#vaudeviillian

There was a new girl at the Bowery. She was pretty, but she did look… different than the other performers there. Olive didn’t care, but she heard whispers from others who did. Why was this such a thing for everyone? Maybe Olive was just weird because she had this disagreement with people before.

          “they locked me up in solitary confinement the last time iwas in the refuge – i ever tell ya that, miss medda?  it, uh… it happened ‘cause the guards wasbeatin’ on this kid one night – little kid, smaller’n me, if you can imagine– and i just… i couldn’t take no more of it.  they pulled me off the guard, gave me a good soakin’, then tossed meinto solitary.  it’s this… dark room withno windows and no bed, just rats and a blanket on the floor.  they kept me in there ‘til it was time t’toss me outta the refuge.  reckon i’d ‘servedmy time’ or somethin’.  either that orall the lice and fever clingin’ t’ me scared ‘em so bad they just had enough o’ jack kelly, huh?”