Sundays were lazy days for newsies. Many times if they had made enough the previous week they wouldn't even go out to sell. Very few papers ever sold, to many people were either sleeping off the previous night's hangover or were in church. But with headlines as good as the previous week has been many of the newsies decided to at least go out and sell a couple dozen papers.
Kit woke first as any other morning. After it hit her she was on the cot she lay looking at the ceiling contemplating the need to get up and sell. The previous night had drained her more than she had let on and she wondered if she would be able to actually keep her mind on the task at hand. She figured it was worth a try as she listened to other beginning to wake up.
The activity in the outer room soon became frenzied as more of the male newsies began to wake up. In what was quickly becoming the 'goils' room Jessie and her sisters were also waking up and getting ready. Jessie tried to keep them quiet when she saw Kit was still lying in bed. But Kit decided to prevent that and turned onto her side and slowly sat up, "Don't keep them quite cause of me, I was just getting up."
"You doing okay? Spot was really distracted yesterday, he said you had some stuff to work through." Jessie was curious.
"Yeah I am fine, I guess. Don't worry about it. So how did yesterday go? You sell anything with Spot teaching you?" Kit spoke as she got up and pulled on her pants and shirt.
"He's a good guy, I didn't realize having the girls with me was going to be such a benefit." Jessie said as she sat down to braid Becca's hair.
"Yeah little kids are a real good think to have. Rachel you want me to do your hair?" Kit turned to Rachel who nodded and plopped down in front staying very still. "So you given any thought to what you want to be called, or what we should call these two?"
"I don't like Inny but I can't think of anything else for me. Mama always called Becca Two Bit cause she is so small. And maybe Lacy for Rachel cause she is always wanting pretty things to wear." Jessie spoke as she tied off the ends of Becca's hair.
Kit sat thinking as she braided Rachel's blonde hair, "I know we can call you Tack."
Jessie looked skeptical, "Tack, umm why?"
"I don't know I think it works though. You seem to be pretty smart and always on top of stuff. What do you think?"
"Well it's better than Inny. I can live with Tack." She said after thinking about it. "Well Two Bit and me are ready to go."
"Well Lacy sure is, and I guess I am too." Kit stood up picking up her hat as she started for the door.
Spot was waiting out side for them. After grunting good morning to the girls he stayed back and motioned for Kit to do the same. As they walked out of the lodging house Spot began to talk in a low voice, "Youse forgot your notebook last night. Don't worry Ise didn't read it or anything. Youse sure about wanting to go sell?"
Kit stopped "I am going to sell. I am not some fragile piece of glass that's going to break in a moment. I'll be fine. I just had a bad day that's all."
Spot frowned, "Ise know youse ain't fragile but youse been through a lot in the past couple of days. Youse don't need to act like this. Ise sorry that Ise worried, but youse didn't seem to be okay last night. Youse never fallen asleep in the middle of a poker game."
His face reflected his concern, as Kit began to contemplate which emotion to follow out of the emotions swirling in her. She finally gave in to one emotion and stepped up to Spot and buried her face into his shoulder. Spot's arms came around automatically as Kit cried. The storm was over almost as soon as it started. Kit pulled back and wiped her eyes.
"Sorry about that. Now you are going to show up at the docks with a wet shirt." She gave him a watery smile.
"Yeah, well if we take any more wes gonna be the only ones there." He grabbed her hand and they went walking over to the distribution dock. Spot had been right almost everyone had gotten their papers. Bait had gotten Tack papers along with his, while Jolly had gotten a couple extra for Two Bit and Lacy. Spot went up with Kit and both bought their own papes and headed off for their respective spots.
Spot decided to let the girls sell off on their own, but told Jolly and Bait to keep an eye on them. The headline was the same as the night before and while Kit didn't like it she had to admit that it did sell papers. The day went by at a fast pace, papes sold quickly and it did give Kit and Tack a bit of time to talk.
Tack was in a mood to tease Kit, "So did that good morning kiss take longer than you thought?"
Kit barely flinched, even as she felt a blush spread. "Kiss what makes you think I got a good morning kiss?"
"Well two certain newsies were awful late at getting papes. Plus you came up holding his hand."
"We didn't kiss, we was just talking about some stuff." Kit denied. She quickly picked up her remaining papers and called out a headline, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Tack caught the hint and began to sell her remaining papers.
Tack's sisters sold well, preying on the sympathies of the older ladies, even better than the younger boys did, and by mid afternoon they were all done. By unanimous agreement they decided not to sell the afternoon edition and instead went to wander the park. None of the girls had ever been to Coney Island, so Bait and Jolly were eager to show off their favorite place on earth.
Two Bit and Lacy loved the park, and even though they didn't actually go on any of the ride or see any of the attractions up close, it was quite obvious they were enthralled. Tack wasn't as sure but she did find person watching to be a lot of fun.
Kit kept them entertained as they waited for Spot by telling hilarious stories about each passer by. "I bet that lady is some heiress, she has one, maybe two men on a string; but she is probably going to marry a rich prince from Norway or Germany."
