The Rose of Manhattan

The Escape of Jack Kelly

Rose's POV

After 2 loads of towels, 1 load of blankets and sheets, 7 loads of Snyder's pants, 9 loads of Snyder's shirts, and nothing for the poor boys in this jail I was done for the day.

I let out a deep breath as I put the laundry basket on the floor, next to the others. I stood back up and stretched out my sore back. When I looked outside, I noticed Snyder wouldn't be back from his daily tradition of checking out the half-naked girls at the theater for at least another hour and a half.

That gives me an hour and a half to wash the boys' sheets, their blankets, and maybe even some of their shirts. I smiled as I ran up the stairs. Several boys smiled when they noticed me walk in.

"Hiya, Rose!" Greeted a boy named William.

"Hey Willy. Do you boys have anything you want washed? I have some time before Snyder the Spider comes back." As I said his nickname, the boys laughed.

"Maybe ya shouldn't," said a boy named Henry.

"What do you mean?" I laughed as I started gathering their paper-thin sheets.

"Well it's just. . . We all know how he treats you and. . .and what he'll do if he finds out." Henry hesitated.

"Well, I can handle him." I said, my western accent coming through thick.

"We know that, Rose. We just don't want to see him hittin' ya again." Said Leo.

"So he does hurt you?" I quickly turned around to see non other than 'Kelly' leaning against the wall.

"Well. . . I just. . . He. . ."

"Yeah he does. Not just him. He lets anyone hurt her. He wouldn't even care if we did it." Kelly's eyes narrowed causing Willy's eyes to widen. "I mean, we wouldn't," he said quickly.

"Boys," I interrupted. "I'm fine. Really," I faked a smile as I collected the rest of the sheets and headed back to the laundry room.

**********

As soon as the boys' sheets were done, I quickly ran them back upstairs. I froze in the doorway when I saw 'Kelly' half in and half out of the fire escape window.

"What are you doing?" I asked, making him jump.

"Oh. . . Ummm, hiya Rose." He smirked when he annunciated my name. I put the basket down and crossed my arms against my chest. He sighed as he walked back into the room. "Look, I gotta get out of here. This place. . . It's awful. I mean, you work here. . ."

I walked towards him and opened the window more. "Go. Make sure you avoid the Main Street though. Snyder should be walking back from the theater within the next fifteen minutes. You better hurry."

He smiled at me as he crawled back out onto the fire escape. "Thank you, Rose." He sent me a wink before climbing down the ladder.

I watched the Newsboy run down the street and duck into the nearby alleyway with a blush on my cheeks.