" Wait, Sneaks O'Halloran, Graft O'Halloran's sista, is in da refuge?"
Blink asked, ironically blinking fast with his good eye. Torn nodded.
" How'd she get in dare?" Specs questioned as Torn shruged.
" I think da question, fellas, is how is Grafter?" Jack restated. The boys looked around at each other, waiting for Torn's reply.
" Well....he was beatin' up Marbles who let it happen," Dewey replied as everyone turned to look at her.
" Alright, here's what we do. Best get on Brooklyn's good side an' get Sneaks out when we go ta get Crutchy out. Mush, Blink, Race and Dave, you'll come wit me." Jack said. Everyone nodded.
" Jack, I'd really like ta come," a tall, shy boy with a brown bowler cap, red vest and overalls said.
" Look Jake, I don't think dat wit da way Graft an' Spot feel 'bout you, dat dat would be a good idea," Jack said as Jake nodded. He glanced over at Elizabeth and blushed.
" Hey, Jack, whose da goil?" Mush asked, his eye brow raising.
" Dat's Latch, an' back off," Jack smiled looking over at David. "He's got an eye on her," he smiled as Mush nodded. " Besides, you got plenty o' ladies ovah at Medda's." Jack added.
Elizabeth couldn't help but look around, wondering what on earth these boys actually thought they were trying to do. She glanced around, seeing several of them making signs that read STRIKE on them, and other posters and banners. She couldn't help but choke back a giggle. Part of her felt bad that these boys thought that they could go up against the rich and the powerful, that they would actually listen to a bunch of no good street rats. She knew what Pulitzer was doing was fairly smart, that the best way to make a prophet would be to charge more, afterall, what could a bunch of kids do anyway?
" Listen, I want the rest of you to keep up the work on da strike. Keep makin' signs and banners, talk ta as many newsies as you can." Jack ordered as he walked over to his bunk and pulled out a large thick rope.
" Jack, just bring Sneaks back over here, we'll take her back in the morning," Torn offered as Jack nodded.
" Let's go fellas," Jack said as the small group headed for the door. Elizabeth gazed into David's blue eyes for a moment, as he turned and smiled.
" Les, let's go," he said as a small boy pushed his way through, Elizabeth's eyes meeting his, suddenly feeling sorry for all of them.
"I do hope everything goes well for them," she thought.
" Er, well then, I guess we should be on our way. Medda's," Torn smiled, pulling Elizabeth out of the bunk room. They walked out into the street, Elizabeth trying to take the street scene in. She saw a wagon full of nuns who were handing out bread to the street kids.
"Get off me," a girls voice called in an alley as Torn looked in. She saw an olderman hunched over a young girl as she tried frantically to get him off of her.
" Hey!" Torn yelled as the man looked up, now allowing the girls to see that his pants were undone in the front. The man quickly ran off down the alley as the girl stood up.
" Rotten bastard wasn't going to pay me," the girl sniffed, whiping her hair out of her sweaty face.
" You should work for Medda Rave, your better than this," Dewey sighed as Rave stood up.
" Yeah, well, what can I say? I work alone. I don't need endorced. I make my living fine, thanks," Rave said fixing her skirt as smiling at Elizabeth who was now gawking at Rave in disbelieve. " Ya got a problem kid?" Rave questioned as Elizabeth blushed and shook her head.
" Don't mind her. Rich, or well, was," Torn replied as Rave nodded. "So, ya feelin' any bettah?" she asked. Rave shrugged.
"I's got me good days an' me bad. Haven't passed out lately if dat's what ya mean," Rave smiled proudly of herself. Torn nodded.
" Good. Well, got to get to work. I think the Judge is coming back," Torn stuck out her tongue and frowned. "But I make a pretty penny off it," she winked as Rave smiled.
" See, dat, I's like da poor folks here. Give 'em something ta live foah," Rave replied.
" An' making ya life shorter," Torn replied as she walked off leaving Rave in the alley alone.
"What does that mean? What's wrong with her?" Elizabeth questioned.
" Look, Latch," Dewey said, turning to her. "A prositute on the street don't have it as good as Medda's goils. See, Medda's costumers are normally da rich folk. Da street folk are...well more dirty dan normal. Rave got herself sick, but won't stop. She don't care. She don't like hand-outs." Dewey explained as Elizabeth nodded.
