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Chapter: V ~ Morris Delancey
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"Oh, I'm sorry." Lady looks up. She has walked into a newsy. She notices its Bumlets. His papers fall to the cobblestone ground. She bends down to and helps him pick them up.

"My fault miss." He is a little surprised by her gesture.

"Please, call me Lady. I really hate it when something like this happens."

"What happens?"

"When your papers go everywhere, and of course it always happens when there is a big gust of wind." She smiles, and as she talks she moves her hands as well. He is a bit confused, of her experience. She notices.

"What you don't think I can work?"

"No, dats not whad I'se ment."

"I sell papers with Smokes occasionally." Her voice softens. There is a silence for a moment.

"So where's yer hus,"

"Oscar! Is doing something. He doesn't tell me, I don't ask. Are you hungry?" Bumlets is a little taken aback.

"Um,"

"I have some extra money. It's on me, please, I don't wanna eat alone." He looks in her eyes and sees vulnerability, he can't say no.

"Sure, Tibby's okay?" She nods smiling. Once in they talk about New York, and things about the strike. Lady avoids anything to do with the Delanceies.

"So, how do you know my name? I think I know how I know yours. I had a,"

"Dream?"

"Yeah. That's weird. Mines is where I'm in a house and there's this old man and he is talking to some boy, you, and I walk in and you see me but he doesn't."

"Dat's like mine. I'se see you'se but he don't, an dat's what I'm tawkin' to him about. He keeps tawkin' bout sometin' ta do wid Brooklyn." A few moments later they spot Racetrack and some of the other newsies.

"Whad do you'se have against Jack?"

"Oscar and Morris told me a lot about him."

"And you'se believe dem?"

"Why not?"

"Whad day tell ya?'

"Just stuff about why he was in jail before and stuff that he does that no one really knows about."

"Cowboy would nevea do any ding dat bad. He's stool food, an stuff like dat but, he's a good guy." About then Lady notices, some people she recognizes. She stands up.

"Smokes?" They all hear her and come over to her and Bumlet's table.

"Lady!" They yell. "What are you doing here?" She asks a little panicky.

"We wanted to come see ya." Lola answers.

"Hi Lady, here I brought this for ya." Sketches pushes his way up to her, and hands her a wilting purple flower.

"Thank you Sketches." She gives them all a hug. Tulip however only accepts a smile and “hi". Jack and the other newsies come over from their corner of Tibby's.

"Heya Smokes, how's it goin?" Jack spits in his hand and extends it. Smokes does the same.

"Real good. Jack this is, Tulip, Sketches, Lola, and Numbers." He points to each as he says their names.

"And dis is Racetrack, Mush, Bumlets, Kid Blink, Crutchy, Dutchy, Specs, and Boots." They all say hi and other greetings.

"I'se see ya lateh Jack, me an Mush gotta go on some business in Brooklyn." Lola's eyes widen at the sound of anything to do with her beloved Spot Conlon.

"Oh, can I come?" She pleas.

"Can ya walk?" Racetrack asks. She shakes her head.

"Well come on doll." Mush takes her and puts an arm around her.

"Looks like Mush is movin' on from Kara." Jack laughs after observing his friends open flirting. The Cincinnati newsies laugh.

"Well, he ain't gettin too far unless his name is Spot Conlon."

"Whad ya mean?" Kid Blink asks.

"She's been crushing on him since eighteen ninety-nine." Lady tells them. The rest laugh at this. The rest of the newsies go back to what they were doing, and take Numbers, Tulip, and Sketches too. Jack, Smokes and Bumlets remain with Lady. She and Smokes talk for a few minutes about stuff at home. Bumlets starts becoming a little jealous of the way she acts with him. He didn't get a chance to tell of her of a few other dreams he had of her. They were dreams he never told anyone before. She acted the way she is with Smokes, with him, and more.

"So how do you guys know each other?" Lady inquires.

"I used to live here when I was twelve, Jack here became a friend. We kind of just kept bumping into each other."

"When did you come back to Ohio then?" Lady is becoming intrigued, Smokes never wants to talk about his past with her.

"When I was fifteen. Then I met you." He put his arm around her. Even if they weren't a couple he has always shown affection for her, sometimes it's more of a brother, sister kind though.

"Where's yer stuff Maddy?" She looks down, somewhat ashamed to tell him.

"Uh, at the Delanceies'."

"I'm going with you, and we'll get it."

"We can't. My parents already know I'm here, and it'll just cause problems,"

"Are you two married yet?"

"No!"

"Listen, those Delanceies are a bad family. Just please trust me." Smokes looks at her, and waits.

"Okay Jonathan."

"Sure you'se wanna go? I could do it, or Bumlets here."

"That may be a good idea. Bumlets you wanna go with her?" Bumlets nods. Lady and Bumlets walk out of Tibby's and head to the Delanceies

"Sos how long ya been here?" Jack asks his Cincinnati buddy.

"Not too long. How come Lady doesn't like you?"

"I'se don't know, Oscar, an Morris must of told her sumtin'."

"Do you think they know about me being here?"

"Nah, I'se don't dink so, but you'e better be careful."

"I know." continued


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