Rachel whistled happily as she as she trudged alongside her mentor
Jack Kelly and his friend David Jacobs and Davey's brother Les. Les was
avidly watching the other people walking the sidewalks with them and Rachel
had to continually catch Les' papes before they hit the wet pavement. But
she never opened her mouth, just picked up the papers and put them on her
own pile. Albeit she only carried thirty on a day but at best guess, she's
have to say she had at least half of Les' papes, making her pile somewhere
around forty now. Les would notice it when they started selling but he'd
just smile up at Rachel gratefully and then go on with his hawking.
Neither of them told the older boys about Les and his papes. As the days
passed, Les would drop them less often and not lose as many as the day
before.
Today the group was headed to the corner at the edge of Manhattan turf; the corner just before the Upper East Side became North Side. They waved at the newsies across the way, the newsies of North Side. Jack immediately trotted across the street with Rachel in tow to begin pushing headlines at passers-by. Rachel watched him carefully as he sold five papes within a span of two minutes. Kelly nodded at her and Rachel set out to please the Cowboy. She managed to sell five papes in four minutes. Jack smiled at her even though he shook his head. She wasn't ready to go out on her own yet but she was a quick learner. That was why Jack had taken her under his wing, determined to keep this little chick out of the eyes of the hawks.
Rachel beamed as she presented her copper pennies to the newsboy, who pocketed them and took off again. This time Jack sold ten newspapers in four minutes. Rachel bit the inside of her cheek as she strategized; something that Jack encouraged her to do. She scanned the crowded sidewalk and spotted her first potential buyer. She walked up to the man, her lower lip pouting and tears shining in her eyes.
"Mista', willya buy a pape from me?" she asked in a quiet voice, projecting just enough so that she could be heard. The man, an older chap with thinning white hair smiled at her and handed her two pennies for the paper. She smiled weakly, gratitude sparkling in her eyes. Just as quickly she moved on to the next victim, er, buyer. Within five minutes she had sold ten more papes.
"Whaddya think Jack?" she asked her leader proudly, showing him the pennies and nickel she'd gotten. "Not bad, eh?"
"Not bad at all Wren," Jack said, patting her shoulder as he called her by her street name. None of the newsies ever called her Rachel anymore. As soon as she'd started selling papers Blink had stuck her with the name Wren, having just learned it from an educated gent he'd come by in the street. It fit her too. With her dark hair that never seemed to come clean and her pale cheeks dusted with freckles, even her wide brown eyes and small stature set up her for teasing. She never admitted to being a girl though. She hated dresses and always tucked her long hair up under a cap.
Jack turned and called across the street. Davey and Les had finished their papes. The brothers worked well together and Les wasn't actually being trained as it was, he just tagged along for lack of anything better to do during the day. How many papers he sold didn't really matter since they were Davey's anyways. But Rachel bought her own papes and sold her own papes. While Jack carried anywhere from fifty to a hundred, Rachel had evened herself out at thirty. The last five or so still gave her a hard time at the end of the morning. Jack normally had to take her aside and help her with those.
She wanted today to be different though. She wanted to sell all her papes on her own today. She signed over to Jack that she was moving down the block to the other corner and trekked over. Her voice carried over the sidewalk as she called out headlines.
"Boat crashes into harbor. Several dead." It was a stretch, not much of one but still. There had been a boat accident but only one person had died, an old lady with a heart condition had died from shock. Others had been badly injured though. Still, the headline worked and four more papers disappeared from her stack. She continued to call out headlines, then took to meandering the street, selling papes here and there to people who looked like they would buy. She sold another seven. She was down to her last four newspapers.
"Please mista' I needs the money bad. My ma, she's real sick-like and my da, he jest can't get the money," she pleaded to an older couple. The pair looked at each and then the woman smiled and handed Rachel two pennies for two papers. "Thanks a bunch ma'am, sir. My parents, they'll appreciate this a lot. God bless!"
She stuffed the coins in her vest pocket where they jingled with her other spoils. Just two more papes and then she'd be done. Jack'd be so proud of her when he found out. Ten minutes later she sold her last pape and headed back to the original corner, where Jack, Davey, and Les were waiting for her. That Jack and Davey had finished already didn't really surprise her. When not burdened with having to train a newbie, the two could walk around fast and sell faster.
Jack looked up as she sauntered over, her thumbs hooked in her pockets.
"Well?" he asked slyly.
Rachel smiled widely and pulled out all of her coins, showing them off to Jack. Les whistled at the amount of money and Jack dropped in the coins that she'd handed to him earlier.
