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Race and Birdie walked to Manhattan talking about the past two years. They came to Greeley Square and looked for Jack. They decided to go to the Lodging House to look for him. "Hey, Kloppman, Jack here?" Race asked.
"Yeah, yeah. He's up there," Kloppman nodded his head to the stairs.
"Thanks, Kloppman." They headed up the stairs. "Now, he's gonna be real glad ta see ya," Race said.
"Yeah, Race, so will I." They entered the bunk room.
"Hey ya, Jack, look who I'se found," Race said to a tall boy with brown hair, a red handkerchief around his neck, and a black cowboy hat.
Jack turned around. "Kathryn!" he yelled in astonishment. He ran over to her and gave her a great big hug. "Kathryn, I thought ya was dead," Jack whispered to her.
"Almost, Jackey-boy, almost," she said quietly.
Jack let go of her and looked her over for a few seconds. Like he was seeing her for the first time. Then started to introduce her to the rest of the newsies. "Let's see here, ya knows Race, and dat's Specs, Blink, Boots, Dutchy, Mush, Snipeshoota, Skittery, Swifty, Itey, Jake," he pointed to each one as he named them, "and dis is Les, David, an' Sarah Jacobs." He smiled when he got to Sarah. Birdie noticed it, she was pleased that he had found someone.
"Mornin' to ya all. Nice ta see ya again, Boots, Blink," Birdie said to everyone in the room.
"Oh, yeah, and dis ova here, dis is Spot Conlon, he's from Brooklyn."
"Yeah, we'se, uh, met," Birdie said.
"When?" Jack asked.
"When I got in dis mornin'. Jack, da reason I came ta see ya," Birdie started.
"Yeah, I know." He interrupted her and gave her an I-know-ya-want-it-but-I-aint- givin-it-to-ya look. All this time, Sarah was watching, losing hope about her and Jack. "Where're me mannas. Ever'one, dis here's Boidie Kelly, she's me sista." Sarah sighed and smiled; Spot raised an eyebrow.
"Ya know what, Jack?" He gave her a questioning look. "Carol gave me somethin' fer ya, but darned if I just rememba where I put it," she said trying to stifle a laugh. "Oh, wait, here it is." She pulled something out of her pocket, it was a pocket watch. She dangled it in front of his face, as if she was taunting him with it. Jack looked at it, almost in a trance. "But, I don't think ya desoive it. I betta keep it fer a while." She started to put it back in her pocket.
"Hey!" Jack exclaimed.
"Ya know what I want, Jack" she said. "I ain't givin' ya dis here watch till I gets it."
"Awright, awright. I got it right here." He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in her hand. Birdie smiled and nodded to her brother.
"Thank ya," she said as she handed him the pocket watch.
He pressed the button on the top and the lid snapped open. He looked at the face of the watch, it was exquisitely detailed. The face was a creamy white with what looked like specs of silver. It had gold minute, hour, and second hands. It had two smaller portions on the clock face, one was the date and the other was the day of the week. The numbers were outlined in gold and, between each number, were four gold tick marks. Jack studied the face for a minute, then moved his eyes around the rest of the watch. He looked at the inside of the lid, there was an inscription. It read:
To Jack
all my love
Carol
He looked up at Birdie and smiled. She knew that he loved it; she smiled too. Jack continued to look at the rest of the watch. He closed the lid and looked at it. It was just smooth gold with swirls around the edges. On the back, inscribed in italics, was Santa Fe. Jack took the end of the chain and hooked it to his vest and slid the watch into his pocket. "Thanks, Kathryn, I hopes ya thanked her fer me," Jack said.
"A coise I did, Jack, a coise I did. I wish you'd'a been able ta thank her yerself," she said.
"Why?" Jack asked.
Birdie was quiet for a minute, looked out the window and then back at Jack. A tear started in her eye, she held it back. She couldn't let anyone see her cry. "She's dead, Jack." Birdie turned and left the room; she headed up to the roof.
Jack looked down at the floor, then out the window. No one noticed when Sarah left the room and went up to the roof.
"Jack, what just happened here?" Blink asked.
"She and Carol was real close," Jack answered.
