When we walked into the Lodging House, the boys had either been talking about all of us, one of us, or they'd been holding their breath while we were gone, because it was silent when we walked in, and they all started talking at once.
"Hea' Lynn. Dry youself off, " one of the boys handed me a surprisingly dry towel.
"Thanks!" I said happily, as I tousled my hair and dried my face. I unbraided my hair and ran my fingers through it. The rain had gotten it wet, and it was almost like washing my hair. I knew it would dry straight. Wouldn't it be interesting if I left it down when I was selling the next day? People would have the funniest reactions! They probably wouldn't buy any papes though, because they'd think I was insane.
"Lynn, you ain't gonna sleep in dem clothes, are ya?" asked a voice behind me.
I didn't turn to see who is was, but answered, "I dunno, maybe if dey dry off enough by da time I's goin' ta bed." I said, and with that stood up and started spinning around in circles with my arms out to the sides. All the guys turned to stare. "I's tryin' ta dry off, jus' 'cause youse all dry an' stuff don't mean nuttin!" I said, still spinning. A few of the guys turned away, but most of them kept watching me.
Race asked, "uh Lynn, is that acshully helpin'?"
I answered, "Yeah." It was helping, not much, but to some extent the air rushing past was helping. I continued spinning as I tried to think of new ways of how better to dry off. I didn't really want to borrow someone's clothes, but that was probably my best option. I couldn't sleep in my wet clothes, and I certainly couldn't sleep in my wet clothes.
I also couldn't spin all night long.
I stopped spinning, and almost fell over. The room spun around me, and I sat on my bed. Then I laid down and closed my eyes until the sensation of spinning around the room had passed. Then I sat up and got up. I didn't want my bed to be all wet later, even if I was. A boy came over to me from across the room. He had blond hair and a patch over one eye. Briefly I wondered about that, but I guessed it didn't matter. He touched my shoulder.
"Youse still all wet, an' I's got some clothes youse can borrow. It'll be a litta' big, but betta' den bein' all wet." I thought about it. He was being really nice, and I wanted some dry clothes very badly. Besides, I couldn't wear what I was wearing to bed, or anywhere else. Besides, he was right about the size. Yeah, he was quite a bit taller than me but no heavier, really.
"Do ya realize how nice dat would be 'a ya? I don't even know your name!" I exclaimed, very sweetly. He smiled brightly. I swear, one of the requirements to be a newsie has to be that you have a great smile, or are incredibly cute. Or both. And you have to be really nice too.
"Lynn, youse can call me Blink. I's gonna be right back." He came back with a pair of kneepants and a shirt. I thanked him, smiled, and went into the washroom to change. First I dried off, then I put on Blink's clothes. They were pretty much exactly like mine. I draped the towel around my shoulders, under my hair, so that I wouldn't get my dry clothes wet if my hair dripped on them.
I stepped out of there, after hanging my wet clothes over a chair, and Blink laughed. "She's lookin' jus' like me." He said. Well, I didn't, but I guess he could say whatever he wanted. I did a ridiculous looking curtsy, which I'd never tried before, and in pants too. Well, let's just say that Blink and I weren't the only ones laughing.
"Did youse all laugh so hard before I came?" I asked, laughing. They only laughed harder, probably meaning that they didn't. I wasn't afraid of the pelting rain, or the crashing thunder, or the flashing lightning anymore, because there were too many wonderful people in the Newsboys' Lodging House, where I, Lynn, a "Newsgirl", stayed.
I had a slight headache from the day, so I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes. I coughed a little bit, but whatever. I noticed that the boys in the room were a little edgy, because they all looked at me, concerned for coughing. I blew it off, I'd coughed many times before. That was one of the only good things about living alone in the streets. No one worried about you. Actually, that was probably a minus. I loved being loved, and cared about. Even if it was by a bunch of boys, because they were much nicer than anyone else I'd ever known.
I fell fast asleep in a few minutes, even though the lights were still on, and it wasn't quiet. The next morning, I could not wake up. When Kloppman came into the room to scream wake up calls at us, I opened my eyes briefly to satisfy him, but after he left I shut them again. Race came over to my bed.
