The office was filled with boys as usual, buying their papers and the like. Grabs jumped in the line joking with other boys as they walked by with their own papers. When he reached the distribution desk he slapped his money on the counter. "I want, fifty papes." The man in the office booth rolled his brown eyes and pulled the cigar out of his mouth. "Whaddya say kid?" Grabs sighed. "Please, gimme some papes Papa."
Racetrack Higgins grinned at his son and tossed the papers on the counter. "Here ya go. How's it goin'?" Grabs shrugged and looked down as he felt a light hand tug his shirt. His tiny sister, Fairy, stood below him, waiting expectantly. Grabs sighed. "Papa, can I get 'bout thoity papes fer Fairy?" He asked, tossing the change on the counter. Racetrack grinned out the window at his second child who smiled back and waved shyly. "Hey Papa! Danks fer da papes!" Her tinny voice called. "Yer welcome sweetheart. I'll see you kids tenite alright. Don't be late." Racetrack cautioned as Grabs took Fairy's hand and walked off.
Racetrack sighed as he watched his two eldest children walk away thinking of their past. It had been an interesting 8 years for Racetrack. In five years time, beginning at the age of seventeen, Bright Eyes had borne him eight children, his youngest, Taps now two years old. Racetrack and the other Newsies were thrilled with the children and managed to spoil them in any way possible, much to Bright Eyes' dismay. Grabs, the oldest child, was a picture perfect image of his father, not only in looks, but in his personality. Grabs, with his brown hair slicked back under his cap, big grinning brown eyes, and with cards in his pockets to be used in a quick poker game, looked and acted very much like Racetrack as a child. His tastes reflected that of his father as well. He loved the horse races. He loved selling papers. He loved poker and the chance to win money or anything for that matter, from some other unfortunate individual, and he adored his father. It showed. Wherever Racetrack was, Grabs was not far behind.
Fairy, or Shailagh Anne Higgins, had come quickly, almost too quickly for Racetrack who had not yet gotten used to the fact of having three mouths to feed, that was now suddenly increased to four mouths to feed. But when she was born, she made up for all the worry. She was beautiful and her beauty grew as she grew. She was a complete opposite of Grabs, looking like her mother. With brown-gold curly hair, a fair complexion and her mother's trademark blue eyes, it seemed that the only thing she had inherited from Racetrack was his wide smile and his quick tongue. But though she resembled her mother, she was her father's pet. Often on Sunday afternoons just after Fairy had learned to walk, one could see the two of them walking hand in hand in Central Park. They made a funny pair the two of them, the tall, skinny boy and the small girl, trying to keep up with his large steps, till Racetrack slowed down to a crawl in order that she could keep up.
Racetrack's other children, consisted of twin boys, Picks and Pockets, Cowboy, twin girls, Sunshine and Angel, and his son Taps. Each child was different and alike in their own unique likes and tastes. Picks and Pockets, a.k.a. Jack Andrew and Francis Matthew, were notoriously known among the Newsies as two of the cleverest pick pockets in Manhattan, hence the name. The two children were identical and inseparable. They did everything together no matter what. The two of them had straight dark brown hair, curiously enough, seeing that Racetrack's hair was wavy, and Bright Eyes' was all curl. They both sported thin athletic bodies, bodies that gave the suggestion of having a very short height, like their father. They like their brother Grabs, shared their father's tastes, but they were not nearly so open about them. The only thing that differed from the two and set them apart, was that while Picks sported his father's dark brown eyes, Pockets had coveted his mother's bright blue ones.
Cowboy, a.k.a. Brian Patrick, the fifth child, was a joy to his family. He was all smiles, almost from the moment he was born. His first smile had been given to Jack Kelly, who immediately gave the child his Newsie name to be his own. Cowboy possessed a great gift to imitate anyone and anything with shocking ease. His brothers and sisters were constantly laughing at the small boy's imitations, that ranged from Mush's sudden worried outbursts to Joseph Pulitzer's hobble. He had picked up the art of selling papers almost immediately and was well known in almost all of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Cowboy had gained his mother's brown curly hair, which was a huge cross for him to bear in his opinion. He had his father's eyes, but he did not share in the likes of his father and brothers. He was more like his mother than any of the boys. He was a dreamer and was constantly thinking of things outside of New York City, worrying his mother to death with the worry that someday he would leave, out of curiosity for other places.
