A/N: Wow, I'm nearing the end of the story and only just now am I starting
to get into it. *Rolls eyes* Thanks to: ShortLilQt and Dizzy for
reviewing!
ShortLilQT721: I will definitely include you in the next few chapters, no problem (if not this one, then the next)
Disclaimer: You can locate my disclaimer spiel in other chapters ^_^
`*`*`*`*`
"Bastard. You're an utter, sniveling, spineless fool who cowers under your master's word." Martha sneered, she sat enraged in the living room of the Blise home.
Blise calmly picked up his tea and sipped. "Now Martha.." He began, "Jeremy? Do shut up." His wife cut him off and stormed out of the room, leaving Jeremy to wonder.
Blise had informed Martha that evening of that week's events concerning the newsgirls. He included the murder of Prairie jovially.
Martha was shocked; it was all she could do to prevent herself from slapping Blise across the face. An innocent child's life gone, and all because of an, "Idiotic rivalry between two pig headed business men." She had exclaimed.
Blise sat back in his chair and sighed, Martha was a woman after all, she wouldn't understand the logics of good business anyway.
Martha flung the bedroom door shut with a deafening bang; the crack of wood alarmed her slightly. She glared at the door a moment, the taste of bitter words still lingered in her mouth.
She crossed the room over to the dresser; a simple key unlocked the very top drawer. She gently pulled out a picture. The picture had no elaborate frame, but to Martha it was worth more than all off Hearst and Pulitzer's companies combined.
The picture was of a small girl, smiling contentedly. She had a mane of golden blonde curls and adoring blue eyes, she seemed to be laughing inside.
A tear dripped onto the picture, just under the girl's eye, as though the girl was crying herself. Martha hugged the picture, and flopped into a rich velvet chair.
"Liesel. My poor Liesel, where are you? Why must you make my life so difficult? Oh, dear, I love you so much." Martha whispered sadly to the picture, her eyes turned to rain clouds.
`*`*`*`*`
Selley yawned out of boredom and sat in a chair in Denton's apartment, among the other girls.
The day before, Diamonds and Smudge told the others to meet at Denton's, they had things to discuss.
"Well," Denton began, he clapped his hands once, "Good news, everyone. Prairie's.. Ah.. Murder," he looked around at the faces looking for a reaction, getting nothing but eager faces, he continued, "Has been arrested. Under Hearst's word." A cheer blasted throughout the small crowd.
"Yes, Hearst ordered that Mr.Finnigan be locked up. But, we have no way of getting Blise. Nor do we have anything to use against Hearst."
"But whadda we do then? We ain't gonna be treated fairly anytime soon if Weasel ain't do anyt'ing about it." Stress said, raising an eyebrow.
"Er, yes, I realize that it IS Weasel who needs to change his ways, but if we can get Hearst, we can change everything! Girls, this could change history!" Denton said, getting more excited with each word.
"Yeah, dat's what Blise told us." Dizzy added softly.
Denton cleared his throat, "Well, perhaps it won't change right away. But no one can change Weasel's ways except Hearst, or Pulitzer, but it's Hearst who needs some adjusting as well. Someone has got to take the demands to Hearst."
A disbelieving titter swept through the tiny apartment, the girls looked at one another and shrugged.
"Well, Pulitzer listened to Jack. so why shouldn't he listen ta us?" Poem said, leaning against the table looking thoughtful, "I mean, we ain't got much, but we got our pride right? And we ain't gonna let a little intimidation stop us, right?"
"Right for da last time." Diamonds snickered, pointing out Poem's often annoying of repeating words.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow we take the demands to Hearst. Tomorrow, the world will change." Denton announced.
Selley stood up, "You mean da joinal will change, Denton."
"Er, that too." Denton laughed.
`*`*`*`*`
"Blise. I want to locate my daughter, do you hear?" Hearst slowly sipped a steaming mug of coffee in his infamous office, where each judgment was passed.
Blise raised his eyebrows slightly, eyes widened, "Of course, sir. What father wouldn't, but ah, that might be difficult, as you don't know where she is. She could be anywhere, even out of New York."
Hearst coughed loudly, "Blise, the child is only 7. Do you really think she would be able to leave New York all by herself?" He asked with a tone that said 'don't be foolish'
Blise blushed lightly at having such an obvious answer pointed out to him, "True, yes that's true sir. I wasn't thinking."
"You rarely are." Hearst muttered and took out the picture. "This is her. My daughter, Liesel, although I doubt she goes by that name now. The thought of her being a street waif makes me sick to my stomach."
