Soft sobbing and whispering woke Maggie up the next morning. She rolled over and saw two of the girls sitting on a bed. In the pre-dawn light, she could see Lily sitting on the bunk, her knees against her chest, sobbing softly, and Baby sitting next to her, comforting her. They were sitting on Ellie's bunk. Maggie couldn't help but listen.

"I know," Baby said. "She was like a sister to me too."

"It's just not fair," said Lily, her voice shaky. "She was so good, she didn't deserve to die so young."

Baby nodded, rubbing circles on Lily's back. "Are you workin' at Gramercy Park or sellin' papes today?"

"Papes," said Lily.

"Why don't you and Race just take the day off?"

Lily shook her head. "We can't afford that. Besides, Race would go crazy just sittin' around."

"How's he doin' with all this?"

"Better than me," said Lily. "Although I think it's just because I'm such a wreck. He keeps it all inside, you know?"

Maggie heard some of the other girls begin stirring. When she saw Penny get up and walk to the bathroom, Maggie followed her.

"Ellie was very loved here," Maggie said to her.

Penny nodded. "She was. She was the oldest here. Only by a year or two, but it felt like more." Penny brushed her hair.

Maggie nodded. "What about Nancy?"

"She was a great girl," said Penny. "But we didn't know her too well. She only started livin' here maybe a month before you came along. Not like Ellie, who lived here most of her life."

"Really?" Maggie raised her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah," said Penny. "Lily and Baby grew up with Ellie. They've all been here since they were just kids – younger than Blondie."

"Maggie, you got a visitor," said Blondie from the other room.

"What?" asked Maggie as she walked out of the bathroom. Skittery stood outside the lodging house with a large stack of papers in his arm. She grinned.

"Have fun sellin' with the boyfriend," Blondie poked.

"Have a good first day!" Penny called, braiding her hair.

Maggie walked out of the lodging house and met Skittery on the sidewalk.

"Mornin'," he grinned, giving her a kiss.

"Good morning," she smiled.

"Ready to start sellin'?" he asked.

"Yes," said Maggie.

"Good," said Skittery, walking her down the street. "We've got some good headlines today, so I got plenty of papes. Here." He handed her a paper. "I've already skimmed the paper, and the best we're gonna get is all on the front page. At the top, they found the love nest of some big important businessman."

"Love nest?" asked Maggie. Even now, she would pretend to not know an American slang term, keeping up the German pretense.

"Yeah," said Skittery. "You know, an apartment where he and a mistress would go to…you know…"

"Oh," said Maggie, looking at the paper. She looked below the fold and saw photos of three men she thought she recognized. "Who are these?"

"That's the other headline that's gonna sell good. Those guys were bosses in your factory," said Skittery.

"Oh, did they get arrested?"

"No," said Skittery. "They were found dead."

Maggie's mouth fell open.

"Come on, I've got a good spot to sell at," said Skittery.

They walked along a street, as Skittery explained what Maggie needed to know.

"It's pretty easy," said Skittery, handing her a stack of papers. "Just walk around, shoutin' the headline."

Maggie shifted the stack of newspapers in her hands and held one up. "Businessman's Love Nest Revealed!" she called, walking up and down the bridge, being trailed by Skittery. "Read all about it!"

A woman walked up to her. "Are you even speaking English?" she asked.

"Yes, I am speaking English," said Maggie, trying very hard to keep her accent, but spoke more clearly.

The woman gave her look and handed her a penny. Maggie handed her a paper. She continued shouting headlines and selling her papers.

Around lunchtime, a well-dressed businessman approached Skittery.

"How much, young man?" he asked.

"Penny a pape," said Skittery.

"No, no," said the man, nodding at Maggie. "For her." Skittery gave him a look. "I won't be long, just a quick one, and my hotel room is just around the corner…"

"Get the hell out of here," Skittery spat at him. "And if I ever see you around here again, I'll soak ya!" Skittery spit on the man's suit for good measure.

The man walked off, indignantly, wiping his suit with his handkerchief.

"Who was that?" Maggie asked, walking up to Skittery. "What did he say?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Let's just keep selling."

"Excuse me," said a gentleman, walking up to them.

"Penny a pape, mister," said Skittery, as Maggie held out a paper.

"No, no, how much for an hour?" he asked.

"Get outta here!" Skittery yelled, causing the man to jump back and flee.

"Okay, maybe we should not sell too close to each other," said Maggie, realizing what people seemed to be thinking.

Skittery and Maggie kept roaming around the street, selling papers.

"Maggie? Is that you?" called a voice. Maggie turned and saw Amelia walking towards her.

"Hi Amelia," Maggie said.

"I heard about the factory," she said, her voice full of concern. "I'm so glad to see you made it out safely. What about the other girls?"

"Thank you," said Maggie. "Penny made it out okay. Ellie and Nancy…" Maggie shook her head.

Amelia put her hand to her heart. "I'm so sorry." She paused. "So, you're selling papers now?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad to see you are still able to make money." She handed Maggie a nickel. "Paper, please."

Maggie handed her a paper and Skittery dug in his pocket and counted out change.

"Ah, keep the change," Amelia waved her hand in the air. "You know…I still swear that I know you somewhere."

