The early morning light barely peaked through the windows of the lodging house as Kit awoke from her fitful sleep. She knew that if she wanted to get out with out questions she would have to leave before the boys woke up. She quickly got up and dressed. Slipping out the window and onto the fire escape she looked over her shoulder and was happy that no one had seemed to awake or notice her escape.
As she reached the street she began to walk purposefully toward the nearest newspaper distribution office, the Sun, in hopes of getting some papers to sell. She joined the group of newsies outside and tried her hardest to blend in.
When she reached the front of the line her troubles began. "40 papes" Kit attempted to use the accent that she had heard since she arrived.
"And whose might youse be?" The clerk sneered.
"Curly, Ise Curly." Kit thought quickly using the name of a friend from home.
"Well Curly the Sun only employs boys see. No goils so scram."
"Youse don't employ goils? Why not?" Kit tried to hide her anger behind a mask of confusion and at the same time keep the accent.
"Cuz goils can't sell papes. Now move along goilie wes got papes for our newsies."
"Wait Ise can sell papes just as well as any boy. Ise got the money for 50 papes Ise want my papes."
"All right goilie, Ise give you 100 papes. If youse sell all 100 Ise consider letting youse sell for us gain tomorrow."
"100 papes?" Kit was a bit shocked, she had never had to sell 100 papers before how in the world would she do that? But she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, "Ise take 100 papes, if youse spot me 50 papes."
"Here is your papes goilie bring the money for the other 50 in the morning."
Kit lifted her papers off the counter and went to find a place away from the other newsies to look at the headlines. The day before had been uneventful and the news was slow. Except for the strike at the Journal nothing was happening, and even that wasn't being reported. The only promising story was about a kid escaping the Refuge. She sighed and picked up her papers and entered the streets of Manhattan to begin selling for the day.
"Master thief escapes prison, State wide man hunt. Police puzzled on how he did it. Master thief breaks out Police believe it was an inside job. Thank you sir, Thank you ma'am." After three hours of screaming her improved headlines Kit's throat was raw and she had only sold 30 of the papes. She had avoided places she knew the World newsies would be but now was getting desperate and headed for the one place she had never thought she would go, Central Park. As she approached she pulled down her cap and renewed the fake accent in hopes that she wouldn't be recognized.
"Jail break frightens hundreds to flee to homes in panic." Kit was so intent on selling her papes that she didn't notice Morris and Oscar Delancey approaching till they grabbed her arm and swung her around.
"What do youse think youse doing little goil?" Oscar looked her up and down, "Don't youse know that their is a strike gonna on and youse can't sell papes?"
"Ise can't sell papes? Ise a Sun employee Ise can sell papes were ever Ise want." Kit tried to be brave but knew the Delanceys had guessed who she was, and were backing her into a corner, literally.
"Youse a Wold employee. Ise saw youse buying papes before this here strike with Cowboy." Oscar countered, "And youse know what wes gonna do to youse?"
"Oscar, didn't your mudder tell youse not to soak goils?" Jack's voice interrupted Oscar's threats.
"Where's Morris, Oscar? Ise taught youse never got separated." Crutchy called out.
Kit didn't know whether to be relieved that her friends had shown up or angry that they were there. She looked behind Oscar and saw, Crutchy, Jack, Swan and Cray, along with a few others, standing and Morris laid out on the ground.
"This little goil could soak me?" Oscar sneered not looking back "Ise like to see that."
Kit regained her composure, "It would be my pleasure." She pulled her knee back and brought it up very quickly. Oscar saw hearts, stars, clovers, horseshoes and moons as he fell to the ground. Kit couldn't resist kicking him a couple of times while he was down. "That's for tell me I couldn't sell papes."
She then gathered her papes, stepped around the writhing Oscar and the knocked out Morris and her slacked jaw friends and went off to sell her papes. She now had 60 papes left to sell and her prime spot was now gone. She had thought that she had gotten away from the guys but as she approached the fish market she heard Swan yelling at her to wait up.
"Kit what do you think you are doing?"
"I'm selling papes, Swan see? Some one has to make money for us to stay at the lodging house, I can't stay on the street especially now since I have made an enemy of the Delancey brothers. Now if you would excuse me I have to sell 60 more papes."
"You think you'll sell your papes in there?" Swan looked skeptical as he pointed into the fish market. "No one will be buy from you in there they could barely hear you."
"Well maybe I can sell my papes to the fish vendors." Kit was starting to lose her temper.
"They get their papes same way we do, whose gonna buy them for one for a penny when they can get them two for a penny from the distribution wagons?"
"You never know, now I'll be at Tibby's for lunch, you can wait here or there, but don't follow me I have to sell on my own."
Swan looked uncomfortable, "That's why I'm here. Jack says if you sell papes for the Sun you can't sleep at the lodging youse, he said you had till tonight to get your stuff out. Or you can come back with me now and it will all be forgotten."
