It was close to 7 when they all arrived at Central Park. Mills and Kit were hesitant about sticking around what looked like an all guy event. "Youse sure wes can stay Kelly?" Mills questioned.
"Don't matter to me if youse decide to go or stay. If youse do go remember to watch out for the Delancey Brudders. They got nothing to do all day, must have be hard for them, so watch you back."
Jack then turned his attention to getting the newsies there settled. Mills still wanted to leave, but Kit felt like staying near the guys; so she climbed up the nearest tree and got comfortable.
Newsies from all parts of New York had gathered. A few didn't know why they had gotten together, so Jack stood up to address the group. "Youse know why wes here right? Wes don't have papes to sell and the reason is dose working for the World be striking. Now wes got 2 options as newsies. Wes can join the strike or wes can work for the other papes. If wes don't unite now nothing will get done." David who was standing behind him prompted Jack's speech. It was a good speech none the less and did have a flare that only Jack could bring to it.
Kit began tuning out the speeches as they got longer and more boring. She had almost fallen asleep in her tree when a young voice called her back to full consciousness.
"Psst Kit youse awake?"
She peered down into the darkness under her tree, "I am now what's going on Les?"
"Ise bored, youse want to go walking around? No ones gonna notice us leaven."
Kit glanced over at the gathering. Les was right even Cray and Swan were involved and wouldn't notice. She jumped out of the tree landing on her feet next to Les.
"So where do you want to go?"
"How did bout the fountain? Wes could use it to cool off." Les tried to look like the idea had just come to him, but failed miserably.
Kit laughed, "I should have known, sure why not. As long as I don't get too wet."
They walked over to where the fountain was. "Les how do you know Kelly so well?"
"It's a really cool story, want to hear?"
"Sure, I have all the time in the world."
"Well about 2 years ago my papa broke his arm in an accident at his factory. Me and David went to sell papes to make us some money. Morris was trying to cheat us out of a pape but Jack stepped in and kept David from getting soaked. He then took us on as selling partners. Den Pulitzer tried ta raise the price of papes, and us newsies had a strike, and Jack and David were the leaders. Den Jack wen in as a spy for us and we won cuz Jack and David and Denton puts out a pape organizing all the working kids in New Yawk. My sister was Jack's goil for a while but they broke up but him and me are still pals and wes still sell papes together. Ise want to be just like him and David when Ise get big." The last sentence was spoke in a wistful tone. The hero worship in Les' eyes was evident as he spoke.
And caused Kit to laugh, "I am sure you will be just like them when you do get big."
When they reached the fountain they found that a couple of the younger newsies had already had the same idea. A massive water fight broke out pretty quickly. Kit joined in a first but quickly stopped from getting too wet. She stepped back to a safer distance and watched the young guys enjoy themselves. All the while laughing at their antics at they cooled from the June heat.
Her laughter was turned to screams of terror as she was grabbed and thrown over someone's shoulder. She began to struggle and cry begging for whomever to put her down. She didn't even notice when she was put down, or feel the comfort in the arms that held her. All she felt was terror as she fought against them. It took a while for it to sink into her frightened mind that she wasn't being hurt and for her to start to calm down. When she lifted her face she saw that her 'attacker' was Cray.
Her screams had caused Les and the other boys to stop playing in the fountain. Les rushed over to where she and Cray were sitting and knelt down. "What did youse think youse was doing? Youse scared her." He looked at Cray accusingly, then turned to Kit. "Kit youse okay?"
Kit sniffled and offered him a weak, watery smile. "Yeah I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting to be picked up Cray didn't mean to scare me. Did you Cray?"
Cray was ashamed and it showed on his face, "No I didn't mean to scare you that much, I thought you knew I was there and knew what I was doing. I am sorry." He gave her a hug and helped her up on to her feet.
They headed back to the gathering, which was being to wind down. David was speaking now, "Wes still don't have a consensus. What are we as a group gonna do?"
One of the Harlem guys answered. "Whose business of it if wes do or don't. If wes don't break this up soon some o' us ain't gonna make it home. Ise taken my guys and going. Wes not gonna join the strike. Why join with the guys that would rather see us dead?" A lot of the newsies nodded their heads and voiced their agreement.
David tried being the voice of reason "How you planning on living? If you don't strike and tries to join up with the other papes you still might not see the end of the day."
"Wes work for who ever wes want to. Papes sell the same don't matter where youse work."
Those newsies that disagreed voiced their opinion also, they felt that striking might give them something too, maybe even lower the cost of the papers they bought.
A consensus didn't seem probable. Spot finally stated that they could do what they wanted by his newsies were going to be allowed to chose their own they were from Brooklyn and they could take care of themselves.
Jack on the other hand said he was going to try to keep his newsies out of it, he didn't want to risk getting them worked over by the Delancey's.
