****I forgot this when I uploaded this chapter earlier. On my way out the
door and in a huge hurry, it totally slipped my mind to thank you all for
your reviews. I needed the encouragement. Enjoy the read and have a great
day!!!****
Jack woke early after a restless night of tossing and turning. He just could not push thoughts of Sarah from his mind. As he lay in his bed starring at the ceiling above, Jack thought about his shooting-star wish. His mother once told him that anything wished on such a star would come true. All he needed was to harbor the patience until then.
Taking a deep breath Jack silently climbed down from his bunk. Quickly he dressed, tied his shoes and ran down the stairs. Because he had showered and shaved the night before skipping them this morning seemed okay.
Kloppman headed up the stairs to wake the boys, he shook his head as he started to climb knowing it would be no easy task. Seemed each morning trying to wake them was more difficult as was trying to talk them into their bunks at night.
Carefully missing the creaking step, he thought he was in the clear until he was face-to-face with the man who ran the lodging house. Silently he cursed his luck.
"Mornin' Cowboy, you must have come in very late last night, we missed you at curfew."
"I was here, up on the roof. I heard you breaking up Race's winning streak and his being none too happy about it."
Kloppman realized the truth in his story. "On the roof, huh, you okay son?" He had known most of the boys for the better part of their adolescent years and this one for almost seven. Practically raising Jack, he grew quite fond of him over the years.
Shrugging he decided to tell the truth. "Sure, girl troubles, you know." Knowing soon enough he would know the whole story.
Before the old man could ask any more questions, he shot out the door down the steps to the street and began the walk that would start his day of selling. Fresh baked warm sweet rolls filled the air as Jack paused in front of the bakery. Cautiously he scanned the World distribution office hoping to buy his papers before anyone else showed. Seeing no one in sight, he hurried over to talk Pulitzer's nephew into selling to him a little early.
"Only fifty papers this morning, Cowboy? You'll be out by lunchtime."
He hoped anyway. "Yeah, Wesley, I thought I might take half the day off and relax."
Wesley knew this far from Jack's normal behavior. On a day when then headlines were less than exciting he bought no fewer than one hundred, but on a day when the papers practically sold themselves, twice that were purchased. Today the news was fairly uneventful, a few notable stories, but nothing major; meaning neither The World nor Jack would be losing as much as they could by his cutback for the day.
Needing a guarantee, he grabbed his papers off the counter and headed for Central Park. Figuring David would find him after talking to Wesley, Jack set out to sell his papers before their confrontation. Why had David not told him about Sarah leaving? They shared everything, or so Jack thought.
Traffic was slow in the park at this time of the morning, but would pick up in fifteen to thirty minutes, giving him time to skim through the stories for possible selling points. Page two contained a picture of a family, father, mother and daughter. Jack thought the man in the picture looked vaguely familiar, but was not able to place him. Below the picture the caption read 'John and Anna Lewis killed in factory explosion, survived by only living heir.' Jack searched the page for the story and read further. "While touring a factory in Queens Tuesday, John and Anna Lewis were trapped inside when a boiler exploded. Cruel child labor of the plant brought to their attention by their daughter, Emerson, caused them to investigate. John Lewis was a major contributor to the board. Losing his support would have caused the factory to shut its doors. His and Mrs. Lewis' deaths have left Emerson the family fortune."
Jack studied the picture further and thought they looked a happy family. Finally, it hit him he knew who the man was; Mr. Lewis backed the strike and offered funding to the newsies cause. Helping them, they were able to stay lodged and fed while fighting Pulitzer and Hurst. He felt sad to think that such a caring man had lost his life.
Farther down the page, he read the story of the factory explosion. One other person died as a result of the boiler problem, but the factory sustained only minor damage and would back up and running soon. Jack found his selling story for the day. Death always created interested buyers, and a death from an explosion a sure sell.
Forty papers sold quickly for him. He was ten away from finishing for the day when David and Les found him.
"I knew we would find you here. I knew it last night after Sarah told us what happen."
"Yea, after what happen. Why didn't you tell me Davie?"
"Les take a few of these papers and go over by the bandstand, please."
"I know, I know, you and Jack want to be alone." Taking the papers David held out for him, Les walked over to look young, cute and sickly to sell by the crowed bandstand.
"Okay, so, talk to me, David, why didn't you tell me? I came over to your house last night to ask her to marry me, to give her my mother's ring. What do I get instead? Sorry, Jack, I'm leaving."
"I, I, I didn't know, Jack, I didn't know. I mean, I knew about the offer, but I did not know she had decided to go. The Normans are old friends of our parents; they have two children and one on the way. Shortly after the doctors told our father he would never be able to go back to work for the factory, they requested Sarah come to live with them and help with the children. She had been trying to find a way not to go, to find a better paying job here. I could not tell you without knowing for sure. She just sent positive word yesterday with a delivery from work. The Normans needed an answer so they could find someone else if she turned them down. She told you before she told any of us."
"I told her I could go with her. I just don't understand why's she leaving me?"
"I wish I knew. If I understood the way girls think, well, that is just mad, no one will ever understand the way they think."