Just as Picks and Pockets were identical, so were the twin girls Sunshine, a.k.a. Rachel Elizabeth, and Angel, a.k.a. Jenny Margaret, different. They unlike their rambunctious brothers, were not identical, each sporting a unique personality and look. Sunshine was the queerest looking child of the bunch, having wavy blonde hair and twinkling light brown eyes. Neither Bright Eyes nor Racetrack could figure out from where the blonde hair had come. Her personality was very much like her name. She was always cheery and bright, the optimist of the family. She possessed her father's wide smile and his humor, but her mother's whimsical personality, making her a kindrid spirit with her brother Cowboy.
Though Sunshine and Cowboy had their mother's disposition, Angel was just like her mother to the fullest. There was no sign of Racetrack in the young girl's face or in her personality. She was all Bright Eyes, right down to her stubborn Irish chin. The perfect corkscrew curls, the bright, flashing blue eyes, and her stubborn personality, they were all Bright Eyes. Racetrack couldn't understand how stubborn a little girl could be, even at the tender age of four. She was a favorite of the Newsies, and a constant reminder to them of the little girl her mother used to be. She was an exact copy and if any of the Newsies were around her for even a brief five minutes, they would think that for those five minutes, they had gone back in time, and the little girl standing defiantly in front of them, was Bright Eyes O'Connor. Indeed, even Spot Conlon had a thing or two to say about the little girl. "Jest like her mama, dats all I kin say. Dats ta her advantage, an' sometimes a disadvantage." But despite his words, Spot spoiled her even more than the others did.
The last Higgins child, was a boy. Taps, even at two years old, had an interesting pastime that amused himself and his family and friends. As soon as he could walk, he had begun to shuffle his feet across the floor, almost as if he were dancing. It threw his family into such gales of laughter, that he couldn't help but continue tutoring himself in this way. The day finally came, when the young lad amused his parents and brothers and sisters, with a dance that he had unknowingly composed, and had also unknowingly christened him. His small feet tapping with a resounding rhythm on the wooden floor of the distribution center, gave him his name.
Taps had been brought to Brooklyn to see Spot when he was born, but he could only remember from when he went at age 1. That was the time that he could actually remember Spot. Taps loved Spot, and Spot likewise loved the toddler. Spot thought the child, with his straight blond hair, the color of his sister Sunshine's hair, and his dancing blue eyes, was absolutely perfect. Spot loved to sit on the docks with the small boy, while the child played with his slingshot, bouncing the rubber band off of his fingers. Spot watched him play, and inwardly thought,
Someday, I'll teach dis kid all da stuff I know. Den he'll be da best slingshotter in all of New Yawk! Yeah, da "Slingshot".
From then on, he was the "Slingshot" to Spot, and no one could convince him or Brooklyn to call him otherwise.
Now Racetrack, at twenty six years old, had aged both inwardly and outwardly. Like many young families of the day, he had accepted family responsibilities at a young age, eighteen in fact. Before long, he had realized that selling the papes weren't going to be enough to support his gradually growing family. So he attempted to apply at the distribution office, taking the place of numerous men, some dishonest and some honest. Racetrack was a favorite at the distribution center, because he was known by everyone and he was honest in his work. Jack Kelly often swore that Racetrack would be sixty years old and he would still be working there, because the "World" couldn't afford to lose a guy like him.
To Racetrack, Bright Eyes hadn't changed much since he had married her. She still remained the same, stubborn, lovable girl, those and all the other qualities that he had admired in her from the beginning. Like him, Bright Eyes didn't work as a Newsie any longer. She was also working in the distribution office, by shuttling the papers to him in the office when the next edition of the paper was printed. Granted, she still missed her life as a Newsie though. She didn't like being cooped up in the distribution office, but she always said, that it was better to be trapped in there with Racetrack than with the Delancys.
