Part 4: New and Old Ties
The group headed over to Tibby's. Yes, it was still the favorite to all the newsies in Manhattan. Crutchy offered to Jack again - that he could stay at the lodging house for as long as he's going to be in town. He refused, but after a lot of begging from Cricket and Doll Face, he decided to stay for at least a few days. They all walked into Tibby's. A round of enthusiastic greetings came from their comrades. They all sat at an empty booth in the corner. Hawkeye and Townshend grabbed two chairs to sit with them. A black headed boy that looked like an Italian and Greek mix strolled up to the table. His wicker hat had an ace of hearts stuck in the brim.
"Ain't you kinda old to be a newsboy?" he asked looking straight at Jack with a silly smirk on his face.
"Naw. I'm just joining to live the easy life" he replied.
The boy laughed a little. "Who is this wise guy?"
Out of all those years he lived in Santa Fe, Jack was never called a wise guy. But, he'd only been back in New York for a day, and he was already being called a "wise guy" again.
"This is Jack Kelly" Hawkeye answered him.
"The Jack Kelly? Really? Huh! Well, let me shake you hand, sir. I'm Kingpin." Kingpin stuck out his hand, and shook Jack's.
"Kingpin, heah, is the gambler. He's even good friends wit Racetrack Higgins" Hawkeye spoke up.
"Racetrack is still 'round?"
"Yeah, Jack. Race lives over by Coney Island now. Works at Sheepshend Races as an announcer."
"Well, I'm just gonna have to take a visit over to the Races then."
"Hey Kingpin! Are you in 'er not?!" someone called from a table across the restaurant.
"Course I'm in, Dice! Gotta go. Startin' a round a poker. See you later, Mr. Kelly." Kingpin walked off to a table across the room, and sat down next to a ash blonde haired girl.
"That voice would belong to me cousin, Reebecca "Dice" Adams" Hawkeye pointed out. Cricket rolled her eyes at the way he pronounced his cousin's name, Rebecca.
"I ain't shufflin' the cards wrong, woman!" They all heard Kingpin yelled as Dice scolded him. Townshend shook his head as the rest silently snickered to themselves.
By the time their food came, the restaurant was packed. Crutchy had left to go back to the lodging house, and Jack was left with the kids. Jack looked around at all the kids who had replaced his friends.
"So, all these kids live at the lodgin' house?" Jack asked curiously.
"Yeah" Townshend answered him.
"When did it become a co-ed place?"
"Bout six years ago" Doll Face said.
"I was the foist goil to live there" Cricket barged in.
"Geez…I wish it was co-ed when I was livin' there." The two girls blushed. Hawkeye and Townshend exchanged glances and smirks.
"I don't know 'bout that, Jack. These goils are pretty tough." Hawkeye ruffed Cricket 's hair.
"Hey! Stop that, Duncan!" She swotted his hand away.
Hawkeye slapped her lightly on the cheek. "Hey! Don't call me by me real name, Meery-Jane."
"Now you children play nice" Townshend interrupted, receiving a good-natured slap from both parties. They play slapped one another for a few minutes till they lost interest.
"So, who are all these kids?" Jack asked another question.
Cricket assumed the position of introducer. "Over there at that table…" She pointed to the table where a poker game was going on. "Y'know Kingpin an' Dice. The girl with the feather in her hair is Harlem. She's half Cherokee. Don't like to talk much. Actually, she don' talk to us at all."
"Legend has it, she broke a man's jaw once with one swipe" Doll Face cut in. Cricket gave her friend a dirty look, but went back to jabbering.
"Back to wha' I was sayin', that person sitting next to Harlem is - oh yeah, that ain't her real name - okay, those two guys sittin' by her is Troubleshooter and Luke. Trouble can sense trouble anywhere. That's how he got his name. He may look like a twig, but he is one of the best fighters in Manhattan. Luke is from Australia. He's a boxer. Only been heah a few months."
Cricket pointed to the small table by the wall. "The boy writin' on the napkin is Chronicles, and the one sittin' across from him yammerin' is Fox. He use to be a pickpocket, but changed when he joined the newsies. The girls playin' cards at that table are Mouse and Patchwork. Mouse is very religious and full blooded Irish. Patchwork is from Dallas, Texas. Use to live on a ranch. She wants to own her own one day.
