Cray went back to the dressing room where Mills worked and found her fixing some tears in a few of the dresses. "Mills I got something to tell you."
Mills figuring it had something to do with Swan nodded. "Well what is going on with you and Swan?"
"Our ma sent a telegram, Pop is dying and asking that we come home, and bring Kit. She wired us some money. Mills I like you a lot and well," Cray looked at his feet trying to gather the courage to ask Mills a question, "I was wondering if you would want to come with us out to Nebraska and stay."
Mills looked at him strangely "Now why would Ise go all the way out to Nebraska with youse? There is nothing out there but cornfields and cows."
"Well I would be there, and I was kinda hoping that," Cray stopped to clear his throat. "Well that you would consider marrying me."
Mills looked at him, "Youse want to marry me? But wes barely been dating a month."
"Yeah I know but I've liked you for a while and well, never mind if you don't want to then I understand." Cray looked down at his feet and began to leave.
"Hey what do youse think youse doing? Youse are not going to propose then just walk out." Mills came running up in front of him stretching to her full 5'6" height. "Youse didn't even give me a chance to answer youse." She looked at him accusingly. "Whose says Ise don't wanna marry you? This was just sudden that's all."
"Well I just figured…"
"Cray shut up, Ise gonna say yes." Mills laughed at his surprised look, then stood on her toes then gave him a kiss. "Now when are wes leaving?"
"Uh, Swan is finding that out now. He's also getting the money our ma sent us."
"So whose telling Kit? Spot ain't gonna just let her leave youse know."
"I'm telling her after Swan gets back with the train schedule."
"So youse just gonna tell her not give her any options?"
"She has to come, Pop said some mean things to all three of us before we left. I gather he wants to apologize and that means to all of us."
"Well Spot ain't gonna like this, none of those boys will. They'll fight youse to keep her here."
"They don't have much of a choice she's got ta go, Ise can't leave her here on her own, my Pop would get better just to kill me."
Before Mills could answer Swan knocked on the door. "Crale got the money. There's enough for 6 tickets Ma said she thought from some letters home that we might have people to bring with us. The next train leaves tomorrow morning at 6. I got tickets for you, me, and Kit. That way we could still buy more if we need to."
Cray started to list things off on his hands, "Well that's good, I got ta go settle accounts with Bryon pay the rent I owe him and stuff. Mills I guess you are gonna go pack. Swan can you go get a fourth ticket for Mills and change all our tickets to Pullman car tickets."
"They are already Pullman tickets, we got a bunk to sleep in and a place to eat at the dining car. This is gonna be some change from sleeping in the boxcars on dirty straw ain't it?" Swan said with a small smile.
"Yeah it's gonna be, so whose gonna tell Kit." Cray asked.
"Youse gonna have to tell her Cray, she won't take this well at all, at least if youse around if she starts saying stuff youse be there to make it look normal or something." Mills' plan sounded logical and after agreeing to meet back at Cray's apartment to catch some sleep, they all went their separate ways.
In Brooklyn, the news of President McKinley's death sobered the rowdy newsies. They were quiet as they sold their papers to the passing citizens. They called out the headlines with a reverence that surprised even the most hardened of New Yorkers. Kit sold with tears in her eyes and streaming down her face, Spot and many of the newsboys on the other hand sold with stoic faces not letting emotion slip past the façade of the Brooklyn Newsie.
Papes went at a quick pace, both editions were sold out in no time. The newsies headed back to the lodging house. Kit couldn't contain her emotions much longer and was walking using Spot as support as she soaked the shoulder of his shirt. Tack was sniffling, while Falcon had his arm around her shoulder. The twins and the little girls were curious to why Kit and Tack were crying but no one was able to answer them. The twins figured it had something to do with the President being dead but didn't know why Kit was taking it so badly. The little girls on the other hand were clueless and resorted to clinging to Tack's pants as they walked.