"He said that? Well then fine, I'll find somewhere else to sleep, after I sell my papes." Kit was surprised that Jack would be so heartless. She turned away from Swan so he wouldn't see the tears and went into the fish market. Swan stared after her, before turning around and heading off to tell Jack what had happened.
As she reached the street she began to walk purposefully toward the nearest newspaper distribution office, the Sun, in hopes of getting some papers to sell. She joined the group of newsies outside and tried her hardest to blend in.
When she reached the front of the line her troubles began. "40 papes" Kit attempted to use the accent that she had heard since she arrived.
"And whose might youse be?" The clerk sneered.
"Curly, Ise Curly." Kit thought quickly using the name of a friend from home.
"Well Curly the Sun only employs boys see. No goils so scram."
"Youse don't employ goils? Why not?" Kit tried to hide her anger behind a mask of confusion and at the same time keep the accent.
"Cuz goils can't sell papes. Now move along goilie wes got papes for our newsies."
"Wait Ise can sell papes just as well as any boy. Ise got the money for 50 papes Ise want my papes."
"All right goilie, Ise give you 100 papes. If youse sell all 100 Ise consider letting youse sell for us gain tomorrow."
"100 papes?" Kit was a bit shocked, she had never had to sell 100 papers before how in the world would she do that? But she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, "Ise take 100 papes, if youse spot me 50 papes."
"Here is your papes goilie bring the money for the other 50 in the morning."
Kit lifted her papers off the counter and went to find a place away from the other newsies to look at the headlines. The day before had been uneventful and the news was slow. Except for the strike at the Journal nothing was happening, and even that wasn't being reported. The only promising story was about a kid escaping the Refuge. She sighed and picked up her papers and entered the streets of Manhattan to begin selling for the day.
"Master thief escapes prison, State wide man hunt. Police puzzled on how he did it. Master thief breaks out Police believe it was an inside job. Thank you sir, Thank you ma'am." After three hours of screaming her improved headlines Kit's throat was raw and she had only sold 30 of the papes. She had avoided places she knew the World newsies would be but now was getting desperate and headed for the one place she had never thought she would go, Central Park. As she approached she pulled down her cap and renewed the fake accent in hopes that she wouldn't be recognized.
"Jail break frightens hundreds to flee to homes in panic." Kit was so intent on selling her papes that she didn't notice Morris and Oscar Delancey approaching till they grabbed her arm and swung her around.
"What do youse think youse doing little goil?" Oscar looked her up and down, "Don't youse know that their is a strike gonna on and youse can't sell papes?"
"Ise can't sell papes? Ise a Sun employee Ise can sell papes were ever Ise want." Kit tried to be brave but knew the Delanceys had guessed who she was, and were backing her into a corner, literally.
"Youse a Wold employee. Ise saw youse buying papes before this here strike with Cowboy." Oscar countered, "And youse know what wes gonna do to youse?"
"Oscar, didn't your mudder tell youse not to soak goils?" Jack's voice interrupted Oscar's threats.
"Where's Morris, Oscar? Ise taught youse never got separated." Crutchy called out.
Kit didn't know whether to be relieved that her friends had shown up or angry that they were there. She looked behind Oscar and saw, Crutchy, Jack, Swan and Cray, along with a few others, standing and Morris laid out on the ground.
"This little goil could soak me?" Oscar sneered not looking back "Ise like to see that."
Kit regained her composure, "It would be my pleasure." She pulled her knee back and brought it up very quickly. Oscar saw hearts, stars, clovers, horseshoes and moons as he fell to the ground. Kit couldn't resist kicking him a couple of times while he was down. "That's for tell me I couldn't sell papes."
She then gathered her papes, stepped around the writhing Oscar and the knocked out Morris and her slacked jaw friends and went off to sell her papes. She now had 60 papes left to sell and her prime spot was now gone. She had thought that she had gotten away from the guys but as she approached the fish market she heard Swan yelling at her to wait up.
"Kit what do you think you are doing?"
"I'm selling papes, Swan see? Some one has to make money for us to stay at the lodging house, I can't stay on the street especially now since I have made an enemy of the Delancey brothers. Now if you would excuse me I have to sell 60 more papes."
"You think you'll sell your papes in there?" Swan looked skeptical as he pointed into the fish market. "No one will be buy from you in there they could barely hear you."
"Well maybe I can sell my papes to the fish vendors." Kit was starting to lose her temper.
"They get their papes same way we do, whose gonna buy them for one for a penny when they can get them two for a penny from the distribution wagons?"
"You never know, now I'll be at Tibby's for lunch, you can wait here or there, but don't follow me I have to sell on my own."
Swan looked uncomfortable, "That's why I'm here. Jack says if you sell papes for the Sun you can't sleep at the lodging youse, he said you had till tonight to get your stuff out. Or you can come back with me now and it will all be forgotten."
"He said that? Well then fine, I'll find somewhere else to sleep, after I sell my papes." Kit was surprised that Jack would be so heartless. She turned away from Swan so he wouldn't see the tears and went into the fish market. Swan stared after her, before turning around and heading off to tell Jack what had happened.