"Those little kids over There are Waterbug, Jeannie, Inkblot, Stutters, Bolt, and Eight Ball." She pointed to each of them as she said their names. "Waterbug is our youngest. She got sick a few weeks ago. Thought she was gonna died, but she made it. Stutters hardly talks 'cause he stutters a lot. Bolt is the fastest kid in Manhattan. And Eight Ball is really good at playin' pool.
"Those idiots actin' stupid over there are Blotch and Slingshot. Blotch is our Mister gullible. He'll believe anything you say. Slingshot, he's the best sharpshooter since Spot Conlon.
"The girls in the corner gossiping is Dissy, Hoax, Respect, an' Raggedy Ann. She the one with the braids. She may look like a harmless little goil, but she's tough. Her twin brother is Eight Ball. Dissy is our yenta. Hoax is our storyteller. And Respect is, well, very tall.
"There in that corner is Binx - he's Jeannie's brother - Kuhn, and Peeler. That goil sittin' by her lonesome is Bally. Usually she'd be over heah with us, but we got in a argument last night. Hard feelin's, y'know. She don't like the be reminded of her past."
"Who doesn't?" Jack murmured where anyone could barely hear him. "So, who claims Brooklyn as there territory now? Wha' ever happen to Spot Conlon?" The kids exchanged looks then laughed. Jack's expression turned to confusion. "Wha'?"
"Sorry, Jack. Brooklyn just…I don't know how to explain it" Hawkeye said holding back a cackle. "Y'see, the leader a the Brooklyn newsies now is none other den Spot Conlon's little cousin, James "Cock of the Loft" Shiloh. Otherwise known as Cock Shiloh."
"He worst then Spot?"
"Worst? Ha! The guy is shorter, skinnier, and even more hardheaded then Spot Conlon. He'll soak you even if you look at him wrong. But, I've been friend with him for years. He's okay once you get use to him. And he can be a real soft-heart, but that's rare."
The bell over Tibby's door rang as a walking, talking stick walked in. All eyes turned then quickly deverted away from him. Hawkeye leaned in close to the table. "Speak a the devil."
The boy came strolling up casually to their table. "Heya Hawk, Doll, Townie, Janie."
"Cock, I told ya I don't want ya to call me Janie. If you're gonna greet me, either call me Cricket or Mary-Jane. If not, den don't bother greetin' at all."
Every eye grew wide at Cricket 's comment to the fierce leader of Brooklyn. Cock leaned in close to Cricket. She glared at Cock right in the eye. He gave her an evil look. The room was silent till Cock slapped his hand down on the table and ordered Cricket outside. She followed him out the restaurant. The room started mumbling and ran over to the window. Hawkeye just shrugged and laughed.
"Who you thinks gonna win?" Jack asked him. They didn't even bother to get up out their seats - they were sitting next to the window.
Hawkeye shook his head. "No ones gonna win. Those two do that all the time. Is a old routine between them. Y'see me, Townie, Cock, Meery-Jane, and Dice have been knowin' each other for a long time. We all have these 'tiffs' we get into that's been goin' on since we was kids. The rest of us know that they won't fight."
"That's not the case somethings, Hawk. Remember when Cock and Cricket got into it 'bout the toll?" Townshend said biasly.
"Yeah, but this is just for fun, Townie." They looked out the window. Cock glanced over at Hawk through the window with a broadening smirk. Hawkeye laughed again. "Those two." He went back to drinking his soft drink.
After a few minutes, the playful fight broke apart, and Cock and Cricket rejoined the table - introducing him to the famous Jack Kelly. Cock proclaimed his cousin, Spot Conlon was even more famous, but no one paid attention to him.
The door opened again featuring a happy looking couple. The room lit up as they were greeted with whistles and cat calls. Cricket turned - knowing exactly who it was.
"Well, if it ain't the matching set" she remarked with a wide grin.
"Why do you call them two the matchin' set?" Jack asked.
"Cause they always together. Well, most of the time anyways. You can't get one without the other, so they are the matchin' set."
