ByHoity
"All aboard!!!" Echoed off in Grand Central Station. The shrieks of train whistles filled the air. "Last call for departing train for Louisville with stops to Philadelhpia and Washington!" A series of good-byes and good lucks were heard from the platform as six figures boarded the train.
Inside a steward escorted the four younger passengers into their box while another led the remaining two further down.
"If you need anything I should be around. Enjoy your trip." The first said.
"thank you," the only girl in the group, Elizabeth said. Then turnin to her companions. "I'm so excited! I can't wait to get to Kentucky!"
"Yeah it wes real nice of yer uncle to take us along Liz" Race da guy sittin next to her said.
"Least he could do since you'se guys saved me life."
Elizabeth was bout to say somethin bout that but her voice was drowned by the loud cry of the steam whistle. Slowly dey began moving. Da four of dem looked out da window.
"Hey its da guys!" she said. Outside , da Newsies had noticed deir friends and began waving.
"Hope dey can manage widout me." Jack said.
"Geez I thought you were gonna start working on being humble." Tom stated immediately after which he was shoved out of the bench by Jack's right elbow. Laughter drowned da car as da four saw da last of deir friends.
It wes two weeks til the derby. It would take almost one to get dere and they had been invited to stay with a friend of Mr. Overstreet's in Kentucky. After the Civil War, he'd raised a fortune breedin horses.
Afta a few minutes, da steward came back wid breakfast.
"Free food!" Jack said.
"Yes, complimentary breakfast and lunch too."
"Dis is great thanks." Elizabeth said on receivin a tray wid pancakes and coffee.
Right when da steward left Chet walked in.
"Hey guys jes came in ta check on ya."
"We'se doin fine." Tom answered.
"Alright if ya need us we're in booth nine."
AS da train pulled forward dey all enjoyed da sunrise. Da guys took even moa pleasa in da change of scenery. Green grass, trees, corn growin in da fileds. Mountains began to form along da horizon as well. None of da guys had eva been away from da urban scene.
"It's so beautiful," Race said leaning on Elizabeth's shoulda ta look out da window, "like you Liz," he kissed her cheek.
"Awmost as good as Santa Fe how Jack?" Tom asked.
"Yeah."
"Here Race why don't ya take my seat so you'll be closa to da window." Elizabeth said."
"Na I'm fine right hea." She repositioned her self sideways on da seat, lettin her left leg hang down while da right lay on da seat. Race followed her change in posture and wrapped his right arm round her waist.
Tom and Jack didn't mind deir displays. Dat wes bout as lovey dovey as dey got in public. Anythin furtha would driven dem crazy. Da hours passed by quickly to dem. Some hours were spent in silence and in others they talked about anything random.
At four dey decided to explore the train, "Aw geez," Jack stated as dey walked out headin further down.
"Whads da matta?" Elizabeth asked.
"We forgot bout lunch."
"Is food da only thing ya care bout?"
"Hey if ya woiked hard all day ya wouldn't pass up a few free meals."
Dey went into Rob and Chet's booth fer a few minutes den went out again. Takin Race's hand Elizabeth led dem to da empty dining car and mail room. Dey slowly climbed up on da stock and baggage cars to get all da way to da caboose. It took awhile to get to da end but dey finally made it. Race helped Elizabeth down from da top and befoa headin fer da very rear, dey talked fer awhile wid the men in the car.
Da surroundin landscape wes even more gorgeous now. Dey saw miles and miles of corn growin in da Appalachian valleys. Da endless blue sky stretched all over. Breathin deeply, dey enjoyed the fresh, clean air immensley.
Da foursome stayed out for an hour. Suddenly deir steward opened da door. He dropped his cigarette in serprise on seein dem.
"How'd you'se guys get back here?" he ased in amazement.
"Same way youse did." Jack said from along the side railing.
"Ya mean da four of ya climbed and jumped all dose cars?"
"Yea wes dere an easier way ta do it?" Tom asked.
"Well no, jes serprised dats all. I jes came hea fer a break foa we get ta Philly."
"Ya mean we'se almost dere?" Elizabeth asked it seemed dat last time she went to Philly it had taken longer.
"Bout twenty to thoity moa minutes I reckon."
"Thanks we'll be on oua way den." Race said taken Elizabeth's hand and leadin her to da caboose.
Bout twenty minutes lata dey got back in deir booth. It would've taken em only fifteen minutes but they talked wid Rob and Chet. By da time dey got in, dey could see the city of Philadelphia.
Afta ten minutes da train had pulled up to track 29.
"So wheas da hotel Mr. Rob?" Race asked as dey headed fer a decent lookin restaurant. Elizabeth laughed at the question.
"Dere's bunks in da booths yer in."
"Ya mean dose behind da lil curtains?" Jack asked.
"Yep."
"Oh," Race and Jack both said simultaneously.
"Why somethin wrong?"
"No its jes we thought they were shelves fer all dem rich people's things."
"Shelves? Race yer hilarious!" Elizabeth cracked. To stop her from laughin he turned and she met him straight in da eyes. Completely forgettin wad wes so funny she gazed intently at him.
"Ah-hem," Tom pretended to cough. He had opened da door to let dem in but Race and Elizabeth hadn't noticed. Suddenly dey broke deir stare and walked in.
"Thanks Tom," she said bashfully as dey headed fer a booth.