With nothing solved and no real course of action worked-out groups of newsies began leaving for their homes. Some left feeling dejected, others angered and still others disgusted at the inability to come together.
"Don't matter to me if youse decide to go or stay. If youse do go remember to watch out for the Delancey Brudders. They got nothing to do all day, must have be hard for them, so watch you back."
Jack then turned his attention to getting the newsies there settled. Mills still wanted to leave, but Kit felt like staying near the guys; so she climbed up the nearest tree and got comfortable.
Newsies from all parts of New York had gathered. A few didn't know why they had gotten together, so Jack stood up to address the group. "Youse know why wes here right? Wes don't have papes to sell and the reason is dose working for the World be striking. Now wes got 2 options as newsies. Wes can join the strike or wes can work for the other papes. If wes don't unite now nothing will get done." David who was standing behind him prompted Jack's speech. It was a good speech none the less and did have a flare that only Jack could bring to it.
Kit began tuning out the speeches as they got longer and more boring. She had almost fallen asleep in her tree when a young voice called her back to full consciousness.
"Psst Kit youse awake?"
She peered down into the darkness under her tree, "I am now what's going on Les?"
"Ise bored, youse want to go walking around? No ones gonna notice us leaven."
Kit glanced over at the gathering. Les was right even Cray and Swan were involved and wouldn't notice. She jumped out of the tree landing on her feet next to Les.
"So where do you want to go?"
"How did bout the fountain? Wes could use it to cool off." Les tried to look like the idea had just come to him, but failed miserably.
Kit laughed, "I should have known, sure why not. As long as I don't get too wet."
They walked over to where the fountain was. "Les how do you know Kelly so well?"
"It's a really cool story, want to hear?"
"Sure, I have all the time in the world."
"Well about 2 years ago my papa broke his arm in an accident at his factory. Me and David went to sell papes to make us some money. Morris was trying to cheat us out of a pape but Jack stepped in and kept David from getting soaked. He then took us on as selling partners. Den Pulitzer tried ta raise the price of papes, and us newsies had a strike, and Jack and David were the leaders. Den Jack wen in as a spy for us and we won cuz Jack and David and Denton puts out a pape organizing all the working kids in New Yawk. My sister was Jack's goil for a while but they broke up but him and me are still pals and wes still sell papes together. Ise want to be just like him and David when Ise get big." The last sentence was spoke in a wistful tone. The hero worship in Les' eyes was evident as he spoke.
And caused Kit to laugh, "I am sure you will be just like them when you do get big."
When they reached the fountain they found that a couple of the younger newsies had already had the same idea. A massive water fight broke out pretty quickly. Kit joined in a first but quickly stopped from getting too wet. She stepped back to a safer distance and watched the young guys enjoy themselves. All the while laughing at their antics at they cooled from the June heat.
Her laughter was turned to screams of terror as she was grabbed and thrown over someone's shoulder. She began to struggle and cry begging for whomever to put her down. She didn't even notice when she was put down, or feel the comfort in the arms that held her. All she felt was terror as she fought against them. It took a while for it to sink into her frightened mind that she wasn't being hurt and for her to start to calm down. When she lifted her face she saw that her 'attacker' was Cray.
Her screams had caused Les and the other boys to stop playing in the fountain. Les rushed over to where she and Cray were sitting and knelt down. "What did youse think youse was doing? Youse scared her." He looked at Cray accusingly, then turned to Kit. "Kit youse okay?"
Kit sniffled and offered him a weak, watery smile. "Yeah I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting to be picked up Cray didn't mean to scare me. Did you Cray?"
Cray was ashamed and it showed on his face, "No I didn't mean to scare you that much, I thought you knew I was there and knew what I was doing. I am sorry." He gave her a hug and helped her up on to her feet.
They headed back to the gathering, which was being to wind down. David was speaking now, "Wes still don't have a consensus. What are we as a group gonna do?"
One of the Harlem guys answered. "Whose business of it if wes do or don't. If wes don't break this up soon some o' us ain't gonna make it home. Ise taken my guys and going. Wes not gonna join the strike. Why join with the guys that would rather see us dead?" A lot of the newsies nodded their heads and voiced their agreement.
David tried being the voice of reason "How you planning on living? If you don't strike and tries to join up with the other papes you still might not see the end of the day."
"Wes work for who ever wes want to. Papes sell the same don't matter where youse work."
Those newsies that disagreed voiced their opinion also, they felt that striking might give them something too, maybe even lower the cost of the papers they bought.
A consensus didn't seem probable. Spot finally stated that they could do what they wanted by his newsies were going to be allowed to chose their own they were from Brooklyn and they could take care of themselves.
Jack on the other hand said he was going to try to keep his newsies out of it, he didn't want to risk getting them worked over by the Delancey's.
With nothing solved and no real course of action worked-out groups of newsies began leaving for their homes. Some left feeling dejected, others angered and still others disgusted at the inability to come together.