An early morning full of laughing, joking and loud voices might have been normal at the Manhattan Newsboys lodging house but it was not the best way to wake up after a night of drinking as Jack, Blink, Cray, Swan and Bryon found out. Mush had elected not to drink, but wasn't ready to wake up because of the late hour they had come stumbling in the night before. Bryon didn't even flinch as he rolled back over to sleep off the ugly hangover he had been left with, while the other four all got dressed to sell the newest edition of the paper with the fuzziest heads this side of New Years Day.
Today none of them participated in the joking and rough housing that normally followed the group to the distribution office as they nursed their bruised egos and the foggy brains. As they reached the distribution office all joking ceased as one by one they read the headline board. "President McKinley Shot." The foggy sleep filled brains instantly awoke, as they all stood transfixed staring at the board. It was a headline that could make them money but suddenly no one was ready to break it.
The distribution bell rang harshly breaking the silence. Jack was the only one to speak, "Let's go before we lose out to the competition." A subdued line was formed as all gathered to buy their papes. Mills stood next to Cray clutching his arm to hold her up, "It can't be true can it?" He looked down to find her eyes brimming with tears.
"It has gotta be, no hack would lie that harshly. We want the city to know. We'll deal with what we are selling later." While it sounded harsh it was to cover up what he felt inside.
At the window Wesiel was back, "How many?"
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out 75 cents "150". He was the first but he wasn't the last as everyone bought more than usual. Then left calling out the headline as it was for the first time ever.
***Brooklyn***
The morning of the 7th dawned promising more heat and humidity. Kit was right about felling better and was ready to start selling after having taken the previous day off. She was pain free and feeling much like her old self.
"Kit can ise buy the papes today? Jolly bought them yesterday." Bait asked while running up. Kit nodded, barely looking up from braiding her hair.
"Why don't you read me the headlines and we'll see how many to get."
Bait jumped up and down excitedly causing Kit to laugh at his antics as they walked with Jolly and Spot. Jolly and Bait were slashing at each other with their swords while using Kit and spot as bases to hide behind. As they reached the Brooklyn distribution dock Kti called out to remind Bait of his job.
"Oh yeah" he looked up at the boards and began to read, sounding out the words he hadn't learned yet "Pres-y dent Mc Kin Ly Shot. Wall Street Close at Record High." He then stopped waiting for Kit's praise, but it didn't come. Bait turned around to look at her and saw Kit had sat down on the street in shock. "Kit youse okay?" Bait walked over and waved his hand in front of her face. He then turned to Spot, "What's wrong? Why's Kit sitting on the ground?"
Spot glanced down then back at the board. "She needed to sit down" the then gathered himself together and reached down to shake Kit. "Kit youse need to pull yourself together wes got ta get this out."
Kit slowly stood up and reached into her money pouch and pulled out 55 cents. "Bait get 110 papes." Spot took Bait by the shoulder and led him up to the window to get their wares. Jolly looked at Kit and tugged on her skirt.
"Youse really think wes can sell 110 papes?"
Kit nodded, "They'll sell themselves."
Spot and Bait walked out, Bait barely able to control the extra load. As Kit relieved him of it she looked at Spot who was reading the story. "What's it say?"
"Well he was shot in the stomach*. Some man came up and shot him as he was greeting people at a fair. The man was pounced on but President McKinley saved him from being beaten to death by saying "Don't let them hurt him". He is now under the close eye of his doctor. But is alive when the paper when to press."
"What's going on, why are youse two so sad?" Jolly asked as they walked to their usual selling venues.
"I'll tell you when we are done okay?" Kit looked at both boys. Spot began calling out the headline and quickly the papers began to disappear. Both younger boys began to imitate Spot's hawking and their papers also went fast. Only Kit walked silently, but even she sold as women afraid to buy from Spot and not able to buy from the younger boys came to her.
By the time they reached Coney Island half of the papers were gone. They spilt up, Kit taking Bait while staying near the entrance while Spot and Jolly headed for the Midway. Their day of selling was swift, as Kit had predicted. While Kit and Bait only had 45 papers between them to sell, when all was said and done they had close to three dollars. People had been in such shock they didn't ask for or even realize they needed change as they gave them nickels and dimes instead of the regular penny. Kit took the money they had made and placed it in her money pouch inside her shirt.
They then went to find Jolly and Spot, only to discover them in the middle of a crowd. The crowd finally disperse and Spot brought the 6 dollars he and Jolly had earned over. "Wes divided it at the bunk house like always." Kit nodded and put it all into her pouch. She then bent down and Bait climbed on her back. As they walked Kit struggled to keep from crying and would have succeeded if Bait hadn't been so curious.