"Is dere somethin' wrong Lynn? Youse always da foyst one up, an' now everyone else but youse up!"
I quietly said, "I don't feel too well, Race." He looked at me, and put his hand on my face.
"Youse feelin' warm. Youse pretty white too. I dunno what I's s'posed ta do, but ya ain't gonna go out dere ta sell papes today." He looked across the room, thinking. "Where's yer money? I'll get someone else ta sell yer papes."
I told him it was in the pocket of my kneepants, and that they were on the chair in the other room. "There's four pennies." I added. Race walked out of the room, and I could hear him talking to the boys about me. He told them I wasn't feeling well, and that I couldn't sell today. Jack offered to sell my papes for me. That was good to know, because Jack was the best newsie (at least that's what I'd heard), and he'd be sure to get me eight cents by the end of the day. A few of the boys came into the room and over to my bed. Several of them put their hands on my face, and were talking, but I fell fast asleep then. When I woke up, everyone was gone. I looked around the room. My movement caught the attention of the one person left in the room, who I hadn't noticed before. "Hey Lynn, youse awake." Said a voice. I looked up to see a boy coming over to me. I didn't know who it was. He put his hand on my face.
"Youse still warm Lynn, I dunno what I's s'posed ta do. I mean, I's no nurse or nuttin." I nodded, unable to speak. I shivered. "Ya cold?" he asked. I nodded. He grabbed a blanket off another bed and put it over mine. I nodded a thank you. "By da way, youse can call me Skittery." He said, smiling. The name was funny, but I didn't laugh, because I couldn't, but I did smile. Skittery looked up, and stepped out the door. He was talking to someone else out there, and then Jack stepped into the room.
"Hey Lynn, I's heard youse awake." He said, smiling. I nodded. "Um, can't you talk?"
I nodded, and then said, "a little," barely squeaking out the words. He laughed quietly.
"Well, I don't know nuttin' 'bout nursin' so I's brought me friend, Sarah Jacobs, ova'." He turned and opened the door. A tall girl stepped in, with straight brown hair quite a bit shorter than mine.
"Ya remembers David, right?" Jack asked. I nodded. He smiled and said, "well, dis is 'is sista'." I smiled at her (so did Jack), and she came over to me.
"Your name is Lynn, right?" She asked.
I nodded, and then whispered, "Youse got an accent." She laughed like crazy, and so did Jack. I just got an expression of bewilderment on my face. I didn't see what was so funny, but I guess it didn't matter.
It was very interesting to hear a female voice, and to have another female presence in that room. She leaned over my bed and put her hand on my forehead, and then my cheek. Then she touched Jack's forehead, so she could compare. He looked like he was the smartest person in the world or something, for having brought Sarah to me. I think he had a little bit of a lovestruck look on his face, which struck me as being very strange. I didn't really care though.
She told Jack to go and get a towel, get it wet, squeeze all the water out and then give it to her. He went away, and she started to talk to me.
"So, how did you become a newsie?" She asked me. I nodded, and then said,
"Jack." She looked at me strangely and then said,
"Oh! I forgot you couldn't talk much. So Jack took you here?" I nodded. "You seem to like it a lot." I nodded. "Are the boys nice to you?" I nodded.
Jack returned, carrying a towel. Sarah folded it into a thin rectangle shape, and put it on my forehead. It felt very nice and cool. She told Jack to do that every ten minutes or so, to re-wet the cloth and put it on my forehead again. She said that it would help me with my fever, and that was what was making me feel sick.
I closed my eyes and laid there. Sarah left, and I was already feeling more comfortable. The cloth got warm very quickly, and I picked it up and flipped it over. That was better. I felt extremely self-conscious. Was Jack sitting there watching me? If he was, I didn't want to look stupid. How many people had sat there and watched me sleep earlier that day? I didn't know, and didn't care. I fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was early the next morning. I didn't know how early, but I knew I felt so much better. I still had a headache, and a slight cough, but I felt much better.
