After several days, Sarah's life had settled down a little bit. She would
get up in the morning, get her breakfast with her new friends, the newises,
and then get her papers. Some days she would sell papers, or go and work at
Tibby's with Spadey. At night, she would return to the lodging house and,
depending on how late it was, she would stay up and play cards, or go to
bed.
As she tried to fall asleep, Sarah thought of her first night at the lodging house. She would have never guessed that girls stayed here, because the sign read "Newsboys' Lodging House." But there were so many people, and so many relationships. Jack, or Cowboy, was their leader, his girl was Mask. Mask's best friend was Slash, who was Dutchy's girl. Slash, didn't get along with Jack, Racetrack, Mush or Spot. Racetrack's girl was Moneybags, who had a sister Hothead. They didn't get along at all, at least that's what Sarah was told. But so far they seemed okay with each other. Moneybags didn't get along with Skittery or Spot. Skittery was single, so was Mush, Kid Blink, and Jack's friend Davey. Supposedly he was a newsie, but still went to school and sold papers after school.
Specs and Spadey were together, and so were Books and Snoddy. Spot, the leader of Brooklyn, had a girl who floated between Manhattan and Brooklyn, Bitter. Feisty was Snitch's girl, and Princess was Swifty's girl.
Sarah sighed, as she closed her eyes, on her bunk. It was late, and she knew hat she should have probably skipped the poker game that night. She twirled her cross around her finger one more time, took a last look at her surroundings, and fell fast asleep.
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The next morning, Kloppman entered the girl's room. "Books! Get up! Feisty, you too! C'mon, you'se ain't got all day!" Kloppman went over to where Moneybags and Princess slept. "Get up, get up! Hothead, I ain't waking ya up again." Getting his broom, he started to poke Hothead. As she opened her eyes, he went to the other side of the room. "Slash an' Mask, you'se up? I'se still gotta wake up da boys. Dats da hard job. Now you goils, stay up! I can't come back in 'ere again, alight?" after he was satisfied with some of the girls getting out of their bunks, he left the room, this time heading to the boys' room.
"Hey, anybody wake up Sarah?" Moneybags asked, stumbling out of her top bunk.
"I'll wake 'er up!" Slash was already filling a cup with water.
"You're so mean, Slash." Books rolled out of bed. "Not on her first week here. Wait a while!" heading to Sarah's bunk, Books called out, "Hey Sarah," she shook her. "you gotta wake up now! Time to sell da papes!"
"Huh?" came the muffled reply from the bed. "Oh! god, I'm sorry!" Sarah sat up and got out of bed. "I'm sorry, thanks Books!"
"Don't mention it."
"'Don't mention it' she says." Feisty grumbled. "She only saved ya from an' untimely death, Sarah"
"An untimely death?" Came Sarah's echo, who was puzzled at the moment.
"Don't worry bout 'er." Moneybags said as she made her way to the washroom. "Dey's just kiddin' wit each oddah."
Feisty smiled. "Sarcasm, its a way o' life 'round here."
"C'mon goils! Enough talkin'! did anybody rememba da bet dat we made wit Jack last night?" Princess yelled, trying to get the girls to move it. "If we'se gonna win dat bet, den we betta hurry!!!"
"What bet?" Hothead was wide-awake now, getting ready by her bunk.
"We made it when you was asleep last night, Hothead. Jack bet Princess two bits that he could have his guys ready b'fore Princess had 'er goils ready." Spadey explained.
"Ohh, so if I took a really long time gettin' ready, den Princess would be really mad, wouldn't she?" Hothead was already trying people's patience, and the morning hadn't even really begun.
"No, I ast Jack about it last night, an' he said you didn't count" Mask walked over to the door, "I'se ready."
"Yeah, me too" Mask's other half, Slash came over and joined her by the door.
Within the next few minutes, all the girls, including Hothead were ready, and they made their way down the stairs and waited by the door. Not long after, all of Jack's boys came down the stairs, in a hurry.
"Goils, when dey walk by," Moneybags whispered, "point an' laugh, okay?" But much to her disappointment, as the boys walked by and she laughed, nobody else did. The boys turned and looked at her. "What?" Moneybags said innocently. "It was her idea!" Moneybags pointed to Hothead, but couldn't keep a straight face and started to laugh, which cause everybody else to laugh.
And on that note, everybody walked out and headed for the World Distribution Office. Princess caught up with Jack on their way, and friendly put her arm around his shoulder. "So, Jack, where's me two bits?"
Jack hoped that she forgot about that, but seeing how he wasn't going to get away with it, he turned around to find Race. "Race?"
"Yeah?" Came his reply.
"Can ya spot me two bits?"
"Jack," Race started, "can't ya see I'm a lil bit busy heah?" he motioned to Moneybags. "I don't got any ta spare. Why don't you ask Moneybags? She's da one wit da money."
"True true," Jack called over his shoulder. "Be right back Princess, with your two bits" So he went back and put his left arm around Moneybags. "So, Moneybags, me pal ... how's it been?"
"Here." Moneybags put two bits in Jack's hand.
"T'ank you so much! If Race weren't here and I didn't have a goil, I'd kiss ya."
