Back at the Lodging House, Les beat frantically against the door. It
opened to reveal a very tired Kloppman, who had been preparing to
discipline a rude night visitor or late newsie. Seeing Les holding
David's head on his lap made him sigh and remind himself that if he didn't
look after these guys, nobody would.
He and Les dragged David to the small room Kloppman slept in, where he checked David over for serious wounds. Finding none he sewed several deeper gashes together with a practiced hand and let the boy fall into a much needed rest. Then Kloppman turned to Les and asked , "Are your parents expecting you home?"
"No," said Les seriously, "they're used to us sleeping here."
"Good," replied Kloppman, "Do you need a bed?"
"Can I stay with David?" asked Les, looking scared.
Kloppman smiled, "Sure, little fellow, just use that chair over there." He handed Les a blanket, put the cloths he'd used with the others to be washed and set about sleeping in another chair across the room.
A few hours later he awoke, stretched his neck, and went to wake the boys. Jack before all the rest, led him downstairs and left the Manhattan leader with David and began his usual morning *clomp* up the stairs. Back in his room, Jack ran a cursory eye over David, checked his stitching and changed the blood-soaked bandage around his arm. Sending silent thanks for Kloppman's skill he gently shook Les awake.
"Jack!" the boy shouted upon opening his eyes, "did you see David? Is he ok?"
"Yeah, kid, " said Jack gruffly, "he's fine..so now you got to tell me what happened."
"It was the Delancy brothers!" said Les rushing, "they were waiting around the House for one of the newsies, 'cause they were drunk and stuff, but when they saw us they followed us and started hitting us..."
"Wait," Jack interrupted, "they hit you, Les?"
"Well." the boy looked abashed, "it was kind of an accident...see, I was trying to hold back Morris' arm when it came back and elbowed me in the face. I got a bruise though!" Les proudly showed Jack the purple mark along the side of his face.
"So they just left you guys there?" Jack asked angrily.
"No," Les brightened when he realized he hadn't told anyone the best part about it, "an angel saved us!"
"An angel?" said Jack slowly, incredulous, but not wanting to hurt the kid's feelings, "Les are you sure that knock on the head didn't do anything?"
"She had to have been an angel!" Les cried, "She came out of nowhere, didn't speak, saved us, helped me bring David here, then left. She didn't even need a place to sleep."
Jack sighed, "Was she eight feet tall?" he asked, drawing on his scanty religious knowledge.
"No." Les said.
"Did she have a flaming sword?"
"No"
"Did she have wings and a white cape?"
"No," said Les sulkily, dropping back into the chair with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.
"Then, Les me boy, she wasn't an angel." Jack patted him on the back. "But," he said, noticing Les' crestfallen face, "How about we tell the boys to keep a lookout for her, ok?"
Les brightened, "Ok!"
"After I buy my papers I'll take you home so your parents know you're with me, and then at lunch we'll tell the boys about your night." When Les nodded his assent Jack ruffled his hair and turned to walk into the hall, where the other boys were just coming down the stairs. He pulled Racetrack aside, "Hey, Race, save me breakfast, will you?" To Race's quizzical expression, he shook his head and said, "I'll explain everything later...thanks buddy!" Then Jack went upstairs to wash up and change. After he and Les rejoined the other boys outside the distribution center gates, they kept a sharp eye out for the Delancy brothers. When they never appeared, Jack nudged Mush, who was sitting beside him reading his paper, "Where are Weasel's whipping boys today?"
Mush laughed, "Didn't you hear? Those two were found drunk as ducks this morning and escorted to the local precinct. Weasel got them out only to have 'em pass out from hangovers in the back room."
Jack cracked a grin, which seemed to satisfy the hysterical Mush, who calmed down to ask, "So where were you this morning?"
Jack shook his head "Get the boys together at Tibby's for lunch and I'll tell everything at once, k?"
Mush nodded gravely, "Sure thing, Jack." **************************************************************************** *
He and Les dragged David to the small room Kloppman slept in, where he checked David over for serious wounds. Finding none he sewed several deeper gashes together with a practiced hand and let the boy fall into a much needed rest. Then Kloppman turned to Les and asked , "Are your parents expecting you home?"
"No," said Les seriously, "they're used to us sleeping here."
"Good," replied Kloppman, "Do you need a bed?"
"Can I stay with David?" asked Les, looking scared.
Kloppman smiled, "Sure, little fellow, just use that chair over there." He handed Les a blanket, put the cloths he'd used with the others to be washed and set about sleeping in another chair across the room.
A few hours later he awoke, stretched his neck, and went to wake the boys. Jack before all the rest, led him downstairs and left the Manhattan leader with David and began his usual morning *clomp* up the stairs. Back in his room, Jack ran a cursory eye over David, checked his stitching and changed the blood-soaked bandage around his arm. Sending silent thanks for Kloppman's skill he gently shook Les awake.
"Jack!" the boy shouted upon opening his eyes, "did you see David? Is he ok?"
"Yeah, kid, " said Jack gruffly, "he's fine..so now you got to tell me what happened."
"It was the Delancy brothers!" said Les rushing, "they were waiting around the House for one of the newsies, 'cause they were drunk and stuff, but when they saw us they followed us and started hitting us..."
"Wait," Jack interrupted, "they hit you, Les?"
"Well." the boy looked abashed, "it was kind of an accident...see, I was trying to hold back Morris' arm when it came back and elbowed me in the face. I got a bruise though!" Les proudly showed Jack the purple mark along the side of his face.
"So they just left you guys there?" Jack asked angrily.
"No," Les brightened when he realized he hadn't told anyone the best part about it, "an angel saved us!"
"An angel?" said Jack slowly, incredulous, but not wanting to hurt the kid's feelings, "Les are you sure that knock on the head didn't do anything?"
"She had to have been an angel!" Les cried, "She came out of nowhere, didn't speak, saved us, helped me bring David here, then left. She didn't even need a place to sleep."
Jack sighed, "Was she eight feet tall?" he asked, drawing on his scanty religious knowledge.
"No." Les said.
"Did she have a flaming sword?"
"No"
"Did she have wings and a white cape?"
"No," said Les sulkily, dropping back into the chair with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.
"Then, Les me boy, she wasn't an angel." Jack patted him on the back. "But," he said, noticing Les' crestfallen face, "How about we tell the boys to keep a lookout for her, ok?"
Les brightened, "Ok!"
"After I buy my papers I'll take you home so your parents know you're with me, and then at lunch we'll tell the boys about your night." When Les nodded his assent Jack ruffled his hair and turned to walk into the hall, where the other boys were just coming down the stairs. He pulled Racetrack aside, "Hey, Race, save me breakfast, will you?" To Race's quizzical expression, he shook his head and said, "I'll explain everything later...thanks buddy!" Then Jack went upstairs to wash up and change. After he and Les rejoined the other boys outside the distribution center gates, they kept a sharp eye out for the Delancy brothers. When they never appeared, Jack nudged Mush, who was sitting beside him reading his paper, "Where are Weasel's whipping boys today?"
Mush laughed, "Didn't you hear? Those two were found drunk as ducks this morning and escorted to the local precinct. Weasel got them out only to have 'em pass out from hangovers in the back room."
Jack cracked a grin, which seemed to satisfy the hysterical Mush, who calmed down to ask, "So where were you this morning?"
Jack shook his head "Get the boys together at Tibby's for lunch and I'll tell everything at once, k?"
Mush nodded gravely, "Sure thing, Jack." **************************************************************************** *