The rest of the week went quickly for Lute. She met a good many more people. The dark haired girl she had seen earlier was from Bohemia. The shawl she clutched so tightly was the only thing she had left that was her mothers', her house had been destroyed in a fire. Then there were a few others from Ireland. Joe and Grace Kiernan were also going to America for opportunities, as they were orphans. Another girl, 16 years of age, was called Strider, and was very quiet. Lute hadn't been able to get more than a few words out of her.
There were a few other teenage girls Lute had gotten to know, all Europeans. A german, Kaitlin, was with her sisters. Kaitlin had been teaching Lute a couple of German songs, but Lute had a hard time with the accent. Gabrielle Montesqui was nicknamed Frenchy; her home being her namesake. She would talk to the girls on board, but when supper time came around and she was invited to eat with Spot "Ladies Man" Conlon, a shiver went down her spine and she declined.
Spot wasn't working the lunch shift, and was able to come visit third class. This was the last day of the somewhat longer than expected 10 day journey; the first stop, Boston, had been just been left, and Spot wanted to have lunch with the immigrants he would probably never see again. The girls had gotten to know each other well, and most had nicknames. He had learned them easily, being the former leader of Brooklyn, he had always needed to learn names quickly.
"Lute! Gip! Whisper!" He called down the ladder before he started climbing. The aroma of roast beef sandwiches soon filled the area, and the girls quickly came to Spot. "Lets see..." he started. "A sandwich each for ya t'ree, one fer Strider, Jemmy, and Holiday...oh Jem, can ya give dis ta Frenchy? Apocalypse, wheah is she?"
The small Asian jumped and waved her arm so Spot could see her behind the other. "Oh, dere's my goil...heah, a special one for ya, extra beef."
"Thanks, Spot," she said, happy with the food. "Did you bring milk?"
"Nah, we'se all out and pickin' some up in New Yawk. So, did ya understand da directions I gave ya to da Brooklyn Lodgin' House?"
"Yes, I think with Char-er, Holiday's help, I find it," Apocalypse replied.
"Good." Spot said. "Is everyone fed? I mean, need anyt'in'?"
Satisfied nods went about, even Ben was pleased with the sandwich he had received. "Awright, I gotta get back upstairs, toin in my uniform an' ev'rythin', if anyone sees Sling, tell 'er ta meet me in Battery Park, awright?"
"I will tell elle," Frenchy replied, her brown eyes glancing up for a breif second.
Spot nodded and climbed back up the ladder, leaving the others to pack what little belongings they had.
"LOOK!!!!" Holiday yelled. "IT'S AMERICA!"
A cheer went up from the crowd standing behind her as their first glance of America was the Statue of Liberty through a thick fog. Lute couldn't cheer, she couldn't say a thing. All she could do was grin from pure happiness and hug her father tightly.
"Espy, do you have everything?" Holiday turned to Apocalypse, constantly checking up on her.
"Yes. We arrive at Ellis Island soon?"
"Yeah, ya will," Sling replied out of no where. "But ya will wait on da ship foah a while. Dey gotta get da cit'zens like me off foist, so we don't clog up da awready clogged up Island. So don't be in a rush ta get off."
Lute turned to Sling. "You are to meet Spot in, uh, Battery Park? I believe that is what he said."
Sling nodded. "T'anks. When a smallah boat takes ya ta shore, if you'se goin' to Manhatten then you'll arrive in Battery Park."
Those listening nodded. The ship slowed down and turned slightly, manuvering itself into the docks of Ellis Island. Looking to the Island, Lute saw children playing outside of a large building, the largest on the Island. Some men sat around reading newspapers, while ladies chatted. On the other side of the dock, which was more of a slit in the island, there were many more buildings, smaller brick buildings. A few people in sat in wheelchairs near the ocean. Lute guessed that that side contained the infirmiry. The ship jolted to a stop.
"All Americans! All American citizens, please step this way!" A man in a uniform called out down the aisles. "Please have a passport ready. If you are unable to retrieve a passport, step in this line."