"Kit why did we make so much today? Why was the headline so different that we even got quarters for it?"
Kit took a breath to think of how to word it for the young boys. "The headline today was for an assassination attempt on a well known person. People don't always react the way you think they should when someone they have heard about almost dies."
"So youse crying cause youse are in shock."
"No I am crying cause, well I guess cause I feel sorry for the President and his family."
Not much else was spoken, Kit kept glancing at Spot who had kept a paper for Kosei as always. Spot would glance at it every few minutes as if he could change the headline by willing it. By silence consensus Kit and the younger boys weren't going to sell the evening edition and they entered the boarding house quietly. Spot laid Kosei's newspaper on the counter and headed back out while the boys and Kit went up to their bunks.
When night came the newsies entered silently. Spot came over to collect his share from the morning, and to give Kit a third of the 6 dollars he had made that afternoon. When she looked at him questioningly he just shrugged and climbed up onto his bed. No one slept well that night. And for all of them morning couldn't come any sooner.
***Manhattan***
In Manhattan the papers sold just as good as they had in Brooklyn. Cray and Mills only sold in the morning but made twice as much as if they had sold both editions. They stopped by the bunkhouse to get Bryon and Cray's stuff. Then the three of them walked to Medda's. Bryon had been shocked to hear the days headline, but neither Mills nor Cray wanted to talk about it.
Upon entering Medda's they were greeted by Medda, "Is it true? One of the girls heard a newsie selling the headline. Is it true?" Medda was wringing her hands.
"Yes, President McKinley was shot. But they expect him to live ain't that right Crale?" Mills spoke first.
"Expect him to live, yeah." Cray was a little out of it.
"Well as sad as that is we must keep this show running. Crale please snap out of it. Katie there are some things that need mending. Boys the tables need to be cleaned and set up." Medda began assigning jobs to keep everyone busy and not dwelling on the events from the paper. The who went on that night with smiles and laughter, and a few tears. Some of the newsies came and stood off stage to watch the show and say so long to Cray.
The mood of the night was much different from the night before and everyone went home early. Skittery greeted Jack, Race and Swan as they came in from the show. "Jack wes got a telegram from Mr. Denton. He said the Doctors say the President will be fine." Skittery sneered then, "What do those crocks know. No man could survive a gun shot to the stomach." No one disputed his claim and they headed up stairs to bed. All the other newsies were on their bunks asleep the later comers soon did the same.
Today none of them participated in the joking and rough housing that normally followed the group to the distribution office as they nursed their bruised egos and the foggy brains. As they reached the distribution office all joking ceased as one by one they read the headline board. "President McKinley Shot." The foggy sleep filled brains instantly awoke, as they all stood transfixed staring at the board. It was a headline that could make them money but suddenly no one was ready to break it.
The distribution bell rang harshly breaking the silence. Jack was the only one to speak, "Let's go before we lose out to the competition." A subdued line was formed as all gathered to buy their papes. Mills stood next to Cray clutching his arm to hold her up, "It can't be true can it?" He looked down to find her eyes brimming with tears.
"It has gotta be, no hack would lie that harshly. We want the city to know. We'll deal with what we are selling later." While it sounded harsh it was to cover up what he felt inside.
At the window Wesiel was back, "How many?"
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out 75 cents "150". He was the first but he wasn't the last as everyone bought more than usual. Then left calling out the headline as it was for the first time ever.
***Brooklyn***
The morning of the 7th dawned promising more heat and humidity. Kit was right about felling better and was ready to start selling after having taken the previous day off. She was pain free and feeling much like her old self.
"Kit can ise buy the papes today? Jolly bought them yesterday." Bait asked while running up. Kit nodded, barely looking up from braiding her hair.
"Why don't you read me the headlines and we'll see how many to get."
Bait jumped up and down excitedly causing Kit to laugh at his antics as they walked with Jolly and Spot. Jolly and Bait were slashing at each other with their swords while using Kit and spot as bases to hide behind. As they reached the Brooklyn distribution dock Kti called out to remind Bait of his job.
"Oh yeah" he looked up at the boards and began to read, sounding out the words he hadn't learned yet "Pres-y dent Mc Kin Ly Shot. Wall Street Close at Record High." He then stopped waiting for Kit's praise, but it didn't come. Bait turned around to look at her and saw Kit had sat down on the street in shock. "Kit youse okay?" Bait walked over and waved his hand in front of her face. He then turned to Spot, "What's wrong? Why's Kit sitting on the ground?"
