A call of stop the presses was heard all over the country in the middle of the night on the morning of September 14th. The teleprompter in many editing rooms spread the news from New York to San Francisco; President McKinley had died. While the country slept unawares a new edition of their morning papers were being printed hurriedly to spread the news to the common man.
It was early morning, the sun was just rising starting to take the chill of the previous night away. A heavy due lay on the ground, sparkling in the feeble morning light. All over New York papers were being delivered to the distribution docks and newsies were beginning to wake. In Brooklyn the World newsboys had spent most of the night playing cards while the newsgirls had spent their night having great fun giggling over girl stuff.
Kosei clomped up the stairs in warning to his boarders. Rounder opened one eye then groaned. His groan woke Falcon who sat up to stretch before lying back down and beginning to snore. "ALL YOU BUMMERS GET YOUR BUTTS OUT OF BED. Come on Falcon Ise knows youse awake, Rounder don't make me get the broom. Spot get youse guys and goils out of here. Youse gots papes to sell and the competition to soak." He went around to every bunk, sometimes kicking the bed frame other times just lightly smacking the guy in the bed.
Kit heard Kosei's wake up call and rolled out of bed, shaking Tack awake, "Come on it's time to get up and go sell our papes." Tack groaned but slowly began to move as if getting up. Kit was in a good mood, the first time she had woken up in such a mood in a while. She slipped on her pants and shirt and left the room tying up her hair. She wandered into the male bunkroom oblivious to the shouts of surprise and semi-outrage that a girl was walking though.
She sauntered up to Spot's bed where he was still sleeping and began to blow on his cheek. He waved his hand at the annoyance, much like when she had done it during the poker match, but this time she leaned in closer and began to whisper in his ear. "Spoty come on old boy we got papes to sell."
Before she could react Spot put his arm around her waist and pulled her down next to him. He opened his eyes and smiled, "Youse know Ise could get used to youse waking me up." He gave her a quick kiss.
Kit pretended to be put out, "Don't get use to it. I ain't gonna wake up every day."
"Gives me something to look forward too don't it?" Spot smiled cheekily as he pushed himself out of bed. "So youse just gonna stay here while Ise gets dressed?"
Kit nodded and closed her eyes. Spot snickered gave her another kiss then climbed out of the bed. Kit opened her eyes, and peeked out from under her lashes as she watched discretely. Spot dressed quickly and was soon "gently" reminding his newsies it was time to get going. He went over to Kit who quickly shut her eyes the rest of the way, "Faker come on or wes leave youse behind to help Kosei clean."
Kit got up then, and was about to check on the girls when they come running out and jumped on the twins, with Tack following close behind at a bit more sedate pace. Tack went over and picked the two girls off the boys before a fight could start and began walking out. Everyone else took the hint and they all headed off to get their papers.
In Manhattan the newsies were waken by a pounding on the door. Kloppman opened the door and there stood a messenger boy. "Ise gots some telegrams to be delivered here. This one is for a guy last named Swanson and the other one is for a Jack Kelly."
"I'll sign for them, here's a tip." Kloppman took the telegrams and after paying the boy headed for the stairs, Jack and Swan were standing in the front. "Here boys guess these are for you." Kloppman said as he handed them their messages.
Jack opened his first. "It's from Denton, says "Jack Stop. President Dead. Stop. Roosevelt president now. Stop. More to come. Stop. Denton." That's it, well that will make a good headline if nothing else." Jack looked around at the newsies noticing the color had drained from Swan's face. "What's yours say Swan?"
"My pop is sick. He's asking for me Cray and Kit. Ma wired us some money to come as soon as we could." Swan looked like he was going to be sick.
Jack not wanting to think about Denton's telegram was curious, "Why would youse pop be asking for Cray and Kit."
"Cause Cray is me brother and Kit is our cousin." Swan said as he looked up, after seeing the looks of surprise he dropped his eyes then went to his bunk to get dressed. "I better go tell Cray." He dressed quickly and was gone before anyone could stop him.
"Well what do youse know. That was a kick in the mouth wasn't it Jack? Jack?" Race tried to get Jack's attention.
"Huh? Yeah whatever. Come on guys wes gots papes to sell just as well go now." Everyone dressed in silence and began the short walk to the distribution docks.
