Bliss walked down the street crying out, "Another politician murdered, third time this month!"
An old man dressed in a brown suit called out, "How much for one of your fine newspapers, Miss?"
"One pape for a mere penny!"
"That price is outrageous!" He said to her.
"I've got to make a living Sir!" She exclaimed.
"I know, that's why it's so outrageous! Pick me out a good one please." he said with a smile.
She handed him a pape from the middle of the stack, so it wasn't bent at the corners." Here you go Sir." She said cheerfully.
Taking it from her, he inspected it and said "This is at least worth this much." as he pressed a coin into her hand and walked off whistling.
Looking down at her hand, she noticed that he had given her 50 cents!
"Thank you sir!" she called out to him, just as he disappeared around a corner. She looked down at her hand again, unbelieving he good fortune. That was worth...... Maybe she could buy herself something, or should she save it for a rainy day? Finally she snapped out of it and realized that she still had papes to sell. "No suspects in murder case! Three dead!" she cried out.
After a big lull in the crowds, and different people were around, she called out,
"Serial killer on the loose! Locals terrified for their lives! Even the mayor is concerned!" She held a pape up to the sky and proclaimed "Just one mere cent for the latest news!"
A group of people crowded around her, and she handed out the papes. Pretty soon, her stack had ran out. Looking around her, Bliss wiped her forehead off on the sleeve of her dress, and turned towards the lodging house, deep in thought. So deep in thought that she made a wrong turn, and didn't notice it until she was standing face to face with a brick wall. She turned, and leaned on the bricks, grateful that they were in the shade, the coolness of the rough wall on her hot back felt wonderful. She slid down the wall, sitting on the ground to rest for a minute. Bliss pulled her shoulder bag, now empty of papes, over her head and set it on the ground next to her. When she put her arms back to her side, she hit her elbow on a brick that was sticking out. Sucking in her breath and squeezing her watering eyes closed, she managed not to cry out. She had been trying to prove to the guys at the lodging house that she was tough, so she promised herself that she wouldn't cry if she got hurt. She looked down at the brick that was sticking out, and hit it. Stupid brick! she thought to herself. She didn't know if she had imagined it or not, but she thought it moved. Turning around to face the wall, she sat on her knees and pulled on the brick. At first it wouldn't move, but when it came out, she almost flew back. Looking inside, she saw a piece of paper. Pulling it out, she read:
Property of Dray Blithe! Don't you touch it!
Dray Blithe? Where had she heard that name before? Suddenly she remembered! That was the politician that was killed last night! She remembered reading a little bit of his background. She thought that it was funny that he started out as a newsboy, and made it all the way up to where he did. Well, looking at the paper, it looked like no one knew or remembered about this little hiding spot.
She peered into the hole in the wall. She saw something, but couldn't make it out. Reaching in, she pulled out a leather pouch, and a harmonica. The harmonica was badly rusted, so it was worthless. She felt around in the hole, finding nothing else, she put the harmonica and the paper back in, and looked in the leather pouch. She almost fell over in surprise! Quickly she poured out the contents of the pouch out in the skirt of her dress. There was a pocket watch, a half a dozen of rings, a fountain pen, 4 necklaces, 3 buttons, 6 marbles, a money clip, and some coins. Quickly she counted it all out. There was twelve dollars in the money clip, and 5 dollars and 29 cents in coins! She clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyed widened in surprise as she realized what she found! She was rich! She looked around, making sure that no one saw her. After making certain no one was in sight, she turned back to her newfound treasure, and slipped it all back into the bag it came from, and put it in her shoulder bag with her money from selling her papes. Standing up, she brushed the dust from her skirt and pulled her bag over her head, resting the strap on her right shoulder. She put the brick back in place, and casually wandered out of the alley, and back on the right track towards home. Bliss wondered what she was going to do with her newfound treasure. She couldn't carry it around, it was heavy in her shoulder bag, and the jingling would attract pickpockets, or worse, thugs. Bliss put her hand across her bag to stop the jingling and continued her thoughts. She couldn't leave it in the lodging house, it would get stolen there too. She trusted most of them, but the newsies that traveled through weren't all trustworthy. Up ahead, she saw a sign pointing to the entrance to Medda's joint. Bliss had an idea. She made her way to the side entrance, and let herself in. After waving to Toby, the candy seller, she settles herself on a large trunk that they used for props to watch the rest of the show. Bliss watched intently, mouthing the words along with Medda. When the performance was over, Medda walked off stage and spied Bliss sitting there.