Shaking his head and chuckling a bit, Jack reached over and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "True."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yea, I'm just not looking forward to explaining things to the other guys."
Jack woke early after a restless night of tossing and turning. He just could not push thoughts of Sarah from his mind. As he lay in his bed starring at the ceiling above, Jack thought about his shooting-star wish. His mother once told him that anything wished on such a star would come true. All he needed was to harbor the patience until then.
Taking a deep breath Jack silently climbed down from his bunk. Quickly he dressed, tied his shoes and ran down the stairs. Because he had showered and shaved the night before skipping them this morning seemed okay.
Kloppman headed up the stairs to wake the boys, he shook his head as he started to climb knowing it would be no easy task. Seemed each morning trying to wake them was more difficult as was trying to talk them into their bunks at night.
Carefully missing the creaking step, he thought he was in the clear until he was face-to-face with the man who ran the lodging house. Silently he cursed his luck.
"Mornin' Cowboy, you must have come in very late last night, we missed you at curfew."
"I was here, up on the roof. I heard you breaking up Race's winning streak and his being none too happy about it."
Kloppman realized the truth in his story. "On the roof, huh, you okay son?" He had known most of the boys for the better part of their adolescent years and this one for almost seven. Practically raising Jack, he grew quite fond of him over the years.
Shrugging he decided to tell the truth. "Sure, girl troubles, you know." Knowing soon enough he would know the whole story.
Before the old man could ask any more questions, he shot out the door down the steps to the street and began the walk that would start his day of selling. Fresh baked warm sweet rolls filled the air as Jack paused in front of the bakery. Cautiously he scanned the World distribution office hoping to buy his papers before anyone else showed. Seeing no one in sight, he hurried over to talk Pulitzer's nephew into selling to him a little early.
"Only fifty papers this morning, Cowboy? You'll be out by lunchtime."
He hoped anyway. "Yeah, Wesley, I thought I might take half the day off and relax."
Wesley knew this far from Jack's normal behavior. On a day when then headlines were less than exciting he bought no fewer than one hundred, but on a day when the papers practically sold themselves, twice that were purchased. Today the news was fairly uneventful, a few notable stories, but nothing major; meaning neither The World nor Jack would be losing as much as they could by his cutback for the day.
Needing a guarantee, he grabbed his papers off the counter and headed for Central Park. Figuring David would find him after talking to Wesley, Jack set out to sell his papers before their confrontation. Why had David not told him about Sarah leaving? They shared everything, or so Jack thought.
Traffic was slow in the park at this time of the morning, but would pick up in fifteen to thirty minutes, giving him time to skim through the stories for possible selling points. Page two contained a picture of a family, father, mother and daughter. Jack thought the man in the picture looked vaguely familiar, but was not able to place him. Below the picture the caption read 'John and Anna Lewis killed in factory explosion, survived by only living heir.' Jack searched the page for the story and read further. "While touring a factory in Queens Tuesday, John and Anna Lewis were trapped inside when a boiler exploded. Cruel child labor of the plant brought to their attention by their daughter, Emerson, caused them to investigate. John Lewis was a major contributor to the board. Losing his support would have caused the factory to shut its doors. His and Mrs. Lewis' deaths have left Emerson the family fortune."
Jack studied the picture further and thought they looked a happy family. Finally, it hit him he knew who the man was; Mr. Lewis backed the strike and offered funding to the newsies cause. Helping them, they were able to stay lodged and fed while fighting Pulitzer and Hurst. He felt sad to think that such a caring man had lost his life.
Farther down the page, he read the story of the factory explosion. One other person died as a result of the boiler problem, but the factory sustained only minor damage and would back up and running soon. Jack found his selling story for the day. Death always created interested buyers, and a death from an explosion a sure sell.
Forty papers sold quickly for him. He was ten away from finishing for the day when David and Les found him.
"I knew we would find you here. I knew it last night after Sarah told us what happen."
"Yea, after what happen. Why didn't you tell me Davie?"
"Les take a few of these papers and go over by the bandstand, please."
"I know, I know, you and Jack want to be alone." Taking the papers David held out for him, Les walked over to look young, cute and sickly to sell by the crowed bandstand.
"Okay, so, talk to me, David, why didn't you tell me? I came over to your house last night to ask her to marry me, to give her my mother's ring. What do I get instead? Sorry, Jack, I'm leaving."
"I, I, I didn't know, Jack, I didn't know. I mean, I knew about the offer, but I did not know she had decided to go. The Normans are old friends of our parents; they have two children and one on the way. Shortly after the doctors told our father he would never be able to go back to work for the factory, they requested Sarah come to live with them and help with the children. She had been trying to find a way not to go, to find a better paying job here. I could not tell you without knowing for sure. She just sent positive word yesterday with a delivery from work. The Normans needed an answer so they could find someone else if she turned them down. She told you before she told any of us."
"I told her I could go with her. I just don't understand why's she leaving me?"
"I wish I knew. If I understood the way girls think, well, that is just mad, no one will ever understand the way they think."
Shaking his head and chuckling a bit, Jack reached over and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "True."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yea, I'm just not looking forward to explaining things to the other guys."