"Good work Wren. Soon you'll be able t'sell papes by ya-self," the cowboy applauded.
Rachel preened and turned her head, accepting the praise with shy embarrassment. Done with their work, the four headed back to the lodging house. Kloppman informed them that most of the other newsboys were down at Tibby's. So the group headed over to Tibby's finding themselves quickly pulled in and given seats and cups of coffee. Rachel made a face at the cup and handed it back. She hated coffee and most everybody knew it. Blink had probably been the rascal to hand her the drink she hated most. The boy with the golden hair and eye-patch loved to torment her and push at her temper. She was quickly handed a cup of tea instead. She smiled up at Specs before turning to Jack and Davey. Les was sitting over by Boots and Racetrack.
"Ya shoulda seen'er! She was right out dere selling papes like a pro!" Jack said proudly, causing Rachel to blush furiously, caught between embarrassment and pride. Jack apparently had no such problem as he clapped her on the back, nearly upsetting her tea. There was a loud cheer from the collected newsies.
"Soon she'll be takin' our papes and sellin'em for us," Race called across the restaurant. Rachel scoffed, calling back that hell would have to freeze over before she sold Race's papers for him. Let him make his own damn money to lose in stupid bets. The other newsies laughed at her jibe. She could hold her own with the best of them and each day it was re- approved in the eyes of the boys and few other girls.
This was her home, the home that she had known for thirteen years.
**********
Rachel set off again with Jack and Davey the next morning, Les for once not alongside them. This time they were headed out to meet up with Brooklyn's famous leader, Spot Conlon. Rachel would die before admitting it but she adored the Brooklyn-boy. Something about his Devil-may-care attitude and that know-it-all smirk set her blood to a boil. If any of the boys ever found out the chances were good that news would get around to Spot and Spot would probably do one of two things: laugh at her girlish niavete or try to pick her up. But Rachel was not out to become the flavor of the week for Brooklyn. Rather than risking exposure she tended to avoid Brooklyn unless absolutely necessary and when she did happen to see Conlon she would promptly begin picking on him or ignoring him. Giving him the cut direct irked the Brooklyn newsboy to no end and the fact that when he did try to charm her for anything he really had to work at it. Hoy! It hit the runt's last nerve.
This trip was no different than usual.
"What's up Boirdy?" Conlon's voice called down condescendingly.
The trio looked up and spotted the well-known face smirking down at them from a window.
"Hey dere Spot!" Jack called up while Davey waved.
"Not much pipsqueak, grow any?" Rachel called back with sweet sarcasm. Spot's smirk turned into an annoyed frown and the brown-blonde head disappeared. Minutes later a door opened and the three were ushered into the Brooklyn lodging house.
Today the group was headed to the corner at the edge of Manhattan turf; the corner just before the Upper East Side became North Side. They waved at the newsies across the way, the newsies of North Side. Jack immediately trotted across the street with Rachel in tow to begin pushing headlines at passers-by. Rachel watched him carefully as he sold five papes within a span of two minutes. Kelly nodded at her and Rachel set out to please the Cowboy. She managed to sell five papes in four minutes. Jack smiled at her even though he shook his head. She wasn't ready to go out on her own yet but she was a quick learner. That was why Jack had taken her under his wing, determined to keep this little chick out of the eyes of the hawks.
Rachel beamed as she presented her copper pennies to the newsboy, who pocketed them and took off again. This time Jack sold ten newspapers in four minutes. Rachel bit the inside of her cheek as she strategized; something that Jack encouraged her to do. She scanned the crowded sidewalk and spotted her first potential buyer. She walked up to the man, her lower lip pouting and tears shining in her eyes.
"Mista', willya buy a pape from me?" she asked in a quiet voice, projecting just enough so that she could be heard. The man, an older chap with thinning white hair smiled at her and handed her two pennies for the paper. She smiled weakly, gratitude sparkling in her eyes. Just as quickly she moved on to the next victim, er, buyer. Within five minutes she had sold ten more papes.
"Whaddya think Jack?" she asked her leader proudly, showing him the pennies and nickel she'd gotten. "Not bad, eh?"
"Not bad at all Wren," Jack said, patting her shoulder as he called her by her street name. None of the newsies ever called her Rachel anymore. As soon as she'd started selling papers Blink had stuck her with the name Wren, having just learned it from an educated gent he'd come by in the street. It fit her too. With her dark hair that never seemed to come clean and her pale cheeks dusted with freckles, even her wide brown eyes and small stature set up her for teasing. She never admitted to being a girl though. She hated dresses and always tucked her long hair up under a cap.