Blise gasped and nearly fell out of his chair, he had seen that girl! He knew he had seen her dirty face somewhere before. He gulped audibly, "I think I, I think I, know where I can find her, sir."
Hearst's face lit up with sheer joy, "You do? By Jove, Blise, I want you to find her and tell her the truth, then bring her here. Liesel! I'm going to see my daughter tomorrow!" he laughed.
"The truth, sir? She does not know who she is? I don't understand, I'm afraid." Blise stuttered, confused.
"Must I explain everything, you fool? You amazing fool!" Hearst exclaimed, "She will only be seven years old now, Blise. Seven years ago, I had, an. well, if you are able to shut your trap about this, I had an affair. With a woman I meet awhile back at a restaurant. It was a tough time back then, you realize." Hearst continued, "We had a beautiful child, named Liesel. Business then started to get better, my popularity shot through the roof. Word about an affair would destroy my career. So, I left the woman and demanded that she tell no one of Liesel."
Blise nodded slowly, trying to comprehend the information he received.
"Two years later the woman came to me and said Liesel had been taken away, stolen by thieves who intended to sell her to a factory where child labor was needed badly." Hearst sighed, "Neither of us heard about her again. I had always tried to convince myself she had run away, impossible at only two, but a more hopeful theory than the truth. I doubted I would ever see her again."
Blise blinked and leaned back into his chair, he knew where this Liesel was. He knew who she was and what she was like. He couldn't meet Hearst's eyes, Blise had been working against Hearst's own daughter. But tomorrow, he would find Liesel and bring her back to her father. Obviously, Hearst would give him a raise or a higher position, something Blise dreamed of.
"It's nearing midnight Blise. I suggested you go home, get rested. Tomorrow you have quite a search before you. You may go." Hearst commanded, waving vaguely towards the door.
"Goodbye sir." Blise replied and left.
`*`*`*`*`
A huge boo rose from the crowd of girls lounging by the statue in newsie square as Blise walked towards them.
The younger newsies stuck out their tongues at him as he passed, Poem tried to trip him, but he smartly jumped over he foot and continued over to Diamonds.
Diamonds glared, "Look, Blise. We know what your doin'. It's aftah midnight, we ain't need you anymore."
"Yes, yes I know. But I need one of you. Where is that girl? The little blonde one?" He put a hand up to his forehead, standing on his toes to search the crowd.
"Selley? Lookit, leave her alone you moiderer. We'se gonna soak ya if ya don't leave." Poem sneered, and clenched her fists.
"Yes, that's the one! Selley." He yelled and rushed over to her, Selley looked ready to run, but stayed calm. She had the protection of the others.
Blise put a hand on her shoulder, (Which she brushed off quickly) and bent down to look into her eyes, "Selley, I know you don't trust me. I don't expect you to. But, Mr. Hearst needs to see you."
Selley was silent for a moment, before bursting out laughing. Poem snorted and nearly hit her head on the corner of the Statue from laughing. Diamonds cracked a grin and snickered.
"You must t'ink, you must t'ink we'se, we'se.." Stress tried to say through laughing, it was so absurd, "You must t'ink we'se some kinda idiots!"
Diamonds ambled over to Blise, "What's your game, Blise? We all know Blise ain't wanna see Selley."
"But he does, Diamonds, that he does. He has important information strictly for this young child." Blise replied, looking confident in his words.
"Oh yeah? Prove it. Tell Hearst ta meet Selley here, tomorrah. Den we'll see whose lyin'." Diamonds defied.
Blise crossed his arms and snuffed, "Fine. He will be here tomorrow. I suggest you come if you want to tell Hearst any of your absurd ideas anyway." He sneered and left.
"If William Hearst is here tomarrah, I'll eat my hat." Smudge shouted after him, Blise turned around and grinned.
Selley looked bewildered. Hearst wanted to see her? It couldn't be true. Could it? She shrugged and turned to head back to the Lodging House, Chips and Passage, two more of the younger newsies, right behind her.
"Wow. Mistah Hearst wants ta see youse, Sells!" Chips exclaimed. She danced along beside Selley enthralled by the thought of someone as powerful as Hearst wanting to see a lowly newsgirl like Selley.
"Probably ain't true. Jus' anudder of Blise's tricks I guess." Selley replied, always practical.
"Ya nevah know." Passage grinned, he grabbed Selley's hat and dashed off, Selley laughed and chased after him. You never could know.
