A Good Night for Ghosts

tin bucket from the back of the cart. Then all three of them started shoveling coal.
    Dipper whistled and worked quickly. But Jack and Annie had a hard time handling their heavy shovels. Whenever the shovels tipped to the side, all the coal fell off. Finally they both just grabbed pieces of coal with their hands and tossed them into their buckets.
    The afternoon sun beat down on Jack’s back ashe worked. He was sweaty and short of breath. His hands were black from picking up the coal, and his clothes were covered with coal dust.
This is a terrible job
, he thought. He wondered how Dipper could be so cheerful.

    “So, Dipper,” said Annie, “do you like music?”
    Dipper’s answer was drowned out as he dumped a load of coal into the bin.
    “What’d you say?” Jack called to Dipper.
    Dipper answered again, but Jack didn’t hear him because a buggy rumbled by.
This is a bad time for a serious discussion
, Jack thought. He could hardly think in the burning sun.
    As Dipper shoveled more coal, he started singing a song that seemed to give words to how Jack felt:
    I’ve got those coal cart blues
.
I’m really all confused—

I’m about to lose my very mind
.
    But Dipper didn’t seem confused at all, orabout to lose his mind. He had a warm, raspy voice, and his song had a lively beat.
    “Dipper! Dipper! Dipper!” some kids called.
    Dipper stopped singing. Three boys were running toward the coal cart. They were the singing trio Jack and Annie had seen on Jackson Square.
    “I know you’re working,” said one of the kids. “But quit early today, Dipper! We just got a gig to sing in the parade.”
    “Sorry, can’t do it, Little Mack,” said Dipper.
    Little Mack wasn’t exactly little, Jack noticed. He looked like he weighed over two hundred pounds.
    “Come on, Dipper,” said another boy.
    “Gotta work, Happy,” said Dipper.
    “Aww, Dipper,” said Happy. He didn’t look happy at all.
    “Come on, Dipper!” said the third boy.
    “Can’t do it, Big Nose,” said Dipper.
    Jack looked at Big Nose’s nose. It was really quite small.
    “Aww,” said Happy again.
    “Go on now. Y’all sound just fine by yourselves,” said Dipper. “Go on to the parade and have fun.”
    “But—” Big Nose began.
    “Listen,” said Dipper. “Since sunup, I’ve delivered five cartloads of coal. I get paid fifteen cents a load. That makes seventy-five cents I’m going to take home to my family tonight. How much did you fellas make on the square today? How much you going to make in the parade?”
    The three boys were silent.
    “I’ve got a steady job now,” said Dipper. “You don’t need me. Go on to the parade and have a good time.”
    The three boys stared at Dipper for a long moment. “Come on, fellas,” Little Mack said finally. “Let him be. Ever since he got back from the Waif’s Home, he’s turned into a mama’s boy.”
    Jack wondered what the Waif’s Home was.
    Dipper watched the three boys walk off. Then he looked at Jack and Annie. “Little Mack, Happy,and Big Nose Sidney are old buddies of mine,” he explained with a sigh. “We used to have a quartet. We sang everywhere together.”
    “Dipper, can’t you take just a
little
time off and go with your buddies to sing in the parade?” asked Annie.
    “Nope,” said Dipper. “That’s just the way it has to be.”
    Dipper went back to shoveling coal. Jack wanted to ask him about the Waif’s Home, but Dipper didn’t look like he wanted to talk. He didn’t sing anymore as he filled up his coal bucket.
    If Dipper doesn’t perform, he’ll never grow up to be the King of Jazz
, Jack thought.
He’ll never give his gifts to the world
.
    Finally Annie broke the silence. “Dipper, do you have to support your family all by yourself? You’re pretty young for that, aren’t you?”
    “I’m not young. I’m fourteen,” said Dipper. “Mama Lucy, Mayann, and baby Clarence are all depending on me.”
    “Is that your family?” asked Jack.
    “Yep, and I love them a lot,” said Dipper.
    “I understand,” said Annie.
    “Me too,” said Jack. “But what about giving your gifts to the world?”
    Dipper laughed. “I can’t afford gifts for Lady the mule. How am I going to afford gifts for the
world
?”
    “What about your
musical
gifts?” asked Jack.
    “Okay, good idea. I’ll sing a song to Lady on her birthday,” he said. “Let’s go now.”
    Dipper tossed his shovel into the bucket. Then he reached into his pocket and took out