As they approached the lodging house, Rounder saw Cray standing outside and went up to spit shake with him. "How's it rolling Cray?"
"Not good, not good at all. I take it you sold lots of papes?"
"Yeah but I think I would have rather had a bad headline than the one we got."
"Know how that goes." Cray started to move toward Kit and Spot, "Hey Kit we got ta talk."
Spot glared at him, "Cant youse see she ain't in the mood for talking? What's so important."
Cray glared right back, "I am allowed to talk to my sister and I don't need to have permission from you to do it. Kit it's important, but it needs to be in private."
Kit wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself, "I guess the roof will be as good as a place as any, unless you want to talk in my room."
Cray remembered there really wasn't much privacy in the separate bunkroom, "No the roof will work."
"Okay, Rounder show him the way up, I'll meet you up there after I get cleaned up." Kit motioned with her hands, Rounder nodded and after gesturing to Cray took him out around back to the fire escape and pointed the best way up.
"Youse sure youse wanna talk to him?" Spot asked as he followed Kit into the washroom, handing her a washcloth.
"He wouldn't have come all the way over here if it wasn't important. I can at least talk to him. He's my brother I can't just ignore him Spot." Kit said as she scrubbed at her face to erase the tear tracks.
"But why come here on his own, and why not send Snipes or Les over to get youse?"
"Cray ain't a newsie anymore, he wouldn't send Snipes or Les unless it was really important. I'll find out what then he'll leave simple as that." Kit said with a shrug as she straighten up and wiped off her face with a towel. She then went to stand in front of Spot, "Maybe he came to say he asked Mills to marry him or something, don't worry about it." She leaned over and kissed Spot lightly on the lips.
Spot smiled slightly, "Then why not tell all of us? If it was about him and Mills getting married, that ain't something to keep a secret."
"He's related to me."
"Yeah still haven't got youse figured out either." Spot said with a wink.
Kit grinned, "And it will take you a long time to even start to. I'll be back soon." Kit said as she climbed out onto the fire escape and headed up to find out what was making her cousin so odd.
Mills figuring it had something to do with Swan nodded. "Well what is going on with you and Swan?"
"Our ma sent a telegram, Pop is dying and asking that we come home, and bring Kit. She wired us some money. Mills I like you a lot and well," Cray looked at his feet trying to gather the courage to ask Mills a question, "I was wondering if you would want to come with us out to Nebraska and stay."
Mills looked at him strangely "Now why would Ise go all the way out to Nebraska with youse? There is nothing out there but cornfields and cows."
"Well I would be there, and I was kinda hoping that," Cray stopped to clear his throat. "Well that you would consider marrying me."
Mills looked at him, "Youse want to marry me? But wes barely been dating a month."
"Yeah I know but I've liked you for a while and well, never mind if you don't want to then I understand." Cray looked down at his feet and began to leave.
"Hey what do youse think youse doing? Youse are not going to propose then just walk out." Mills came running up in front of him stretching to her full 5'6" height. "Youse didn't even give me a chance to answer youse." She looked at him accusingly. "Whose says Ise don't wanna marry you? This was just sudden that's all."
"Well I just figured…"
"Cray shut up, Ise gonna say yes." Mills laughed at his surprised look, then stood on her toes then gave him a kiss. "Now when are wes leaving?"
"Uh, Swan is finding that out now. He's also getting the money our ma sent us."
"So whose telling Kit? Spot ain't gonna just let her leave youse know."
"I'm telling her after Swan gets back with the train schedule."
"So youse just gonna tell her not give her any options?"
"She has to come, Pop said some mean things to all three of us before we left. I gather he wants to apologize and that means to all of us."
"Well Spot ain't gonna like this, none of those boys will. They'll fight youse to keep her here."
"They don't have much of a choice she's got ta go, Ise can't leave her here on her own, my Pop would get better just to kill me."
