I jumped then twirled around to see who was touching me. I must've looked scared cause the strange boy said, " Hey calm down I only want ta help ya." I stared at him for a minute. He was taller than I was with brown hair and brown eyes. The only thing that could really distinguish him from the other boys was the red bandana around his neck and a cowboy hat. " Ah...er.. My name's Jack Kelly, but some people call me Cowboy." I muttered a quick hello. Then he dodged around me to get closer to the building. Jack called out, " Weasel, you trying ta steal this poor girl's money?" I laughed it figured he'd have a name like that. " I ain't stealing nobody's money kid, girls don't sell papes. It ain't right." Jack moved his face right up close to the bars and said quite menacingly, " Yea, well maybe now they do." With that Weasel threw his hands in the air and gave Jack my twenty papers. " Jist quit holding up the line."
I turned to Jack to give him my thanks but before I could he asked me what my name was. " My name's Molly O'Neil", I told him quietly. The next thing I know he's yelling, " Hey everybody! There's somebody I want ya ta meet. This here's Molly the first girl newsie in all of Manhattan!" I was royally embarrassed but that didn't stop me from hearing several whoops and the occasional "about time." I heard him ask me if I ever sold papes before. I had to tell him no. He paired me up with two other boys; they were going to be my selling partners. It would only be for a week until I learned the ropes. My selling partners didn't take long to show up. They came together a little boy and a tall one. Their names were Les and David Jacobs. Les, the little one, was cute; I bet he sold lots of papers. David had brown curly hair, blue eyes, and he was very nice to me. I liked the both of them already. I got my very first lesson in selling newspapers, or papes, from Les. He told me, " Look da most important thing you hafta, hafta learn is: Headlines don't sell papes, newsies do." Jack piped up, " Yea, listen ta da kid. He knows what its about." David reluctantly taught me about " improving the truth" obviously a part of the business that he didn't approve of. I, however, found that it was necessary when the headlines weren't so good. The end of the day finally came and between the three of us; we sold all our papes. After spending the entire day walking and selling papers with the pair of them I learned a lot about the city. They told me about the safe places and the not so safe places to go. During the day it was brought to my attention that David was a very smart boy, probably why some other newsies called him the Walking Mouth. I was proud of myself, for I made enough money to sell papes again. All in all the day was successful, except for the sharp pain I'd felt because I had lost James. Thoroughly exhausted and considerably more grubby than I had started out, I trudged back to the square with David and Les to meet the rest of the newsboys.
I was joking around with my selling partners when a wave of dizziness washed over me. I felt my knees buckle and I reached for the support of a building. I pressed my back to the wall and my breathing came fast and shallow. My stomach rumbled loudly in protest; it was hungry and wanted food now. I took a quick glance around hoping that no one heard my rumbling stomach. It was too late; David squinted at me and asked me if I was hungry. My cheeks turned red and I looked at the ground, praying that he didn't ask me to eat at a place where I would have to have money. I explained to him, " I haven't had anything to eat for about two days now. I really don't have much money either." David smiled at me then said, " No problem, why don't you come home with me and Les, and eat dinner with us." I looked down at Les and he shook his head vigorously. However before I totally gave in to their wishes; I asked, " Are you sure your parents won't mind?" They shook their head no so I followed them home.
I turned to Jack to give him my thanks but before I could he asked me what my name was. " My name's Molly O'Neil", I told him quietly. The next thing I know he's yelling, " Hey everybody! There's somebody I want ya ta meet. This here's Molly the first girl newsie in all of Manhattan!" I was royally embarrassed but that didn't stop me from hearing several whoops and the occasional "about time." I heard him ask me if I ever sold papes before. I had to tell him no. He paired me up with two other boys; they were going to be my selling partners. It would only be for a week until I learned the ropes. My selling partners didn't take long to show up. They came together a little boy and a tall one. Their names were Les and David Jacobs. Les, the little one, was cute; I bet he sold lots of papers. David had brown curly hair, blue eyes, and he was very nice to me. I liked the both of them already. I got my very first lesson in selling newspapers, or papes, from Les. He told me, " Look da most important thing you hafta, hafta learn is: Headlines don't sell papes, newsies do." Jack piped up, " Yea, listen ta da kid. He knows what its about." David reluctantly taught me about " improving the truth" obviously a part of the business that he didn't approve of. I, however, found that it was necessary when the headlines weren't so good. The end of the day finally came and between the three of us; we sold all our papes. After spending the entire day walking and selling papers with the pair of them I learned a lot about the city. They told me about the safe places and the not so safe places to go. During the day it was brought to my attention that David was a very smart boy, probably why some other newsies called him the Walking Mouth. I was proud of myself, for I made enough money to sell papes again. All in all the day was successful, except for the sharp pain I'd felt because I had lost James. Thoroughly exhausted and considerably more grubby than I had started out, I trudged back to the square with David and Les to meet the rest of the newsboys.
I was joking around with my selling partners when a wave of dizziness washed over me. I felt my knees buckle and I reached for the support of a building. I pressed my back to the wall and my breathing came fast and shallow. My stomach rumbled loudly in protest; it was hungry and wanted food now. I took a quick glance around hoping that no one heard my rumbling stomach. It was too late; David squinted at me and asked me if I was hungry. My cheeks turned red and I looked at the ground, praying that he didn't ask me to eat at a place where I would have to have money. I explained to him, " I haven't had anything to eat for about two days now. I really don't have much money either." David smiled at me then said, " No problem, why don't you come home with me and Les, and eat dinner with us." I looked down at Les and he shook his head vigorously. However before I totally gave in to their wishes; I asked, " Are you sure your parents won't mind?" They shook their head no so I followed them home.