----From Derby: Oooo! It's getting near the end! Dun dun dun! Is Selley Hearst's daughter? What will become of Blise? Will Weasel ever change? Will I ever include anymore romance??? Stay tuned folks. (Lol, dork alert. *Giggles*)
ShortLilQT721: I will definitely include you in the next few chapters, no problem (if not this one, then the next)
Disclaimer: You can locate my disclaimer spiel in other chapters ^_^
`*`*`*`*`
"Bastard. You're an utter, sniveling, spineless fool who cowers under your master's word." Martha sneered, she sat enraged in the living room of the Blise home.
Blise calmly picked up his tea and sipped. "Now Martha.." He began, "Jeremy? Do shut up." His wife cut him off and stormed out of the room, leaving Jeremy to wonder.
Blise had informed Martha that evening of that week's events concerning the newsgirls. He included the murder of Prairie jovially.
Martha was shocked; it was all she could do to prevent herself from slapping Blise across the face. An innocent child's life gone, and all because of an, "Idiotic rivalry between two pig headed business men." She had exclaimed.
Blise sat back in his chair and sighed, Martha was a woman after all, she wouldn't understand the logics of good business anyway.
Martha flung the bedroom door shut with a deafening bang; the crack of wood alarmed her slightly. She glared at the door a moment, the taste of bitter words still lingered in her mouth.
She crossed the room over to the dresser; a simple key unlocked the very top drawer. She gently pulled out a picture. The picture had no elaborate frame, but to Martha it was worth more than all off Hearst and Pulitzer's companies combined.
The picture was of a small girl, smiling contentedly. She had a mane of golden blonde curls and adoring blue eyes, she seemed to be laughing inside.
A tear dripped onto the picture, just under the girl's eye, as though the girl was crying herself. Martha hugged the picture, and flopped into a rich velvet chair.
"Liesel. My poor Liesel, where are you? Why must you make my life so difficult? Oh, dear, I love you so much." Martha whispered sadly to the picture, her eyes turned to rain clouds.
`*`*`*`*`
Selley yawned out of boredom and sat in a chair in Denton's apartment, among the other girls.
The day before, Diamonds and Smudge told the others to meet at Denton's, they had things to discuss.
"Well," Denton began, he clapped his hands once, "Good news, everyone. Prairie's.. Ah.. Murder," he looked around at the faces looking for a reaction, getting nothing but eager faces, he continued, "Has been arrested. Under Hearst's word." A cheer blasted throughout the small crowd.
"Yes, Hearst ordered that Mr.Finnigan be locked up. But, we have no way of getting Blise. Nor do we have anything to use against Hearst."
"But whadda we do then? We ain't gonna be treated fairly anytime soon if Weasel ain't do anyt'ing about it." Stress said, raising an eyebrow.
"Er, yes, I realize that it IS Weasel who needs to change his ways, but if we can get Hearst, we can change everything! Girls, this could change history!" Denton said, getting more excited with each word.
"Yeah, dat's what Blise told us." Dizzy added softly.
Denton cleared his throat, "Well, perhaps it won't change right away. But no one can change Weasel's ways except Hearst, or Pulitzer, but it's Hearst who needs some adjusting as well. Someone has got to take the demands to Hearst."
A disbelieving titter swept through the tiny apartment, the girls looked at one another and shrugged.
"Well, Pulitzer listened to Jack. so why shouldn't he listen ta us?" Poem said, leaning against the table looking thoughtful, "I mean, we ain't got much, but we got our pride right? And we ain't gonna let a little intimidation stop us, right?"
"Right for da last time." Diamonds snickered, pointing out Poem's often annoying of repeating words.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow we take the demands to Hearst. Tomorrow, the world will change." Denton announced.
Selley stood up, "You mean da joinal will change, Denton."
"Er, that too." Denton laughed.
`*`*`*`*`
"Blise. I want to locate my daughter, do you hear?" Hearst slowly sipped a steaming mug of coffee in his infamous office, where each judgment was passed.
Blise raised his eyebrows slightly, eyes widened, "Of course, sir. What father wouldn't, but ah, that might be difficult, as you don't know where she is. She could be anywhere, even out of New York."
Hearst coughed loudly, "Blise, the child is only 7. Do you really think she would be able to leave New York all by herself?" He asked with a tone that said 'don't be foolish'
Blise blushed lightly at having such an obvious answer pointed out to him, "True, yes that's true sir. I wasn't thinking."
"You rarely are." Hearst muttered and took out the picture. "This is her. My daughter, Liesel, although I doubt she goes by that name now. The thought of her being a street waif makes me sick to my stomach."
Blise gasped and nearly fell out of his chair, he had seen that girl! He knew he had seen her dirty face somewhere before. He gulped audibly, "I think I, I think I, know where I can find her, sir."
