"Heya Mush, would you take Layana to da lodgin' house an get her stuff in an whaddeva? Denton wandent to talk to me."
"Yeah, I god it Jack." He patted Jack on the back as he left.
"Sees ya lader kid." He waved to Layana and went out of the door.
"Kid? Hows old are yas?" Mush questioned.
"Sixteen." She smiled guessing why he called her that.
"Dat's how olds I am. You'se ain't no kid." They laughed a little and slid to the ends of the booths.
They both stood up. Mush was then looking down at her.
"Wow, how tall are ya?"
"Only....about 4'11," she coughed out. They pushed out the glass door with him laughing.
He noticed her limp but didn't say anything, afraid he may offend her. Though it had slipped her mind at the time, she quickly remembered as tripped over her own feet, lost her balance and went into him, grabbing his arms.
"Sorry." She blushed and let go. Mush only smiled, he couldn't remember the last time he met someone so polite, pretty, and nice, all at the same time. Most of the girls he was acquainted with were female newsies, most acted like the guys.
They got to the lodging house; he assigned her a bunk after she signed in the register with Kloppman and paid her dues for a few nights. They were often over crowded and had too many tired and worn out bodies trying to occupy the bunks, but to solve this Mush gave her his lower bunk and assumed partnership of the bunk next to his with Kid Blink.
"An if ya want you'se can sell papes wit me and Blink tamorrow. Ya know till you can get the hang of it."
"Sure, I hope I'm not too much trouble or anything. I mean.."
"Don't worry bout it. Do you mind if I'se ask you a question?" She looked up from her clothes and tilted her head, which she did in an often habit.
"About my leg?" She asked before he finished.
"Yeah. Dat's ok if you don't want to dough." He expected some change in her face or temperament but found the same soft expression as before.
"I was born this way. It's just that one leg is shorter than the other and can sometimes result in throwing me off balance, which you've already experienced." She was smiling when she remembered this.
"I'se didn't mind dat too much." He smiled back thinking how different she was to the other girls he had met before. They were talking when the others walked in.
"Heya Layana. Da boys an me were just wonderin', how old are ya?" Race crossed over to where she was sitting.
"Sixteen. Why?"
"Well," Kid Blink said. "Jacky-Boy had called ya 'kid.'" Race interrupted with,
"An ya know.." putting his hand up to a height about hers.
"Oh, I get It." She laughed.
"Hey, Jack whadd Denton wanna talk to you'se about?" Mush asked.
"Oh, he wanted me to ask you'se guys if you could keep an eye out for his niece. She was the one who's family was in the accident and killed. She was missing for about a year or so now and she was spotted by someone in Manhattan. Sos, keep a look out."
Kloppman came in not too long after and said 'lights out'.