"Were ya real close wit' her?" Blink asked.
"Not like dey was," Jack said, and then to himself he thought, "not even close."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah walked onto the roof and looked around for Birdie, she saw her over by the wall. "Birdie, are you okay?" she asked.
Birdie looked over to where Sarah was standing and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, Sarah, I'm jist fine." She wiped her eyes again.
"Are you sure? Jack said that you and Carol were really close," Sarah answered.
"I'm fine, thanks fer askin' though. Yeah, Carol an' me was real close. When Jack and I was little, dad got brought ta prison, and our mom was dead. We was gettin' some food from Carol's window sill. She caught us an took us in. We lived wit' her fer a while, den Jack left ta sell papes. We was 'bout 15 at da time. We was doin' real good fer ourselves too. Den Carol gots sick an had ta go ta a special hospital out west. I gots a telegram two years ago sayin' dat her illness was gettin' woise. I went ta visit her, she died a few weeks ago. Listen, Sarah, I knows Jack likes ya a lot, but please, don't tell him Carol died of dat. He thought dat she went out dere ta get a change a scene. She didn't want me ta tell him," Birdie rambled on.
"Sure, Birdie, I won't tell him about it. Do you mind if I ask why?" Sarah reassured Birdie.
"A coise not. But I don't really know. I can guess dat she didn't think he could handle it er somethin'. Maybe she jist didn't wanna bodda him wid it. I don't really know," Birdie answered with a shrug.
Just then, Jack, Spot, Race, Blink, Boots, Mush, Specs, and Davey came onto the roof. Davey walked over to Sarah and Birdie. He told Sarah that they better be getting home, it was getting late. Sarah stood up, smiled at Birdie, and left with her brother. The other boys sat in a circle and Race pulled out a pack of cards.
"Hey boys, mind if I join in?" Birdie asked. She knew they were going to play poker. She loved playing poker. Jack nodded and Race started dealing the cards.
"Okay, Five Card Stud, nines is wild," Race said, just like a real dealer at a casino. The bunch of them played all afternoon.
"Hey, Mush, ya seen Vix lately?" Race asked, insinuating that Mush had a date with her that night.
"Oh shoot! I gots ta meet her lata." Mush jumped up and ran downstairs. He ran into the washroom and got cleaned up. He put on a clean shirt and fixed his hair nicely. Then he promptly left.
On the roof, the boys were still playing poker. Blink, Boots, Specs, Spot, and Race had given up on the present hand. Jack and Birdie were the only ones still in.
"Jack, I'll bet ya dis. If I wins dis hand, I gets yer hat. If ya win, ya gets dis," she held up her locket. She knew he'd want it. He wanted something to give to Sarah. "Have we got a deal?" she asked him.
Jack thought for a moment. He'd gotten that hat from a good friend of his a long time ago. "All right, Kathryn, we gots a deal! Let's see whatcha got," he said, sure that he'd win. He laid down his cards, he had four of a kind, three kings and a nine. He smiled and looked up at her, who, in turn, smiled. She put her cards on the floor. The boys started laughing. She had laid down five cards of the same suit, a royal flush. "There's no way ya could a got dat!" Jack exclaimed.
"Sorry, Jack, but dat's da way da cards was dealt," she smiled and picked up his, no sorry, her cowboy hat. She placed it on her head and stood up.
"Boidie, I'se'd likes ta tawk wit' ya if I could," Spot said politely. She nodded. They went to the other side of the roof. "Boidie, I'se real sorry 'bout dis mornin', I didn't mean ta be so rough wit ya--"
"Dere's no need ta apologize, Spot, you didn't do nothin'. Ya didn't look much like ya was mad at me eidder," Birdie interrupted.
"How'd ya know dat?" he asked, extremely curious how she could read him.
"I, uh, just had a feelin'," she said coyly.
"Really? How¹s 'bout dis fer a feelin'," he said as he moved closer to her and kissed her. "Wow," she said as he let up.
"Yeah, wow," Spot said. They kissed again.
