1920

Officer John Varden sat in a chair in Professor Paul Hart's office. Hart was sitting behind his desk, tapping a pencil against the papers scattered across the top.

"I can't let him in John, I'm sorry."

"You know he would excel in a school like this, he won't be able to go back to public school."

"I'm aware of that, that's why I can't let him in. If his criminal record wasn't plastered all over every paper, I would try to get him in undetected. However, everyone here knows who he is, and the other students wouldn't accept him, not to mention their parents."

"What am I supposed to do then? Let him waste his life away because he was born to the wrong family?"

"Send him out of state, somewhere that doesn't know who he is, he can start over."

"He doesn't want to leave his family and the only place he has ever known."

"Well that's foolish, but then I really don't know what option he has. Why are you so concerned about him anyway?"

"I was assigned to the case from the beginning. I thought it would be simple, an unruly newsie making some trouble and trying to start a riot against the newspapers. What I found though was a smart kid that dropped out of school too early so he could earn the money for rent because his father drinks too much. Not to mention I found out he was right about everything he said in terms of unfair treatment towards the newsies. He has brains and guts, he could go somewhere, be something."

Hart nodded his head in agreement. "I appreciate what you are trying to do for him John, I really do. I wish I could give you another answer."

"Fine, if you won't let him in, I will start a school of my own. He needs a chance."

"You can't be serious John." When John's face didn't falter from the serious expression he wore, Hart continued. "Okay, even if you are considering this, you can't just up and start a school. Who will teach there? You're a policeman for Christ sake, not a teacher. And who will go to your school? You can't teach to one kid."

John's face did falter for a brief moment, but turned back to serious quickly. "It won't be a regular school. It will be like a finishing house or something." John slashed his hands through the air. "I'll figure out the technicalities later. Plus, I know Thomas can't be the only kid out there that could benefit from this. How many kids have you turned away alone? Kids just like Thomas – incredibly smart and talented but nobody will accept them because their parents can't afford tuition." The look that crossed Hart's face made John realize he was right in his assumption. "Do you keep a record of the kids you turn down?"

"Of course we do, we keep a record of everything." Hart motioned to the rows of filing cabinets lining the walls around the office.

"I'll start recruiting from those then."

"Be careful John. There might be a lot of kids like Thomas, but there are also a lot of kids that simply don't belong in any type of structured setting or ones that don't want to learn. Let too many of those ones in and your finishing house or whatever you want to call it will be disgraced."

"I'll have a probation period, before they are officially enrolled. Something that tests their character and ambition."
"That's the police force training talking."

John sat up straighter, showing his pride in becoming a policeman. "Well it works for them doesn't it? Why can't it work for my new school?"

Hart shook his head in disbelief. "And what are you going to call this finishing school of yours?"

John's lips pursed as he thought about it and then his eyes grew wide with excitement. "The Academy."