Maggie shook her head. "I don't think so."

Amelia sighed, giving up. "You are a dead ringer for the fiancé of one of those Astor boys. I wonder whatever happened to her…" Maggie scanned her brain, searching for a subject change before Amelia realized Maggie was the girl she thought she was.

"Do you have the time?" Skittery asked.

Amelia gave him a look. "Does it look like a pocket watch goes with this dress?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I gotta get goin'," said Skittery. "I got a few things to take care of. Um, you want to meet me at Tibby's in an hour?"

"Okay," said Maggie, a little unsure.

"Perfect," said Amelia, folding her paper once more. "Gives us girls some time to get to know each other more." She looped her arm through Maggie's. "Tootle-oo!" She walked off with Maggie. As Maggie walked with Amelia, a plan began forming in her head before she realized it. Forget trying to convince Amelia she didn't know Maggie. A rich girl like Amelia? The perfect mark for a great con.


Skittery walked up to the same house and the same man opened the door, before he even had a chance to knock.

"He'll see you in his office," Nico said.

Skittery took off his cap and smoothed his hair. He walked in and to the same office as the day before.

"Hello, Skittery," said Mr. Morello.

"I, uh, saw the pape this morning," said Skittery.

"Yes, our boys get right to work," said Morello.

"I appreciate it," said Skittery. "Those guys are—"

"Gratitude is meaningless," he said. "What has meaning is the expectation of future favors."

"Like what?" asked Skittery.

"I want you to go to this address," said Morello, handing him a piece of paper with an address on it. "I want you to tell the gentleman who answers the door that he has 12 hours."

"That's it?" asked Skittery.

"That's it," said Morello, holding his hands out.

"Um, sure," said Skittery. "Okay."

"And come back tomorrow around this time."

"Okay," said Skittery, walking out of the office, looking at the piece of paper. He began to think Race had exaggerated when he'd given his warning.


"We're eating dinner here?" Amelia looked around Tibby's in disgust.

"Yes," said Maggie. "It's good food."

"Doubtful," said Amelia, sitting at a table across from Maggie.

"Well, if it ain't Miss Fifth Avenue, slummin' it in Tibby's," said Specs when he walked in and saw them.

"Aww, it's good to see you too, Henry," Amelia replied, sarcasm dripping on her every word.

"Heya, Miss Wakefield," Crutchy smile when he walked in.

"Crutchy!" Maggie noticed Amelia's smile for him was genuine. It was the first genuine thing she'd seen about Amelia.

"How do you know Crutchy?" asked Specs.

"I buy a paper from him whenever I go down to Father's office, so he can show off his beautiful daughter," Amelia grinned.

"I didn't know we had a sister," Specs shot back.

Amelia glared at him. Specs and Crutchy sat down with a couple other newsies to eat.

Amelia turned back to Maggie. "So what's good here?" she asked, scanning the menu. "Looks like…nothing."

"Hey!" they heard from the door. Penny walked in, waving at them.

"Did you find a job?" Maggie asked.

Penny nodded. "Another clothing factory," said Penny. She shrugged. "It's what I know."

"Do you girls need anything?" asked Amelia. "You probably lost a few days of work." She pulled out her coin purse.

"Oh, no," said Penny. "I'm fine. I had some savings."

"Maggie?" Amelia asked.

Maggie looked at Amelia. She was just offering to give her money?

"No, thank you," said Maggie. "So, how is it Specs and you are brother and sister? If I may ask."

"Oh, it's no problem," said Amelia, absently waving her hand. "Henry's father died when he was a baby. Pretty soon after that, Mama married Papa and had me. Papa and Henry did not get along. He ran away when he was ten."

"Specs really doesn't like Amelia's dad," Penny added.

"He doesn't particularly care for me either," Amelia shrugged nonchalantly.


Skittery walked down the street toward Tibby's. He wanted to tell someone about the strange day he had been having, but had a feeling he shouldn't say anything. He hadn't really done anything. He went to the address on the paper, and some seedy-looking guy answered the door. Skittery delivered the message with much more confidence than he'd felt. The guy looked pretty scared then closed the door on Skittery's face.

Skittery opened the door to Tibby's and saw all his friends. He saw Amelia sitting at a table with Penny, Baby and Maggie. He walked over and sat down next to Maggie.

"I'm just saying, the men above 56th street have much more class than any others in the city," said Amelia, shrugging.

Baby looked at Amelia with a raised eyebrow. "Uh-huh," she said. She turned to Maggie. "How was your first selling day?" Baby asked.

"Not bad," said Maggie. "But I don't think it's for me."

"Come on, you did a great job," said Skittery.

"I saw a storefront near midtown that was looking for a seamstress. Looks like they were looking for people to do mending and tailoring and stuff like that," Baby said.

"I could do that," said Maggie. "What time is it?"

Penny glanced at the clock on the wall. "Four-thirty. They're probably still open."

"Baby, do you want to come with me?" Maggie asked, standing up.

"Sure," said Baby, standing up.

"What about sellin' papes with me?" Skittery frowned.

"Because people think you're selling me," she said, smirking and giving a kiss before walking out.

Amelia gave Skittery a confused look. Skittery just rolled his eyes and waved his hand, as if to dismiss the comment.