Newsie Baby (A Spot Conlon Love Story)

Chapter 1: Busted OUT

When you’re an orphan in New York in 1899, you’re either one of two things. You’re a newsie or you’re in jail. Unless, of course, you’re a girl. That’s what I am. And that means the only thing I am is an orphan. I’ve lived in an orphanage since I was born. I don’t know who my parents are and why they left me. All I know is they left me alone and for 14 years, I’ve been stuck in an all girls orphanage knowing no one is going to adopt me. That is, until I met Jack Kelly. He was a street rat that I caught in the alley one night. Ever since then, we’ve been really good friends. He even calls me his ‘little sister’. He comes and talks to me through the window of the orphanage. He tells me all about the newsies and the headlines. After awhile, Jack stopped coming. I heard from the others that he been taken to the refuge where the child criminals go. He can’t stay in there forever and neither can I. There as to be more to this orphan thing than just waiting around…

                I was working in the orphanage. We had to clean the whole place in order to get supper. My ragged dress was already caked with dust and wet with soapy water. I scrubbed at the floor while other girls were doing laundry or washing dishes. The days seemed to have melted into each other since Jack got arrested. Now it was just day and night and not by months or years. I wiped the sweat from my brow and went back to scrubbing. This floor was a never ending supply of dust and dirt. It would take me a whole week to wipe everything up. As I was almost done scrubbing away the dirt from the spot I was working on, a girl walked passed and knocked over the bucket of water spilling it all over the floor. I looked up at her.

                “Couldn’t ya have watched where you was goin’?” I shouted.

                “You should watch where you sit your pail then,” the girl remarked.

                I narrowed my eyes at her and she just walked past me. I sighed and picked up the bucket. None of the girls in the orphanage really liked each other. We all just tolerated each other. I guess we were all just angry at the world for having to be here. Just then, our ‘Mother’ Ms. Nicholas came into the room. She looked at all the water on the floor then glared at me with anger. I looked right back at her harshly because I knew I was about to get in trouble for something I didn’t do.

                “What is this?” Ms. Nicholas snapped, “Are you so careless that you’ve gone and spilled water all over the floor?”

                “I ain’t careless,” I snapped right back, “Jennifer knocked it over and it spilled on the floor.”

                “Well it was your responsibility to keep it out the way.”

                “Buckets will get knocked over, Ms. Nicholas. The world is an imperfect place.”

                A couple of the girls who had gathered around to watch giggled at my remark. I smirked at Ms. Nicholas. Her eyes just got darker. Great, I had let my mouth get me in trouble again. She grabbed me by my brown hair and pulled me up. I howled at the pain as she dragged me through the house. She brought me to the basement door and opened it. She dragged me down the stairs and threw me on the floor. I rubbed my head and looked up at her, my blue eyes dark.

                “You’ll stay down here until you learn how to behave and no supper tonight,” she said.

                “You can’t keep me locked down here like some animal,” I said.

                “I can and I will. Who’s going to care anyway? You’re an orphan. No one cares about you.”

                She walked up the stairs and closed the door. I heard her lock it and her footsteps disappear. I rubbed the top of my head. I turned on the faint light that was down there. There was a bed in one corner with a small flip up window. The rest of the space was surrounded by boxes that had probably been forgotten long ago. I sat on the bed. What good would gripe do for me? I was stuck in this place until I was 18. That was 4 years away. Might as well be a lifetime for me. I should have never said anything. My mouth was always getting me in trouble. I was a tough girl. I had to be. But I was always making smart comments especially to Ms. Nicholas. I started to pick at my nails when there was a knock on the window. I looked up at it. There was another knock and then a face appeared. It was Jack. I smiled and flipped open the basement window.

                “Hey, Leslie,” he said grinning.

                “It’s Les. Ya know I don’t like Leslie,” I said, “Whatcha doin’ here? I thought you were supposed to be locked up in the slammer.”

                “Yeah, I was, but I busted out. Not as hard as ya think. What are ya doin’ down here?”

                “I made another comment to the old warden. She finally got enough of me, I’m figurin’. So, now that you’re out, what are ya doin’ here talkin’ to me?”

                “What do ya think I’m here for? I’m here to get ya out.”

                “Seriously?”

                “Yeah. Can’t have one of us free while it other is still in the slammer.”

                I smiled. “How ya gonna bust me out?”

                “Through this window of course.”

                “It’s too small.”

                “Ya only weigh 50 cents and you’re as skinny as a twig. You’ll fit through. Now come on before we get caught.”

                I stood on the bed. I put my arms through the window and Jack grabbed my wrist. He started to pull me through the window. It was difficult, but I was sliding through.  I was about halfway through when I heard a lock turning in the keyhole of the door.

                “Pull faster, someone’s opening the door,” I told Jack.

                I heard the door open and footsteps. I wrapped my arms around Jack’s neck and he quickly pulled me the rest of the way through. I kicked the window closed. I heard Ms. Nicholas yelling in the basement room. She looked out the window and saw me and Jack. Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me up so we could run. I heard Ms. Nicholas’s voice come from the window.

                “You can’t run forever,” she yelled, “I’ll get you and when I do, you’re never getting out again.”

                Jack and I continued to run until we got in the alley to take a breath. I started laughing. I couldn’t believe I was actually free. I was free of that place forever. I didn’t have to go back. Jack started to laugh too.

                “Told ya it was easy,” he laughed.

                I hugged him tightly. I let go of him. I could see the harbor illuminated by the dull street lamps in the night. One day, I could leave this place just like Jack was telling me. We would both go to Santa Fe. But I had to get money first. I started to walk away, but Jack grabbed my arm.

                “Where do ya think you’re goin’?” Jack asked.

                “Well, ya busted me out,” I said, “Now I’m on my own like I always been.”

                “Ya think I busted ya out so you can wonder the streets of New York alone?”

                “Well that’s what ya did it for, isn’t it?”

                “No. You’re stayin’ with me. You’re my little sister and I ain’t letting you get away that easy.”

                I smiled and hugged him again. And from that day on, I was no longer a no good orphan. I was a street rat with a rag tag group of boys for a family.

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