As Katie walked she debated on what she could do now. She got a good look at herself as she passed some windows. She didn't look totally male but if no one was looking hard she was sure she would pass for male, at least until she could find a job a girl would do. Confident her disguise would work she went on her way on the look out for anything that held the possibility of a cool job. She wasn't watching where she was going and suddenly found herself on her butt on the ground. "Hey what's the big idea?" As she picked herself off the ground she shouted.
"What youse mean what's the big idea youse ran into me." Katie looked up and took a step back; she could almost place the boy. He had black hair and dark eyes, and the complexion of an Italian.
"Now Race the guys trembling like a leaf no need to scare him." Katie turned her head to the speaker, a large guy with curly brown hair and the cutest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. "Hey Ise Mush. Who youse be?"
"I-I-Ise Shane." Katie struggled for an answer and said the first name that popped into her head.
"Well Shane what youse doing not watching where youse going?" Race said as he grabbed the hand that Mush offered to him to stand.
"I-I-Ise just thinking that's all." Katie didn't want to get into a fight and trying to keep her voice at a deeper level was causing her to stutter.
"What youse thinking about?" Mush was being kind to counter act Race's obvious dislike of the new kid.
"H-H-How I-I-Ise gonna get a job." Katie finally forced out.
"Well wes can help youse there. Why not become a newsie." Mush said before Race could silence him.
"W-w-what's a newsie?" Katie asked, even though she knew full well what a newsies was.
This got Race to start talking, "What's a newsie? A newsie is what brings the news to the masses. Without newsies people don't know nothing." He this with great pride.
"Oh, h-h-how do Ise gets to be a newsie?" maybe she would get to run into this Cowboy again and give him a peace of her mind, or fist.
"Youse can come with us and wes show youse the basics." Katie nodded as if she didn't know what Mush was talking about. "Youse got any where to sleep?" Katie shook her head no. "Don't talk do youse? Well if Kloppman has room Ise bet youse can sleep there. Almost all of the newsies from round here live there."
Katie was a bit hesitant, "Y-y-y-youse all stay in the same room?"
Race snorted, "Of coarse wes newsies not politicians. Youse think youse too good to sleep in the same room with us?" His voice held a bit of a threat, something about this guy rubbed him the wrong way but he couldn't place it.
"N-n-no it's j-j-just that," Katie stopped not wanting to get into a fight with someone who had offered her a job, "n-n-never mind."
"Youse know if youse gonna be a newsie youse gonna need a nick name." Mush said, trying to break the tension. "Wes can call youse Stutters."
"W-w-why do I-I-Ise need a nickname?" Katie didn't like the idea of being called stutters but the more she tried to repress her stuttering the worse it became.
"Cause it makes it harder for the bulls to find youse that's why." Race said in exasperation, "Youse do know what Bulls are don't youse?"
"T-t-they's the coppers right?" Katie said
"Yes they's the coppers. Now at this here lodging house, Kloppman lets us stay here for 6 cents a night." Race started to explain how things work, "Wes work for the World, Kloppman wakes us up in the morning and wes are expected to be in before he locks the door. Our leader is Jack Kelly, wes listen to him cause he's fair with the things he says. If youse don't listen to him then youse on the street, got it?"
"Y-y-yes. So w-w-when do Ise start s-s-selling papes?" Katie asked.
"Tomorrow, wes done for the day and Ise don't feel like going back to the distribution office to get more papes." Race spoke, "Come on Ise guess wes go introduce youse to everyone, wes always eat at Tibby's youse don't have to come if youse don't wanna but it is a way to find out if youse selling right."
The newsies lead Stutters to Tibby's. She instantly recognized it as the establishment she had been caught at two years before, and slightly stiffened. Mush noticed her stiffening and thought it was because the new guy was scared, "Don't worry about anyone in there, they's all real nice guys even Race is a nice guy, normally don't act like this." Katie nodded then followed her "mentors" into the restaurant.
