Jack got back to the Lodging House as the sun was setting. He had spent most of the day with Dave and was exhausted from the heat. When he opened the lodging house door he was greeted with a wave of laughter. All of the newsies were sprawled out on the steps listening to Marble telling stories about the Brooklyn newsies. She was getting laughs even when the story wasn't supposed to be funny. Crutchy saw Jack standing in the doorway and hobbled over to talk to him.
"Dis goil is great. You wouldn't believe da stuff she knows about da boys ovah in Brooklyn. I's been laughin' all day. I sweah she's makin' half of it up."
Jack grinned and pointed up so Crutchy got a head start before he yelled, "Hey bummas, get outa da way I need to walk heah." He chased everyone upstairs before Kloppman could catch them blocking the stairs. Most of the boys were as tired as him and went straight to their beds but some of them started playing cards on the floor.
Marble was about to flop down onto her bed but a warning hiss from the pillow told her that the cat wasn't about to move for the likes of her. She sighed and sat on the floor to watch the poker game. A little while later she saw David and Les come into the room looking for Jack, who was up on the roof. Dave went out the fire escape and Les stayed in the room to watch the card game. After a few minutes he realized that he didn't understand it at all and got bored. Marble was watching him and waved him over when his attention started to wander.
"Hey. Les, right?"
"Yeah. Um, I'm sorry I don't remember your name."
"It's Marble and don't worry about it. Wanna sit down?" Les sat next to her and she started explaining how to play poker to him.
"It's a really boring game, isn't it?"
"I've always thought so."
Les yawned, "Where's Dave, I'm tired."
"He'll be back in soon don't worry. Do you want me to tell you a story while we wait?"
"Yeah!"
Some of the boys around the room looked up when she mentioned stories, "Ya know, Marble, I's don't think those stories are appropriate fa little kids."
"Race, I'm not tellin' him one of those, it's a bedtime story."
She sat Les on the foot of her bed and started telling him a fairytale that she made up as she went along. Most of the younger boys gathered around her bunk to listen. After a while the poker game ended and the older boys spread out around the room, but not so far away that they couldn't hear.
By the time Jack and Dave came back in everyone was listening to her. The older ones were pretending to sleep so they wouldn't look like they cared about some stupid children's story. Most of them hadn't had mothers to tell them stories so they appreciated it. By the time she had finished the story most of the newsies were in bed or sleeping on the floor. Even Jack looked tired where he stood leaning against a bedpost.
"Hey, Cowboy." Marble tried to keep quiet so she wouldn't wake anyone. "Maybe we should put these kids in bed."
Jack just nodded and started moving kids from the floor to the nearest open bunk. When he found Dave sleeping in a chair he laughed, "I's guess dese two is stayin' da night."
* * * Dave left early in the morning to tell his parents where he had been. Marble had woken up when he left so she was ready to leave also. She was sitting on her bed with her eyes closed, looking like she was sleeping. Racetrack came over and nudged her arm to wake her up. One eye opened, then the other.
"Yous commin' wit me an' Blink ta da track taday, lets go." He wasn't trying to be rude but he was in a hurry. They were half way down the block when Kid Blink caught up to them, "Race, I's gonna soak ya fa leavin' me again."
"Yous can only soak me if ya can catch me."
The two boys chased each other up and down the street, mock fighting whenever they got too close. They continued on with Marble walking behind them, stroking Ashes, until they came to the nuns. The boys instantly sobered as they got their breakfasts. They slowed down to walk by Marble, one on each side of her.
Race took off his hat and scratched his head, "So, um, is ya sick or sumptin'?"
"Why would I be sick?"
Blink answered, "Well yous always fallin' asleep and yous really pale."
"Well I can't help the way I look and I'm not usually sleeping, I'm just hungover."
"Oh, well I's noticed dat ya don't sound like yous from New Yawk eidah."
"That's because I'm not really from New York, I'm from lotsa places."
The way she said it ended that subject. Blink gave her a considering look and asked, "So, ya any good at sellin' papes?"
She smiled, "I'm better than you."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, I mean how can you sell papes when your so slow." She grabbed both their hats and took off running. The boys grinned at each other and took off after her.
* * * "Ten cents on Pips." Race, Blink and Marble had been at the track all day and after they finished selling their papers they had started looking at horses. Race had wanted to bet on a piebald in the second race but Marble had convinced him to go with a grey palomino called Pips. They went down to the track after placing the bet and Race warned Marble
"If ya wrong yous owe me a dime."
"Yeah well when I'm right your buyin' me dinner."
"Fine"
They shook on it just as the gates opened. Race shut his eyes and prayed, "I feel sick." Blink had the railing in a death grip and was jumping up and down yelling. Marble just smiled and watched the race.
Over the noise of screaming fans Race heard, "And out of nowhere Pips takes the lead and we have a winner!" His eyes popped open and he grabbed Marble in a bear hug.
"Yous gotta come ta da track wit me more often."
"Only if you keep buyin' me dinner."
* * *
At Tibby's that night Race was telling the story for the eighth time to another group of newsies who had just walked in. Jack, Marble and Blink were sitting in a booth in the back of the restaurant laughing.
"Each time he tells da story da horse gets fasta an' da bet gets bigga."
"I's was dere an' I don't remember any a dat happenin', how's about you Marble?"
She looked up from her plate, "Who cares what happened. He won and I get a free meal."
"All's ya evah think about is food an' sleep, ain't it goil?"
Spot Conlon had managed to come in unnoticed while everyone was listening to Racetrack's story about a flying horse and winning twenty dollars.
"Heya Jacky-boy. Hey Kid, how's ya treatin' da goil?"
He sat down in the booth next to Marble and put his arm around her shoulder. She looked at his hand for a second then tried to stab it with her fork but moved it away, smirking. "Maybe I's should say how da goil's treatin' you. She's still heah, but has she got in any fights yet?"
"Naw, what'd ya mean still heah?"
"Ya see dis kid ain't too reliable, she's always leavin' jist when ya need 'er."
She looked over and stuck her tongue out at him. Spot yelped and jumped out of his seat. The three newsies still sitting looked at him like he was crazy until they saw Ashes jump onto his seat from under the table with her claws still out. Spot glared at the cat then picked him up and sat down, with the Ashes now in his lap.
"Hey Dustball, how's it goin'?"
Ashes just stared at him until Spot started scratching him under the chin. He sat there playing with the kitten for while and listening to Race restart his story, but since Marble wasn't paying attention he tried to steal some of her food. Ashes meowed and Marble saw Spot reaching for her plate. He bounced out of his seat after being threatened with a fork again.
"Fine, keep ya food," he started walking towards the door, "Jist so's ya 'member da poker game's in two nights an' we needs ya dere or we's only gonna be takin' our own money."
"I remember an' don't worry we's gonna be dere."
Jack and Spot grinned at each other. Spot left the restaurant, winking at a table of girls by the door. Once he was outside they started whispering and giggling.
Blink glared after him, "Dat Spot Conlon's got half da goils in New Yawk afta' 'im."
"Yeah, and the other half's already had him or they're too scared of 'im to try."
"Which half are yous on?"
Marble just smiled at Blink and said, "I thought I told you, Kid, I ain't really from New York."