Sling turned to Lute, and pulling out a pen, quickly wrote some directions. "Lis'n, if ya need help when ya get ta Manhatten, take South Street up ta City Hall. Dere's a bunch a' huge buildin's dere, dose are owned by Pulitzer an' Hearst an' uddah papah owners. Right outside City Hall is a statue of Horace Greeley. Dere's always newsies around dere, ask one a' dem where Cowboy is. Dat's wheah I'll be." She turned to Apocalypse. "Spot will be dere too, I'm pretty sure. If you have trouble findin' City Hall, look foah da Brooklyn Bridge. It's at da Manhatten end. Good luck!" With that, Sling departed, pulling out a passport from her bundle.
Lute watched as Sling disapeared into the line of Americans, then turned back to her father. "We will be happy here. I can feel it."
Surprisingly, Sling felt a breath of relief when she stepped onto the American soil of Battery Park. A newsie was at the docks, a very familiar looking newsie. Sling smiled to herself and headed over, pulling her cowboy hat down low so he wouldn't see who she was.
"EXTRA EXTRA!" The boy yelled. "Buy a pape?" he asked as she walked up.
Sling didn't look up, but instead grabbed the stack of papers from the boy, and started running, but stopped after a few feet.
"HEY! GIVE DOSE PAPES BACK!" The boy yelled, without moving. Sling shook her head and walked back to him.
"What have I told ya 'bout lettin' uddahs pick on ya, Crutchy?" Sling said, dropping the papers at his feet and raising her hat.
Crutchy's jaw dropped. "You'se back! I don't believe it! We sent ya a lettah, but nevah dreamed dat you'd act'lly get it!"
"Yeah, I got it. Is Cowboy doin' any bettah?"
Crutchy looked down and leaned heavily on his crutch. "No. If anyt'ing, it's woise."
"Is it true he can't walk?"
Crutchy simply nodded. "It's funny, y'know. I'se gettin' less dependent on my crutch-I mean, I still need it, but I don't usually lean real bad on it-and da greatest leader in all a' New Yawk, evah, can't walk."
"Greatest leadah evah? Darn, I always t'ought I was," Spot said, grinning, as he walked up. "It's good to see ya, Crutchy."
"Well, I mean, he was da greatest durin' da strike-er, greatest of Manhatten..." Crutchy trailed off.
Spot laughed. "Well, what're we waitin' foah? I came back ta see Jacky-boy." Sling nodded in agreement, and picking up Crutchy's papers for him, started to walk up to the Lodging House.
There were a few other teenage girls Lute had gotten to know, all Europeans. A german, Kaitlin, was with her sisters. Kaitlin had been teaching Lute a couple of German songs, but Lute had a hard time with the accent. Gabrielle Montesqui was nicknamed Frenchy; her home being her namesake. She would talk to the girls on board, but when supper time came around and she was invited to eat with Spot "Ladies Man" Conlon, a shiver went down her spine and she declined.
Spot wasn't working the lunch shift, and was able to come visit third class. This was the last day of the somewhat longer than expected 10 day journey; the first stop, Boston, had been just been left, and Spot wanted to have lunch with the immigrants he would probably never see again. The girls had gotten to know each other well, and most had nicknames. He had learned them easily, being the former leader of Brooklyn, he had always needed to learn names quickly.
"Lute! Gip! Whisper!" He called down the ladder before he started climbing. The aroma of roast beef sandwiches soon filled the area, and the girls quickly came to Spot. "Lets see..." he started. "A sandwich each for ya t'ree, one fer Strider, Jemmy, and Holiday...oh Jem, can ya give dis ta Frenchy? Apocalypse, wheah is she?"
The small Asian jumped and waved her arm so Spot could see her behind the other. "Oh, dere's my goil...heah, a special one for ya, extra beef."
"Thanks, Spot," she said, happy with the food. "Did you bring milk?"
"Nah, we'se all out and pickin' some up in New Yawk. So, did ya understand da directions I gave ya to da Brooklyn Lodgin' House?"
"Yes, I think with Char-er, Holiday's help, I find it," Apocalypse replied.
"Good." Spot said. "Is everyone fed? I mean, need anyt'in'?"
Satisfied nods went about, even Ben was pleased with the sandwich he had received. "Awright, I gotta get back upstairs, toin in my uniform an' ev'rythin', if anyone sees Sling, tell 'er ta meet me in Battery Park, awright?"
