Look! A Baby!
All the eyes in the lodging house turned to the baby cradled in Dutchy's arms. Les was the only one who saw no downside to having a baby in the house. "Can I hold it Dutchy? Is it a boy or a girl? Does it have a name? Is the Baby's mother ok?"
At Les's last question, all the boys gasped. In the discovery of the baby, they had momentarily forgotten the dead woman, lying on the couch of the lodging house.
Kloppman took charge. He ordered Jack to check the body for some kind of identification, so they would know if this baby had relatives that would want it.
All jack found were immigration papers, a visa from London, and a boat ticket that said the ship had arrived the day before.
"Just another immigrant, No address of family members or nothin'. Just immigration papers and a boat ticket, Klopp."
"What name is on the Visa?" asked Kloppman,
"It says Eileen Hunt," reported Jack.
Kloppman sighed, " Find any personal belongings and take them, we will give them to the baby later. Dutchy, You and Specs and Les take the baby and wait backstage at Medda's until someone comes to get you."
"How come Kloppy?" Asked Les, completely puzzled at the odd request.
"Because we need to call the bulls to get Eileen's body and if they see or hear the baby they will take it to the orphanage." He shot looks at Jake, Itey, Swifty and Specs. "My guess is you don't want the baby to end up there."
The boys who had been in the orphanage immediately shooed Dutchy, Specs and Les out into the street.
As the boys walked to Medda's they became aware of the abominable stench coming from the baby in Dutchy's arms.
Uh-oh! "I think it did that! Who knew such a small baby could make such a nasty smell?"
"Here Les, You can hold it now!" Dutchy held the baby out, smirking. "EWWWWWWW NONONO DUTCHY THAT'S GROSS!"
"Well you wanted to!"
"Guys cut it out!" Specs was mad at them both by now. "Come on we'll ask Medda what to do with it"
When they walked in, Medda's show was just ending. She went backstage to see the boys. They quickly explained their situation and why they were holding a stinking baby.
While initially saddened by the tale of the dying mother stumbling into the lodging house, she could not help being amused when they her about the funny looks they had been getting as they carried the smelly and now wailing baby through the streets of New York.
Medda agreed to help them. She got a diaper from one of her singers who had a young baby. The singer showed the boys how to change the baby's diaper.
Medda and The singer searched the baby girl's clothes for some kind of identification or name but found none.
The singer, named Corrie, said the baby girl had to be about six months old, because she was the same size as Corrie's baby.
Just then, Jack came to get the boys and the baby. He assured them that Kloppman had told the bulls everything he knew about the dead mother except the part about the baby. The baby would never have to know the inside of an orphanage.
On the way back to the lodging house, Jack held the little girl and talked to her.
He seemed confused and asked Dutchy if she was deaf. Dutchy started yelling at him, "How the heck would I know? Its not my baby!" Before Jack could start making fun of Dutchy again, Specs piped up.
"Jack what are you stupid or something? Babies can't talk! Everyone knows that! Even Les knows that dontcha Les? Isn't Jack stupid?"
Les, who idolized Jack, immediately began to yell at Dutchy and Specs, while Jack eagerly joined him.
Once they had finally arrived at the lodging house, Kloppman broke up the argument by assuring Jack that babies couldn't talk, and convincing Dutchy that Jack wasn't stupid by a long shot.
Jack had been far too young to remember when his little brother Blink was a baby. Blink had certainly been walking and talking by the time their father had been thrown into prison and they had been found by Kloppman.
Les tugged on Kloppman's sleeve and whispered into his ear,
"Now that we've finished savin the baby what are we gonna do with it?"
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