Spot, Falcon, Rounder and Brownoser had been walking back to the bunkhouse after a very profitable night at the semi-monthly all newsie-poker match. All had done a good job of cleaning up, and all came back richer and a bit less sober than when they had left. As they walked along Rounder, Falcon and Brownoser kidded each other about hands they should have won or matches they should have lost. Spot hadn't joined in the frivolities and was walking ahead; but since he was the leader and was above all of this none of the others mentioned or even noticed it.
Spot was preoccupied with some disturbing news he had received from the Bronx about his sister. She had been found dead and the two boys she never admitted to be her sons were no where to be found. Some in the building theorized that her new boyfriend had really been after the boys and had killed Emma when she resisted. Still other thought she had killed them herself, then unable to live with the guilt had then killed herself. He didn't notice the obstruction in his way till his foot caught and he went crashing to the ground.
The obstruction screamed in pain as his arm was wrenched out of joint, and the other part of the obstruction began howling also. The other guys didn't know whether to cover their ears or to help their fallen leader. They opted to do neither; as Spot picked himself up off the ground and walked over to find out what he had tripped over. He found two small boys and crouched down to be eye level with them.
"Are youse okay?" Spot looked at the one screaming the most and holding his arm first.
"My arm hurts." The little boy got out between sniffles.
"Ise knows how to fix it but it's gonna hurt, youse want me to make it better?" Spot tried to keep his voice calm and soothing. The little boy nodded and Spot grasped his arm and quickly put it back into joint. The little boy howled in pain, which caused the second boy to join in even more.
Spot was helpless. What was he going to do with two little boys who were obviously lost. "Where's youse mum?"
"Wes don't know." The boy without the hurt arm wailed.
Spot cringed at the eardrum piercing noise, "Hey calm down, wes find her for youse. What's youse names?"
He sniffled, "Ise don't know, Emma only called us monsters."
"Chris and Andy, Ise remember." The boy with the hurt arm said.
"Well whose who?" Spot looked from one to the other, a sinking feeling in his stomach, these were his sister Emma's kids.
"Ise don't know." The one he tripped over said.
"Spot it's cold wes can't just stand here like this. What youse going to do with them?" Rounder spoke, feeling sorry for the boys, but wanting to get inside as soon as possible.
"How old are youse?" Spot knew they must be about 6, since he had been 10 when Emma had left home, their parents had died less than a year later.
"Umm old enough to be newsies, Emma said so."
Spot was shocked stupid, Emma thought that 6 was old enough to be a newsie? Well since she was now dead he couldn't take them back to her. "Ise guess youse coming with us."
"They're coming with us?" Falcon face faulted, "They're like babies how good will they be at being newsies?"
"They'll do fine. Wes just got to teach them the ropes that's all." Spot put all of his authority as Leader of Brooklyn into the statement.
The boys glanced at each other, these guys knew what newsies were, and were going to "teach them the ropes" what ever that meant. Spot looked at them and said, "Well wes need to call youse something, at least for tonight." He thought for a moment, "Youse is Andy and youse is Chris." Pointing to Andy and Chris respectively. "The names ain't gonna stick, soon youse get newsie names."
Chris, who was still rubbing his shoulder, nodded somewhat enthusiastically, "What wes gonna call youse though?"
Spot grinned as he helped them out of the snow then began to lead them toward the lodging house. "Ise Spot, youse call me Spot. Ise the leader of the Brooklyn Newsies, don't ever forget it. This here is Rounder, Falcon, and Brownoser. Wes taking youse to the lodging house. Youse gonna start tomorrow. Ise bet youse don't have any money do youse?"
Andy answered for both of them, "No Emma just kind of threw us out. Wes will work hard though."
"Well youse gonna have to. Wes don't like slackers, either youse sell or youse don't. Got it?" Spot looked at both boys seriously. And then barely smiled when they both nodded.
They all headed into the lodging house, Andrew Kosei was sitting behind the counter when they entered. "Well Spot dragging in more strays?"
"Sure Kosei, I'd like you to meet the two newsies that are going to be the best sellers wes got. This here is Andy and Chris. Wes haven't gotten them newsie names yet but wes will."
"Well since they be so scrawny and little Ise only gonna charge them half price."
Chris looked at Kosei with a frown, "Wes don't got any money how wes supposed to pay for this?"
Kosei thought for a moment, "Ise guess youse can stay here till youse start making the money youse need to stay. Its gonna be 6 cents for the both of youse, and since youse so little youse can even share a bed." He held out the book for the boys to sign, when neither even reached for the pencil he commented, "Youse supposed to sign youse names each night when youse come in."
When both boys looked a little confused Spot realized the problem, neither boy could write "Kosei they is going to be coming in with me all the time, Ise sign them in." And with that Spot signed in both the boys and himself. Rounder, Falcon and Brownoser did the same and they went upstairs to introduce the new boys.
Upstairs was fairly quiet and cold. Almost everyone was concentrating on keeping warm and barely looked up when Spot entered the room. "Guys Ise wants youse to meet the youngest newsies Ise ever seen, Chris and Andy. They is gonna be selling starting tomorrow. No one better pick on them or they will get it from me." The guys barely acknowledged the threat but they all nodded.
Spot then showed the little boys where the washroom was and which bunk they were going to share. "Youse lucky it gets cold here at night, but youse got each other to keep youse warm. Now that door next to youse bed leads to where I sleep, youse can only come in if it's an emergency. And always knock on the door frame before youse come in. Now youse better get into bed, youse can eat in the morning. Ise think tomorrow is one of the days the nuns feed us."
With that Spot left the boys to their own devises and the boys being very tired fell straight into bed, not even thinking of cleaning up first.