I decided that day I would sell my own papes. I went into the washroom and changed into my own clothes. The air was cold, and so were my clothes, stiff from drying, but it was nice to wear my own stuff. I folded Blink's shirt and kneepants up nicely and set them next to his bed. No one else was awake yet, and I wondered just how early it was. It didn't really matter.
I went back into the washroom and ran my fingers through my hair. It was a really big mess of tangles, because I hadn't braided it the day before and I'd slept on it with it all down. I took the towel off the floor by my bed and rinsed it out, and hung it over the chair in there. I thought about whether to braid my hair or not that morning. I decided to wait, and I'd ask the boys what they thought. Not that they'd be any help, but I might as well ask them. I put my hat on, with my hair still down, and washed my face and hands. The cool water felt good on my still-warm skin, but I couldn't make those boys wait up for me all day today, and I felt so much better than the day before. I heard Kloppman yelling at the boys to wake up, so I didn't think I'd been up too early.
One of the boys said, "Hey, where's Lynn?"
Someone else said, "she must be feelin' betta' an' she's in da washroom gettin' ready. Youse know she's always up before us." I laughed and came out and straightened my bed. Then I sat down on it, cross-legged, and looked at the guys.
" 'Ey, Jack, youse gots me eight cents dat youse got for me yestaday?"
He smiled at me with his eyes still closed and said, "well, I's gonna give'm ta ya, but not right now. Youse de only one truly awake." I laughed, and thought about getting a wet towel to splash them with, but decided that just because I'd rested all day yesterday doesn't mean they weren't walking all over New York with a stack of heavy papes.
I sat there, trying to be patient, and after a while they started to get up. I followed Jack around until he gave me my money. "Thanks Jack!" I said, after he gave it to me. Then I turned around and gave it back to him, saying, "Youse gotta buy me papes today, 'cause I can't do it, Weasel's too stupid." He pocketed my money, laughing, and then I raced out the door ahead of everyone on my way to the newspaper place.
I got very tired though, very quickly, and stopped, leaning against a wall, waiting for the others to catch up. I led the group and walked over to where all the newsies came out after they sold their papes, waiting for Jack to come out. He did, and handed me my eight papes. I decided to stay around the area I was in that day, and not to go anywhere where I couldn't see the newspaper stand. That way I wouldn't get lost. I went up to the corner of the street where I saw a couple of people walking by.
"Sir, Ma'am, will ya please buy me pape?" The man shrugged me off. "Please, ma'am, lots of good news!" She looked at me very strangely. "Um, young lady, why are you selling newspapers?" "Please ma'am, it's only a penny for all da important news ya needs ta know." I showed her the newspaper. "Oh, I'll buy it." She said, looking at me strangely. I burst into a fit of coughing, so she pressed the penny into my hand and took the newspaper. "Thank you ma'am." I said as she walked away.
My illness was good for business. I managed to sell all but one of my papes in a few hours, and I was very tired of all the walking. I wasn't perfectly well yet, and I still coughed once in a while, but that did help to sell the papes sometimes.
I sat down on the curb for a while, just watching people go by. Not too many people stopped to stare at me, so I figured that the fact my hair was down didn't disturb them anymore then when I had it in braids. I saw a girl who looked to be a few years older than me, walking with a little boy, who was dressed like a newsie. This was interesting.
I walked up to her, "please miss, buy me last pape?" She stared at me, wide eyed. She looked at my hat, my hair, and then her eyes locked on mine. She couldn't believe me, I could tell. I'd seen the look before.
"Why are you selling newspapers in the streets like a newsboy?" She asked disdainfully.
"I ain't a newsboy, youse should be able ta see dat. I's a goyl, and I's called a newsie. It's an honest livin'. Did you woyk for da money dat youse got?"
The little boy spoke up, "Are you Lynn?" He asked. I was startled.