"Bliss! How ya doing kid? I haven't seen you in a while." Medda said as she reached out, tucking one of Bliss' loose curls behind her ear.
"I've been good." Replied Bliss.
"What brings you to Medda today dear?" She asked.
Looking down at her feet, Bliss said "I need to ask you a favor..."
"Well, out with it, what do you need?" Medda prompted.
"Can you hold something for me?" Bliss asked, looking up into Medda's eyes.
"Sure!" She answered, "What is it?"
"I had a bit of luck today, and I found some money and a few other things I can't keep with me." Bliss answered. as she took the leather pouch out of her bag, and carefully poured it out onto the trunk she was just sitting on.
With a gasp of surprise, Medda asked "Where did you find that?"
"After I finished my sellin', I was walking around, and not paying any attention, and I found myself in an alley. I sat down against the wall to rest, and I bumped my elbow on a loose brick. I pulled out the brick, and there was a rusty harmonica, a piece of paper that said 'Property of Dray Blithe! Don't you touch it!' and this pouch." She explained.
"Oh, I remember Dray! He was my brother's friend. Best pickpocket in Manhattan!" Said Medda
"That's why he had the jewelry I bet!" Exclaimed Bliss. "So can you hold this for me?" she asked timidly. As she started to put it all back in the leather bag, the seam gave out, and what little she had just put in came back out through the bottom. So Bliss tucked it all in a pocket on her shoulder bag.
"Well, well, follow me Bliss." Medda said, turning on her heel and going into her dressing room.
No one ever goes into Medda's dressing room. It was sacred ground as far as the Newsies were concerned. Bliss stopped in the doorway and hesitated.
"Come on in, it's ok, I officially invited you." Medda said as she grabbed Bliss' hand and pulled her in.
"You can put it all in here." Medda told her, holding out a thick, flat topped, wooden and brass box that looked like a miniature treasure box.
Bliss piled in the pocket watch, the jewelry, fountain pen, the money clip, and most of the coins in the box, but kept the marbles, buttons, and 25 cents, and she put that change with the rest of the money she had made from selling papes.
Medda put the box on her make-up table, and put a bottle of perfume on it, along with some other things so it would be inconspicuous.
Bliss gazed around the room, looking at the photographs on the walls, and the wardrobe filled with satin and silk dresses.
Medda wouldn't let her leave without a small bag of candies for the boys back at the lodging house, and a ribbon for her hair, which Medda tied back out of her face, leaving the mess of curls to spill down her back, instead of hiding her eyes.
Bliss left there over two hours later with her spirits high, and whistled on her way back to the lodging house.
When she opened the door, she saw everyone sitting in the commons room, all looking anxious. Racetrack, Mush and Jack were sitting in the corner playing cards. Kid Blink and Crutchy were in a heated discussion over something, and Dutchy was pacing back and forth across the room. Snipeshooter was sitting on the floor with Itey, folding newspapers. At the sound of the door closing behind Bliss, everyone looked up.
It seems like everyone came over to talk to her. Since Dutchy was already on his feet, and closest to the door, he got there first.
"Where have you been?" Dutchy demanded.
"You had us worried, Bliss!" said Mush.
"Worried? Why? I wasn't gone all night!" she protested.
"You were gone a lot longer than usual!" said Jack.
"So the next time I stop and see a friend, now I have to send a message first? What's with you guys tonight?"
Racetrack piped up from the corner, "I guess it's just that headline today, about all those people being killed..."
"Yeah!" the rest of them chorused.
"You never told us where you were!" insisted Snipeshooter.
"I was just at Medda's!" she answered.
There was a collective sigh of relief from around the room.
"Anyways, I am definitely not a politician." Bliss added. "Oh, and Medda sent me with something for you..." She said as she started rummaging through her bag.
