I'm the Queen of New York!

Chapter Nine

"I've been going to see him in Brooklyn almost every week for a year."

"I KNEW IT!"  Blink yelled.

"Knew what?" Skittery asked from the table.

"We'll give you a hint, right Race?"

"Yeah."

"ARCHER AND CONLON SITTIN' IN A TREE: K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!!" They sang at the top of their lungs, waking Les up, probably.

"We knew it!" Mush leaped up from the table, ran over to me, and picked me up and spinned me around.

"Okay, okay! So what? He's just the Brooklyn newsie leader!" I squealed.

"Yeah, and I quote, 'The most respected and famous newsie in all of New York, and probably everywhere else'!" Boots laughed.

I told you I would never hear the end of it...

-

 "So here it is, the Refuge." Jack said, swinging a rope in his hands.

"How can you be sure they sent Crutchy here?" Davey asked.

"How can I be sure the Delanceys stink? Its just the way things work ya know? An orphan gets arrested, Snyder makes sure he gets sent here, so he can 'rehabilitate' him. The more kids in a refuge, the more money the city sends to take care of 'em, the more Snyder sticks in his pocket. He's here." Jack explained.

"So how come you brought the rope?" Davey asked. Just then, a guard came and unlocked the gate so a wagon belonging to the nuns could leave. Jack and Davey went around the corner as fast as they could and tried to act natural. The guard then gave something to  the nuns, and while no one was looking, Jack and Davey were on their way inside.

Once they had made up on the roof, Jack made a noose like knot, put it around him, gave the other end to Davey so he could lower him down the window, and went down. "Gently, Dave, gently!" Jack whisper-scolded. Once he was square with the window, Jack said. "That's good, that's good," telling Davey to stop. He knocked on the window and a boy Les' age, more or less, came running to open it.

"Cowboy, ya miss the joint?" the boy asked.

"What do ya say, Ten-Pin? You got a new guy in here, Crutchy?" Jack asked Ten-Pin.

"The gimp? I'll go get him for ya." He then ran over to  where Crutchy was sitting and talking, got his attention, pointed to Jack, and helped Crutchy over to the window. While he was doing that, Jack muttered, "Yeah, the 'gimp'."

"Hey, Crutchy!" Jack greeted when Crutchy looked over to the window.

"I don't believe it!" Crutchy exclaimed as he was helped over to the window. "Aw, hey thanks!" he said to Ten-Pin and another boy for helping him.

"Hey, Crutchy." Jack repeated.

"What are ya hangin' around here for?" Crutchy laughed.

"What d'ya mean, 'What are ya hangin' around here for'? Know who's on the roof?"

"Who?"

"Dave," Jack replied.

"Is that Dave? Heya, Dave, how ya doin'?" Crutchy asked up to the roof.

"Shhh!" Davey responded.

"Listen, go get your stuff. Me and Dave, we're gonna break you outa here." Jack stated.

"Well, um- I ain't walkin' so good. Oscar and Morris kinda woiked me over a little." Crutchy said, ashamed.

"They hoit ya?" Jack asked.