Free Across the Border by Arleta Richardson

young man,” Señor Villa said to him. “Go to school as long as you can. Education will help you to live a successful life.”
    â€œNext year, when we return to South Dakota, I’ll go to school. This year I want to work and help Ma and the others.”
    The big man looked thoughtful. “You want work? Go to the newspaper office. Boys your age sell papers. How much you make depends on how hard you try.” He handed the basket of food to Ethan. “If you were older, I would hire you. You have the kind of heart I admire.” He lifted his hat to Polly. “ Adiós, Señora. You are in good hands.”
    They watched him for a moment as he strode back toward town.
    â€œHow did you meet him, Polly? Weren’t you scared that he might be a bandit?” Ethan asked.
    â€œThat nice man?” Polly sniffed. “He’s as fine a gentleman as I’ve seen.” She paused, then admitted, “I was a little anxious at first, but he offered to … carry my basket.”
    Ethan grinned to himself. He knew she wasn’t about to admit that she had been lost and in need of rescue. Ma would put up a fuss and insist she not make the trip alone again, and Polly clearly enjoyed being on her own in this strange land.

Chapter Ten
Ethan Plays the Game
    The following morning Ethan presented himself at the newspaper office.
    The manager leaned over the counter. “You want to sell papers, eh? I do not have any Anglo boys working for me. All my boys Mexican. You think you sell as much as they do?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œ Sí, Señor ,” the man corrected him.
    â€œ Sí, Señor ,” Ethan repeated. “I can do it.”
    The man shrugged and pushed a bundle of papers across the counter. “Three centavos each. Bring all the money back, and you get paid this evening.”
    Ethan sold all his papers, and that evening he returned home with five centavos , which he gave to Manda.
    â€œI just walked up to everyone I saw and said, ‘ El periódico ?’ and most of them took one,” he told the family as he ate supper. “They don’t see many Americans selling things, I guess. Tomorrow I’ll do even better.”
    Manda looked pleased. “Chad will be proud of you when he hears that you’re earning money.” She placed the centavos in a jar on the cupboard shelf. “Maybe you’ll have this filled by the time the men come back.”

    In the next few days, Ethan discovered that he could talk with the other newsboys by using the little Spanish he knew and the few English words they were familiar with. He also discovered that they weren’t happy when he sold more papers than they did.
    â€œI’m not going to quit selling papers because they don’t like it,” he told Polly. “They could do better if they didn’t spend so much time playing games.”
    â€œNobody likes to be bested by a newcomer,” Polly warned. “But they’ll get over it when they get used to you. Wouldn’t hurt none for you to play a little too, though.”
    â€œThey don’t ask me to play with them. They stop their game every time I walk by. I don’t think they like me much.”
    Ethan was surprised, then, when one of the boys called out to him as he passed by the alley where they sat on the ground.
    â€œHey, gringo !”
    Ethan stopped, and when the boy beckoned to him, he walked over to see what he wanted. The boy, whose name was Carlos, had obviously been around a number of gringos , for he spoke English well.
    â€œYou sold all your papers?”
    â€œAlmost.”
    â€œHow much money you got?”
    Ethan felt the coins in his pocket. “Haven’t counted it. Enough to pay for my papers, I guess.”
    Carlos jerked his head toward another boy. “Miguel here thinks it’s too bad you only get a few centavos every day for all that work. He says we should help you earn