The quick births of her eight children, though they were much loved, had taken a toll on Bright Eyes. Her body needed to recuperate, and thus, there was a two year gap for Taps to spend time with his family. Bright Eyes was a good mother to all of her children, giving each of them their designated time with her. She was never too busy to take care of the children and listen to their childish babbling while she worked. She had no favorites, and loved all of her children equally. Just as she was the same young girl to Racetrack, so was Racetrack the same young boy to her, even at age 26. She was 25, a year younger than her husband, and she didn't act it. She acted like she had at age sixteen, blithe and free, playing games with her children that she had learned long ago. She had even begun to teach Grabs how to use the slingshot that Spot had given him for his eighth birthday, and he was quite good at it.
Each of the Higgins children had a designated favorite Newsie. Granted they loved all of them, but there was still a special one for each of them. Grabs' was the fun loving Kid Blink. Ever since he was a child, he could remember Blink coming into his parent's room at night, just to make sure that he was alright. When he got older, Blink made him toys and taught him how to play cards, along with Racetrack of course. Even after work hours, Grabs would seek out Blink and tell him about his day, while Blink packaged papers with a contented smile upon his face.
Little Fairy, had her tender heart set on the lithe Snipeshooter. She loved him to the extent of her childish heart, right next to her love for her parents. It was as close to a crush as it could be for a girl of seven. Snipeshooter was her hero. Anything Snipeshooter said was the truth, and if anyone wanted to contradict it, they would have to deal with her. Anything Snipeshooter did, no matter how bad, was not really bad to Fairy. He was always right, and everything was good in her eyes. Snipeshooter knew that the little girl loved him, and he did everything he could to make her happy. Once it had even extended to him teaching her to play craps in an alley with a bunch of other boys, and it ended when the little girl bragged to her mother that, "I won ova three bucks at da craps Mama!" Fairy's gambling career was over then. Bright Eyes had warned Snipeshooter and he had promised to never do it again, much to Fairy's dismay. She attempted to admonish her mother, "Don't yell at Snipeshooter! He wasn't all dat bad!" That comment got her a little talk with her father, as well as a talk on gambling. But that incident still did not change her views on her special eighteen year old boy.
Picks and Pockets were a different matter. They both liked the same person and fought over her daily. That poor individual was a girl from the corners of Brooklyn named Blue. Blue was not originally from Brooklyn however. She formerly lived in Manhattan where her older brother Kid Blink resided. She was somewhat of a distant friend of Bright Eyes, having known her in her childhood. But after Bright Eyes had left New York, she had gone to Brooklyn to be with the other boys there, knowing their attachment to her. Eventually, she even got around to confronting Spot about how he felt about Bright Eyes' deception, which was not a pretty sight. But in the end, Blue became one of Spot's staunchest supporters and one of Bright Eyes' enemies. But after Bright Eyes had returned and explained the whole situation, the friendship returned, even though it took longer for Spot to be so forgiving.
The twin boys loved the blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Blue, and often begged their mother to allow them to visit Brooklyn to see her. She was their favorite, because to them, she was hardly a girl. Her hair was under her hat most of the time, save for a few golden wisps that had escaped the bundle, so on the outside, she appeared to be a fun loving boy who did everything boys did, and she wasn't a bad handler with a slingshot either. Afternoon hours often found the threesome down by the docks, playing craps, cards, shooting slingshots at stray bottles, and playing other games. Another reason that the boys liked to visit Blue, was so that they could tease the girl. They like their father had quick tongues, and they didn't bother to waste them. They knew that long before Blue had married Spot, that she had taken a certain liking to him, and always took the advantage of teasing her and him as often as they could. The twosomes reaction was always different. Blue would blush and tell the boys to shut up, taking up a different subject. Spot on the other hand would seemingly stare off into space and say something completely off the subject, making the boys burst into gales of laughter at their matchmaking.
