Chapter Two - At the Races

"EXTRY, EXTRY! TRAIN BLOWS UP AND KILLS THOUSANDS!" Racetrack Higgins yelled through the crowd. He was a short, wiry Italian who had a keen talent for improving the truth. "Hey, Dave, how much didja bet on Valentine?"

"Twenty-five cents, and I'm regretting it already." David answered, running his fingers through his curly brown hair. "NUDE CORPSE FOUND IN THE TRAIN WRECK!"

There was a time where David was a very honest, very naïve newsie. Those times had long since passed. The real headline read: "TRAIN WHEEL BROKEN: SCHEDULES DELAYED UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE."

"So, I heard you got a letter from Jack… how's the old cowboy doing?" Racetrack asked.

"He's finally a real cowboy," David laughed. "Sarah's four months pregnant. They've got a house and a horse, and now they're trying to save up to get a ranch of their own, but it's gonna take them some time. Still, they seem really happy."

"He always wanted to be a cowboy, and now he is… hmmm, maybe someday my dream will come true too," Racetrack said.

"And what dream is that?" David asked curiously.

"To set up my own racetrack and get filthy rich from it," Race laughed, then stopped short. "Whoa, look at that girl. She don't look so good. She must be drunk or crazy to come out in public like that!"

David turned around to see the madwoman, but met a frightened pair of brown eyes. It was true that the young lady wasn't in the best form: her blonde hair was disheveled, her dress was tattered and stained, blood was on her face, bruises were on her arms, and she was stumbling through the crowd, but none of that seemed to matter. David's heart was beating so fast, he thought it would burst from his chest. He didn't care if she was drunk or crazy or both- something about her, more than looks, entranced him.

He walked toward her never leaving her eyes.

"Davey, where you goin'?" Race asked, but his question was unheard.

He stood facing her, and she looked at him strangely.

"Hello…" he said.

She didn't say anything. David wondered if she was mute.

"Um… would you like a paper?" he asked holding up a paper and pointing to it.

"Dave, what are doing?" Race called out. He was getting nervous, and he decided the girl had to be a lunatic who escaped from an insane asylum.

"You don't have to pay… this one's on the house," he said holding out the paper to her.

She took it, to his delight.

"I'm David," he said indicating to himself.

"I'm…" the girl said breathlessly. She took a step forward, but stumbled. David caught her in time and she collapsed into him. She had fainted.

"Leave the girl, Dave! She might be dead!" Race said going over to them.

"Help me get her to my house. My mom'll know what to do!"