"Alright, fellas, cancel all yer plans. Card game tahnight." Racetrack announced as he entered the cafeteria filled with hungry newsboys. "So, sell yer evenin' papes an' be back heah wit yer money at eight." In response, Racetrack received a few moans and groans of sorts, but the regular gambling boys rubbed their palms together in anticipation of their chance to defeat Race. When eight o'clock rolled around, Racetrack was looking dapper in his "formal" jacket that made him sweat in the heat of the summer lodging house. Hair cleanly combed and shirt properly tucked, the short boy looked the leadership position he had inherited. Racetrack strolled down the lodging house stairs to the lobby where the game was to be held. He sat on the dilapidated [Ooo, trite again!] couch and thought back to his encounter with Jack earlier that day. When Jack got married and with David gone, Racetrack had been the newsboy who most easily filled the leadership role in Lower Manhattan. In all honesty, the newsies in the lower portion of the island had never actually named a leader until the strike of '99, for there had been no need for one. Lower Manhattan did not deal with borough battles like Brooklyn did. This terrain was more peaceful and more for mediating disputes than for battling. Newsboys began to file into the lobby, their pockets jingling. The room was nearly as full as it could be come 8:10, but Race was awaiting the arrival of his angel. "Why ya so dressed up?" Crutchy asked. "What's wit dah jacket, Race?" Blink asked as he sat down beside his pal. Race looked at Blink, "Wanna look nice fer Spydah." Racetrack smiled as a bead of sweat rolled down his brow. The boys were getting antsy and Race worried his girl was not going to show. Those impatient boys and the ones who did not have any interest in gambling began leaving as discreetly as possible. Seeing this, Race decided not to put his boys through any further waiting. "Alright, who's feelin' lucky? We're gonna start wit five card draw pokah." Those who were ready to loose their change gathered near Racetrack while those unlucky-feeling boys scooted off to any spot with a view. Racetrack kept his eye on the door as he shuffled and dealt the cards. No sooner had the cards been distributed than Spyder's lanky figure walked through the door. Racetrack stood up, his cards falling to the table from his limp hand. Spyder recognized Race immediately. Racetrack looked around for a seat for Spyder. "Dat's her, ain't it?" Blink asked. "Yeah, Blink. Can ya scoot ovah so she can sit 'ere?" Race shoved his friend aside. The newsies' attention shifted to the dark-haired beauty that strolled toward Race. Most everyone agreed on how lovely she was and Skittery even had the nerve to try his luck with her. "Heya, gorgeous." He said as she walked by. "Sit down, Skittery." Mush scolded the boy from his seat with Lindsay on the stairway. "Sorry I'm late." Spyder said to Racetrack as she filled the seat beside him. "I'm jist glad ya came at all." Racetrack said, staring into Spyder's eyes and for a moment forgetting about the card game. "What are we playin'?" Spyder asked, breaking Racetrack's trance. Racetrack looked back at the boys around him holding cards. "Uh, five card draw, but we gotta redeal." Snoddy moaned at this, disappointed that his good hand was for nothing. The boys and few girls played many a game of cards. Racetrack was on a roll and had won two dollars thus far, Blink had gambled away his patch money, Mush refused to gamble in the presence of his lady, Crutchy had been sat on many a time, and Jack never showed up.