Now that Spot was gone Jack got his first really good look at the girl. She was probably an inch or two shorter than most of the Manhattan boys and she was thinner than most kids her age, kind of like Spot. Her dark hair went almost all the way down her back and was being played with by a small grey kitten at the moment. She was wearing clothes that had probably been Spot's and she had no shoes. In the fading light she was the palest person that Jack had ever seen. Jack took her things from her and put a hand on her back to get her walking. They went quietly until the kitten started batting at Jack's hand.
"Where'd ya get dis little monsta?"
"What, you mean Ashes? He has been following me around forever, he was a gift from a friend." Marble didn't sound tired anymore but she still looked dead on her feet.
"So does everyone call you Cowboy?"
"Nah, da name's Kelly, Jack Kelly."
"Well its nice ta meet ya Kelly, Jack Kelly."
Jack laughed, "So does everybody call ya Marble?"
"Nope, people call me a lota things," She looked at him wryly, "but trust me when I say Marble's the best."
"Why's dat?"
"It's the only thing anyone calls me without swearing and Spot, of all people, came up with it."
"Well..."
Marble laughed, "Ya see when I first went to Brooklyn Spot tried bossin' me around and I didn't feel the need to take that from him, so when he wasn't lookin' I took his slingshot and pelted him in the back of the head with a whole handful of marbles."
Jack laughed, "Ya kiddin', right?"
"Nope. Spot didn't think it was real funny. He threw me off the end of the dock. I think it was worth it."
"I wish I'd been dere."
"I'll do it again sometime so you can see alright."
Jack laughed, "You do dat, jist don't blame it on me alroight."
"Don't worry, I will."
Jack laughed again, "We's almost dere an' da boys should be in bed, but I don't t'ink alla dem will be, so ya git ta meet some a da gang tanite."
They reached the door to the Lodging House and as they went through Jack whispered, "Kloppman's probably sleepin' so yous gonna hafta wait till morning ta meet him. He owns da place, but I think he'll let ya stay."
On the way up the steps Ashes jumped off of Marble's shoulder and ran into the bunk room ahead of them. When Jack walked in he saw Racetrack, Kid Blink, and Dutchy playing poker in the middle of the room by candle light. Ashes was sitting on Dutchy's lap looking at his cards like he was playing also.
"Heya Jack, what did Spot drag ya to Brooklyn for?"
"Well, Race if ya can believe it he wanted ta give me a goil."
"Ha, Spot give up a goil, nice one Jack." laughed Kid Blink.
Jack just smiled and stepped away from the door letting them see Marble. "Meet Marble."
The cigar fell right out of Race's mouth, luckily it wasn't lit. Marble waved, then her eyes slipped shut and sank to the floor.
Jack laughed and carried her to an empty bunk. "Sorry, ya can't sleep dere goil."
He set her stuff on the floor at the foot of the bed then looked at the three boys, and cat, in the middle of the room.
"It's late, da game's ovah, git ta bed." Jack blew out the lamp.
* * *
"Boots!"
Most of the boys woke up when they heard Kloppman's grizzled voice, but they liked to make him work in the mornings so they waited for him to come to wake them personally.
"Whoa, what's dis?" Skittery dropped out of his bed and saw Marble sleeping in the lower bunk. "I's know I ain't still dreamin' so whys dere a little goil in me bed?"
Her eyes popped open and her hand shot up to grab the front of Skittery's shirt. "Who you callin' a little girl?"
Jack was there in an instant to pry her hand off of him. "Calm down kiddo, he didn't mean nuthin'."
She let go and tumbled out of her bed, managing to land on her feet. A crowd of boys gathered around to see why a girl was in the boy's lodging house.
"Well, well, what's this? I ain't used to an audience this early in the morning." She spun around so they could all look at her. "Just so you know you can look, but touch me and I kill ya, K?"
Race chuckled as he lit his cigar, "Nice, anuddah mornin' person."
"Hey guys, shut up. Unless ya blind yous can see dat we's got a goil livin' heah now and if any a ya start hassilin' her I's gonna soak ya, me and Brooklyn. So be gentlemanly like. Now dat we's clear on dat, dis heah is Marble and she's sellin' wit us now."
"What's goin' on heah?" Kloppman pushed his way to the middle of the crowd. "Cowboy you knows ya ain't supposed ta bring goils in heah."
"Yeah, but dis is a special situation."
"Alroight, you stay heah and tell me about it, but da rest a ya gotta go carry da bannah."
All of the boys scattered to get dressed and leave while Jack explained why Marble was there. Kloppman laughed when he found out that a girl had been soaking the older boys in Brooklyn and said she could stay as long as there was no trouble and she paid the rent. On the way out the door Ashes bounded up behind them and leapt onto Marble's shoulder. She hardly even noticed, but Jack jumped when the cat streaked past his head. "Does dat cat always do dat?"
"Yeah. He's too lazy ta walk."
Jack just shrugged, "Listen, I's sellin' wit me partnah durin' the weekends so's I's gonna stick ya wit someone until ya know da way around Manhattan. Yous gonna hafta be careful until ya know where ya goin' cause if any a da gangs catch ya you's in trouble. Da Delancy brudders in particular, dey's got it out for da newsies."
Marble looked at him for a minute then decide not to remind him that she could take care of herself. He was only trying to help.
"Heya Cowboy." An irritating nasal voice called from behind them.
"Speak a da Devil." Jack turned around, "Well if it ain't da Delancys, I's thought I smelled somethin'."
Jack kept walking backwards and didn't slow down. He didn't want to get rushed from behind. He looked down at Marble who looked like she was falling asleep again. "Ya may wanna wake up, we's gonna be runnin' soon."
While he was looking away the Delancys closed the space between them at a sprint. Jack dodged them and shoved Morris into his brother then grabbed Marble and started running. He let go of her once he saw that she could keep up. When they got to Newspaper Row the other newsies were cheering Jack on. He jumped up onto the statue of Horace Greenly and lounged across it's lap. Marble was dragged over to the group of boys waiting by the gates just as Morris and Oscar rushed into the square, panting.
Jack called out from his seat, "What took ya so long, I's gonna fall asleep up heah."
They dove at him but once they got to the statue he jumped over their heads and slipped through the gates of the Distribution Center just as they started opening. He managed to be first in line just like everyday and the Delancys were called into the office, muttering curses the whole way.
Marble waited in line practically unnoticed because she was still dressed in boys clothing boy and had a hat pulled down over her eyes. She got to the window and bought her papers without anyone commenting then went and sat up against the statue in the square. She closed her eyes and listened to the noise from the center slowly fade away as the boys wandered off to work. She heard Jack laughing as he came over to her,
"I can't believe dis kid can sleep so much. Well Davey if ya wanna wake her up dis is Marble." A shadow fell over her face and she opened her eyes. Jack's face was right in front of hers but when he backed away she could see three other boys waiting. One was a little better dressed then most newsies, and much cleaner. Jack introduced him as Davey, the Walkin' Mouth, and said the little boy playing with a toy sword was his younger brother Les. "They's me sellin' partnahs so I's gonna leave ya wit Crutchy today." He pointed to the last boy, who was leaning heavily on a wooden crutch. Jack said good-bye then walked off with Dave and Les. Crutchy smiled and offered a hand to help her up and to shake.
"Nice ta meetcha Marble."
"Yeah, hi."
"So's if ya don't mind me askin' where'd ya get ya name?"
Marble smiled and decided not to brush him off. He was too nice to do that to, and she didn't
think ignoring him would stop him from talking.