Hearst's face lit up with sheer joy, "You do? By Jove, Blise, I want you to find her and tell her the truth, then bring her here. Liesel! I'm going to see my daughter tomorrow!" he laughed.
"The truth, sir? She does not know who she is? I don't understand, I'm afraid." Blise stuttered, confused.
"Must I explain everything, you fool? You amazing fool!" Hearst exclaimed, "She will only be seven years old now, Blise. Seven years ago, I had, an. well, if you are able to shut your trap about this, I had an affair. With a woman I meet awhile back at a restaurant. It was a tough time back then, you realize." Hearst continued, "We had a beautiful child, named Liesel. Business then started to get better, my popularity shot through the roof. Word about an affair would destroy my career. So, I left the woman and demanded that she tell no one of Liesel."
Blise nodded slowly, trying to comprehend the information he received.
"Two years later the woman came to me and said Liesel had been taken away, stolen by thieves who intended to sell her to a factory where child labor was needed badly." Hearst sighed, "Neither of us heard about her again. I had always tried to convince myself she had run away, impossible at only two, but a more hopeful theory than the truth. I doubted I would ever see her again."
Blise blinked and leaned back into his chair, he knew where this Liesel was. He knew who she was and what she was like. He couldn't meet Hearst's eyes, Blise had been working against Hearst's own daughter. But tomorrow, he would find Liesel and bring her back to her father. Obviously, Hearst would give him a raise or a higher position, something Blise dreamed of.
"It's nearing midnight Blise. I suggested you go home, get rested. Tomorrow you have quite a search before you. You may go." Hearst commanded, waving vaguely towards the door.
"Goodbye sir." Blise replied and left.
`*`*`*`*`
A huge boo rose from the crowd of girls lounging by the statue in newsie square as Blise walked towards them.
The younger newsies stuck out their tongues at him as he passed, Poem tried to trip him, but he smartly jumped over he foot and continued over to Diamonds.
Diamonds glared, "Look, Blise. We know what your doin'. It's aftah midnight, we ain't need you anymore."
"Yes, yes I know. But I need one of you. Where is that girl? The little blonde one?" He put a hand up to his forehead, standing on his toes to search the crowd.
"Selley? Lookit, leave her alone you moiderer. We'se gonna soak ya if ya don't leave." Poem sneered, and clenched her fists.
"Yes, that's the one! Selley." He yelled and rushed over to her, Selley looked ready to run, but stayed calm. She had the protection of the others.
Blise put a hand on her shoulder, (Which she brushed off quickly) and bent down to look into her eyes, "Selley, I know you don't trust me. I don't expect you to. But, Mr. Hearst needs to see you."
Selley was silent for a moment, before bursting out laughing. Poem snorted and nearly hit her head on the corner of the Statue from laughing. Diamonds cracked a grin and snickered.
"You must t'ink, you must t'ink we'se, we'se.." Stress tried to say through laughing, it was so absurd, "You must t'ink we'se some kinda idiots!"
Diamonds ambled over to Blise, "What's your game, Blise? We all know Blise ain't wanna see Selley."
"But he does, Diamonds, that he does. He has important information strictly for this young child." Blise replied, looking confident in his words.
"Oh yeah? Prove it. Tell Hearst ta meet Selley here, tomorrah. Den we'll see whose lyin'." Diamonds defied.
Blise crossed his arms and snuffed, "Fine. He will be here tomorrow. I suggest you come if you want to tell Hearst any of your absurd ideas anyway." He sneered and left.
"If William Hearst is here tomarrah, I'll eat my hat." Smudge shouted after him, Blise turned around and grinned.
Selley looked bewildered. Hearst wanted to see her? It couldn't be true. Could it? She shrugged and turned to head back to the Lodging House, Chips and Passage, two more of the younger newsies, right behind her.
"Wow. Mistah Hearst wants ta see youse, Sells!" Chips exclaimed. She danced along beside Selley enthralled by the thought of someone as powerful as Hearst wanting to see a lowly newsgirl like Selley.
"Probably ain't true. Jus' anudder of Blise's tricks I guess." Selley replied, always practical.
"Ya nevah know." Passage grinned, he grabbed Selley's hat and dashed off, Selley laughed and chased after him. You never could know.
----From Derby: Oooo! It's getting near the end! Dun dun dun! Is Selley Hearst's daughter? What will become of Blise? Will Weasel ever change? Will I ever include anymore romance??? Stay tuned folks. (Lol, dork alert. *Giggles*)
