Rounder came in as Spot began to empty out the water in the wash tub. "Ise just saw two little boys cleaner than Ise ever seen them, and here youse is wetter than a rat caught in the rain."
Spot sneered, "Ise had to clean them, Ise tired of how they smelled."
"They did smell bad, well better youse than me. They be sleeping now." Rounder said over his shoulder as he left.
Spot sighed, he never had pictured himself nursemaid to two little boys. They might have helped him sell papers but he wondered if they were really worth all the trouble that they seemed to bring with them. Spot's only other option was taking them to an orphanage, but then there would be questions he didn't want to answer, plus any orphanages around here he wouldn't send a dog to, much less two little kids. Plus they did help him with his papes.
Spot went back out and began to play a couple games of poker and blackjack to quiet his mind. Listening to his guys talk, he realized he was the only one that had sold out, and he had bought his usual, many of the guys had bought less than normal. He didn't say anything but suddenly that made those little kids the best selling tool he had. The guys talked about girls, their horrible day of selling, and what boroughs were getting too cocky for their own good. All in all it was a normal night at the bunkhouse and the guys wandered off to sleep before dawn.
The next couple of weeks both boys sold predominately with Spot, and Spot began to teach them some other selling techniques. Spot and the two boys made a pretty good living and soon both boys had become adjusted to life with 30 large guys. While they were selling with Spot it wouldn't be too uncommon for girls to buy papes from them and stand around flirting with Spot. Neither boy thought much of it. Emma had always had a new guy so the boys just assumed that this was what the guys did also.
As time progressed their fears diminished. They slowly became more active, mimicking the actions of the older guys. Andy got very good at this and it wasn't uncommon to hear Chris laughing at some impression that Andy would do. Spot began to get comments about Chris from his customers, "Youse brother is so jolly," and "Little jolly boy's got something to laugh about hasn't he." As they became more common Spot realized that he finally had stumbled on a nickname for Chris, Jolly.
Andy's nickname was one given by all the guys in the bunkroom. Most of them were jealous of the amount of papers Spot had been selling during the middle of winter and began to attribute it, correctly, to the little boys selling with him. One day Sticks and Spot got into an argument about selling spots, and Sticks came out with, "Well Ise have a good spot too if Ise had the bait youse got." Spot soaked Sticks pretty good, he had to, so he could save face, but from that day onward Andy was known as Bait.
As spring time finally came to the city Spot decided it was time to test the boys out on their own. "Bait, Jolly get over here." Both boys readily answered to their new nicknames. "Ise gonna take youse to Coney Island and youse gonna sell there on youse own."
Both boys were sort of surprised but were willing to give it a try. Spot brought them their papers and then took them to where he was going to meet them at lunch. Spot traded selling spots with Falcon, who sold closer to Coney Island than he did, just for the day. At the end of the day Spot and the other guys were surprised to find that both boys had sold all their papers, it was only 15 each, but all were gone.
Coney Island became the spot for Jolly and Bait to sell and most of the time they walked out with Falcon who, along with Spot, could do no wrong in their eyes. One skill that neither had to learn was to run from the Bulls. After learning who to run from and their way around Brooklyn both boys became experts at dodging. Slowly they became favorites of all the newsies, they were taught how to fight and how to play poker in time.
Their previous life was forgotten. Spot never told anyone why he had allowed them to stay or that they were his nephews. Life was good and everyone, even the older newsies, thought that life would never change. They had no idea how wrong they would be, or how much life could change in only one summer.
Spot sneered, "Ise had to clean them, Ise tired of how they smelled."
"They did smell bad, well better youse than me. They be sleeping now." Rounder said over his shoulder as he left.
Spot sighed, he never had pictured himself nursemaid to two little boys. They might have helped him sell papers but he wondered if they were really worth all the trouble that they seemed to bring with them. Spot's only other option was taking them to an orphanage, but then there would be questions he didn't want to answer, plus any orphanages around here he wouldn't send a dog to, much less two little kids. Plus they did help him with his papes.
Spot went back out and began to play a couple games of poker and blackjack to quiet his mind. Listening to his guys talk, he realized he was the only one that had sold out, and he had bought his usual, many of the guys had bought less than normal. He didn't say anything but suddenly that made those little kids the best selling tool he had. The guys talked about girls, their horrible day of selling, and what boroughs were getting too cocky for their own good. All in all it was a normal night at the bunkhouse and the guys wandered off to sleep before dawn.
The next couple of weeks both boys sold predominately with Spot, and Spot began to teach them some other selling techniques. Spot and the two boys made a pretty good living and soon both boys had become adjusted to life with 30 large guys. While they were selling with Spot it wouldn't be too uncommon for girls to buy papes from them and stand around flirting with Spot. Neither boy thought much of it. Emma had always had a new guy so the boys just assumed that this was what the guys did also.
As time progressed their fears diminished. They slowly became more active, mimicking the actions of the older guys. Andy got very good at this and it wasn't uncommon to hear Chris laughing at some impression that Andy would do. Spot began to get comments about Chris from his customers, "Youse brother is so jolly," and "Little jolly boy's got something to laugh about hasn't he." As they became more common Spot realized that he finally had stumbled on a nickname for Chris, Jolly.
Andy's nickname was one given by all the guys in the bunkroom. Most of them were jealous of the amount of papers Spot had been selling during the middle of winter and began to attribute it, correctly, to the little boys selling with him. One day Sticks and Spot got into an argument about selling spots, and Sticks came out with, "Well Ise have a good spot too if Ise had the bait youse got." Spot soaked Sticks pretty good, he had to, so he could save face, but from that day onward Andy was known as Bait.
As spring time finally came to the city Spot decided it was time to test the boys out on their own. "Bait, Jolly get over here." Both boys readily answered to their new nicknames. "Ise gonna take youse to Coney Island and youse gonna sell there on youse own."
Both boys were sort of surprised but were willing to give it a try. Spot brought them their papers and then took them to where he was going to meet them at lunch. Spot traded selling spots with Falcon, who sold closer to Coney Island than he did, just for the day. At the end of the day Spot and the other guys were surprised to find that both boys had sold all their papers, it was only 15 each, but all were gone.
Coney Island became the spot for Jolly and Bait to sell and most of the time they walked out with Falcon who, along with Spot, could do no wrong in their eyes. One skill that neither had to learn was to run from the Bulls. After learning who to run from and their way around Brooklyn both boys became experts at dodging. Slowly they became favorites of all the newsies, they were taught how to fight and how to play poker in time.
Their previous life was forgotten. Spot never told anyone why he had allowed them to stay or that they were his nephews. Life was good and everyone, even the older newsies, thought that life would never change. They had no idea how wrong they would be, or how much life could change in only one summer.