The young couple shuffles over to their table.
"Heya guys. How ya been?" the boy said still holding on to the girl.
"Heya Cab. We're all fine" Hawk said leaning back in his chair. The girl on Cab's arms took one look at Jack and recognized him as the man who caught her stealing the night before. She quickly slipped away. "Cab, this is Jack Kelly. The 1899 strike leader."
"Good to meetcha." Cab shook Jack's hand. "I'm Cab Goyins and this is me goil, Chaos." He looked to his side. No one was there. "Where'd that goil go?"
Doll looked over at him. "Annie snuck off over there somewheres, Cab."
Cab shrugged. "Probably orderin' for us."
Jack stood up. "Listen, kids. I've had a good time, but I'm gonna go now."
"What?" Cricket exclaimed. "Why can't ya stay?"
"Don' worry. I'm comin' back to the lodgin' house later. You can introduce me to everyone den."
"Okay." Cricket slumped over, disappointed.
Jack walked out of Tibby's waving good-bye to his new friends. He peered around the street. It was still the busy, noisy, crowded place he had left. The kids, he thought, were great especially the girls who had moved into the lodging house. Too bad Ise not young anymore.
He strolled down the street, turning a corner. A familiar sight could his eye in front of him. A person handling a black cane was straight in front of him, sauntering casually.
Jack shook his head. "It can' be." He said to himself. He walked up to the person, and fell in step with him. The cane, the key around the neck, the powerful walk…yeah, that's him.
"Spot Conlon."
The person glared up at him with intense eyes. He stared at Jack confused for a second. "Jacky-Boy? Naw, can't be you!" Spot said, facing him.
"It's me. In the flesh."
"I can't believe you back."
The two old friends embraced, which was something Spot Conlon rarely did.
"Where you headed off to?" Jack asked as they started to walk again.
"Back ta Brooklyn. You wanna come?"
"Sure. I'm was just gonna walk 'round the city anyways. Why don't I do it wit someone I know."
Spot threw an arm around his old friend. "While we walk, you can tell me everything..."
The group headed over to Tibby's. Yes, it was still the favorite to all the newsies in Manhattan. Crutchy offered to Jack again - that he could stay at the lodging house for as long as he's going to be in town. He refused, but after a lot of begging from Cricket and Doll Face, he decided to stay for at least a few days. They all walked into Tibby's. A round of enthusiastic greetings came from their comrades. They all sat at an empty booth in the corner. Hawkeye and Townshend grabbed two chairs to sit with them. A black headed boy that looked like an Italian and Greek mix strolled up to the table. His wicker hat had an ace of hearts stuck in the brim.
"Ain't you kinda old to be a newsboy?" he asked looking straight at Jack with a silly smirk on his face.
"Naw. I'm just joining to live the easy life" he replied.
The boy laughed a little. "Who is this wise guy?"
Out of all those years he lived in Santa Fe, Jack was never called a wise guy. But, he'd only been back in New York for a day, and he was already being called a "wise guy" again.
"This is Jack Kelly" Hawkeye answered him.
"The Jack Kelly? Really? Huh! Well, let me shake you hand, sir. I'm Kingpin." Kingpin stuck out his hand, and shook Jack's.
"Kingpin, heah, is the gambler. He's even good friends wit Racetrack Higgins" Hawkeye spoke up.
"Racetrack is still 'round?"
"Yeah, Jack. Race lives over by Coney Island now. Works at Sheepshend Races as an announcer."
"Well, I'm just gonna have to take a visit over to the Races then."
"Hey Kingpin! Are you in 'er not?!" someone called from a table across the restaurant.
"Course I'm in, Dice! Gotta go. Startin' a round a poker. See you later, Mr. Kelly." Kingpin walked off to a table across the room, and sat down next to a ash blonde haired girl.
"That voice would belong to me cousin, Reebecca "Dice" Adams" Hawkeye pointed out. Cricket rolled her eyes at the way he pronounced his cousin's name, Rebecca.
"I ain't shufflin' the cards wrong, woman!" They all heard Kingpin yelled as Dice scolded him. Townshend shook his head as the rest silently snickered to themselves.