Jack turned and called across the street. Davey and Les had finished their papes. The brothers worked well together and Les wasn't actually being trained as it was, he just tagged along for lack of anything better to do during the day. How many papers he sold didn't really matter since they were Davey's anyways. But Rachel bought her own papes and sold her own papes. While Jack carried anywhere from fifty to a hundred, Rachel had evened herself out at thirty. The last five or so still gave her a hard time at the end of the morning. Jack normally had to take her aside and help her with those.
She wanted today to be different though. She wanted to sell all her papes on her own today. She signed over to Jack that she was moving down the block to the other corner and trekked over. Her voice carried over the sidewalk as she called out headlines.
"Boat crashes into harbor. Several dead." It was a stretch, not much of one but still. There had been a boat accident but only one person had died, an old lady with a heart condition had died from shock. Others had been badly injured though. Still, the headline worked and four more papers disappeared from her stack. She continued to call out headlines, then took to meandering the street, selling papes here and there to people who looked like they would buy. She sold another seven. She was down to her last four newspapers.
"Please mista' I needs the money bad. My ma, she's real sick-like and my da, he jest can't get the money," she pleaded to an older couple. The pair looked at each and then the woman smiled and handed Rachel two pennies for two papers. "Thanks a bunch ma'am, sir. My parents, they'll appreciate this a lot. God bless!"
She stuffed the coins in her vest pocket where they jingled with her other spoils. Just two more papes and then she'd be done. Jack'd be so proud of her when he found out. Ten minutes later she sold her last pape and headed back to the original corner, where Jack, Davey, and Les were waiting for her. That Jack and Davey had finished already didn't really surprise her. When not burdened with having to train a newbie, the two could walk around fast and sell faster.
Jack looked up as she sauntered over, her thumbs hooked in her pockets.
"Well?" he asked slyly.
Rachel smiled widely and pulled out all of her coins, showing them off to Jack. Les whistled at the amount of money and Jack dropped in the coins that she'd handed to him earlier.
"Good work Wren. Soon you'll be able t'sell papes by ya-self," the cowboy applauded.
Rachel preened and turned her head, accepting the praise with shy embarrassment. Done with their work, the four headed back to the lodging house. Kloppman informed them that most of the other newsboys were down at Tibby's. So the group headed over to Tibby's finding themselves quickly pulled in and given seats and cups of coffee. Rachel made a face at the cup and handed it back. She hated coffee and most everybody knew it. Blink had probably been the rascal to hand her the drink she hated most. The boy with the golden hair and eye-patch loved to torment her and push at her temper. She was quickly handed a cup of tea instead. She smiled up at Specs before turning to Jack and Davey. Les was sitting over by Boots and Racetrack.
"Ya shoulda seen'er! She was right out dere selling papes like a pro!" Jack said proudly, causing Rachel to blush furiously, caught between embarrassment and pride. Jack apparently had no such problem as he clapped her on the back, nearly upsetting her tea. There was a loud cheer from the collected newsies.
"Soon she'll be takin' our papes and sellin'em for us," Race called across the restaurant. Rachel scoffed, calling back that hell would have to freeze over before she sold Race's papers for him. Let him make his own damn money to lose in stupid bets. The other newsies laughed at her jibe. She could hold her own with the best of them and each day it was re- approved in the eyes of the boys and few other girls.
This was her home, the home that she had known for thirteen years.
**********
Rachel set off again with Jack and Davey the next morning, Les for once not alongside them. This time they were headed out to meet up with Brooklyn's famous leader, Spot Conlon. Rachel would die before admitting it but she adored the Brooklyn-boy. Something about his Devil-may-care attitude and that know-it-all smirk set her blood to a boil. If any of the boys ever found out the chances were good that news would get around to Spot and Spot would probably do one of two things: laugh at her girlish niavete or try to pick her up. But Rachel was not out to become the flavor of the week for Brooklyn. Rather than risking exposure she tended to avoid Brooklyn unless absolutely necessary and when she did happen to see Conlon she would promptly begin picking on him or ignoring him. Giving him the cut direct irked the Brooklyn newsboy to no end and the fact that when he did try to charm her for anything he really had to work at it. Hoy! It hit the runt's last nerve.
This trip was no different than usual.
"What's up Boirdy?" Conlon's voice called down condescendingly.
The trio looked up and spotted the well-known face smirking down at them from a window.
"Hey dere Spot!" Jack called up while Davey waved.
"Not much pipsqueak, grow any?" Rachel called back with sweet sarcasm. Spot's smirk turned into an annoyed frown and the brown-blonde head disappeared. Minutes later a door opened and the three were ushered into the Brooklyn lodging house.