One such incident that left the boys in hysterics all weekend was when the boys approached Spot at the docks and asked, "Hey Spot! Kin we ask ya sometin'?" Spot looked down from his high perch quizzically. "Sure kids. What?" The twins stared at each other slyly before they looked back up to the boy. " Why does goils always git red when ya talks 'bout boys?" Spot looked at them a moment and rubbed his head. "Well I dunno. I guess dat means dat dey likes 'em or sometin'." Picks began to giggle hysterically, and Pockets punched him goodnaturedly as he spoke up, " I was jest aksin' 'cause Blue did dat when we asked if she had taken a likin' ta any famous peison in Brooklyn." The boys laughed hysterically as two spots on Spot's cheeks became a deep red, before he responded absentmindedly, "Ya know, if you boys want sometin' ta do you could jump in da riva. Good swimmin' dis time of yea." It was winter and the river was frozen. But now that the two were married, there was not much that the twins could exploit.
Cowboy's choice was an obvious one. His favorite Newsie was Jack Kelly. At five, he worshipped the ground that Jack tread on, much like his sister Fairy did to Snipeshooter. Jack told him stories, of Santa Fe, of the deserts, of other places beyond Manhattan. He loved those places and yearned to see them. Already he had traveled the suburbs about New York City. And though he loved them all, Brooklyn, Queens, and the like, he still wanted to see other places besides New York, which Jack encouraged, frightening his mother. "He'll be leavin' home soon enough widout you tellin' him all those stories Jack Kelly!" She would often say goodnaturedly, but sadly. Just as Cowboy loved Jack, so did Jack love Cowboy. Even though Picks and Pockets were named after him, he still had a special affinity for the little boy. He had already given him his Western Jim comics, which Cowboy had devoured eagerly. Jack had also passed on to the boy his black Cowboy hat, which Cowboy wore everyday and pounded any kid who tried to pilfer it. Indeed, the companionship between the two was strong, Jack being reminded of his young brothers who had died so long ago, and Cowboy only knowing Jack as a loving, fun, almost older brother to him. Cowboy never knew of Jack's long past deceits, and Jack never volunteered it, waiting till the right time.
Sunshine and Angel, unlike their twin siblings, did not like the same persons. Shy Sunshine, liked the quiet and sometimes humorous Mush, while Angel liked the famous Spot Conlon. Sunshine hung around with Mush all the time that she wasn't with her siblings selling papers. Mush, who worked with the newspaper machines, was glad to have the child's company, even if she did babble about silly things most of the time. Every child of Bright Eyes was a welcome one, and he was glad that this little beauty liked him.
The determined Angel, having her likings set on twenty-five year old Spot Conlon, was often in Brooklyn, it being merely across the bridge. Spot had already taught the 4 year old to shoot a slingshot and already she was better than her brother Grabs. He took her about Brooklyn, showing her her mother's and his favorite play sites and hangouts. She loved these walks with Spot, just holding his large hand and listening to him talk was enough for her. Often, she would fall asleep on his chest as he told stories of the past to the rest of her siblings, and Spot would smile, his gray eyes twinkling and would hand her to her mother, who grinned and took her up to bed. Angel also liked to swim in the river that ran under the Brooklyn Bridge, Spot's keen eyes watching her all the while from his perch on the docks. She wouldn't understand though when she would come up to Spot with some childish notion, and she could almost see a glint of wetness in his eyes as he answered. Then afterward he would murmur to himself, "Jest 'zactly like Bright. Down to da bone she's jest like 'er." Indeed, it was almost uncanny how an older Spot seemed to be playing with the young girl that he had grown up with.
As it was said before, little, two year old Taps also liked Spot. Spot had his affinity for Angel because she was so like her mother, but he still loved the small, blonde haired lad, for his own reasons. For one thing he was named after him, Michael Paul. Because he was only two and hadn't begun talking very much as of late, Spot had tried to teach him words and had been doing this since he was barely one. Taps' first word, though one could barely make it out, was, "Spa." Now of course the boy could say "Spot" clearly, but it had touched Spot's tough heart to hear the lisping word that the boy had called him. Spot had almost adopted Taps, he was so fond of him. Many times he would come to Bright Eyes and "take da little fella out fer a bit," when he didn't come back till suppertime. When they came back Taps would babble on and on excitedly while Spot would calmly translate, his hands in his pockets. It was well seen that Taps would always love Spot above all of the other Newsies.