The distribution docks were eerily silent as the Manhattan newsies approached. One by one they looked to the headline board and read what would be the best headline of the year. "President McKinley Dead." Jack was the first to react. "Wes got the telegram, wes knew it was gonna be the headline wes gonna sell it like we would any other pape."
The bell rang then and the sedate group of newsies went to get their papers. Everyone knew it would be a big selling day and papers disappeared quickly. Some of the slower newsies didn't even get papers that day.
Swan found Cray over at Medda's washing some shot glasses as he talked to Mills.
"Cray we gotta talk. Mills can stay if she wants." Swan looked at his brother's girl as if he wanted her to leave.
"Nah go ahead Ise gots some stuff to do in the back." Mills said taking the hint and after giving Cray a kiss on the check went to the back.
"What's that about?" Cray looked at Swan a little ticked.
"Pop is dying, Ma said he's asking for us and Kit. She wired us some money to pick up at the train station to come home with."
"Pop dying? You sure?" Cray stood back with some surprise.
"Yeah here's the telegram Ma sent." Swan handed the paper to Cray who took it and read it.
"So whose gonna tell Kit?" Cray spoke after a moment.
"I could go but I think it should come from you." Swan spoke staring at the rag on the counter.
"I'll go tell Medda I am leaving. You think Ma sent enough for one of us to bring someone with?"
"Probably not, you wanna take Mills along? Don't think Bryon would like that much."
"I don't care if Mills wants to come I wanna take her with. I don't think Kit is gonna come willingly. Mills can be someone she can talk to." Cray said before heading off to find Medda.
"Medda? I need to talk to you." Cray came and stood in the doorway of the dressing room.
"Yes Crale what is going on?"
"My pop is dying, my ma wants me, Swan and Kit to come home, I think he wants to apologize for stuff that went on before we left. But I have to quit. Sorry I couldn't give you more notice."
"Would you be coming back if you could?" Medda asked?
"Yeah, but if my pop is dying then I am gonna be the one to run the farm. I can't come back even if I wanted."
Medda was silent, "Well I hate losing a good worker like you," She walked out the front and opened the register, "Here is the last of your pay. You gonna tell Mills?"
"Yes, I don't want to put you out, but I am going to ask her to come along with us."
"Just going to take my good workers away from me. Well if she wants to go then I guess she'll be going. Better go ask her." Medda smiled as Cray went to find his girl.
It was early morning, the sun was just rising starting to take the chill of the previous night away. A heavy due lay on the ground, sparkling in the feeble morning light. All over New York papers were being delivered to the distribution docks and newsies were beginning to wake. In Brooklyn the World newsboys had spent most of the night playing cards while the newsgirls had spent their night having great fun giggling over girl stuff.
Kosei clomped up the stairs in warning to his boarders. Rounder opened one eye then groaned. His groan woke Falcon who sat up to stretch before lying back down and beginning to snore. "ALL YOU BUMMERS GET YOUR BUTTS OUT OF BED. Come on Falcon Ise knows youse awake, Rounder don't make me get the broom. Spot get youse guys and goils out of here. Youse gots papes to sell and the competition to soak." He went around to every bunk, sometimes kicking the bed frame other times just lightly smacking the guy in the bed.
Kit heard Kosei's wake up call and rolled out of bed, shaking Tack awake, "Come on it's time to get up and go sell our papes." Tack groaned but slowly began to move as if getting up. Kit was in a good mood, the first time she had woken up in such a mood in a while. She slipped on her pants and shirt and left the room tying up her hair. She wandered into the male bunkroom oblivious to the shouts of surprise and semi-outrage that a girl was walking though.
She sauntered up to Spot's bed where he was still sleeping and began to blow on his cheek. He waved his hand at the annoyance, much like when she had done it during the poker match, but this time she leaned in closer and began to whisper in his ear. "Spoty come on old boy we got papes to sell."
Before she could react Spot put his arm around her waist and pulled her down next to him. He opened his eyes and smiled, "Youse know Ise could get used to youse waking me up." He gave her a quick kiss.
Kit pretended to be put out, "Don't get use to it. I ain't gonna wake up every day."
"Gives me something to look forward too don't it?" Spot smiled cheekily as he pushed himself out of bed. "So youse just gonna stay here while Ise gets dressed?"