This went on for a while until; "Kit tell us a story, please?" Two Bit climbed up onto the older girl's lap her face pulled into a "puppy dog" look.
Kit smiled than began a story...
Kit woke first as any other morning. After it hit her she was on the cot she lay looking at the ceiling contemplating the need to get up and sell. The previous night had drained her more than she had let on and she wondered if she would be able to actually keep her mind on the task at hand. She figured it was worth a try as she listened to other beginning to wake up.
The activity in the outer room soon became frenzied as more of the male newsies began to wake up. In what was quickly becoming the 'goils' room Jessie and her sisters were also waking up and getting ready. Jessie tried to keep them quiet when she saw Kit was still lying in bed. But Kit decided to prevent that and turned onto her side and slowly sat up, "Don't keep them quite cause of me, I was just getting up."
"You doing okay? Spot was really distracted yesterday, he said you had some stuff to work through." Jessie was curious.
"Yeah I am fine, I guess. Don't worry about it. So how did yesterday go? You sell anything with Spot teaching you?" Kit spoke as she got up and pulled on her pants and shirt.
"He's a good guy, I didn't realize having the girls with me was going to be such a benefit." Jessie said as she sat down to braid Becca's hair.
"Yeah little kids are a real good think to have. Rachel you want me to do your hair?" Kit turned to Rachel who nodded and plopped down in front staying very still. "So you given any thought to what you want to be called, or what we should call these two?"
"I don't like Inny but I can't think of anything else for me. Mama always called Becca Two Bit cause she is so small. And maybe Lacy for Rachel cause she is always wanting pretty things to wear." Jessie spoke as she tied off the ends of Becca's hair.
Kit sat thinking as she braided Rachel's blonde hair, "I know we can call you Tack."
Jessie looked skeptical, "Tack, umm why?"
"I don't know I think it works though. You seem to be pretty smart and always on top of stuff. What do you think?"
"Well it's better than Inny. I can live with Tack." She said after thinking about it. "Well Two Bit and me are ready to go."
"Well Lacy sure is, and I guess I am too." Kit stood up picking up her hat as she started for the door.
Spot was waiting out side for them. After grunting good morning to the girls he stayed back and motioned for Kit to do the same. As they walked out of the lodging house Spot began to talk in a low voice, "Youse forgot your notebook last night. Don't worry Ise didn't read it or anything. Youse sure about wanting to go sell?"
Kit stopped "I am going to sell. I am not some fragile piece of glass that's going to break in a moment. I'll be fine. I just had a bad day that's all."
Spot frowned, "Ise know youse ain't fragile but youse been through a lot in the past couple of days. Youse don't need to act like this. Ise sorry that Ise worried, but youse didn't seem to be okay last night. Youse never fallen asleep in the middle of a poker game."
His face reflected his concern, as Kit began to contemplate which emotion to follow out of the emotions swirling in her. She finally gave in to one emotion and stepped up to Spot and buried her face into his shoulder. Spot's arms came around automatically as Kit cried. The storm was over almost as soon as it started. Kit pulled back and wiped her eyes.
"Sorry about that. Now you are going to show up at the docks with a wet shirt." She gave him a watery smile.
"Yeah, well if we take any more wes gonna be the only ones there." He grabbed her hand and they went walking over to the distribution dock. Spot had been right almost everyone had gotten their papers. Bait had gotten Tack papers along with his, while Jolly had gotten a couple extra for Two Bit and Lacy. Spot went up with Kit and both bought their own papes and headed off for their respective spots.
Spot decided to let the girls sell off on their own, but told Jolly and Bait to keep an eye on them. The headline was the same as the night before and while Kit didn't like it she had to admit that it did sell papers. The day went by at a fast pace, papes sold quickly and it did give Kit and Tack a bit of time to talk.
Tack was in a mood to tease Kit, "So did that good morning kiss take longer than you thought?"
Kit barely flinched, even as she felt a blush spread. "Kiss what makes you think I got a good morning kiss?"
"Well two certain newsies were awful late at getting papes. Plus you came up holding his hand."
"We didn't kiss, we was just talking about some stuff." Kit denied. She quickly picked up her remaining papers and called out a headline, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Tack caught the hint and began to sell her remaining papers.
Tack's sisters sold well, preying on the sympathies of the older ladies, even better than the younger boys did, and by mid afternoon they were all done. By unanimous agreement they decided not to sell the afternoon edition and instead went to wander the park. None of the girls had ever been to Coney Island, so Bait and Jolly were eager to show off their favorite place on earth.
Two Bit and Lacy loved the park, and even though they didn't actually go on any of the ride or see any of the attractions up close, it was quite obvious they were enthralled. Tack wasn't as sure but she did find person watching to be a lot of fun.
Kit kept them entertained as they waited for Spot by telling hilarious stories about each passer by. "I bet that lady is some heiress, she has one, maybe two men on a string; but she is probably going to marry a rich prince from Norway or Germany."
This went on for a while until; "Kit tell us a story, please?" Two Bit climbed up onto the older girl's lap her face pulled into a "puppy dog" look.
Kit smiled than began a story...