Racetrack Higgins grinned at his son and tossed the papers on the counter. "Here ya go. How's it goin'?" Grabs shrugged and looked down as he felt a light hand tug his shirt. His tiny sister, Fairy, stood below him, waiting expectantly. Grabs sighed. "Papa, can I get 'bout thoity papes fer Fairy?" He asked, tossing the change on the counter. Racetrack grinned out the window at his second child who smiled back and waved shyly. "Hey Papa! Danks fer da papes!" Her tinny voice called. "Yer welcome sweetheart. I'll see you kids tenite alright. Don't be late." Racetrack cautioned as Grabs took Fairy's hand and walked off.
Racetrack sighed as he watched his two eldest children walk away thinking of their past. It had been an interesting 8 years for Racetrack. In five years time, beginning at the age of seventeen, Bright Eyes had borne him eight children, his youngest, Taps now two years old. Racetrack and the other Newsies were thrilled with the children and managed to spoil them in any way possible, much to Bright Eyes' dismay. Grabs, the oldest child, was a picture perfect image of his father, not only in looks, but in his personality. Grabs, with his brown hair slicked back under his cap, big grinning brown eyes, and with cards in his pockets to be used in a quick poker game, looked and acted very much like Racetrack as a child. His tastes reflected that of his father as well. He loved the horse races. He loved selling papers. He loved poker and the chance to win money or anything for that matter, from some other unfortunate individual, and he adored his father. It showed. Wherever Racetrack was, Grabs was not far behind.
Fairy, or Shailagh Anne Higgins, had come quickly, almost too quickly for Racetrack who had not yet gotten used to the fact of having three mouths to feed, that was now suddenly increased to four mouths to feed. But when she was born, she made up for all the worry. She was beautiful and her beauty grew as she grew. She was a complete opposite of Grabs, looking like her mother. With brown-gold curly hair, a fair complexion and her mother's trademark blue eyes, it seemed that the only thing she had inherited from Racetrack was his wide smile and his quick tongue. But though she resembled her mother, she was her father's pet. Often on Sunday afternoons just after Fairy had learned to walk, one could see the two of them walking hand in hand in Central Park. They made a funny pair the two of them, the tall, skinny boy and the small girl, trying to keep up with his large steps, till Racetrack slowed down to a crawl in order that she could keep up.
Racetrack's other children, consisted of twin boys, Picks and Pockets, Cowboy, twin girls, Sunshine and Angel, and his son Taps. Each child was different and alike in their own unique likes and tastes. Picks and Pockets, a.k.a. Jack Andrew and Francis Matthew, were notoriously known among the Newsies as two of the cleverest pick pockets in Manhattan, hence the name. The two children were identical and inseparable. They did everything together no matter what. The two of them had straight dark brown hair, curiously enough, seeing that Racetrack's hair was wavy, and Bright Eyes' was all curl. They both sported thin athletic bodies, bodies that gave the suggestion of having a very short height, like their father. They like their brother Grabs, shared their father's tastes, but they were not nearly so open about them. The only thing that differed from the two and set them apart, was that while Picks sported his father's dark brown eyes, Pockets had coveted his mother's bright blue ones.
Cowboy, a.k.a. Brian Patrick, the fifth child, was a joy to his family. He was all smiles, almost from the moment he was born. His first smile had been given to Jack Kelly, who immediately gave the child his Newsie name to be his own. Cowboy possessed a great gift to imitate anyone and anything with shocking ease. His brothers and sisters were constantly laughing at the small boy's imitations, that ranged from Mush's sudden worried outbursts to Joseph Pulitzer's hobble. He had picked up the art of selling papers almost immediately and was well known in almost all of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Cowboy had gained his mother's brown curly hair, which was a huge cross for him to bear in his opinion. He had his father's eyes, but he did not share in the likes of his father and brothers. He was more like his mother than any of the boys. He was a dreamer and was constantly thinking of things outside of New York City, worrying his mother to death with the worry that someday he would leave, out of curiosity for other places.
