The next morning in Manhattan brought much of the same boredom that was getting to be normal. Jack suggested that they head over to Medda's to watch her practice. Most of everyone agreed out of sheer boredom even Mills. Going to Medda's Cray and Mills walked together chit chatting about nothing. Swan walked with Jack, Race, Kid Blink and David.
"Jack what are we gonna do about Brooklyn?"
"Ise don't know David wes can't jus loose kids to them."
"But the only person going over there is Kit."
"Sure, but more might go if was don't do any thing."
"Why don't wes jus say that the border with Brooklyn be closed?" David suggested after thinking for a bit.
"Don't matter much, right now wes got to get in." The newsies filed in and got seated around the stage, except for Cray who went off by himself. Medda was practicing but stopped when they entered.
"So Kelly you are going to start to make a habit of this now?"
"But of course Medda you know we are over here every chance we get." The rest of the newsies nodded.
Medda waved for them to sit down then motioned for Mills "Katie, hunny, I need to talk to you for a second. Gentlemen." She nodded at the boys who were in the process of making themselves comfortable. Then took Mills back stage with her. "Katie girl I am in an awful fix my seamstress just up and left me high and dry I have all of these costumes to fix right and I just don't have enough hands. Would you mind filling in till I can find someone else? I'll pay you 50 cents a day."
Mills' eyes got huge "50 cents? Sure Ise can do that. Youse want help with the cleaning or you hair?"
"Oh you are so sweet, but no thankfully my maid hasn't run off with your cousin yet."
"Do youse need a bouncer then too?" Mills was curious.
"Now that you mention it, I do. You have anyone in mind?" Medda smiled at Mills, "You must since you asked."
"Me friend Kit's brudders Cray and Swan, they both big and smart too."
"Which one do you like?"
"Cra-Ise mean Ise don't like either of them" Mills blushed furiously.
"I think I'll hire Cray, if you wouldn't mind." Medda smiled at the thought of setting Mills up with someone and it sounded like she wouldn't mind Cray.
"Ise go get him then to introduce youse." Mills didn't like the look in Medda's eyes.
"That would be good. I like to know my people before I hire them."
Mills went out front through the curtain on stage to find Cray. She spotted him over in the corner by himself. She clucked disapprovingly and jumped off the stage and walked over to him.
She lowered her voice as she spoke "Hey big boy going my way?"
Cray started talking before he looked up, "Sorry I'm taken, oh Mills it's you." Cray blushed then looked down.
Mills dropped the lower tone. "Youse never said any thing about a goil." She tried to hide the disappointment.
"I don't have one, yet anyway. You wanted something?" Cray looked sullen, swishing the liquid in his glass around.
"Yeah, Medda has a question for youse come on." Mills tugged on his arm till he got up and lead him back stage.
Medda came over to great them "You must be Cray. I really don't care for nicknames dear, what did your ma call you?"
Cray swallowed, "Crale Joseph Oberg."
"Well Crale Joseph, it's nice to meet you did I take it Katie has told you her name?"
Cray nodded, "Yes ma'am, Kaitlyn. Should I call her Kaitlyn or Katie?"
"Ise don't mind either." Mills spoke up.
"It's up to you. Now I asked Katie if she knew anyone who needed a job and she suggested you and your brother."
"Swan." Mills interjected.
"Yes Swan, any way. I am offering you this job first. See two of my workers ran off together, my seamstress and a bouncer. I would like you to replace the bouncer. Your job would be to keep order, make sure the customers don't get too rowdy, throw them out when they do and to be a bodyguard for my self and my women. I'll pay you 50 cents a night."
"Well Miss Medda, I have done this sort of work before so I would be happy to work for you. Do I need to go buy a suit or anything?"
"I have a suit around her. You can wear that. Katie can alter it for you. Now go scoot and get to work, you start today." With that Medda went back on stage turning one last time, "Katie hun the clothes I needed fixed are in on the vanity. I'll be down in an hour or so."
Mills tapped Cray's shoulder, "Come on Ise need to get you done before tonight."
"Jack what are we gonna do about Brooklyn?"
"Ise don't know David wes can't jus loose kids to them."
"But the only person going over there is Kit."
"Sure, but more might go if was don't do any thing."
"Why don't wes jus say that the border with Brooklyn be closed?" David suggested after thinking for a bit.
"Don't matter much, right now wes got to get in." The newsies filed in and got seated around the stage, except for Cray who went off by himself. Medda was practicing but stopped when they entered.
"So Kelly you are going to start to make a habit of this now?"
"But of course Medda you know we are over here every chance we get." The rest of the newsies nodded.
Medda waved for them to sit down then motioned for Mills "Katie, hunny, I need to talk to you for a second. Gentlemen." She nodded at the boys who were in the process of making themselves comfortable. Then took Mills back stage with her. "Katie girl I am in an awful fix my seamstress just up and left me high and dry I have all of these costumes to fix right and I just don't have enough hands. Would you mind filling in till I can find someone else? I'll pay you 50 cents a day."
Mills' eyes got huge "50 cents? Sure Ise can do that. Youse want help with the cleaning or you hair?"
"Oh you are so sweet, but no thankfully my maid hasn't run off with your cousin yet."
"Do youse need a bouncer then too?" Mills was curious.
"Now that you mention it, I do. You have anyone in mind?" Medda smiled at Mills, "You must since you asked."
"Me friend Kit's brudders Cray and Swan, they both big and smart too."
"Which one do you like?"
"Cra-Ise mean Ise don't like either of them" Mills blushed furiously.
"I think I'll hire Cray, if you wouldn't mind." Medda smiled at the thought of setting Mills up with someone and it sounded like she wouldn't mind Cray.
"Ise go get him then to introduce youse." Mills didn't like the look in Medda's eyes.
"That would be good. I like to know my people before I hire them."
Mills went out front through the curtain on stage to find Cray. She spotted him over in the corner by himself. She clucked disapprovingly and jumped off the stage and walked over to him.
She lowered her voice as she spoke "Hey big boy going my way?"
Cray started talking before he looked up, "Sorry I'm taken, oh Mills it's you." Cray blushed then looked down.
Mills dropped the lower tone. "Youse never said any thing about a goil." She tried to hide the disappointment.
"I don't have one, yet anyway. You wanted something?" Cray looked sullen, swishing the liquid in his glass around.
"Yeah, Medda has a question for youse come on." Mills tugged on his arm till he got up and lead him back stage.
Medda came over to great them "You must be Cray. I really don't care for nicknames dear, what did your ma call you?"
Cray swallowed, "Crale Joseph Oberg."
"Well Crale Joseph, it's nice to meet you did I take it Katie has told you her name?"
Cray nodded, "Yes ma'am, Kaitlyn. Should I call her Kaitlyn or Katie?"
"Ise don't mind either." Mills spoke up.
"It's up to you. Now I asked Katie if she knew anyone who needed a job and she suggested you and your brother."
"Swan." Mills interjected.
"Yes Swan, any way. I am offering you this job first. See two of my workers ran off together, my seamstress and a bouncer. I would like you to replace the bouncer. Your job would be to keep order, make sure the customers don't get too rowdy, throw them out when they do and to be a bodyguard for my self and my women. I'll pay you 50 cents a night."
"Well Miss Medda, I have done this sort of work before so I would be happy to work for you. Do I need to go buy a suit or anything?"
"I have a suit around her. You can wear that. Katie can alter it for you. Now go scoot and get to work, you start today." With that Medda went back on stage turning one last time, "Katie hun the clothes I needed fixed are in on the vanity. I'll be down in an hour or so."
Mills tapped Cray's shoulder, "Come on Ise need to get you done before tonight."