"How did youse know my name?" I asked him, staring at him with my blue- gray eyes. He stared back. "My brudda told me 'bout ya. Youse dat goyl who lives wit' da newsies in da Lodgin' House. Youse met my brudda. I'm Les, his name's Davy. He's olda'." I looked down at the little boy.
"No kiddin'." I said. Then I stared at the girl, "but, youse ain't, I mean, how do you know David? You ain't 'is sista'. I met 'er, an' besides, youse don't look like eda' of 'em." And she didn't. She had blondish brown hair that was cut just below her ears, and light hazel eyes. Her face was small and roundish, and she was a few inches taller than me. She was very pretty, with her hair brushed back beautifully and her eyes large and bright. However, she was looking at me with a skeptical glare, as if she still couldn't believe who I was.
"Is dere a problum, miss?" I asked, giving her my meanest glare.
"Yes, LYNN, in fact there is."
"Well, what's da problum, I's waitin'." I responded.
"Why would anyone choose to become a newsboy."
"How many times do I's gotta say I's no newsboy. Look at me, do youse thinks I's a boy or somethin'?" The girl's skeptical look remained on her face.
"But, but, but why?" She asked.
I replied, "I likes bein' a newsie. It sure beats livin' all alone in da streets 'a New Yawk, dat's for sure."
She looked puzzled, and then, "Why would you be living all alone in the streets of New York. Aren't there places for children to stay?" She asked, bewildered.
"I's neva', eva' gonna stay in one a dem crooked operations. Youse gotta undastand dat dey's some 'a da worst places in New Yawk, run so badly." She stared at me.
"I guess that's why you became a newsboy then." Ahhh... someone make her stop saying I'm a newsboy. Everyone else could tell I was a girl, even her, so what was her problem?
"Oh for da hundredth time! I's NOT a newsboy. Look at me! And don't say that anymore!" She said something to Les, who obediently turned and walked home. She smiled at me.
"Walk with me, and talk with me." I was the skeptical one this time, she changed her opinion of other people very quickly. Oh well, what could I lose? She didn't look like she'd be able to hurt me or anything. I started to follow her on a walk around the area. I still made sure that wherever we went, I could still see the newspaper selling place.
She was about to turn away from the place, and I stopped her, "how's 'bout we's goin' ta da place I lives." I suggested, and then, "I don't even know yer name."
"Carol. Carol Jacobs." "So youse Davy's sista'? I only thought 'e 'ad one, and 'er name's Sarah." I said, confused. "No, I'm, umm, visiting your friends here in New York." That was sad. I was hoping we could be friends. She was very nice, even if she was disdainful of newsies and my clothes.
"Oh. I was hopin' dat youse were gonna stay 'ere, 'cause I's thinkin' dat we could be friends. I's lookin' for anudda goyl to talk ta."
"Why do you talk so funny?" Carol wrinkled her nose.
"Why do I talks funny? Youse da one dat talks funny." We looked at each other and laughed.
We started to walk back to the Lodging House. When we did get there, I could tell Carol didn't want to go in. "Newsboy's Lodging House?" She read, "why would you want to stay with a bunch of boys? And not to mention, you do seem to think that you are a newsboy because that's what it says above the door."
I looked at her and laughed, "Carol, it ain't so bad ta live wit' da guys. Dey's real nice. I's bettin' dat none 'a dem are in dere right now anyway, so's youse can come in an' see." She sort of winced as I opened the door and stepped in.
I turned around and nearly slapped her playfully on the face, before realizing she would probably take that the wrong way. I guess she'd probably think that I was mad at her or something.
"Hey, c'mon in. Dere's no one else here, so's youse don't gotta be 'fraid 'a da guys." I held the door open for her and watched her pick up her skirts and walk in. I motioned for her to sit down on my bed. She looked at it, and proceeded to brush it off before she sat down. "Carol! Dere's nuttin' wrong wit' dis 'ere bed! It happens to be mine, so's if youse afraid of da boys den youse ain't gotta worry 'bout nuttin."
She gingerly tucked her skirts up and sat down. "You wanna see everythin' I owns?" I asked, she nodded. "Da clothes I's wearin', dese here fifteen pennies, an' dis pape. Which youse still 'aven't bought from me. Please buy me last pape?"