The place was packed with newsies of all shapes and sizes. Most of the activity seemed to be focused around a table where some newsies were talking. That was the table Race led Katie too. He went up to the group and picked up the smaller kid, "Move it shortie. Ise got a new guy to introduce to youse all. Stutters this here is the Walking Mouth, Les, Kid Blink, and this is Cowboy, or Jack Kelly, our leader. Gentleman this here is Shane, what's youse name again?" Race stopped for a second realizing he hadn't gotten Katie's full alias.
Katie was a bit in shock, not only was she in the restaurant where Snyder had caught her the guy who was responsible for her getting caught was the leader of the group she was going to work for. Race noticed that she was a bit distracted, "Hey Stutters, what's your last name."
"I-I-Ise Shane Kelly." Katie said using her new first name along with the name she had given Snyder when she went into the Refuge.
"Youse last name is Kelly? At least wes know youse can't be related to Jack least not with that black hair."
"I-I-Ise wouldn't be any ways since his real last name is Sullivan." Katie realized her mistake too late to stop herself.
"How's youse know my last name kid?" Jack stood up in his seat only to be pulled back down by the Walking Mouth.
"I-I-Ise in the Refuge for two years before I-I-Ise got out. E-E-Everyone knows the story of how the infamous Jack "Cowboy" Kelly got out in Governor Roosevelt's carriage, and also how Snyder was always looking for him and had it in for a guy named Sullivan. I-I-Ise just put 2 and 2 together and f-f-figured youse was one and the same." Katie spoke using facts and half facts to explain herself.
"See Jack nothing to worry about, the kid didn't know. By the way, I am David Jacobs, better known as the Walking Mouth." Dave spit on his hand and held it out for a shake. Katie hesitated but followed his example, succeeding on keeping a grimace off her face.
Her hesitation was caught by the newsies who had gathered around and they all laughed, Dave seeing her confusion decided to explain it to her, "See I did the same thing when I first meet Jack, only I wouldn't shank hands with him at all." Katie just nodded her head.
Jack was trying to figure out the new kid and decided he should ask some questions, "So Stutters, right?" Katie grimaced but nodded, "How old are youse, 12, 13?"
"I-I-Ise 15, and Ise an orphan and Ise lived at the Refuge for 2 years for something Ise didn't do." Katie figured that answering questions before they were asked would save her from coming up with a story that wouldn't fit later on.
"Well youse a scrawny 15 ain't youse?" Race commented.
"And youse not?" Katie countered, for the first time not stuttering.
"Race quit picking on the kid, even though he stops stuttering when you do. Stutters Ise sure don't remember youse being at the Refuge when Ise there." Jack commented suspiciously.
Katie thought on her feet though, "I-I-Ise tend to blend in that's all."
"Youse blend in? Youse stick out like a soar thumb here." Race didn't heed Jack's warning and was surprised when Katie swung out and hit him. He would have fought back but Jack stopped him.
"Alright youse, Stutters youse can start selling tomorrow. Ise gonna put youse with Race and Mush," Race started to mumble under his breath but Jack silenced him with a look, "Don't complain Race or youse gonna sell with him on youse own. Ise ain't gonna have my guys fighting like sea gulls over a piece of bread got it?" Both Race and Katie nodded, "Right then, Stutters, youse got money?"
Katie looked Jack straight in the eye, "Y-y-yes Ise got some."
"Good, Kloppman ain't gonna charge youse for the first night, but youse gonna need it for papes tomorrow. Race show Stutters here to the lodging house. Snipeshooter," Jack raised his voice, a smaller newsie pushed his way to the front of the crowd that had gathered at the table. "Snipes youse gonna move over to an empty bunk, Stutters here and Race is gonna be neighbors. And if they don't start getting along they's gonna end up bunkmates got it?"
