Unbeknownst to Mairead, Mush and Blink paid Kloppman the money for the time that she had spent in the house.
On the morning of her departure, Mairead sat on her bed in the empty bunkroom, deep in thought. She wondered where she would find a girls' house, whether or not she would end up back on the streets, and whether or not she would work as a newsy. Mairead was wary of all the boys in the house except for Mush and Blink. There were a few who seemed nice, but they never spoke to her, and so she never knew.
Mairead had just finished twisting her hair into a long braid when Blink sauntered through the door. "How's it, Mair?"
"Fine," she answered, tying the end of the braid and looking up at Blink. "Although...I really don't know where I can go. I don't know where to find any girls' lodging houses."
"Me'n Mush can take ya to one," he answered. "There's a nice house several blocks away." Blink paused for a moment. "You ain't still figurin' on bein' a newsy...?"
Mairead shook her head slightly. "I really don't know, Blink. I'm...uneasy about it."
"Like I said, it probably ain't a good idea," he replied. "I'll take ya around town today to try and help you find someplace else to work. I don't want ya workin' as a newsy."
The three were silent as they headed downstairs and outside. There was a biting chill on the early-morning breeze, and Mairead hugged herself tightly in a vain attempt to keep the cold from her bones. Her bag felt heavy all of a sudden, and a wave of the weakness that she thought had left her seized her. She ceased walking and collapsed to the ground in a sitting position, resting her head in her hands. "Blink..."
"Are you all right?" he asked, kneeling down beside her. Mush picked up her bag and held it at his side, looking down at her.
"I...I think so," she answered, trying to stand. Blink took her by the arms and helped her up. "I don't know what came over me..."
"Just take it easy, Mair," Mush said. "We're in no hurry."
"Are you sure you can walk a couple blocks?" Blink asked, holding onto her arm protectively as they began walking again.
Mairead nodded. "Yes. I refuse to spend another night in your lodging house. It frightens me."
The three friends were silent for a long moment. "Hey, Mush, you got a cigarette?" Blink asked.
Mush shook his head. "Never. Ain't like I can afford none."
Blink sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. A comfortable silence fell over the three as they made their way down the street once more. Mush and Blink watched Mairead carefully, making sure that she had the strength to keep walking.
From across the street came the loud crash of breaking glass. Mairead, Blink, and Mush whipped their heads toward the sound, alarmed. There was a hole in the window of an old tenement building, and out of the corner of her eye Mairead spotted two figures racing away. Upon glancing back toward the old building, she was shocked to see bright red flames licking at the wooden staircase just on the other side of the window. There was a shriek, and suddenly, women and children were racing down the fire escape, the burning staircase. Mairead watched in horror as the women and their children crowded closer by the minute, all struggling to escape a fiery death.
Suddenly Mairead could bear it no longer, and she turned her head away from the growing blaze, tears in her eyes. Mush and Blink stared into the flames.
"Aren't you going to help them?" Mairead whispered.
No answer. She felt Blink's hand on her arm. "C'mon, let's go."
Later that evening, Mush, Blink, and Mairead sat on the steps of the girls' lodging house that was to be her new home. "Why would someone do something like that?" Mairead whispered, hugging herself to protect against the evening chill.
"Bad business deal, maybe," Blink answered, shrugging.
"Or just hate," Mush said softly, staring down at the ground. "I wish I'd tried to help them."
"Are you crazy, Myers?" Blink asked with a look of disbelief. "It's every man for himself out here! We can't be worryin' about the people that don't matter."
There was a long silence. Mairead stared at Blink unbelievingly before she stood to leave. "Blink, I never thought that I would hear something like that from you." She looked down at Mush. "Thank you for being a friend to me. I suppose I'll see you later."
As she began toward the door, Blink called out. "Wait, Mair! What did I - "
She stopped him with the look in her eyes.
Blink suffered under her glare for only a moment. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Mairead shook her head and stepped through the door of the lodging house, shutting it behind her.
Blink sat back down beside Mush, dejected.
"It hurt her real bad to see that, Blink," Mush began. "You didn't help it none."
"I said I was sorry. What else does she want from me, huh?" Blink looked long and hard at his friend, awaiting an answer.
Mush searched for an answer for a long moment. "Maybe you should ask her yourself. And when you say you're sorry, mean it for once."