Kit wandered up and down the aisle attempting to sell just one pape, some people brought out of pity but she still had 50 papes to sell when she heard someone yelling.
"Youse newsie, Hey youse stop. Ise buy the rest of your papes. How much youse want for them?" It was a vendor, a young vendor. He looked close to 20 and very sheepish. "Here Ise give you 2 bits for the whole bunch. Ise didn't get enough this morning and me boss will soak me if Ise don't sell all this here fish."
Kit was not about to throw away a chance to get rid of her papes, but even she had standards, and she had to find somewhere to sleep that night so 2 bits wasn't enough.
"50 cents."
"Ise don't want to pay what the people on the street pay. 30 cents."
"45" "35" "40" "38"
"40 no lower."
"Me boss is gonna get me good, 40 cents, here," He gave her the money and she gave him her 50 papes.
"So nice doing business with youse"
"Yeah sure, Hey if youse even need to sell some papes come here. If Ise can't use them Ise know those who do."
"Thanks Ise Curly by the way." She felt it was probably safer if he didn't know who she was.
"Moe, See you around."
"Yeah around."
After leaving the fish market Kit had no idea where to head. She began to wander as she thought back to her conversation with Swan.
"Jack says you can't sleep at the lodging house…You sell for the Sun you're out…Can't stay…You're out."
She began to talk to herself as she crossed the bridge, "I can't believe Jack would just throw me out like that. He knows Swan, Cray and I have no money to stay at the lodging house. Who does he think he is ordering me out like that? Does he expect me o live on charity or something?"
"Youse know goilie they say talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Spot came walking up from behind not scaring her but making her defensive. "What youse doing in Brooklyn? Ise thought Jackie boy kept his goils where he could keep on eye on them."
Kit slowly counted to 10, backwards, before attempting to answer Spot. This was a legit question that deserved a calm answer she told herself before she began. "It would seem that I am no longer welcome in the august presence of Jack Kelly. I have to sell papes to live, but Jack says we are joining the strike. If I did what Jack says I'll end up on the streets, at least if I sell papes I can attempt to pay for a room somewhere else. But no Jack Kelly has to think of his pride and since I got a sell papes to live I'm thrown onto the streets. He doesn't even care that I got the Delancey's to worry about or that I had to sell 100 papes to get a job with the Sun, or that I hope the bum for 50 papes or that I sold all those papes." She took a breath before continuing, "And I am really sorry for the way I treated you the past couple of days. But now I have now where to go or no where to stay. I don't know what to do." By now she had begun to cry.
Spot stood looking at her confused not knowing how to deal with the hysterical girl. He finally decided to put his arm around her shoulder, in an awkward attempt to comfort her. "It will be fine, Wes go talk to Kelly and try to get this all straightened out." As she began to dry her face he looked at her with amusement, "Youse really sold 100 papes before coming here?"
Kit gave him a watery smile, "Yeah I sold most of them to this vendor in the fish market. He hadn't gotten enough earlier. I got 40 cents for my last 50 papes."
Spot looked impressed then a thought occurred to him and he began to laugh, "How old was the guy?"
Kit looked surprised, "Bout 18 or 19, what does his age have to," then she realized, "Oh I think he was shocked to see I was a girl. His jaw dropped the moment I turned around. I think I remember seeing a stack of papes behind him when he bought mine. And he still bought all 60 of my papes."
She joined Spot in his chuckling, "Ise not surprised, not many girls sell papes and none that Ise know of sell on their own. He must have taught youse was a boy and felt sorry for you. Ise don't know if what youse did today was brave, foolish or just plain stupid but Ise guessing youse do it no matter what."
"You think what I did was stupid?" Kit raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Don't get all hoity-toity on me, it's just youse haven't shown fear in the two weeks youse been here. At least that is what Kelly is saying and I respect youse for it. That's all."
"Oh so you don't think that I am stupid?" Kit relaxed her stance and began walking.
"No, maybe foolish for going off on you own like that, but stupid, heck even Ise never taught of selling papes to the fish and meat vendors." Kit smiled as they walked in silence.
They had almost reached Tibby's when Kit broke the silence. "What are you doing about the strike I mean?"
Spot shrugged, "Ise don't know yet, but as of right now I letting my guys sell for who ever they can. Wes Brooklyn wes can take care of ourselves." The answer was giving in such a manner of fact tone that Kit's only response was "Oh."
"Here wes be, ready to go face Jack?"
Kit squared her shoulders and prepared to enter, but Spot but his arm out and pulled her behind the corner before she could go in. He had a conspiratorial look on his face, "They's gonna talk like a bunch of old ladies as wes go in, you want to give them some tin to talk about?"
"Like what?" Kit looked incredulous, as Spot leaned over to whisper his plan in her ear. As he explained his plan her smile widened and she nodded her agreement. He then opened the door for her and they stepped in holding hands.