"Jack," Moneybags pointed to an impatiently waiting Mask. "you see 'er? Go!!!" Focusing her attention back to Race, "Now, what were you saying, Race?"
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As she tried to fall asleep, Sarah thought of her first night at the lodging house. She would have never guessed that girls stayed here, because the sign read "Newsboys' Lodging House." But there were so many people, and so many relationships. Jack, or Cowboy, was their leader, his girl was Mask. Mask's best friend was Slash, who was Dutchy's girl. Slash, didn't get along with Jack, Racetrack, Mush or Spot. Racetrack's girl was Moneybags, who had a sister Hothead. They didn't get along at all, at least that's what Sarah was told. But so far they seemed okay with each other. Moneybags didn't get along with Skittery or Spot. Skittery was single, so was Mush, Kid Blink, and Jack's friend Davey. Supposedly he was a newsie, but still went to school and sold papers after school.
Specs and Spadey were together, and so were Books and Snoddy. Spot, the leader of Brooklyn, had a girl who floated between Manhattan and Brooklyn, Bitter. Feisty was Snitch's girl, and Princess was Swifty's girl.
Sarah sighed, as she closed her eyes, on her bunk. It was late, and she knew hat she should have probably skipped the poker game that night. She twirled her cross around her finger one more time, took a last look at her surroundings, and fell fast asleep.
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The next morning, Kloppman entered the girl's room. "Books! Get up! Feisty, you too! C'mon, you'se ain't got all day!" Kloppman went over to where Moneybags and Princess slept. "Get up, get up! Hothead, I ain't waking ya up again." Getting his broom, he started to poke Hothead. As she opened her eyes, he went to the other side of the room. "Slash an' Mask, you'se up? I'se still gotta wake up da boys. Dats da hard job. Now you goils, stay up! I can't come back in 'ere again, alight?" after he was satisfied with some of the girls getting out of their bunks, he left the room, this time heading to the boys' room.
"Hey, anybody wake up Sarah?" Moneybags asked, stumbling out of her top bunk.
"I'll wake 'er up!" Slash was already filling a cup with water.
"You're so mean, Slash." Books rolled out of bed. "Not on her first week here. Wait a while!" heading to Sarah's bunk, Books called out, "Hey Sarah," she shook her. "you gotta wake up now! Time to sell da papes!"
"Huh?" came the muffled reply from the bed. "Oh! god, I'm sorry!" Sarah sat up and got out of bed. "I'm sorry, thanks Books!"
"Don't mention it."
"'Don't mention it' she says." Feisty grumbled. "She only saved ya from an' untimely death, Sarah"
"An untimely death?" Came Sarah's echo, who was puzzled at the moment.
"Don't worry bout 'er." Moneybags said as she made her way to the washroom. "Dey's just kiddin' wit each oddah."
Feisty smiled. "Sarcasm, its a way o' life 'round here."
"C'mon goils! Enough talkin'! did anybody rememba da bet dat we made wit Jack last night?" Princess yelled, trying to get the girls to move it. "If we'se gonna win dat bet, den we betta hurry!!!"
"What bet?" Hothead was wide-awake now, getting ready by her bunk.
"We made it when you was asleep last night, Hothead. Jack bet Princess two bits that he could have his guys ready b'fore Princess had 'er goils ready." Spadey explained.
"Ohh, so if I took a really long time gettin' ready, den Princess would be really mad, wouldn't she?" Hothead was already trying people's patience, and the morning hadn't even really begun.
"No, I ast Jack about it last night, an' he said you didn't count" Mask walked over to the door, "I'se ready."
"Yeah, me too" Mask's other half, Slash came over and joined her by the door.
Within the next few minutes, all the girls, including Hothead were ready, and they made their way down the stairs and waited by the door. Not long after, all of Jack's boys came down the stairs, in a hurry.
"Goils, when dey walk by," Moneybags whispered, "point an' laugh, okay?" But much to her disappointment, as the boys walked by and she laughed, nobody else did. The boys turned and looked at her. "What?" Moneybags said innocently. "It was her idea!" Moneybags pointed to Hothead, but couldn't keep a straight face and started to laugh, which cause everybody else to laugh.
And on that note, everybody walked out and headed for the World Distribution Office. Princess caught up with Jack on their way, and friendly put her arm around his shoulder. "So, Jack, where's me two bits?"
Jack hoped that she forgot about that, but seeing how he wasn't going to get away with it, he turned around to find Race. "Race?"
"Yeah?" Came his reply.
"Can ya spot me two bits?"
"Jack," Race started, "can't ya see I'm a lil bit busy heah?" he motioned to Moneybags. "I don't got any ta spare. Why don't you ask Moneybags? She's da one wit da money."
"True true," Jack called over his shoulder. "Be right back Princess, with your two bits" So he went back and put his left arm around Moneybags. "So, Moneybags, me pal ... how's it been?"
"Here." Moneybags put two bits in Jack's hand.
"T'ank you so much! If Race weren't here and I didn't have a goil, I'd kiss ya."
"Jack," Moneybags pointed to an impatiently waiting Mask. "you see 'er? Go!!!" Focusing her attention back to Race, "Now, what were you saying, Race?"
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