Hearing this, they all got excited, and when she pulled a bag of candy from her bag, they all cheered.
She pulled out a licorice whip and a gumdrop for each of them, and then everyone settled back into what they were doing before she came in. Except for Dutchy, he sat down and joined the card game.
Bliss looked around the room at all the boys, and smiled.
I had come to Manhattan looking for something. I didn't know what I was looking for, but I found trouble instead. One day when I was walking around, asking for work, these two guys started harassing me, and pushed me against the wall, and searched my pockets for money. Medda came out of the door in the side of the stage just at the right moment, right before one of the guys tried to hit me. He was mad that I didn't have any money. Medda, using her "don't mess with me" voice told them to get out of there, and invited me in. I stayed at Medda's place that night, sleeping wrapped in an old piece of a backdrop as a blanket. The next day, Medda introduced me to Kloppman, and got me a bunk, and she even paid for a whole month for me to stay here!
At first, all the newsies stayed away from her, but quickly, their suspicious attitudes turned to protectiveness. Her eyes wandered around the room, meeting with Snipeshooter's. He smiled at her, then got back to his paper hat folding. He was the youngest. The only one that was younger than him was Les, who lived at home. The four in the corner playing cards were the most protective of all. If ever they were near, she could feel their eyes on her, watching to make sure no one messed with her. Out of the corner of her eye, Bliss saw Itey yawn and rub his eyes sleepily.
Standing up, she said "Ok, Snipe, Itey, time for bed, you guys look like you have been awake long enough."
"Awwww, Bliss, I'm not tired! Can't we just stay up for a few minutes longer?" pleaded Snipe, before a yawn escaped and foiled his not sleepy plea.
She went over and grabbed them both by the suspenders, pulled them to their feet, and directed them towards the stairs.
With a groan, they told everyone good night and started walking up to the bunkroom.
"When I come up, you both better be asleep, ya hear!" she called after them.
Turning back around towards the group, she got a big grin from Dutchy.
He said "I don't know what it is about you, they never listen to anyone else!"
Jack replied for her "She's got one of them....looks, Medda has it too...."
"Yeah, the look of death!" Said Racetrack
Everyone laughed at that, even Bliss.
Kloppman called from the doorway of his office, "Bliss, use that look of death, and get all of them to go to bed, lights out is in 30 minutes!"
"All right, Mr. Kloppman, I'll make sure they're ready for it." she told him.
The four playing cards were the first ones to move, Racetrack grabbed his cards, and the rest of them scurried to get out of Bliss' way. Bumlets wasn't quick enough, and Bliss caught him by the shoulder and nudged him towards the stairs.
Bliss walked around the room, grabbing Itey's shoes, Bumlet's walking stick, Jack's cowboy hat, and three pennies from the couch where Crutchy was sitting. Upon looking under the couch, she found Les' hat, and put it on Kloppman's desk in case he came back looking for it. She gathered everything else up and went upstairs. At the bunkroom door she knocked three times and asked,
"Can I come in?"
She could hear shuffling around before she heard Mush call out "All clear."
Bliss pushed the door open, and as she walked along the rows of bunks, she tossed Jack his hat, handed Crutchy his three cents, leaned Bumlet's walking stick against his bunk, before stopping by Itey's bunk. She checked to see was awake, and finding him asleep, she put his shoes halfway under his bed and pulled his covers up around his shoulders. She did the same for Snipeshooter. She changed her clothes in a bathroom stall and put her dusty dress in the laundry basket before she walked around the room, softly singing a song and gathering the boy's clothes from the floor. She had to wake up early tomorrow to wash their clothes, a few of them ran out of clean clothes before laundry day, and all of their wardrobe was in the rapidly filling wicker laundry basket. Tomorrow was Saturday, her laundry day. She did everyone's laundry, and they all paid her a penny a month. Bliss worked double time, as a newsie, and as a substitute mother for "her boys". She finally turned the lights out and made her way over to her bunk. She slipped under the covers and lay there, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. Bliss smiled as she thought of her first day here. it was hard to believe that it was only a year ago.