"Youse newsie, Hey youse stop. Ise buy the rest of your papes. How much youse want for them?" It was a vendor, a young vendor. He looked close to 20 and very sheepish. "Here Ise give you 2 bits for the whole bunch. Ise didn't get enough this morning and me boss will soak me if Ise don't sell all this here fish."
Kit was not about to throw away a chance to get rid of her papes, but even she had standards, and she had to find somewhere to sleep that night so 2 bits wasn't enough.
"50 cents."
"Ise don't want to pay what the people on the street pay. 30 cents."
"45" "35" "40" "38"
"40 no lower."
"Me boss is gonna get me good, 40 cents, here," He gave her the money and she gave him her 50 papes.
"So nice doing business with youse"
"Yeah sure, Hey if youse even need to sell some papes come here. If Ise can't use them Ise know those who do."
"Thanks Ise Curly by the way." She felt it was probably safer if he didn't know who she was.
"Moe, See you around."
"Yeah around."
After leaving the fish market Kit had no idea where to head. She began to wander as she thought back to her conversation with Swan.
"Jack says you can't sleep at the lodging house…You sell for the Sun you're out…Can't stay…You're out."
She began to talk to herself as she crossed the bridge, "I can't believe Jack would just throw me out like that. He knows Swan, Cray and I have no money to stay at the lodging house. Who does he think he is ordering me out like that? Does he expect me o live on charity or something?"
"Youse know goilie they say talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Spot came walking up from behind not scaring her but making her defensive. "What youse doing in Brooklyn? Ise thought Jackie boy kept his goils where he could keep on eye on them."
Kit slowly counted to 10, backwards, before attempting to answer Spot. This was a legit question that deserved a calm answer she told herself before she began. "It would seem that I am no longer welcome in the august presence of Jack Kelly. I have to sell papes to live, but Jack says we are joining the strike. If I did what Jack says I'll end up on the streets, at least if I sell papes I can attempt to pay for a room somewhere else. But no Jack Kelly has to think of his pride and since I got a sell papes to live I'm thrown onto the streets. He doesn't even care that I got the Delancey's to worry about or that I had to sell 100 papes to get a job with the Sun, or that I hope the bum for 50 papes or that I sold all those papes." She took a breath before continuing, "And I am really sorry for the way I treated you the past couple of days. But now I have now where to go or no where to stay. I don't know what to do." By now she had begun to cry.
Spot stood looking at her confused not knowing how to deal with the hysterical girl. He finally decided to put his arm around her shoulder, in an awkward attempt to comfort her. "It will be fine, Wes go talk to Kelly and try to get this all straightened out." As she began to dry her face he looked at her with amusement, "Youse really sold 100 papes before coming here?"
Kit gave him a watery smile, "Yeah I sold most of them to this vendor in the fish market. He hadn't gotten enough earlier. I got 40 cents for my last 50 papes."
Spot looked impressed then a thought occurred to him and he began to laugh, "How old was the guy?"
Kit looked surprised, "Bout 18 or 19, what does his age have to," then she realized, "Oh I think he was shocked to see I was a girl. His jaw dropped the moment I turned around. I think I remember seeing a stack of papes behind him when he bought mine. And he still bought all 60 of my papes."
She joined Spot in his chuckling, "Ise not surprised, not many girls sell papes and none that Ise know of sell on their own. He must have taught youse was a boy and felt sorry for you. Ise don't know if what youse did today was brave, foolish or just plain stupid but Ise guessing youse do it no matter what."
"You think what I did was stupid?" Kit raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Don't get all hoity-toity on me, it's just youse haven't shown fear in the two weeks youse been here. At least that is what Kelly is saying and I respect youse for it. That's all."
"Oh so you don't think that I am stupid?" Kit relaxed her stance and began walking.
"No, maybe foolish for going off on you own like that, but stupid, heck even Ise never taught of selling papes to the fish and meat vendors." Kit smiled as they walked in silence.
They had almost reached Tibby's when Kit broke the silence. "What are you doing about the strike I mean?"
Spot shrugged, "Ise don't know yet, but as of right now I letting my guys sell for who ever they can. Wes Brooklyn wes can take care of ourselves." The answer was giving in such a manner of fact tone that Kit's only response was "Oh."
"Here wes be, ready to go face Jack?"
Kit squared her shoulders and prepared to enter, but Spot but his arm out and pulled her behind the corner before she could go in. He had a conspiratorial look on his face, "They's gonna talk like a bunch of old ladies as wes go in, you want to give them some tin to talk about?"
"Like what?" Kit looked incredulous, as Spot leaned over to whisper his plan in her ear. As he explained his plan her smile widened and she nodded her agreement. He then opened the door for her and they stepped in holding hands.