"We'll see," went on Frank. "Anyhow, we'll be partners to-night. Now
come on before the crowd gets away."
The two boys hurried back across City Hall Park, and, mingling with the
crowd that was hurrying toward Brooklyn, they soon disposed of their
papers.
"Here's your money," said Frank, coming up to Jimmy and handing him the
change.
"Keep ten cents fer yerself," proposed Jimmy generously, for he was a
good-hearted youth in spite of his rather rough ways.
"Oh, no. I made a good profit to-day. I offered to help you, and I
didn't expect any pay."
"Ah, g'wan! Take ten cents."
"If you have so much money to give away, why don't you start an account
in the Dime Savings Bank?" proposed Frank.
"What's de use?" asked Jimmy. "I'd draw it all out ag'in when I was
broke. Youse had better take de ten cents."
"No. I'd rather you'd keep it."
"Den come on an' take in a movin' picture show," proposed Jimmy.
"Dere's a dandy on de Bowery. It's a prize-fight, an' ye kin see de
knock-out blow as plain as anyt'ing, Sam Schmidt was tellin' me. Come
on. I'll pay yer way in. It's only a nickel."
"No. I can't go to-night."
"Why not?"
"I have to go to evening school. The term closes this week."
"Aw, cut it out," advised Jimmy. "Come wid me. We'll have a bully
time."
"No, I don't believe I will."
"Den I am. I'm in luck t'-day. Feller give me a quarter fer showin'
him where de Brooklyn Bridge was. He was from de country. Guess he
was bug-house."
"Bug-house? That's a new one on me."
"Sure, nutty--crazy, ye know, dippy in de lid--off his noodle."
"You certainly have a choice lot of slang," remarked Frank with a smile
as he left Jimmy.
"Well, den, I'll have t' go t' de show alone," thought the lad. "Let's
see how much I've got."
He counted over his change and found he had more than he expected.
"Dollar an' seventy-seven cents. Crimps! But I'll buy a pack of
cigarettes an' have a swell time. Guess I'll git a bit of grub now,
an' den I'll be ready fer de show."
"Grub" for Jimmy meant supper. He made a substantial meal on some
beans, coffee and bread and what passed for butter in one of the
cheapest of the Bowery eating-places. This cost him ten cents. He
spent five cents for cigarettes, for Jimmy had learned to smoke them at
an early age, and did not consider it wrong, as most of his companions
indulged in the same habit.
Puffing on the cigarette, with his hands in his pockets and a
comfortable feeling under his belt, Jimmy strolled up the Bowery toward
the moving-picture show of the prize-fight. He found a number of
persons, including some of his newsboy acquaintances, going in.
"Hello, Bricks," greeted a lad, giving Jimmy the nickname that had been
bestowed on him because of his sandy hair.
"Hello yerself, Nosey," replied Jimmy, for the other boy had a very big
nose which had earned him this title.
"Goin' in?"
"Sure."
"Take me; I'm broke."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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