The boys across the roof were telling each other jokes. Blink looked across the roof for a second, it surprised him so much he had to look again. Kind of like a double take thing, he had a 'whoa' look on his face now. "Hey, guys, look," Blink said pointing across the roof. They all looked.
Jack smiled. He thought "Good, now dey'll both be in a much betta mood lata."
Across the roof, Spot and Birdie stopped kissing. "Well, don't ya feel safa now? Now dat ya got me ta protect'cha," Spot said.
Birdie started to get annoyed. "Wait a minute here now. I kin take care a meself just fine. I can take care of meself betta den you can. Now, I gotta be gettin' back ta Queens, if you'll excuse me," she said pushing him away coldly.
"Kin I walks ya home?" Spot asked hopefully.
"No need ta, I kin take care a meself," she answered very coldly. She walked back across the roof, still wearing Jack's hat, and walked down the stairs into the street. She walked quickly down the street towards Queens.
"Jack, you gots a finicky sista," Spot said as he ran after Birdie. He got down to the street and she was nowhere in sight. He went down the road and caught up with her. "Hey, wait a minute. Look, Boidie, I'se sorry 'bout what I said up dere. I'se just can't express how I feel round ya."
"Really, come wit' me," Birdie said as she grabbed Spot's wrist. She was still wearing Jack's hat. She pulled Spot to the river, so they could see the Brooklyn Bridge. "Okay, tell me what ya see. Paint me a pictcha."
"What d'ya mean? I only see da Bridge and Brooklyn. What d'ya want me ta say?" Spot asked, in a what-in-the-world-are-you-thinking tone of voice.
"Well, I'll tell ya what I sees. I sees a long suspension bridge between Brooklyn an' Manhattan. It's all light up fer da evenin'. I sees a wonderful sunset, it's got sapphire blue, scarlet red, topaz orange, an' emerald green painted cross da sky; and there're a few white diamonds mixed up in dat pool a colors. An' right above da top a dat foist strut dere, da moon, it shines like a candle in da night. The city casts it's shadow on da moonlight water, which laps 'gainst da piers cross da river. An' people, walkin' slowl back ta dere houses wit' a spouse er beau," Birdie said passionatly as she looked out over the scene. Then she looked back at Spot. "Did dat paint ya a pitcha?" she asked.
"Yeah, it did. I think I gots da idea. Okay, here's what I see. I see a beautiful goyl, wit' a big heart. She's got a real tough side too, but she knows when ta show it an when not ta. She has long curled auburn hair an' emerald eyes, dey sparkle like 'em too. She gots creamy peach fuzz skin and a warm touch. She'll look inta yer soul if ya let 'er. She's got dose kinda eyes." Spot stared into Birdie's eyes. He thought she was so beautiful. He bulshed and looked to the ground.
Birdie smiled and lifted Spot's chin with her hand. "Spot, don't worry, it's ain't bad fer ya ta express yer feelins. It's actually kinda nice. You'd be saprised where it'll get ya. She smiled again and kissed him very lightly on the lips, almost like silk brushing your skin. Then she left. He didn't see her again for a long time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Brooklyn, a few weeks later, the newsies were starting to worry about Spot, yes, actually worry about him. He just played with his food and he ate very little. He was loosing weight and becoming paler by the day. They could all tell he was depressed, but none of them knew quite what to do. So they went to Jack, seeing as how Jack and Spot were best friends. They had asked Jack to discreetly talk with Spot about it. Jack came to Brooklyn the next day and was left alone with Spot in his room. Jack stood just inside the doorway and talked to Spot from there.
"Spot, you gots ta tawk ta wit' me 'bout dis. We're all worried 'bout ya. Ya ain't seemed yerself lately," Jack said with a worried look on his face.
"Yeah, I know, Jackey-boy. I don't know what's wrong wit' me," Spot said, not looking at Jack.
"Yeah ya do, Spot. Ya knows exactly why yer actin' like dis, an' we all wanna know," Jack said in an almost monotone voice.
"Yer right, Jack, I do. Say, ya seen dat sista a yers?" Spot said avoiding the subject.
"Yeah, she's in Queens. Why d'ya ask?" Jack asked.
"Cause, Jack, I think.. dat.. I love her," Spot said, finally looking at Jack.