When they got to Medda's Elizabeth helped out taking orders and passing out the beer. They worked late until closing and then Elizabeth helped clean up the tables. It wasn't until Torn came back from another night with the Judge that the boys showed up for a late visit.
" And?" Torn asked smiling as Jack shrugged and gave a half smiled. He moved out of the way as a tall golden brown haired girl walked up to Torn with a smile.
" Sneaks," Dewey smiled running over and hugging her friend. "Grafter is so worried," she said threw Sneaks' hair.
"Dat damn Marbles is gonna get it," Sneaks growled threw gritted teeth. "Damn kid left me out ta dry," she said backing up and clenching her fists.
" Hi," David smiled walking over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth blushed and nodded at him.
" You working here?" he asked as Elizabeth shook her head.
" Only as a waitress." she smiled.
" Oh, okay." David nodded. Elizabeth stood there for a moment while David rocked back and forth on his front foot, then turned to the converstation that was happening behind them.
" I assure ya, Jack. I'll make Graft an' Spot see it your way. Afta all, ya saved me from da refuge, an' da way Crutchy was talkin' ya didn't back down from nuttin' taday," Sneaks smiled as Jack gave a nodd. "You'll have Brooklyn on ya side," she winked over at Jake who was smiling from ear to ear just staring at Sneaks. Elizabeth could tell that there was something between the two, but apparently what Jack had said about Graft and Spot not liking Jake was keeping the two appart.
" Thanks Sneaks, an' tell ya brudda hi foah me," Jack tipped his cowboy hat and turned to Dewey. " You two have a safe trip back, an' don't get in no trouble, ya hear?" Dewey gave a smiled and the two girls headed out of Irving Hall through the back door.
" So, ya think Sneaks was telling the truth?" David asked Jack as Jack gave a small sigh.
" I sure hope so," Jack smiled and pulled the rest of the boys up to the balcony, leaving David standing there.
" You don't think that, when your done, you wouldn't mind going to my house for a little cake would you? It was my father's birthday the other day, and we have leftovers," David offered as Elizabeth blushed.
" Sure, that'd be nice," she replied as Torn whistled her over to get to work. David nodded and headed up with the rest of the boys.
" How'd she get in dare?" Specs questioned as Torn shruged.
" I think da question, fellas, is how is Grafter?" Jack restated. The boys looked around at each other, waiting for Torn's reply.
" Well....he was beatin' up Marbles who let it happen," Dewey replied as everyone turned to look at her.
" Alright, here's what we do. Best get on Brooklyn's good side an' get Sneaks out when we go ta get Crutchy out. Mush, Blink, Race and Dave, you'll come wit me." Jack said. Everyone nodded.
" Jack, I'd really like ta come," a tall, shy boy with a brown bowler cap, red vest and overalls said.
" Look Jake, I don't think dat wit da way Graft an' Spot feel 'bout you, dat dat would be a good idea," Jack said as Jake nodded. He glanced over at Elizabeth and blushed.
" Hey, Jack, whose da goil?" Mush asked, his eye brow raising.
" Dat's Latch, an' back off," Jack smiled looking over at David. "He's got an eye on her," he smiled as Mush nodded. " Besides, you got plenty o' ladies ovah at Medda's." Jack added.
Elizabeth couldn't help but look around, wondering what on earth these boys actually thought they were trying to do. She glanced around, seeing several of them making signs that read STRIKE on them, and other posters and banners. She couldn't help but choke back a giggle. Part of her felt bad that these boys thought that they could go up against the rich and the powerful, that they would actually listen to a bunch of no good street rats. She knew what Pulitzer was doing was fairly smart, that the best way to make a prophet would be to charge more, afterall, what could a bunch of kids do anyway?
" Listen, I want the rest of you to keep up the work on da strike. Keep makin' signs and banners, talk ta as many newsies as you can." Jack ordered as he walked over to his bunk and pulled out a large thick rope.
" Jack, just bring Sneaks back over here, we'll take her back in the morning," Torn offered as Jack nodded.
" Let's go fellas," Jack said as the small group headed for the door. Elizabeth gazed into David's blue eyes for a moment, as he turned and smiled.
" Les, let's go," he said as a small boy pushed his way through, Elizabeth's eyes meeting his, suddenly feeling sorry for all of them.