Just as Picks and Pockets were identical, so were the twin girls Sunshine, a.k.a. Rachel Elizabeth, and Angel, a.k.a. Jenny Margaret, different. They unlike their rambunctious brothers, were not identical, each sporting a unique personality and look. Sunshine was the queerest looking child of the bunch, having wavy blonde hair and twinkling light brown eyes. Neither Bright Eyes nor Racetrack could figure out from where the blonde hair had come. Her personality was very much like her name. She was always cheery and bright, the optimist of the family. She possessed her father's wide smile and his humor, but her mother's whimsical personality, making her a kindrid spirit with her brother Cowboy.
Though Sunshine and Cowboy had their mother's disposition, Angel was just like her mother to the fullest. There was no sign of Racetrack in the young girl's face or in her personality. She was all Bright Eyes, right down to her stubborn Irish chin. The perfect corkscrew curls, the bright, flashing blue eyes, and her stubborn personality, they were all Bright Eyes. Racetrack couldn't understand how stubborn a little girl could be, even at the tender age of four. She was a favorite of the Newsies, and a constant reminder to them of the little girl her mother used to be. She was an exact copy and if any of the Newsies were around her for even a brief five minutes, they would think that for those five minutes, they had gone back in time, and the little girl standing defiantly in front of them, was Bright Eyes O'Connor. Indeed, even Spot Conlon had a thing or two to say about the little girl. "Jest like her mama, dats all I kin say. Dats ta her advantage, an' sometimes a disadvantage." But despite his words, Spot spoiled her even more than the others did.
The last Higgins child, was a boy. Taps, even at two years old, had an interesting pastime that amused himself and his family and friends. As soon as he could walk, he had begun to shuffle his feet across the floor, almost as if he were dancing. It threw his family into such gales of laughter, that he couldn't help but continue tutoring himself in this way. The day finally came, when the young lad amused his parents and brothers and sisters, with a dance that he had unknowingly composed, and had also unknowingly christened him. His small feet tapping with a resounding rhythm on the wooden floor of the distribution center, gave him his name.
Taps had been brought to Brooklyn to see Spot when he was born, but he could only remember from when he went at age 1. That was the time that he could actually remember Spot. Taps loved Spot, and Spot likewise loved the toddler. Spot thought the child, with his straight blond hair, the color of his sister Sunshine's hair, and his dancing blue eyes, was absolutely perfect. Spot loved to sit on the docks with the small boy, while the child played with his slingshot, bouncing the rubber band off of his fingers. Spot watched him play, and inwardly thought,
Someday, I'll teach dis kid all da stuff I know. Den he'll be da best slingshotter in all of New Yawk! Yeah, da "Slingshot".
From then on, he was the "Slingshot" to Spot, and no one could convince him or Brooklyn to call him otherwise.
Now Racetrack, at twenty six years old, had aged both inwardly and outwardly. Like many young families of the day, he had accepted family responsibilities at a young age, eighteen in fact. Before long, he had realized that selling the papes weren't going to be enough to support his gradually growing family. So he attempted to apply at the distribution office, taking the place of numerous men, some dishonest and some honest. Racetrack was a favorite at the distribution center, because he was known by everyone and he was honest in his work. Jack Kelly often swore that Racetrack would be sixty years old and he would still be working there, because the "World" couldn't afford to lose a guy like him.
To Racetrack, Bright Eyes hadn't changed much since he had married her. She still remained the same, stubborn, lovable girl, those and all the other qualities that he had admired in her from the beginning. Like him, Bright Eyes didn't work as a Newsie any longer. She was also working in the distribution office, by shuttling the papers to him in the office when the next edition of the paper was printed. Granted, she still missed her life as a Newsie though. She didn't like being cooped up in the distribution office, but she always said, that it was better to be trapped in there with Racetrack than with the Delancys.