Elizabeth led deir tour since she wes partially familiar wid the town. Dey walked round downtown Philly lookin through all da shop windows. Den dey saw da Liberty Bell which wes illumined by torches. Next, she took dem to a quaint ice cream parlor where dey all split a gigantic sundae. Afta completely devourin deir desert, dey where really high on suga. Dey strolled down da rest of da main district tellin jokes.
~
As sherounded a corna, Elizabeth who wes runnin from her friends cuz the guys had decided to chase her, she bumped into a guy who wes comin da odda way.
"Scuse me," da guy mumbled den he got a good look at her, "Excuse me!" he said again. "Where's you'se been all me life sweet stuff?" He pulled her close to him.
Immediately Elizabeth pulled back and punched him.
"Geez, is dis da kind of welcom you'se Philly goils give ta visitors."
"I ain't from Philly pal," she shot je as da guys came from behidn her. Race protectively put his arm round her waist.
"Who's..." Jack started den said, "Spot! Is dat you?"
"Whoa Kelly. Race, Tom you hea too?"
"Hey Spot!" dey both greeted excitedly.
"Wad a small woild." Tom said.
"No kiddin wad you'se doin hea?"
"Well Elizabeth hea is gonna be in da Kentucky Derby so we'se goin down to support her. Elizabeth dis is da famous Spot Conlon of Brooklyn, Spot, dis is my goil Elizabeth." Spot shamefully touched his hand to his cap and put out the odda to shake.
"Nice to meetcha."
"Me too, I 'd hoped on meetin da famous leader of Brooklyn but I didn't expect it'd be in Philly."
"So wad ya doin hea?" Jack asked.
"Jes out fer a lil vacation."
"Ok."
"So whea you and yer friends headed?" Elizabeth asked.
"Jes walkin round."
"Why don't ya join us, we'se still got awhile foa we have to go back to the train."
"I don't wanna impose.."
"Come on Spot ya know yer welcome anywhea." Tom said.
"I know, it's so nice." he joked and got a showa of hats fall in him from both Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Dey hung out round da city and den found a dance parlor full of teens. Dey got a table ordered sasparillas and Race swept Elizabeth into a fox trot.
Reluctantly, Race let her dance da next song which happened to be a slow one wid Spot. "Sorry bout da way I treated ya earlier." He whispad.
"Dats ok, jes don't do it again." she joked.
"I won't now dat I know yer Race's goil."
Dey stayed out and arrived ad da train yards exactly at two. Spot and gang all took dem dere befoa headin to the Lodgin House where dey were stayin.
"I can sleep on da bench guys." she said when dey got in. They were gonna protest when she said furda, "No its ok, I'm shorta anyway."
"I'll sleep in da odda seat," said Race
"Alright, I'll take dis bunk Tom."
"Awright, night guys, night Liz."
"heas sem blankets," Jack said throwin two ova Race befoa he slid da lil curtain back.
"Gee thanks, hea Liz."
"Thanks Race, night." she kissed him on da cheek and tried to make herself comfortable.
Tried is da right woid she kept tossin fer ova an hour and jes couldn't get herself in a good sleepin position. Out of frustration she sighed.
"Can't sleep eidda?" Race asked from across. He rolled ova and looked at her sillohuette.
"Yea."
"Well we could put our blankets on da floor at least its got carpet. That's gotta be softer than dis wood." he suggested.
"Alright."
Elizabeth got down pullin her pillow and blanket wid her. Race tried to slip down and mistakingly fell on top of her. Deir lips met and dey were filled wid bliss.
"Mornin Liz." Race rolled ova on his elbow.
"Hey Race sleep good?" she smiled.
"Compared to dat bench? Oh yeah. Tonight we get da bunks."
"I highly agree."
"I will miss sleepin next ta ya dough." he grinned as she rolled her eyes. "Come on ya know ya liked it."
"yea I did but ya know when ya sleep ya have a bad habit of ..." Race put his lips over hers to silence her . Fer a few minutes dey did a rerun of da previous night til dey heard laughter from above. Tom and Jack were awake now and had poked deir heads out of da curtains. Some how, dey both knew dey'd find deir friends like dat come mornin.
"Wes it like dat all night?" Tom asked.
"No," Race said curtly as he and Liz both sat up.
"Mornin Tom, Jack," Elizabeth greeted.
"Wad time is it?" Jack inquired as he crawled out.
"9:00," Race said afta pullin out his watch.
"We slept til nine! Wow dis is a great vacation."
"No kiddin and it jes started." Elizabeth stated, " at col Sanders we can sleep in real beds."
Jes den dere wes a knock in da door. Tom answad and it wes Rob and Chet comin to get them fer breakfast. Dey got dressed and met them in the dining car.
Aferwards dey snuck in da stable to see Hell's Fury. Elizabeth gave him a good groomin. Befoa sittin down da guys managed to open da side panel so dey could get a good view, When she finished she sat down in da hay wid everyone else.
Dey stayed dere all aftanoon til da train made a slight curve and dey saw da capital city. Right afta dey all got ack in deir booth , da train slowed down and entered da station. Everyone of dem wes excited to see da city all night when dey were disappointedly told dat the stop would only be for three hours.
Instead of havin a relaxed time dey all got a quick tour of DC in a buggy. Deir coach took dem past da White House, Washington Monument, and da Capital buildin itself. Right when dey passed da monument dey looked across da Washington Mall and saw da capital lit up by da sun.