"I do hope everything goes well for them," she thought.
" Er, well then, I guess we should be on our way. Medda's," Torn smiled, pulling Elizabeth out of the bunk room. They walked out into the street, Elizabeth trying to take the street scene in. She saw a wagon full of nuns who were handing out bread to the street kids.
"Get off me," a girls voice called in an alley as Torn looked in. She saw an olderman hunched over a young girl as she tried frantically to get him off of her.
" Hey!" Torn yelled as the man looked up, now allowing the girls to see that his pants were undone in the front. The man quickly ran off down the alley as the girl stood up.
" Rotten bastard wasn't going to pay me," the girl sniffed, whiping her hair out of her sweaty face.
" You should work for Medda Rave, your better than this," Dewey sighed as Rave stood up.
" Yeah, well, what can I say? I work alone. I don't need endorced. I make my living fine, thanks," Rave said fixing her skirt as smiling at Elizabeth who was now gawking at Rave in disbelieve. " Ya got a problem kid?" Rave questioned as Elizabeth blushed and shook her head.
" Don't mind her. Rich, or well, was," Torn replied as Rave nodded. "So, ya feelin' any bettah?" she asked. Rave shrugged.
"I's got me good days an' me bad. Haven't passed out lately if dat's what ya mean," Rave smiled proudly of herself. Torn nodded.
" Good. Well, got to get to work. I think the Judge is coming back," Torn stuck out her tongue and frowned. "But I make a pretty penny off it," she winked as Rave smiled.
" See, dat, I's like da poor folks here. Give 'em something ta live foah," Rave replied.
" An' making ya life shorter," Torn replied as she walked off leaving Rave in the alley alone.
"What does that mean? What's wrong with her?" Elizabeth questioned.
" Look, Latch," Dewey said, turning to her. "A prositute on the street don't have it as good as Medda's goils. See, Medda's costumers are normally da rich folk. Da street folk are...well more dirty dan normal. Rave got herself sick, but won't stop. She don't care. She don't like hand-outs." Dewey explained as Elizabeth nodded.
When they got to Medda's Elizabeth helped out taking orders and passing out the beer. They worked late until closing and then Elizabeth helped clean up the tables. It wasn't until Torn came back from another night with the Judge that the boys showed up for a late visit.
" And?" Torn asked smiling as Jack shrugged and gave a half smiled. He moved out of the way as a tall golden brown haired girl walked up to Torn with a smile.
" Sneaks," Dewey smiled running over and hugging her friend. "Grafter is so worried," she said threw Sneaks' hair.
"Dat damn Marbles is gonna get it," Sneaks growled threw gritted teeth. "Damn kid left me out ta dry," she said backing up and clenching her fists.
" Hi," David smiled walking over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth blushed and nodded at him.
" You working here?" he asked as Elizabeth shook her head.
" Only as a waitress." she smiled.
" Oh, okay." David nodded. Elizabeth stood there for a moment while David rocked back and forth on his front foot, then turned to the converstation that was happening behind them.
" I assure ya, Jack. I'll make Graft an' Spot see it your way. Afta all, ya saved me from da refuge, an' da way Crutchy was talkin' ya didn't back down from nuttin' taday," Sneaks smiled as Jack gave a nodd. "You'll have Brooklyn on ya side," she winked over at Jake who was smiling from ear to ear just staring at Sneaks. Elizabeth could tell that there was something between the two, but apparently what Jack had said about Graft and Spot not liking Jake was keeping the two appart.
" Thanks Sneaks, an' tell ya brudda hi foah me," Jack tipped his cowboy hat and turned to Dewey. " You two have a safe trip back, an' don't get in no trouble, ya hear?" Dewey gave a smiled and the two girls headed out of Irving Hall through the back door.
" So, ya think Sneaks was telling the truth?" David asked Jack as Jack gave a small sigh.
" I sure hope so," Jack smiled and pulled the rest of the boys up to the balcony, leaving David standing there.
" You don't think that, when your done, you wouldn't mind going to my house for a little cake would you? It was my father's birthday the other day, and we have leftovers," David offered as Elizabeth blushed.
" Sure, that'd be nice," she replied as Torn whistled her over to get to work. David nodded and headed up with the rest of the boys.