The quick births of her eight children, though they were much loved, had taken a toll on Bright Eyes. Her body needed to recuperate, and thus, there was a two year gap for Taps to spend time with his family. Bright Eyes was a good mother to all of her children, giving each of them their designated time with her. She was never too busy to take care of the children and listen to their childish babbling while she worked. She had no favorites, and loved all of her children equally. Just as she was the same young girl to Racetrack, so was Racetrack the same young boy to her, even at age 26. She was 25, a year younger than her husband, and she didn't act it. She acted like she had at age sixteen, blithe and free, playing games with her children that she had learned long ago. She had even begun to teach Grabs how to use the slingshot that Spot had given him for his eighth birthday, and he was quite good at it.
Each of the Higgins children had a designated favorite Newsie. Granted they loved all of them, but there was still a special one for each of them. Grabs' was the fun loving Kid Blink. Ever since he was a child, he could remember Blink coming into his parent's room at night, just to make sure that he was alright. When he got older, Blink made him toys and taught him how to play cards, along with Racetrack of course. Even after work hours, Grabs would seek out Blink and tell him about his day, while Blink packaged papers with a contented smile upon his face.
Little Fairy, had her tender heart set on the lithe Snipeshooter. She loved him to the extent of her childish heart, right next to her love for her parents. It was as close to a crush as it could be for a girl of seven. Snipeshooter was her hero. Anything Snipeshooter said was the truth, and if anyone wanted to contradict it, they would have to deal with her. Anything Snipeshooter did, no matter how bad, was not really bad to Fairy. He was always right, and everything was good in her eyes. Snipeshooter knew that the little girl loved him, and he did everything he could to make her happy. Once it had even extended to him teaching her to play craps in an alley with a bunch of other boys, and it ended when the little girl bragged to her mother that, "I won ova three bucks at da craps Mama!" Fairy's gambling career was over then. Bright Eyes had warned Snipeshooter and he had promised to never do it again, much to Fairy's dismay. She attempted to admonish her mother, "Don't yell at Snipeshooter! He wasn't all dat bad!" That comment got her a little talk with her father, as well as a talk on gambling. But that incident still did not change her views on her special eighteen year old boy.
Picks and Pockets were a different matter. They both liked the same person and fought over her daily. That poor individual was a girl from the corners of Brooklyn named Blue. Blue was not originally from Brooklyn however. She formerly lived in Manhattan where her older brother Kid Blink resided. She was somewhat of a distant friend of Bright Eyes, having known her in her childhood. But after Bright Eyes had left New York, she had gone to Brooklyn to be with the other boys there, knowing their attachment to her. Eventually, she even got around to confronting Spot about how he felt about Bright Eyes' deception, which was not a pretty sight. But in the end, Blue became one of Spot's staunchest supporters and one of Bright Eyes' enemies. But after Bright Eyes had returned and explained the whole situation, the friendship returned, even though it took longer for Spot to be so forgiving.
The twin boys loved the blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Blue, and often begged their mother to allow them to visit Brooklyn to see her. She was their favorite, because to them, she was hardly a girl. Her hair was under her hat most of the time, save for a few golden wisps that had escaped the bundle, so on the outside, she appeared to be a fun loving boy who did everything boys did, and she wasn't a bad handler with a slingshot either. Afternoon hours often found the threesome down by the docks, playing craps, cards, shooting slingshots at stray bottles, and playing other games. Another reason that the boys liked to visit Blue, was so that they could tease the girl. They like their father had quick tongues, and they didn't bother to waste them. They knew that long before Blue had married Spot, that she had taken a certain liking to him, and always took the advantage of teasing her and him as often as they could. The twosomes reaction was always different. Blue would blush and tell the boys to shut up, taking up a different subject. Spot on the other hand would seemingly stare off into space and say something completely off the subject, making the boys burst into gales of laughter at their matchmaking.
