CHAPTER ONE
The hustle and bustle of Manhattan was terrifyingly different than the small town she had lived in with her father. After inquiring somewhat about this one they called Jack Kelly, she came to the conclusion that he was a well-known person in these parts. Receiving directions from an old man, she set off to the Newsboys' Lodging House. About ½ a mile later, she found it. 'Well, I guess this is it', Bobbie thought, as she stepped on the porch and knocked on the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Inside the lodging house, the Newsies were talking about how their day off in the city had been.
"You'se guys shoulda seen it! There's was hunderds of 'em! But, naturally, I'se gots away from all of dem without gettin' a scratch on me!" Jack Kelly boasted.
"Well, Jacky-boy, my day wasn't so lucky. Ya know how I'se was supposed ta get lotsa dough by bettin' on dis one horse? It wuz supposed ta be a sure thing? When will I learn that I'se can't trust dem Delancey bruddas? I'se so STOOPID!" Racetrack complained.
"What 'bout you, Kid Blink?" Mush inquired upon seeing the mischievous smile on his face.
"I'se gotcha all beat!"
"Whatcha talkin' bout, Blink?" Jack demanded.
With a triumphant look on his face he replied, "I'm takin' the mayor's daughter out on next Saturday!" there was no mistaking the internal bliss of this Newsie.
The chatter among the boys continued only until hearing the knock on the door. It suddenly fell quiet as they waited for Kloppman to answer the door. No one dared to breathe, for fear it might be Warden Snyder looking for Jack Kelly. As they sat quietly listening, they heard a girl's voice say, "Does a Jack Kelly live here?" Hearing Kloppman start to lead the girl into where the newsies were, the boys started once again started talking quietly.
"Do you gots any idea who's it is?" one newsie inquired.
"Is she your new goilfriend, Jacky-boy?" Mush asked.
"No, she's not my goilfriend, Mush, and I don't have no clue who's she is." Jack responded.
All fell quiet when Kloppman escorted a beautiful young lady into the room. 'She's the most beautiful goil I'se evuh seen', Mush thought. Bobbie would have been alarmed to know that almost every newsies' thoughts were running on the same track as Mush's. Bobbie's melodious voice cut through the quiet. "Is one of you Jack Kelly?" she asked politely.
"Dat's me, little goil. Jack Kelly at your service," Jack replied.
"My father sent me here. He died yesterday. He told me to come and find you," Bobbie told him with tears in her eyes.
"Whoa, whoa there little goil! First of all, what's your name? Who wuz you'se faddah?" Jack demanded.
"My name is Roberta, but everyone calls me Bobbie. My father said that he knew your mother when they were young," Bobbie told him.
"Yeah, but who was he?" Jack returned.
"His name was Bill Thompson. He was—." She stopped upon seeing the look of horror cross Jack Kelly's face. "What's wrong?" she inquired.
"Bill Thompson was my second faddah. Aftah my faddah died, my mudda got married again, and had a little goil, and died a coupla years latuh. I runned away, and I nevah saw my sista Bobbie or my faddah again," Jack replied in a strained voice.
Every eye in the room was stuck on Jack and Bobbie, his long lost sister.
The hustle and bustle of Manhattan was terrifyingly different than the small town she had lived in with her father. After inquiring somewhat about this one they called Jack Kelly, she came to the conclusion that he was a well-known person in these parts. Receiving directions from an old man, she set off to the Newsboys' Lodging House. About ½ a mile later, she found it. 'Well, I guess this is it', Bobbie thought, as she stepped on the porch and knocked on the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Inside the lodging house, the Newsies were talking about how their day off in the city had been.
"You'se guys shoulda seen it! There's was hunderds of 'em! But, naturally, I'se gots away from all of dem without gettin' a scratch on me!" Jack Kelly boasted.
"Well, Jacky-boy, my day wasn't so lucky. Ya know how I'se was supposed ta get lotsa dough by bettin' on dis one horse? It wuz supposed ta be a sure thing? When will I learn that I'se can't trust dem Delancey bruddas? I'se so STOOPID!" Racetrack complained.
"What 'bout you, Kid Blink?" Mush inquired upon seeing the mischievous smile on his face.
"I'se gotcha all beat!"
"Whatcha talkin' bout, Blink?" Jack demanded.
With a triumphant look on his face he replied, "I'm takin' the mayor's daughter out on next Saturday!" there was no mistaking the internal bliss of this Newsie.
The chatter among the boys continued only until hearing the knock on the door. It suddenly fell quiet as they waited for Kloppman to answer the door. No one dared to breathe, for fear it might be Warden Snyder looking for Jack Kelly. As they sat quietly listening, they heard a girl's voice say, "Does a Jack Kelly live here?" Hearing Kloppman start to lead the girl into where the newsies were, the boys started once again started talking quietly.
"Do you gots any idea who's it is?" one newsie inquired.
"Is she your new goilfriend, Jacky-boy?" Mush asked.
"No, she's not my goilfriend, Mush, and I don't have no clue who's she is." Jack responded.
All fell quiet when Kloppman escorted a beautiful young lady into the room. 'She's the most beautiful goil I'se evuh seen', Mush thought. Bobbie would have been alarmed to know that almost every newsies' thoughts were running on the same track as Mush's. Bobbie's melodious voice cut through the quiet. "Is one of you Jack Kelly?" she asked politely.
"Dat's me, little goil. Jack Kelly at your service," Jack replied.
"My father sent me here. He died yesterday. He told me to come and find you," Bobbie told him with tears in her eyes.
"Whoa, whoa there little goil! First of all, what's your name? Who wuz you'se faddah?" Jack demanded.
"My name is Roberta, but everyone calls me Bobbie. My father said that he knew your mother when they were young," Bobbie told him.
"Yeah, but who was he?" Jack returned.
"His name was Bill Thompson. He was—." She stopped upon seeing the look of horror cross Jack Kelly's face. "What's wrong?" she inquired.
"Bill Thompson was my second faddah. Aftah my faddah died, my mudda got married again, and had a little goil, and died a coupla years latuh. I runned away, and I nevah saw my sista Bobbie or my faddah again," Jack replied in a strained voice.
Every eye in the room was stuck on Jack and Bobbie, his long lost sister.