Both Katie and Race nodded after shooting each other dirty looks. Mush started to go with them, but Jack stopped him, "No Mush youse are staying here it's gonna be just Stutters and Race." The crowd parted as Race and Katie left, both smoldering, while there were some that wanted to see if a fight was going to erupt Jack seemed to have a firm hand on the situation and no one followed them out of Tibby's or to the bunk house.
"What youse mean what's the big idea youse ran into me." Katie looked up and took a step back; she could almost place the boy. He had black hair and dark eyes, and the complexion of an Italian.
"Now Race the guys trembling like a leaf no need to scare him." Katie turned her head to the speaker, a large guy with curly brown hair and the cutest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. "Hey Ise Mush. Who youse be?"
"I-I-Ise Shane." Katie struggled for an answer and said the first name that popped into her head.
"Well Shane what youse doing not watching where youse going?" Race said as he grabbed the hand that Mush offered to him to stand.
"I-I-Ise just thinking that's all." Katie didn't want to get into a fight and trying to keep her voice at a deeper level was causing her to stutter.
"What youse thinking about?" Mush was being kind to counter act Race's obvious dislike of the new kid.
"H-H-How I-I-Ise gonna get a job." Katie finally forced out.
"Well wes can help youse there. Why not become a newsie." Mush said before Race could silence him.
"W-w-what's a newsie?" Katie asked, even though she knew full well what a newsies was.
This got Race to start talking, "What's a newsie? A newsie is what brings the news to the masses. Without newsies people don't know nothing." He this with great pride.
"Oh, h-h-how do Ise gets to be a newsie?" maybe she would get to run into this Cowboy again and give him a peace of her mind, or fist.
"Youse can come with us and wes show youse the basics." Katie nodded as if she didn't know what Mush was talking about. "Youse got any where to sleep?" Katie shook her head no. "Don't talk do youse? Well if Kloppman has room Ise bet youse can sleep there. Almost all of the newsies from round here live there."
Katie was a bit hesitant, "Y-y-y-youse all stay in the same room?"
Race snorted, "Of coarse wes newsies not politicians. Youse think youse too good to sleep in the same room with us?" His voice held a bit of a threat, something about this guy rubbed him the wrong way but he couldn't place it.
"N-n-no it's j-j-just that," Katie stopped not wanting to get into a fight with someone who had offered her a job, "n-n-never mind."
"Youse know if youse gonna be a newsie youse gonna need a nick name." Mush said, trying to break the tension. "Wes can call youse Stutters."
"W-w-why do I-I-Ise need a nickname?" Katie didn't like the idea of being called stutters but the more she tried to repress her stuttering the worse it became.
"Cause it makes it harder for the bulls to find youse that's why." Race said in exasperation, "Youse do know what Bulls are don't youse?"
"T-t-they's the coppers right?" Katie said
"Yes they's the coppers. Now at this here lodging house, Kloppman lets us stay here for 6 cents a night." Race started to explain how things work, "Wes work for the World, Kloppman wakes us up in the morning and wes are expected to be in before he locks the door. Our leader is Jack Kelly, wes listen to him cause he's fair with the things he says. If youse don't listen to him then youse on the street, got it?"
"Y-y-yes. So w-w-when do Ise start s-s-selling papes?" Katie asked.
"Tomorrow, wes done for the day and Ise don't feel like going back to the distribution office to get more papes." Race spoke, "Come on Ise guess wes go introduce youse to everyone, wes always eat at Tibby's youse don't have to come if youse don't wanna but it is a way to find out if youse selling right."
The newsies lead Stutters to Tibby's. She instantly recognized it as the establishment she had been caught at two years before, and slightly stiffened. Mush noticed her stiffening and thought it was because the new guy was scared, "Don't worry about anyone in there, they's all real nice guys even Race is a nice guy, normally don't act like this." Katie nodded then followed her "mentors" into the restaurant.
