Chapter Eight
Mush stormed away from Oscar and Morris Delancey. Their confrontation had not been pretty. He had run into the brothers very soon after Mush had left the lodging house. The whole scene began replaying in Mush's mind. "Well if it ain't be Mush," Morris 'welcomed.'
"Yeah. Where's your little goilie friend?" Oscar taunted.
"Why? You'll never lay yer doity, rotten hands on her evuh agin, anyways, yua heah. You'se guys are lucky that I'se is only a newsie and can't turn da bulls on ya. But I can do this" If you'se either come near her or tuch her or hurt her in any way, I'll thrash you'se both ta an inch within you lifes." And with that, he had walked away.
Mush dreaded seeing Jack and having to tell him that Bobbie had been abused. With a groan, he realized that the dreaded confrontation was about to come sooner than expected. Jack was headed toward him with a cold stare directed right at Mush. Mush knew that he was in for it. By the time that Jack reached him, Mush was 'shaking in his boots.' "Jack, whatsa mattah?" Mush inquired.
"Oh, Mush. I thinks you knows exactly whatsa mattah. You hurt my sista! You gave her a big bruise! Mush, I thoughts you would be good ta her. You don't know how long she's wanted ta sell with ya. And I'se can tell that you wanted ta take her out with you too. Why did ya hurt her then?" Jack ferverently asked. "WHY!?!?!"
When Mush didn't reply, Jack added, "That's what I thought," then knocked him to the ground.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Jack walked into the Lodging House still blowing off steam. A worried Bobbie was pacing the floor waiting for either Mush or Jack to return. "Jack! Where have you been?" was the first thing out of her mouth as soon as Jack walked in the door. "Where's Mush? Is he okay?" she rambled on and on.
"Bobbie, how could ya worry 'bout Mush, an' his well-bien' when he have ya dat nasty bruise?" Jack shot back. 'Goils,' he thought. Bobbie's dismayed look made Jack feel uneasy.
"You—You thought that it was Mush who gave me this bruise? Oh, no! Mush would never do that to me!" she exclaimed.
"Well, if he didn't do it, who did?" he asked in exasperation.
"Uh, I think his name was Delancey. Oscar Delancey," she recalled.
"So what really happened, Bobbie?" Jack asked. After retelling the entire story with every minute detail, Jack decided to go apologize to Mush, yuet he learned from Racetrack that he came back and left again and wouldn't be back till late. 'oh well,' he thought. 'It'll hafta wait till mornin'.'
Mush stormed away from Oscar and Morris Delancey. Their confrontation had not been pretty. He had run into the brothers very soon after Mush had left the lodging house. The whole scene began replaying in Mush's mind. "Well if it ain't be Mush," Morris 'welcomed.'
"Yeah. Where's your little goilie friend?" Oscar taunted.
"Why? You'll never lay yer doity, rotten hands on her evuh agin, anyways, yua heah. You'se guys are lucky that I'se is only a newsie and can't turn da bulls on ya. But I can do this" If you'se either come near her or tuch her or hurt her in any way, I'll thrash you'se both ta an inch within you lifes." And with that, he had walked away.
Mush dreaded seeing Jack and having to tell him that Bobbie had been abused. With a groan, he realized that the dreaded confrontation was about to come sooner than expected. Jack was headed toward him with a cold stare directed right at Mush. Mush knew that he was in for it. By the time that Jack reached him, Mush was 'shaking in his boots.' "Jack, whatsa mattah?" Mush inquired.
"Oh, Mush. I thinks you knows exactly whatsa mattah. You hurt my sista! You gave her a big bruise! Mush, I thoughts you would be good ta her. You don't know how long she's wanted ta sell with ya. And I'se can tell that you wanted ta take her out with you too. Why did ya hurt her then?" Jack ferverently asked. "WHY!?!?!"
When Mush didn't reply, Jack added, "That's what I thought," then knocked him to the ground.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Jack walked into the Lodging House still blowing off steam. A worried Bobbie was pacing the floor waiting for either Mush or Jack to return. "Jack! Where have you been?" was the first thing out of her mouth as soon as Jack walked in the door. "Where's Mush? Is he okay?" she rambled on and on.
"Bobbie, how could ya worry 'bout Mush, an' his well-bien' when he have ya dat nasty bruise?" Jack shot back. 'Goils,' he thought. Bobbie's dismayed look made Jack feel uneasy.
"You—You thought that it was Mush who gave me this bruise? Oh, no! Mush would never do that to me!" she exclaimed.
"Well, if he didn't do it, who did?" he asked in exasperation.
"Uh, I think his name was Delancey. Oscar Delancey," she recalled.
"So what really happened, Bobbie?" Jack asked. After retelling the entire story with every minute detail, Jack decided to go apologize to Mush, yuet he learned from Racetrack that he came back and left again and wouldn't be back till late. 'oh well,' he thought. 'It'll hafta wait till mornin'.'