By the time their food came, the restaurant was packed. Crutchy had left to go back to the lodging house, and Jack was left with the kids. Jack looked around at all the kids who had replaced his friends.
"So, all these kids live at the lodgin' house?" Jack asked curiously.
"Yeah" Townshend answered him.
"When did it become a co-ed place?"
"Bout six years ago" Doll Face said.
"I was the foist goil to live there" Cricket barged in.
"Geez…I wish it was co-ed when I was livin' there." The two girls blushed. Hawkeye and Townshend exchanged glances and smirks.
"I don't know 'bout that, Jack. These goils are pretty tough." Hawkeye ruffed Cricket 's hair.
"Hey! Stop that, Duncan!" She swotted his hand away.
Hawkeye slapped her lightly on the cheek. "Hey! Don't call me by me real name, Meery-Jane."
"Now you children play nice" Townshend interrupted, receiving a good-natured slap from both parties. They play slapped one another for a few minutes till they lost interest.
"So, who are all these kids?" Jack asked another question.
Cricket assumed the position of introducer. "Over there at that table…" She pointed to the table where a poker game was going on. "Y'know Kingpin an' Dice. The girl with the feather in her hair is Harlem. She's half Cherokee. Don't like to talk much. Actually, she don' talk to us at all."
"Legend has it, she broke a man's jaw once with one swipe" Doll Face cut in. Cricket gave her friend a dirty look, but went back to jabbering.
"Back to wha' I was sayin', that person sitting next to Harlem is - oh yeah, that ain't her real name - okay, those two guys sittin' by her is Troubleshooter and Luke. Trouble can sense trouble anywhere. That's how he got his name. He may look like a twig, but he is one of the best fighters in Manhattan. Luke is from Australia. He's a boxer. Only been heah a few months."
Cricket pointed to the small table by the wall. "The boy writin' on the napkin is Chronicles, and the one sittin' across from him yammerin' is Fox. He use to be a pickpocket, but changed when he joined the newsies. The girls playin' cards at that table are Mouse and Patchwork. Mouse is very religious and full blooded Irish. Patchwork is from Dallas, Texas. Use to live on a ranch. She wants to own her own one day.
"Those little kids over There are Waterbug, Jeannie, Inkblot, Stutters, Bolt, and Eight Ball." She pointed to each of them as she said their names. "Waterbug is our youngest. She got sick a few weeks ago. Thought she was gonna died, but she made it. Stutters hardly talks 'cause he stutters a lot. Bolt is the fastest kid in Manhattan. And Eight Ball is really good at playin' pool.
"Those idiots actin' stupid over there are Blotch and Slingshot. Blotch is our Mister gullible. He'll believe anything you say. Slingshot, he's the best sharpshooter since Spot Conlon.
"The girls in the corner gossiping is Dissy, Hoax, Respect, an' Raggedy Ann. She the one with the braids. She may look like a harmless little goil, but she's tough. Her twin brother is Eight Ball. Dissy is our yenta. Hoax is our storyteller. And Respect is, well, very tall.
"There in that corner is Binx - he's Jeannie's brother - Kuhn, and Peeler. That goil sittin' by her lonesome is Bally. Usually she'd be over heah with us, but we got in a argument last night. Hard feelin's, y'know. She don't like the be reminded of her past."
"Who doesn't?" Jack murmured where anyone could barely hear him. "So, who claims Brooklyn as there territory now? Wha' ever happen to Spot Conlon?" The kids exchanged looks then laughed. Jack's expression turned to confusion. "Wha'?"
"Sorry, Jack. Brooklyn just…I don't know how to explain it" Hawkeye said holding back a cackle. "Y'see, the leader a the Brooklyn newsies now is none other den Spot Conlon's little cousin, James "Cock of the Loft" Shiloh. Otherwise known as Cock Shiloh."
"He worst then Spot?"
"Worst? Ha! The guy is shorter, skinnier, and even more hardheaded then Spot Conlon. He'll soak you even if you look at him wrong. But, I've been friend with him for years. He's okay once you get use to him. And he can be a real soft-heart, but that's rare."
