His face had a surprised look. He didn’t expect some one to offer anything of interest to him, he expected to get lectured, to be “talked goodygood to,” as he afterwards said.
“Well, you see, mister,” said the boy with some familiarity, “we can’t do business on the street unless we do as men do. They swear at us an’ we must swear at them or we lose the shine.”
“How often do men swear at you?”
“How often? I can’t count ’em. Every other word.”
“Well, it doesn’t sound nice, does it?”
“No, an’ I could cut it out.”
“Sure thing he can cut it out, an’ we’ll be right behind to see that he forgets it,” put in one of the newsies.
“Well, I’ll start you in the association,” said the president, “but I don’t want you to be too good to start with. Sometimes you may forget what the card means, and you will swear before you know it, but don’t let that worry you, the next time you will do better and forget it. But when you get the badge, in thirty days, then you mustn’t swear at all, for if you do the officers will be right after you and your name will be on a list that means something when you get older and want a position in some big store.”
The membership card was given to him, a new suit of clothes was furnished by a kind hearted clothier, and the boys—including the chairman of the executive committee—took the boy home. When his mother discovered some one took an interest in him, she began to think he amounted to something, and from that time on, he received attention. At the expiration of thirty days the numbered badge was given to him and he started on his new life.