Jack smiled. "Ya really do don't cha. Well, see ya lata, Spot," Jack smiled again and left for Queens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Jack got to Queens, he first ran into Dice. "Hey ya, Dice, ya seen Boidie today? I'se got to tawk wit' her."
"Last I seen her, she was wit' me goil at da House. You know what's wrong wid her, she's been actin' real strange lately," Dice said.
"Thanks, Dice" Jack said and walked on to the Palace Newshouse, or just House for short. When he got to the door, he knocked twice.
Abby opened the door. "Mornin' Jack, ya here fer Boidie?" Jack nodded. "She's upstairs, ya know what's wrong wid her?" Jack shook his head and went up the stairs.
"Hey, Kathryn, ya in here," Jack called after he opened the door.
"Yeah, Jack, right here. Haven't seen mucha ya lately. Where ya been?" Birdie answered.
"I'se been in Manhattan all da time. From what I hear, you'se been pretty depressed lately. You and Spot da same," Jack said trying to get her to realize it.
"Really, Spot feels like dis too?" she asked, hopeful that he did.
"Why don't ya come wit' me," He grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the street.
"Jack, where're we goin?" Birdie asked.
"Come on!" he said enthusiastically. He led her through Queens to Brooklyn. He took a very strange route, so that she wouldn't know where they were going, but she knew it was on Long Island, they hadn't crossed any bridges. Eventually, Jack led his sister to a pier.
"Jack, why're we in Brooklyn?" she asked, very confused.
"Jist wait," he answered enthusiastically. He pulled her down to the end of the pier. She stopped short when she saw Spot. Jack let her arm go.
"Boidie," Spot said, not knowing anything else to say.
"Spot, I.. I..." she stuttered, she couldn't find anything to say to him.
They each just stood there and looked at each other. Spot made the first move, he couldn't stand there any longer. He walked across the pier and kissed Birdie for, what seemed like, forever. He wouldn't let her go. They just stood on the pier, holding each other. Spot never wanted to let her go. Everyone watched as their leader regained his happiness, and even some color in his cheeks. Jack saw his sister happy again, he was happy too.
Birdie let go of Spot and turned to Jack. "Thanks, Jack, yer a good friend, and brodda," she said quietly. She went to Jack and hugged him.
"Yer welcome little sista." He hugged her back, then pushed her back to Spot, smiled, and left.
"Come wit' me." Spot took her hand and led her off the pier.
Birdie thought "Great, anudda where're-we-going-I'll-tells-ya-when-we-get-dere trip. Why can't I jist leads a normal life?"
Spot brought her to an abandoned warehouse. It didn't look like much from the outside, but, when Spot took her inside, the warehouse was furnished to the nines (well, to the nines for the budget of the newsies anway). There were bunks in neat rows that stretched along both walls. There was a huge open isle between the two sets of bunks.
Spot took her upstairs into a long hallway. He opened one of the doors to tell his boys that he was back. Birdie saw that all the walls between each room had been knocked out. Spot led her to the last room in the hallway. He opened the door for her and she walked in.
She saw a beautifully furnished room. It had a single bed and a chest by the wall. It had a small kitchen in one corner and a porcelain tub in another. "Spot, it's beautiful. How'd ya get all dis stuff?"
"I'se got me ways," he said mysteriously. "Well, I'se brought ya here so we'se could tawk, privately. Bout what I said da last time, I..."
Birdie put her hand to his lips to quiet him. "Dere's no need ta apologize. I shoulda been ta see you dese last few weeks. I jist don't neva wanna let ya go," Birdie said.
Spot walked over to her and held her. "Don't ya worry, I neva will."
Afterward
Jack kept his pocket watch and gave it to his son when he was old enough, who gave it to his son, who gave it to his son, and so on It's been in the Kelly family for many generations, and it will for many generations to come. Queens and Brooklyn were still major rivals in New York, but Spot and Birdie tuned down the rivalry quite a bit. They made the newsies in each part hang with each other. Now it's just friendly rivalry. Everyone lived happily ever after. Just like in a fairy tale, or did they?
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