Kit nodded and closed her eyes. Spot snickered gave her another kiss then climbed out of the bed. Kit opened her eyes, and peeked out from under her lashes as she watched discretely. Spot dressed quickly and was soon "gently" reminding his newsies it was time to get going. He went over to Kit who quickly shut her eyes the rest of the way, "Faker come on or wes leave youse behind to help Kosei clean."
Kit got up then, and was about to check on the girls when they come running out and jumped on the twins, with Tack following close behind at a bit more sedate pace. Tack went over and picked the two girls off the boys before a fight could start and began walking out. Everyone else took the hint and they all headed off to get their papers.
In Manhattan the newsies were waken by a pounding on the door. Kloppman opened the door and there stood a messenger boy. "Ise gots some telegrams to be delivered here. This one is for a guy last named Swanson and the other one is for a Jack Kelly."
"I'll sign for them, here's a tip." Kloppman took the telegrams and after paying the boy headed for the stairs, Jack and Swan were standing in the front. "Here boys guess these are for you." Kloppman said as he handed them their messages.
Jack opened his first. "It's from Denton, says "Jack Stop. President Dead. Stop. Roosevelt president now. Stop. More to come. Stop. Denton." That's it, well that will make a good headline if nothing else." Jack looked around at the newsies noticing the color had drained from Swan's face. "What's yours say Swan?"
"My pop is sick. He's asking for me Cray and Kit. Ma wired us some money to come as soon as we could." Swan looked like he was going to be sick.
Jack not wanting to think about Denton's telegram was curious, "Why would youse pop be asking for Cray and Kit."
"Cause Cray is me brother and Kit is our cousin." Swan said as he looked up, after seeing the looks of surprise he dropped his eyes then went to his bunk to get dressed. "I better go tell Cray." He dressed quickly and was gone before anyone could stop him.
"Well what do youse know. That was a kick in the mouth wasn't it Jack? Jack?" Race tried to get Jack's attention.
"Huh? Yeah whatever. Come on guys wes gots papes to sell just as well go now." Everyone dressed in silence and began the short walk to the distribution docks.
The distribution docks were eerily silent as the Manhattan newsies approached. One by one they looked to the headline board and read what would be the best headline of the year. "President McKinley Dead." Jack was the first to react. "Wes got the telegram, wes knew it was gonna be the headline wes gonna sell it like we would any other pape."
The bell rang then and the sedate group of newsies went to get their papers. Everyone knew it would be a big selling day and papers disappeared quickly. Some of the slower newsies didn't even get papers that day.
Swan found Cray over at Medda's washing some shot glasses as he talked to Mills.
"Cray we gotta talk. Mills can stay if she wants." Swan looked at his brother's girl as if he wanted her to leave.
"Nah go ahead Ise gots some stuff to do in the back." Mills said taking the hint and after giving Cray a kiss on the check went to the back.
"What's that about?" Cray looked at Swan a little ticked.
"Pop is dying, Ma said he's asking for us and Kit. She wired us some money to pick up at the train station to come home with."
"Pop dying? You sure?" Cray stood back with some surprise.
"Yeah here's the telegram Ma sent." Swan handed the paper to Cray who took it and read it.
"So whose gonna tell Kit?" Cray spoke after a moment.
"I could go but I think it should come from you." Swan spoke staring at the rag on the counter.
"I'll go tell Medda I am leaving. You think Ma sent enough for one of us to bring someone with?"
"Probably not, you wanna take Mills along? Don't think Bryon would like that much."
"I don't care if Mills wants to come I wanna take her with. I don't think Kit is gonna come willingly. Mills can be someone she can talk to." Cray said before heading off to find Medda.
"Medda? I need to talk to you." Cray came and stood in the doorway of the dressing room.
"Yes Crale what is going on?"
"My pop is dying, my ma wants me, Swan and Kit to come home, I think he wants to apologize for stuff that went on before we left. But I have to quit. Sorry I couldn't give you more notice."
"Would you be coming back if you could?" Medda asked?
"Yeah, but if my pop is dying then I am gonna be the one to run the farm. I can't come back even if I wanted."
Medda was silent, "Well I hate losing a good worker like you," She walked out the front and opened the register, "Here is the last of your pay. You gonna tell Mills?"
"Yes, I don't want to put you out, but I am going to ask her to come along with us."
"Just going to take my good workers away from me. Well if she wants to go then I guess she'll be going. Better go ask her." Medda smiled as Cray went to find his girl.