Chapter 38

When Jack and Spot returned, everyone was in shock. Blink had given Bristles the envelope and in it was a letter from Bristles' father written after he found out that her whereabouts, telling her that he had left her an amount of money too large for her to believe. He had begun saving money ever since he was young in hopes of a better future. The letter told from father to daughter said that he had done all sorts of things, some not agreeable to the law, but none done for the bad side. Everything he did was honest. Although it would probably be a while before he died, the letter had said jokingly, he had enough money to last him the rest of his life. He had said that he hoped to see her, and even if he didn't, he was glad to know that he had found out where his daughter was, and hoped that she would handle it wisely. He finally ended with details of how to get to that money, which was stored safely in the bank, and signed the letter "From the Father who never stopped loving you,"

Bristles was no longer a struggling person, she was rich! Who would have imagined, a rich newsie! All the people in the Lodging House knew, and everyone congratulated her.

***

Two days later, Bristles celebrated her birthday happily with her beloved newsies. Some of them were ashamed of how plain the presents were, but she loved every one of them. When she unwrapped the paintset that Spot had gotten her, she yelled so loudly and kissed him with the paintset still in her hands. This time he had no embarassment, only joy.

The nausea that she had been having was nothing. In fact, Bristles thought it stupid that she would suspect anything when she remembered that she and Spot had never done anything so extreme.