked at him, and honestly answered, "I'm not really sure, you just seemed so … real to me." I held his hand up to my mouth, and kissed each of his fingers. "Happy Birthday, Mush."
"I'se cain't hardly believe it," he said back. "I'se neveh t'ought I'd be havin' me next boithday party wit' a princess."
"I'm no princess," I answered softly, as Ralph (the speedy and efficient waiter that he is – that, and since it was Wednesday, it wasn't exactly full at the restaurant) brought us our dinners. "Not anymore."
"Daffodil, you'se will always be a princess t' me," he told me, and grinned as he looked down at his plate. "Happy boithday t' me! Da best goil in all of New Yawk, an' da best dinnah, too!"
After our magnificent supper (which made my heart long for the meals I used to receive around the clock at my house), I tried to pay Ralph.
"You put your money away, Miss Victoria," he told me. "If you'll come and visit me sometimes, I'll pay for it. Oh, and bring this character, too," he said, pointing at Mush, who was inspecting the cash register with interest. "He seems like he'd be good for a chat."
"Oh, he is," I said, smiling at Mush. He jumped back in surprise when he hit a button and the cash drawer opened with a "ping", then looked at me sheepishly. "C'mon, Mush. I'm tired. Getting all dolled-up for you sure takes a lot out of a girl." We said goodbye to Ralph and Mush escorted me to the lodging house. There was a sight which scared me to death, and drove all thoughts of sleep from my mind….
For some reason, Mush no longer suggested swimming over with Spot's crew. I couldn't tell if he didn't feel like it, or if he guessed something was up with Spot; but I was perfectly content to stay as far away from Spot as I could.
One morning, I woke up to shouts from Boots: "It's Mush's boithday!" It took me a moment to realize that 'boithday' meant 'birthday,' and then I rose and looked down at Mush, who had taken the floor for me that night.
"It's your birthday?" I repeated.
"Well, I guess it is, if Boots says it is," he answered. "Boots knows ever'body's boithdays."
"You'se be seventeen t'day, Mush!" Boots shouted.
"Really?" he answered. "Dat means I'se be old. Like Jack!" he shouted loudly, standing up and clapping his friend on the back.
"Ah, shuddup," Jack mumbled. (He is NOT a morning person.)
"You shuddup!" Mush yelled back, grinning and punching Jack's shoulder.
"YOU shuddup!" Jack yelled back, but he too was beginning to smile.
"Boys," I said, rolling my eyes. I went to my suitcase and opened it up, rifling through. I found my pale reticule in the bottom, and opened it to see how much money I had. I smiled as I counted it, then stuffed it away. No one had noticed.
I took my purple dress and went down to Kloppman's washroom. For the occasion, I even washed my hair, then tried to brush through it. It took a while, but finally the brush got through all the tangles and knots. I washed my face and hands also, and then put my dress on. My long, wet hair dripped all the way down my back, and I didn't put on my cap, because for today at least, I wanted to look like the pretty girl Mush had fallen for. I made a face at the ugly dress, which was now so stained and faded it nearly looked gray, but knew that I didn't want to wear my fancy dress to sell newspapers. There'd be time for prettier dresses that night.
I brought a few ribbons out of the pocket of my apron and began the chore of braiding and tying my hair up in them. It went fairly quickly, though, with all my experience, and I headed upstairs to the dorm room nearly on time.
When I entered, Skittery shouted, "Finally!"
"Daffodil, it's time we's let ya in on a newsie tradition," Jack told me. He motioned over to the doorway, where Kloppman now stood with a piece of cornbread. Sticking out of it was a miniature lit candle. All the newsies burst into some "happy boithday" song, while Mush sat there and grinned. He blew out his candle and then dug into his cornbread.
"See, 'e's gotsta eat all a' it in one bite," Snipeshooter told me as I watched Mush trying to chew with the big mouthful.
"So what's ya gonna do's fer yer big day?" Racetrack asked, puffing on his cigar.
We had to wait a while until Mush had finished his cornbread. Then he shrugged. "I'se jus' wanna spend it wit' me goil!" he answered.
"Who saw dat one comin'?" Jack asked comically.
That day, it was just Mush and me. Occasionally another newsie would run up and pat him on the back, but the two of us just meandered through the streets, talking. When Mush mentioned getting hungry around dinnertime, I said I had a surprise for him, and I made him wait for me outside the lodging house. I quickly changed into the only dress I had left that wasn't completely ruined, because I hadn't WANTED to ruin it—it was a filmy white, with light pink ribbons. I even put on a corset underneath, though I couldn't pull it nearly so tight by myself as Rose used to. I looked at myself in the mirror, and noticed I looked kind of pretty. More than kind of, I corrected myself. Very.
I pulled on my white button-up boots (which I'd also kept hidden away to keep pristine) and as many layers of underskirts that I could, and then headed outside. Mush was joking around with Jack, David and Spot (oh, joy) when I appeared.
It was priceless. All four boys stared at me, their mouths open, for what seemed like eternity. Finally, I held up the reticule and jangled the money inside. "C'mon, Mush, I'm buying you your birthday dinner."
His eyes still wide, he nodded, and as he held out his arm to escort me, he peeked back at his friends as if to say, "Oh, YEAH."
We sat down in a restaurant that I used to eat at with my family on Sundays. Mush kept looking around himself in wonder, and, for once, let me do the ordering when the waiter, Ralph, came.
"Ah, Miss Victoria Thatcher!" he said with a smile. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you coming in with your family anymore!"
"That's because I don't live with them anymore," I answered, smiling back. Ralph had always been one of my favorite waiters. "This is Mush, my beau. No one approved of him at my house, so I left."
"You're kidding!" He leaned closer to the table, then turned to Mush. "You're lucky if you caught the eye of Victoria here. Many a man has tried to grab her up, but no, not just anyone will do for this princess!" He let out a laugh and straightened up. "Now what can I get you two?"
I ordered for us, and Mush continued to look amazed when we were left again. "I jus' cain't believe that ya used ta belong t' this whole woild, too," he said softly after a little bit, taking my hand. Then he looked at me closely. "Why DID ya choose me oveh any a dem udder fellas?"
I looked at him, and honestly answered, "I'm not really sure, you just seemed so … real to me." I held his hand up to my mouth, and kissed each of his fingers. "Happy Birthday, Mush."
"I'se cain't hardly believe it," he said back. "I'se neveh t'ought I'd be havin' me next boithday party wit' a princess."
"I'm no princess," I answered softly, as Ralph (the speedy and efficient waiter that he is – that, and since it was Wednesday, it wasn't exactly full at the restaurant) brought us our dinners. "Not anymore."
"Daffodil, you'se will always be a princess t' me," he told me, and grinned as he looked down at his plate. "Happy boithday t' me! Da best goil in all of New Yawk, an' da best dinnah, too!"
After our magnificent supper (which made my heart long for the meals I used to receive around the clock at my house), I tried to pay Ralph.
"You put your money away, Miss Victoria," he told me. "If you'll come and visit me sometimes, I'll pay for it. Oh, and bring this character, too," he said, pointing at Mush, who was inspecting the cash register with interest. "He seems like he'd be good for a chat."
"Oh, he is," I said, smiling at Mush. He jumped back in surprise when he hit a button and the cash drawer opened with a "ping", then looked at me sheepishly. "C'mon, Mush. I'm tired. Getting all dolled-up for you sure takes a lot out of a girl." We said goodbye to Ralph and Mush escorted me to the lodging house. There was a sight which scared me to death, and drove all thoughts of sleep from my mind….