"I will tell elle," Frenchy replied, her brown eyes glancing up for a breif second.
Spot nodded and climbed back up the ladder, leaving the others to pack what little belongings they had.
"LOOK!!!!" Holiday yelled. "IT'S AMERICA!"
A cheer went up from the crowd standing behind her as their first glance of America was the Statue of Liberty through a thick fog. Lute couldn't cheer, she couldn't say a thing. All she could do was grin from pure happiness and hug her father tightly.
"Espy, do you have everything?" Holiday turned to Apocalypse, constantly checking up on her.
"Yes. We arrive at Ellis Island soon?"
"Yeah, ya will," Sling replied out of no where. "But ya will wait on da ship foah a while. Dey gotta get da cit'zens like me off foist, so we don't clog up da awready clogged up Island. So don't be in a rush ta get off."
Lute turned to Sling. "You are to meet Spot in, uh, Battery Park? I believe that is what he said."
Sling nodded. "T'anks. When a smallah boat takes ya ta shore, if you'se goin' to Manhatten then you'll arrive in Battery Park."
Those listening nodded. The ship slowed down and turned slightly, manuvering itself into the docks of Ellis Island. Looking to the Island, Lute saw children playing outside of a large building, the largest on the Island. Some men sat around reading newspapers, while ladies chatted. On the other side of the dock, which was more of a slit in the island, there were many more buildings, smaller brick buildings. A few people in sat in wheelchairs near the ocean. Lute guessed that that side contained the infirmiry. The ship jolted to a stop.
"All Americans! All American citizens, please step this way!" A man in a uniform called out down the aisles. "Please have a passport ready. If you are unable to retrieve a passport, step in this line."
Sling turned to Lute, and pulling out a pen, quickly wrote some directions. "Lis'n, if ya need help when ya get ta Manhatten, take South Street up ta City Hall. Dere's a bunch a' huge buildin's dere, dose are owned by Pulitzer an' Hearst an' uddah papah owners. Right outside City Hall is a statue of Horace Greeley. Dere's always newsies around dere, ask one a' dem where Cowboy is. Dat's wheah I'll be." She turned to Apocalypse. "Spot will be dere too, I'm pretty sure. If you have trouble findin' City Hall, look foah da Brooklyn Bridge. It's at da Manhatten end. Good luck!" With that, Sling departed, pulling out a passport from her bundle.
Lute watched as Sling disapeared into the line of Americans, then turned back to her father. "We will be happy here. I can feel it."
Surprisingly, Sling felt a breath of relief when she stepped onto the American soil of Battery Park. A newsie was at the docks, a very familiar looking newsie. Sling smiled to herself and headed over, pulling her cowboy hat down low so he wouldn't see who she was.
"EXTRA EXTRA!" The boy yelled. "Buy a pape?" he asked as she walked up.
Sling didn't look up, but instead grabbed the stack of papers from the boy, and started running, but stopped after a few feet.
"HEY! GIVE DOSE PAPES BACK!" The boy yelled, without moving. Sling shook her head and walked back to him.
"What have I told ya 'bout lettin' uddahs pick on ya, Crutchy?" Sling said, dropping the papers at his feet and raising her hat.
Crutchy's jaw dropped. "You'se back! I don't believe it! We sent ya a lettah, but nevah dreamed dat you'd act'lly get it!"
"Yeah, I got it. Is Cowboy doin' any bettah?"
Crutchy looked down and leaned heavily on his crutch. "No. If anyt'ing, it's woise."
"Is it true he can't walk?"
Crutchy simply nodded. "It's funny, y'know. I'se gettin' less dependent on my crutch-I mean, I still need it, but I don't usually lean real bad on it-and da greatest leader in all a' New Yawk, evah, can't walk."
"Greatest leadah evah? Darn, I always t'ought I was," Spot said, grinning, as he walked up. "It's good to see ya, Crutchy."
"Well, I mean, he was da greatest durin' da strike-er, greatest of Manhatten..." Crutchy trailed off.
Spot laughed. "Well, what're we waitin' foah? I came back ta see Jacky-boy." Sling nodded in agreement, and picking up Crutchy's papers for him, started to walk up to the Lodging House.