Before Mills could answer Swan knocked on the door. "Crale got the money. There's enough for 6 tickets Ma said she thought from some letters home that we might have people to bring with us. The next train leaves tomorrow morning at 6. I got tickets for you, me, and Kit. That way we could still buy more if we need to."
Cray started to list things off on his hands, "Well that's good, I got ta go settle accounts with Bryon pay the rent I owe him and stuff. Mills I guess you are gonna go pack. Swan can you go get a fourth ticket for Mills and change all our tickets to Pullman car tickets."
"They are already Pullman tickets, we got a bunk to sleep in and a place to eat at the dining car. This is gonna be some change from sleeping in the boxcars on dirty straw ain't it?" Swan said with a small smile.
"Yeah it's gonna be, so whose gonna tell Kit." Cray asked.
"Youse gonna have to tell her Cray, she won't take this well at all, at least if youse around if she starts saying stuff youse be there to make it look normal or something." Mills' plan sounded logical and after agreeing to meet back at Cray's apartment to catch some sleep, they all went their separate ways.
In Brooklyn, the news of President McKinley's death sobered the rowdy newsies. They were quiet as they sold their papers to the passing citizens. They called out the headlines with a reverence that surprised even the most hardened of New Yorkers. Kit sold with tears in her eyes and streaming down her face, Spot and many of the newsboys on the other hand sold with stoic faces not letting emotion slip past the façade of the Brooklyn Newsie.
Papes went at a quick pace, both editions were sold out in no time. The newsies headed back to the lodging house. Kit couldn't contain her emotions much longer and was walking using Spot as support as she soaked the shoulder of his shirt. Tack was sniffling, while Falcon had his arm around her shoulder. The twins and the little girls were curious to why Kit and Tack were crying but no one was able to answer them. The twins figured it had something to do with the President being dead but didn't know why Kit was taking it so badly. The little girls on the other hand were clueless and resorted to clinging to Tack's pants as they walked.
As they approached the lodging house, Rounder saw Cray standing outside and went up to spit shake with him. "How's it rolling Cray?"
"Not good, not good at all. I take it you sold lots of papes?"
"Yeah but I think I would have rather had a bad headline than the one we got."
"Know how that goes." Cray started to move toward Kit and Spot, "Hey Kit we got ta talk."
Spot glared at him, "Cant youse see she ain't in the mood for talking? What's so important."
Cray glared right back, "I am allowed to talk to my sister and I don't need to have permission from you to do it. Kit it's important, but it needs to be in private."
Kit wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself, "I guess the roof will be as good as a place as any, unless you want to talk in my room."
Cray remembered there really wasn't much privacy in the separate bunkroom, "No the roof will work."
"Okay, Rounder show him the way up, I'll meet you up there after I get cleaned up." Kit motioned with her hands, Rounder nodded and after gesturing to Cray took him out around back to the fire escape and pointed the best way up.
"Youse sure youse wanna talk to him?" Spot asked as he followed Kit into the washroom, handing her a washcloth.
"He wouldn't have come all the way over here if it wasn't important. I can at least talk to him. He's my brother I can't just ignore him Spot." Kit said as she scrubbed at her face to erase the tear tracks.
"But why come here on his own, and why not send Snipes or Les over to get youse?"
"Cray ain't a newsie anymore, he wouldn't send Snipes or Les unless it was really important. I'll find out what then he'll leave simple as that." Kit said with a shrug as she straighten up and wiped off her face with a towel. She then went to stand in front of Spot, "Maybe he came to say he asked Mills to marry him or something, don't worry about it." She leaned over and kissed Spot lightly on the lips.
Spot smiled slightly, "Then why not tell all of us? If it was about him and Mills getting married, that ain't something to keep a secret."
"He's related to me."
"Yeah still haven't got youse figured out either." Spot said with a wink.
Kit grinned, "And it will take you a long time to even start to. I'll be back soon." Kit said as she climbed out onto the fire escape and headed up to find out what was making her cousin so odd.