A few days passed and she finally went to Manhattan. Not knowing how
early Manhattan newsies got their papes; she got there at 5:15. She didn't
see any newsies so she just got her usual 75 papes. Her hair was in her hat
but the man giving her the papes still looked at her kind of funny.
Ignoring the look, she left and ran down the streets yelling headlines. She didn't know Manhattan that well. Besides looking for a place to stay, she hadn't ever been down in this area. Nonetheless, she got all her papes sold and went to a restaurant named Tibby's. Ordering a small lunch she saw a group of newsies walk in and sit down at a table.
After finishing her lunch, she went out and sold some more papes of the evening edition. As she was getting rid of some of her last papes, she saw two of the newsies from Tibby's coming towards her. One was a short guy that had a cigar dangling from his lips and the other one was taller and had a bandanna around his neck.
They closed in on her as she sold her last pape to a lady with her daughter. "You were the lone newsie at Tibby's weren't you?" she tried walking away from them before they got a good look at her but they grabbed her arms and yanked her back. Her hat fell off and her long black hair fell in her eyes, obscuring them from view.
"Well Race, looks like we gots ourselves a goil newsie." The taller one said.
"Wat's your name goil?" This was a little difficult to understand, owing to the fact that he had the cigar in his mouth.
"Why should I tell you?" she replied sassily.
"Cuz youse in our territory and we'll soak ya."
"Don't got a newsie name but my real name is Mel."
"Well with your dark hair youse can be Raven. Youse can come back to da lodging house wit us."
"I needed a place to stay. Thanks."
"Youse play pokah?" the one with the cigar asked.
"Yea, I've played a couple of times."
"Den let's get back to da lodging house" the taller one said. He took off briskly leaving Race to talk to Raven.
"I'se Race and dat's Jack or Cowboy." He paused, "Where ya from?"
"Brooklyn"
"You sold with the Brooklyn newsies? Jack why didn't we hear bout dis one?" he stopped and looked at her.
"I said I was from Brooklyn I didn't say I sold wit da Brooklyn newsies." She interrupted bitterly.
"Well why not? Youse can sell." Race asked.
"Tell that to Mr. All Mighty Conlon" she snarled. "They don't know I'se a goil either. Spot doesn't think goils can sell so I finally came here." Her tone softened as she got to the end.
"Hows ya know dat?" Jack called over his shoulder, but slowing to hear the answer.
"Heard him talking. Said dat goils can't be newsies. I want to prove him wrong." She answered matter-of-factly. The two finished selling their papes and then Jack led them towards the lodging house. They took a couple shortcuts through alleys and had Raven totally lost. Finally a building appeared with the words "Manhattan Newsboy's Lodging House".
Jack walked in first and went over to where a game of poker was being played. "Heya boys. Dis here is Raven. She's from Brooklyn. No tricks she's sold before." Race and Raven walked over to the boys playing.
"Hey, Race wanna play?" one of the guys asked. He had a small patch over one eye.
"Soah. Deal me an' Raven in." Race answered taking a seat. The boy replied by dealing them some cards. Tossing in some money, they each got another card. One guy folded and the rest laid their hands.
"T'ree of a kind. King high."
"One pair, no good."
"Full house." Race announced and reached for the pile.
"Royal flush" Raven reached around him and took the money.
"Well Race, not so cocky anymore are ya?" one of the boys called.
"Ah, be quiet or I'll soak ya. Bet ya can't do it again." He challenged Raven.
They played a few more rounds before everyone went to their own bunk. "Raven, you take da bunk empty bunk under Mush. He's da one next ta Race." Jack called.
"Thanks Jack." Taking her few belongings, she set them on her bed. Lying on an actual bed for the first time in years, she quickly fell asleep.
Ignoring the look, she left and ran down the streets yelling headlines. She didn't know Manhattan that well. Besides looking for a place to stay, she hadn't ever been down in this area. Nonetheless, she got all her papes sold and went to a restaurant named Tibby's. Ordering a small lunch she saw a group of newsies walk in and sit down at a table.
After finishing her lunch, she went out and sold some more papes of the evening edition. As she was getting rid of some of her last papes, she saw two of the newsies from Tibby's coming towards her. One was a short guy that had a cigar dangling from his lips and the other one was taller and had a bandanna around his neck.
They closed in on her as she sold her last pape to a lady with her daughter. "You were the lone newsie at Tibby's weren't you?" she tried walking away from them before they got a good look at her but they grabbed her arms and yanked her back. Her hat fell off and her long black hair fell in her eyes, obscuring them from view.
"Well Race, looks like we gots ourselves a goil newsie." The taller one said.
"Wat's your name goil?" This was a little difficult to understand, owing to the fact that he had the cigar in his mouth.
"Why should I tell you?" she replied sassily.
"Cuz youse in our territory and we'll soak ya."
"Don't got a newsie name but my real name is Mel."
"Well with your dark hair youse can be Raven. Youse can come back to da lodging house wit us."
"I needed a place to stay. Thanks."
"Youse play pokah?" the one with the cigar asked.
"Yea, I've played a couple of times."
"Den let's get back to da lodging house" the taller one said. He took off briskly leaving Race to talk to Raven.
"I'se Race and dat's Jack or Cowboy." He paused, "Where ya from?"
"Brooklyn"
"You sold with the Brooklyn newsies? Jack why didn't we hear bout dis one?" he stopped and looked at her.
"I said I was from Brooklyn I didn't say I sold wit da Brooklyn newsies." She interrupted bitterly.
"Well why not? Youse can sell." Race asked.
"Tell that to Mr. All Mighty Conlon" she snarled. "They don't know I'se a goil either. Spot doesn't think goils can sell so I finally came here." Her tone softened as she got to the end.
"Hows ya know dat?" Jack called over his shoulder, but slowing to hear the answer.
"Heard him talking. Said dat goils can't be newsies. I want to prove him wrong." She answered matter-of-factly. The two finished selling their papes and then Jack led them towards the lodging house. They took a couple shortcuts through alleys and had Raven totally lost. Finally a building appeared with the words "Manhattan Newsboy's Lodging House".
Jack walked in first and went over to where a game of poker was being played. "Heya boys. Dis here is Raven. She's from Brooklyn. No tricks she's sold before." Race and Raven walked over to the boys playing.
"Hey, Race wanna play?" one of the guys asked. He had a small patch over one eye.
"Soah. Deal me an' Raven in." Race answered taking a seat. The boy replied by dealing them some cards. Tossing in some money, they each got another card. One guy folded and the rest laid their hands.
"T'ree of a kind. King high."
"One pair, no good."
"Full house." Race announced and reached for the pile.
"Royal flush" Raven reached around him and took the money.
"Well Race, not so cocky anymore are ya?" one of the boys called.
"Ah, be quiet or I'll soak ya. Bet ya can't do it again." He challenged Raven.
They played a few more rounds before everyone went to their own bunk. "Raven, you take da bunk empty bunk under Mush. He's da one next ta Race." Jack called.
"Thanks Jack." Taking her few belongings, she set them on her bed. Lying on an actual bed for the first time in years, she quickly fell asleep.