Spot glanced down then back at the board. "She needed to sit down" the then gathered himself together and reached down to shake Kit. "Kit youse need to pull yourself together wes got ta get this out."
Kit slowly stood up and reached into her money pouch and pulled out 55 cents. "Bait get 110 papes." Spot took Bait by the shoulder and led him up to the window to get their wares. Jolly looked at Kit and tugged on her skirt.
"Youse really think wes can sell 110 papes?"
Kit nodded, "They'll sell themselves."
Spot and Bait walked out, Bait barely able to control the extra load. As Kit relieved him of it she looked at Spot who was reading the story. "What's it say?"
"Well he was shot in the stomach*. Some man came up and shot him as he was greeting people at a fair. The man was pounced on but President McKinley saved him from being beaten to death by saying "Don't let them hurt him". He is now under the close eye of his doctor. But is alive when the paper when to press."
"What's going on, why are youse two so sad?" Jolly asked as they walked to their usual selling venues.
"I'll tell you when we are done okay?" Kit looked at both boys. Spot began calling out the headline and quickly the papers began to disappear. Both younger boys began to imitate Spot's hawking and their papers also went fast. Only Kit walked silently, but even she sold as women afraid to buy from Spot and not able to buy from the younger boys came to her.
By the time they reached Coney Island half of the papers were gone. They spilt up, Kit taking Bait while staying near the entrance while Spot and Jolly headed for the Midway. Their day of selling was swift, as Kit had predicted. While Kit and Bait only had 45 papers between them to sell, when all was said and done they had close to three dollars. People had been in such shock they didn't ask for or even realize they needed change as they gave them nickels and dimes instead of the regular penny. Kit took the money they had made and placed it in her money pouch inside her shirt.
They then went to find Jolly and Spot, only to discover them in the middle of a crowd. The crowd finally disperse and Spot brought the 6 dollars he and Jolly had earned over. "Wes divided it at the bunk house like always." Kit nodded and put it all into her pouch. She then bent down and Bait climbed on her back. As they walked Kit struggled to keep from crying and would have succeeded if Bait hadn't been so curious.
"Kit why did we make so much today? Why was the headline so different that we even got quarters for it?"
Kit took a breath to think of how to word it for the young boys. "The headline today was for an assassination attempt on a well known person. People don't always react the way you think they should when someone they have heard about almost dies."
"So youse crying cause youse are in shock."
"No I am crying cause, well I guess cause I feel sorry for the President and his family."
Not much else was spoken, Kit kept glancing at Spot who had kept a paper for Kosei as always. Spot would glance at it every few minutes as if he could change the headline by willing it. By silence consensus Kit and the younger boys weren't going to sell the evening edition and they entered the boarding house quietly. Spot laid Kosei's newspaper on the counter and headed back out while the boys and Kit went up to their bunks.
When night came the newsies entered silently. Spot came over to collect his share from the morning, and to give Kit a third of the 6 dollars he had made that afternoon. When she looked at him questioningly he just shrugged and climbed up onto his bed. No one slept well that night. And for all of them morning couldn't come any sooner.
***Manhattan***
In Manhattan the papers sold just as good as they had in Brooklyn. Cray and Mills only sold in the morning but made twice as much as if they had sold both editions. They stopped by the bunkhouse to get Bryon and Cray's stuff. Then the three of them walked to Medda's. Bryon had been shocked to hear the days headline, but neither Mills nor Cray wanted to talk about it.
Upon entering Medda's they were greeted by Medda, "Is it true? One of the girls heard a newsie selling the headline. Is it true?" Medda was wringing her hands.
"Yes, President McKinley was shot. But they expect him to live ain't that right Crale?" Mills spoke first.
"Expect him to live, yeah." Cray was a little out of it.
"Well as sad as that is we must keep this show running. Crale please snap out of it. Katie there are some things that need mending. Boys the tables need to be cleaned and set up." Medda began assigning jobs to keep everyone busy and not dwelling on the events from the paper. The who went on that night with smiles and laughter, and a few tears. Some of the newsies came and stood off stage to watch the show and say so long to Cray.
The mood of the night was much different from the night before and everyone went home early. Skittery greeted Jack, Race and Swan as they came in from the show. "Jack wes got a telegram from Mr. Denton. He said the Doctors say the President will be fine." Skittery sneered then, "What do those crocks know. No man could survive a gun shot to the stomach." No one disputed his claim and they headed up stairs to bed. All the other newsies were on their bunks asleep the later comers soon did the same.