On the way to the Brooklyn lodging house, Mush remembered his promise to
Racetrack. "Hey, Lindsay?" he hoped she would not be angry.
"Yes, Mushie?" Mush was caught off guard by this and looked around to see if anyone had heard what Lindsay had called him.
"I thought we agreed you would only call me dat in private." He said. Blind Dymond snickered. "But, dear, would you mind if we went tah Racetrack's card game tonight at dah lodgin' house?" Mush started to explain himself, expecting a denial. "It's just dat he's tryin' tah impress dis goil and he's-"
"Sure, Mush, that's fine." Mush smiled at Lindsay's response. She was always so understanding.
The door to the lodging house was open so the trio entered. Once inside the Manhattan newsies immediately saw Ritz sitting on the dilapidated [it's trite, I know.] couch in the lobby. At first glance it seemed that Ritz did not even recognize her old friends until her eyes widened and she jumped from her seat.
"Lindsay!" Ritz ran to give Lindsay a hug. "What are ya doin' heah? I thought ya weren't aloud tah leave dah house, let alone visit Brooklyn."
"I ran away." Lindsay said, very glad to see the girl she had mothered for so many years.
"Wow, Linz, dats darin'." Ritz was surprised.
"I'm no the daring one, Ritz." Lindsay gave Ritz a knowing look.
"I know what yer thinkin', Linz, but," she waved for Snail to come to her, "jist git tah know Snail an' I'm shoah you'll agree I made dah right decision." Ritz pleaded with her eyes, "He's jist poifect fer me."
"Okay, Ritz, I trust you, but I won't hesitate to take up your offer to get to know Snail." Lindsay smiled at the boy who stood only a couple inches taller than Ritz and had brown hair that draped forward onto his brow.
"Hey, hey." Dymond waved her hand in front of Ritz, "I'm heah, too."
Ritz hugged Blind Dymond, "Yes, Dymond, Dymond. I've missed you so."
The group sat around the lobby of the lodging house and engaged in a twenty-minute conversation. Snail participated readily in the discourse, while Mush said little and watched Snail wearily. By the end of the chat, both Blind Dymond and Lindsay had grown fond of Snail's bizarre sense of humor and agreed that he was quite the looker. Despite this, Dymond was fully aware that her delight in Snail would be viewed as a betrayal amongst the Manhattan newsies. One conversation was not sufficient enough to risk a disownment by those in Manhattan. Mush's feelings had softened a bit, but his conscience would always stay true to his best friend whom Snail had replaced.
As the Manhattan crew was on their way out, Lindsay spoke to Ritz. "You must come visit me in Manhattan so that I may know all about your life this past year, and also so I may get to know Snail further." Upon hearing this Ritz and Snail looked at each other as did Mush and Dymond.
"Lindsay," Ritz began, "ya gotta undahstand dat dere's no real way me an' Snail could come tah Manhattan. I'm perdy well recognized by any Manhattan newsie, an' dah moment I step ovah dah bridge woids gonna git out dat I'm around, an' we'll be run out."
"Yeah, Linz," Dymond agreed, Racetrack has thrown Ritz outta dah city."
"Oh," Lindsay said, disappointed. "Then Mush and I must simply visit you here." She looked to Mush for approval and received a smile in compliance. He could deny her nothing.
"Yes, Mushie?" Mush was caught off guard by this and looked around to see if anyone had heard what Lindsay had called him.
"I thought we agreed you would only call me dat in private." He said. Blind Dymond snickered. "But, dear, would you mind if we went tah Racetrack's card game tonight at dah lodgin' house?" Mush started to explain himself, expecting a denial. "It's just dat he's tryin' tah impress dis goil and he's-"
"Sure, Mush, that's fine." Mush smiled at Lindsay's response. She was always so understanding.
The door to the lodging house was open so the trio entered. Once inside the Manhattan newsies immediately saw Ritz sitting on the dilapidated [it's trite, I know.] couch in the lobby. At first glance it seemed that Ritz did not even recognize her old friends until her eyes widened and she jumped from her seat.
"Lindsay!" Ritz ran to give Lindsay a hug. "What are ya doin' heah? I thought ya weren't aloud tah leave dah house, let alone visit Brooklyn."
"I ran away." Lindsay said, very glad to see the girl she had mothered for so many years.
"Wow, Linz, dats darin'." Ritz was surprised.
"I'm no the daring one, Ritz." Lindsay gave Ritz a knowing look.
"I know what yer thinkin', Linz, but," she waved for Snail to come to her, "jist git tah know Snail an' I'm shoah you'll agree I made dah right decision." Ritz pleaded with her eyes, "He's jist poifect fer me."
"Okay, Ritz, I trust you, but I won't hesitate to take up your offer to get to know Snail." Lindsay smiled at the boy who stood only a couple inches taller than Ritz and had brown hair that draped forward onto his brow.
"Hey, hey." Dymond waved her hand in front of Ritz, "I'm heah, too."
Ritz hugged Blind Dymond, "Yes, Dymond, Dymond. I've missed you so."
The group sat around the lobby of the lodging house and engaged in a twenty-minute conversation. Snail participated readily in the discourse, while Mush said little and watched Snail wearily. By the end of the chat, both Blind Dymond and Lindsay had grown fond of Snail's bizarre sense of humor and agreed that he was quite the looker. Despite this, Dymond was fully aware that her delight in Snail would be viewed as a betrayal amongst the Manhattan newsies. One conversation was not sufficient enough to risk a disownment by those in Manhattan. Mush's feelings had softened a bit, but his conscience would always stay true to his best friend whom Snail had replaced.
As the Manhattan crew was on their way out, Lindsay spoke to Ritz. "You must come visit me in Manhattan so that I may know all about your life this past year, and also so I may get to know Snail further." Upon hearing this Ritz and Snail looked at each other as did Mush and Dymond.
"Lindsay," Ritz began, "ya gotta undahstand dat dere's no real way me an' Snail could come tah Manhattan. I'm perdy well recognized by any Manhattan newsie, an' dah moment I step ovah dah bridge woids gonna git out dat I'm around, an' we'll be run out."
"Yeah, Linz," Dymond agreed, Racetrack has thrown Ritz outta dah city."
"Oh," Lindsay said, disappointed. "Then Mush and I must simply visit you here." She looked to Mush for approval and received a smile in compliance. He could deny her nothing.