She looked at me funny, "once a newsboy, always a newsboy." She murmured.
"What are youse talkin' 'bout?" I exclaimed, "I's still a newsie! And for the hundredth, millionth time... I AM NOT A NEWSBOY!"
She laughed at me, "you are so funny, Lynn." She made me mad, but still, she was a very nice person. I hoped we could be friends.
I told her, "the boys could come back at any time, you know." She got a startled expression on her face and I heard a noise outside the door. I was worried too. The boys probably would not react well to Carol's 'hoity-toity'-ness. I heard a sound at the door, and the color drained from my face. I didn't know what I was going to say. Race and Jack walked in, talking about I don't know what. They stopped when they saw me. No, they stopped when they saw Carol. The startled expressions on their faces told me that they probably didn't like her much.
"Uhh... hi. Lynn, who's this?" Said Race, I answered in a shaky way.
" 'Er name's Carol, an' she's visitin' da Jacobses 'ere." I smiled but sort of shakily, because I didn't know what they'd think of me bringing in Carol, who was being extremely unfriendly.
"Not anudda goyl!" Jack exclaimed.
I laughed at him, "she AIN'T gonna be no newsie." I smiled sheepishly at Carol, who was looking extremely prim and was really getting rather irritating. Still, I couldn't just turn around and tell her to quit acting so proper, and so much better than everyone else, because I had a feeling that wouldn't go over well with anyone in the room. I wanted her to say something. She was just sitting there.
I pleaded with my eyes to the boys, and Race turned to Carol, "how ya likin' New Yawk?" he asked, she looked at him,
"I like the city, it's all right." She said, still acting very indifferent, "but living with the Jacobs' is making me absolutely wild." She scowled at the wall behind Jack. I didn't know what to say. Obviously neither did Jack or Race because they just stood there looking at her. Carol turned to me, "but that is nothing for you to worry over, Lynn, and nothing for either of you two boys to worry over either, because I am going home soon anyway."
I blushed, "Carol, I didn't introduce ya ta dese guys. This is Jack and this is Race."
She made a startled face, "umm.. hello Jack and, um.. Race." She said, blushing as she spoke.
"What's da matta wit' ya?" I asked her, she glared at me. I decided to ask her about that another time.
"Well, I must be going, Lynn, and umm.. Jack. I'll probably see you somewhere again. Bye." She sort of whisked her way out the door. I turned to the guys and blushed.
"Umm.. I's real sorry ya guys." I said, "she was talkin' ta me, an' I was 'fraid I's gonna get lost if we kept on walkin' where we was, so I took 'er back 'ere. I didn't know youse were gonna come!" I was talking too fast, and knew it, but that was not the matter. Race was staring at me, Jack was staring at me too.
"It's awright, Lynn." Jack said, almost laughing.
"Yeah, don't worry 'bout nothin'. What was 'er name again?" Race asked, interested. It was my turn to stare.
"Carol." I said, and then I stammered out, "why, Racetrack, why do youse, I mean, what!?!?" Jack laughed at me, and I laughed back at him. "Would someone tell me what's goin' on hea'?" I asked, trying to glare at them even though I was laughing.
"I think youse know, Lynn." Jack laughed to me. Well what on earth was that supposed to mean? Obviously if I knew I wouldn't have asked. Well, I guessed I could figure it out on my own, if Jack thought I could. Maybe I'd ask him later that night, or I'd ask Race. I'd probably live if I never found out too.
Slowly that night the boys came in, and I went out to try to sell the pape that
Carol never had bought from me. It was incredibly slow business that afternoon, and
unlike my speed-selling in the morning, it took me a few hours to sell one pape. I ended
up selling it to a man and his wife, after I'd made up a headline and feigned sickness. I
guess I can do whatever it takes to sell my papes. You don't even feel bad about lying
when Jack tells you it's improving the truth. In fact you get used to it and depend on it
after being a newsie for a while.
To part
4!