One such incident that left the boys in hysterics all weekend was when the boys approached Spot at the docks and asked, "Hey Spot! Kin we ask ya sometin'?" Spot looked down from his high perch quizzically. "Sure kids. What?" The twins stared at each other slyly before they looked back up to the boy. " Why does goils always git red when ya talks 'bout boys?" Spot looked at them a moment and rubbed his head. "Well I dunno. I guess dat means dat dey likes 'em or sometin'." Picks began to giggle hysterically, and Pockets punched him goodnaturedly as he spoke up, " I was jest aksin' 'cause Blue did dat when we asked if she had taken a likin' ta any famous peison in Brooklyn." The boys laughed hysterically as two spots on Spot's cheeks became a deep red, before he responded absentmindedly, "Ya know, if you boys want sometin' ta do you could jump in da riva. Good swimmin' dis time of yea." It was winter and the river was frozen. But now that the two were married, there was not much that the twins could exploit.
Cowboy's choice was an obvious one. His favorite Newsie was Jack Kelly. At five, he worshipped the ground that Jack tread on, much like his sister Fairy did to Snipeshooter. Jack told him stories, of Santa Fe, of the deserts, of other places beyond Manhattan. He loved those places and yearned to see them. Already he had traveled the suburbs about New York City. And though he loved them all, Brooklyn, Queens, and the like, he still wanted to see other places besides New York, which Jack encouraged, frightening his mother. "He'll be leavin' home soon enough widout you tellin' him all those stories Jack Kelly!" She would often say goodnaturedly, but sadly. Just as Cowboy loved Jack, so did Jack love Cowboy. Even though Picks and Pockets were named after him, he still had a special affinity for the little boy. He had already given him his Western Jim comics, which Cowboy had devoured eagerly. Jack had also passed on to the boy his black Cowboy hat, which Cowboy wore everyday and pounded any kid who tried to pilfer it. Indeed, the companionship between the two was strong, Jack being reminded of his young brothers who had died so long ago, and Cowboy only knowing Jack as a loving, fun, almost older brother to him. Cowboy never knew of Jack's long past deceits, and Jack never volunteered it, waiting till the right time.
Sunshine and Angel, unlike their twin siblings, did not like the same persons. Shy Sunshine, liked the quiet and sometimes humorous Mush, while Angel liked the famous Spot Conlon. Sunshine hung around with Mush all the time that she wasn't with her siblings selling papers. Mush, who worked with the newspaper machines, was glad to have the child's company, even if she did babble about silly things most of the time. Every child of Bright Eyes was a welcome one, and he was glad that this little beauty liked him.
The determined Angel, having her likings set on twenty-five year old Spot Conlon, was often in Brooklyn, it being merely across the bridge. Spot had already taught the 4 year old to shoot a slingshot and already she was better than her brother Grabs. He took her about Brooklyn, showing her her mother's and his favorite play sites and hangouts. She loved these walks with Spot, just holding his large hand and listening to him talk was enough for her. Often, she would fall asleep on his chest as he told stories of the past to the rest of her siblings, and Spot would smile, his gray eyes twinkling and would hand her to her mother, who grinned and took her up to bed. Angel also liked to swim in the river that ran under the Brooklyn Bridge, Spot's keen eyes watching her all the while from his perch on the docks. She wouldn't understand though when she would come up to Spot with some childish notion, and she could almost see a glint of wetness in his eyes as he answered. Then afterward he would murmur to himself, "Jest 'zactly like Bright. Down to da bone she's jest like 'er." Indeed, it was almost uncanny how an older Spot seemed to be playing with the young girl that he had grown up with.
As it was said before, little, two year old Taps also liked Spot. Spot had his affinity for Angel because she was so like her mother, but he still loved the small, blonde haired lad, for his own reasons. For one thing he was named after him, Michael Paul. Because he was only two and hadn't begun talking very much as of late, Spot had tried to teach him words and had been doing this since he was barely one. Taps' first word, though one could barely make it out, was, "Spa." Now of course the boy could say "Spot" clearly, but it had touched Spot's tough heart to hear the lisping word that the boy had called him. Spot had almost adopted Taps, he was so fond of him. Many times he would come to Bright Eyes and "take da little fella out fer a bit," when he didn't come back till suppertime. When they came back Taps would babble on and on excitedly while Spot would calmly translate, his hands in his pockets. It was well seen that Taps would always love Spot above all of the other Newsies.