The place was packed with newsies of all shapes and sizes. Most of the activity seemed to be focused around a table where some newsies were talking. That was the table Race led Katie too. He went up to the group and picked up the smaller kid, "Move it shortie. Ise got a new guy to introduce to youse all. Stutters this here is the Walking Mouth, Les, Kid Blink, and this is Cowboy, or Jack Kelly, our leader. Gentleman this here is Shane, what's youse name again?" Race stopped for a second realizing he hadn't gotten Katie's full alias.
Katie was a bit in shock, not only was she in the restaurant where Snyder had caught her the guy who was responsible for her getting caught was the leader of the group she was going to work for. Race noticed that she was a bit distracted, "Hey Stutters, what's your last name."
"I-I-Ise Shane Kelly." Katie said using her new first name along with the name she had given Snyder when she went into the Refuge.
"Youse last name is Kelly? At least wes know youse can't be related to Jack least not with that black hair."
"I-I-Ise wouldn't be any ways since his real last name is Sullivan." Katie realized her mistake too late to stop herself.
"How's youse know my last name kid?" Jack stood up in his seat only to be pulled back down by the Walking Mouth.
"I-I-Ise in the Refuge for two years before I-I-Ise got out. E-E-Everyone knows the story of how the infamous Jack "Cowboy" Kelly got out in Governor Roosevelt's carriage, and also how Snyder was always looking for him and had it in for a guy named Sullivan. I-I-Ise just put 2 and 2 together and f-f-figured youse was one and the same." Katie spoke using facts and half facts to explain herself.
"See Jack nothing to worry about, the kid didn't know. By the way, I am David Jacobs, better known as the Walking Mouth." Dave spit on his hand and held it out for a shake. Katie hesitated but followed his example, succeeding on keeping a grimace off her face.
Her hesitation was caught by the newsies who had gathered around and they all laughed, Dave seeing her confusion decided to explain it to her, "See I did the same thing when I first meet Jack, only I wouldn't shank hands with him at all." Katie just nodded her head.
Jack was trying to figure out the new kid and decided he should ask some questions, "So Stutters, right?" Katie grimaced but nodded, "How old are youse, 12, 13?"
"I-I-Ise 15, and Ise an orphan and Ise lived at the Refuge for 2 years for something Ise didn't do." Katie figured that answering questions before they were asked would save her from coming up with a story that wouldn't fit later on.
"Well youse a scrawny 15 ain't youse?" Race commented.
"And youse not?" Katie countered, for the first time not stuttering.
"Race quit picking on the kid, even though he stops stuttering when you do. Stutters Ise sure don't remember youse being at the Refuge when Ise there." Jack commented suspiciously.
Katie thought on her feet though, "I-I-Ise tend to blend in that's all."
"Youse blend in? Youse stick out like a soar thumb here." Race didn't heed Jack's warning and was surprised when Katie swung out and hit him. He would have fought back but Jack stopped him.
"Alright youse, Stutters youse can start selling tomorrow. Ise gonna put youse with Race and Mush," Race started to mumble under his breath but Jack silenced him with a look, "Don't complain Race or youse gonna sell with him on youse own. Ise ain't gonna have my guys fighting like sea gulls over a piece of bread got it?" Both Race and Katie nodded, "Right then, Stutters, youse got money?"
Katie looked Jack straight in the eye, "Y-y-yes Ise got some."
"Good, Kloppman ain't gonna charge youse for the first night, but youse gonna need it for papes tomorrow. Race show Stutters here to the lodging house. Snipeshooter," Jack raised his voice, a smaller newsie pushed his way to the front of the crowd that had gathered at the table. "Snipes youse gonna move over to an empty bunk, Stutters here and Race is gonna be neighbors. And if they don't start getting along they's gonna end up bunkmates got it?"
Both Katie and Race nodded after shooting each other dirty looks. Mush started to go with them, but Jack stopped him, "No Mush youse are staying here it's gonna be just Stutters and Race." The crowd parted as Race and Katie left, both smoldering, while there were some that wanted to see if a fight was going to erupt Jack seemed to have a firm hand on the situation and no one followed them out of Tibby's or to the bunk house.