The bell over Tibby's door rang as a walking, talking stick walked in. All eyes turned then quickly deverted away from him. Hawkeye leaned in close to the table. "Speak a the devil."
The boy came strolling up casually to their table. "Heya Hawk, Doll, Townie, Janie."
"Cock, I told ya I don't want ya to call me Janie. If you're gonna greet me, either call me Cricket or Mary-Jane. If not, den don't bother greetin' at all."
Every eye grew wide at Cricket 's comment to the fierce leader of Brooklyn. Cock leaned in close to Cricket. She glared at Cock right in the eye. He gave her an evil look. The room was silent till Cock slapped his hand down on the table and ordered Cricket outside. She followed him out the restaurant. The room started mumbling and ran over to the window. Hawkeye just shrugged and laughed.
"Who you thinks gonna win?" Jack asked him. They didn't even bother to get up out their seats - they were sitting next to the window.
Hawkeye shook his head. "No ones gonna win. Those two do that all the time. Is a old routine between them. Y'see me, Townie, Cock, Meery-Jane, and Dice have been knowin' each other for a long time. We all have these 'tiffs' we get into that's been goin' on since we was kids. The rest of us know that they won't fight."
"That's not the case somethings, Hawk. Remember when Cock and Cricket got into it 'bout the toll?" Townshend said biasly.
"Yeah, but this is just for fun, Townie." They looked out the window. Cock glanced over at Hawk through the window with a broadening smirk. Hawkeye laughed again. "Those two." He went back to drinking his soft drink.
After a few minutes, the playful fight broke apart, and Cock and Cricket rejoined the table - introducing him to the famous Jack Kelly. Cock proclaimed his cousin, Spot Conlon was even more famous, but no one paid attention to him.
The door opened again featuring a happy looking couple. The room lit up as they were greeted with whistles and cat calls. Cricket turned - knowing exactly who it was.
"Well, if it ain't the matching set" she remarked with a wide grin.
"Why do you call them two the matchin' set?" Jack asked.
"Cause they always together. Well, most of the time anyways. You can't get one without the other, so they are the matchin' set."
The young couple shuffles over to their table.
"Heya guys. How ya been?" the boy said still holding on to the girl.
"Heya Cab. We're all fine" Hawk said leaning back in his chair. The girl on Cab's arms took one look at Jack and recognized him as the man who caught her stealing the night before. She quickly slipped away. "Cab, this is Jack Kelly. The 1899 strike leader."
"Good to meetcha." Cab shook Jack's hand. "I'm Cab Goyins and this is me goil, Chaos." He looked to his side. No one was there. "Where'd that goil go?"
Doll looked over at him. "Annie snuck off over there somewheres, Cab."
Cab shrugged. "Probably orderin' for us."
Jack stood up. "Listen, kids. I've had a good time, but I'm gonna go now."
"What?" Cricket exclaimed. "Why can't ya stay?"
"Don' worry. I'm comin' back to the lodgin' house later. You can introduce me to everyone den."
"Okay." Cricket slumped over, disappointed.
Jack walked out of Tibby's waving good-bye to his new friends. He peered around the street. It was still the busy, noisy, crowded place he had left. The kids, he thought, were great especially the girls who had moved into the lodging house. Too bad Ise not young anymore.
He strolled down the street, turning a corner. A familiar sight could his eye in front of him. A person handling a black cane was straight in front of him, sauntering casually.
Jack shook his head. "It can' be." He said to himself. He walked up to the person, and fell in step with him. The cane, the key around the neck, the powerful walk…yeah, that's him.
"Spot Conlon."
The person glared up at him with intense eyes. He stared at Jack confused for a second. "Jacky-Boy? Naw, can't be you!" Spot said, facing him.
"It's me. In the flesh."
"I can't believe you back."
The two old friends embraced, which was something Spot Conlon rarely did.
"Where you headed off to?" Jack asked as they started to walk again.
"Back ta Brooklyn. You wanna come?"
"Sure. I'm was just gonna walk 'round the city anyways. Why don't I do it wit someone I know."
Spot threw an arm around his old friend. "While we walk, you can tell me everything..."
