The headline for September 14, 1901 was a heavy headline for many newsies to hawk to the populace. The president had died after battling for his life because of a gunshot wound the week before. It was a small consolation that the former governor was going to be sworn in the next day. Andrew Kosei sat in his small office reading a paper he had bought off of a passing newsie earlier as he waited for his boarders to get back from their day of selling.
Around 5 in the afternoon he heard them come in, but decided to leave them to themselves figuring that if they needed him, which they almost never did, one or the other would come for him. It wasn't even 10 minutes when most of the newsies came back down the stairs. Spot stopped in before he followed his newsies out, "Hey Kosei do youse mind keeping a eye out for Kit? Her brother is here and Ise worried he might try something stupid."
Andrew Kosei looked up from his paper work, "Sure Spot, I'll keep my eyes and ears open."
Spot smiled a bit, "Thanks Kosei, wes be back in about an hour or so. If Kit comes wondering tell her wes went to Toby's."
"I'll do that." Kosei said with a wave of his hand. Spot then went to catch up with the rest of the newsies, his stomach over ruling his brain's message to stay at the lodging house.
Kosei did keep an ear open and before long he heard muffled yelling. He was going to investigate when he heard the thump of feet landing in the bunkroom. He figured Kit and her brother must of come in, after fighting it out. He went back to his paperwork, until he heard Kit call out to him.
"Kosei?" Kosei came from his back room, "I wanted to say good-bye, I am going back to Nebraska." Kit was worrying her lip with tears in her eyes.
Kosei came from around the counter and brought her into a hug, "You want me to tell the boys?"
Kit stepped out of the hug and held out two letters, "No just give them these letters tomorrow. Tell them I went to Manhattan for the night. Just make sure Spot reads his first. I'll miss you Kosei."
Kosei tried to smile, "Miss you too Kit. Try to keep in touch."
"I'll try really hard." He knew it was a lie but nodded in acceptance.
"Kit come on they'll be back soon then we'll never get out of here." Cray said impatiently from the door.
"Bye Kosei, make sure they know I love them." Kit looked as if she was ready to break down then.
"Will do Kit, bye." Kosei assured her as she walked out the door.
He went back to his desk, and pondered how he was going to tell the newsies that Kit was gone. She had touched many lives in her three month stay, and had an effect on all the newsies. She was either seen as the little sister or mother by many newsies; and held a special place in all their hearts. Kosei dreaded telling Spot that she was gone. Even though Spot and Kit had never said they were a couple until the day before they had acted like one for quite sometime. Spot wasn't going to take this well, and neither were the twins.
Kosei suddenly had no more time to think about it, the newsies came back to the lodging house, not as saddened as before. The twins rushed up the stairs to try to talk Kit into giving them a lesson with the little girls on their heels, not wanting to be left out. Kosei began counting in his head the seconds for one or all to come asking about Kit.
"KOSEI where's Kit?" Jolly came into running into his office with Bait trailing behind. Spot and the others had heard the question and followed the boys. Kosei knew his office wasn't going to hold everyone and he only wanted to repeat the lie once so he walked out into the foyer.
"Kit's brother needed her to go to Manhattan with him for the night. Something about being short at Irving Hall." The excuse sounded lame in Kosei's ears even as he gave it, and while most of the newsies just nodded and went up to the bunkroom Spot stayed back giving Kosei a skeptical look.
"Kosei, youse ain't saying everything. Cray didn't need to talk to Kit in private if he was asking her to work at Medda's. Where's my goil?"
Kosei motioned for Spot to come into his office. "Ise supposed to give this too you tomorrow but if youse deserve to at least have a chance to go get her." Kosei spoke as he gave Spot the note that Kit had written him.
The room was silent as Spot read finally he looked up from the note anger smoldering in his eyes, "When did she say they were leaving?"
"She didn't say, Ise assuming in the next day or so."
Spot nodded shortly and went to the bunkroom to find Rounder. He was in the middle of a poker match. Spot went over to the game and was patient as the game came to a close. "Youse wanna join in?" Sticks asked as he shuffled the deck.
"No Rounder wes got ta talk." Spot motioned with his head and Rounder nodded.
"Sticks don't hold the game on account of me." He spoke as he got up and followed Spot off to the side of the room.
"Kit ain't gonna be coming back any time soon." Spot cut right to the point. "Her cousin is making her go with him and his brother back to Nebraska. Ise gonna go after her, hopefully catch them before they leave and if not Ise gonna to head for Nebraska. Youse gonna be in charge till Ise get back."
"How long youse think you'll be gone?" Rounder asked, not questioning Spot's decision to go find Kit.
"Don't know probably till Christmas if Ise have to go to Nebraska." Spot said with a shrug.
"What are youse gonna tell the kids or is that gonna be my job." Rounder asked before Spot could leave.
"Ise tell them before Ise leave tomorrow." Spot said over his shoulder as he began to look through things to take with him. Rounder watched him for a moment and after it became apparent that Spot wasn't going to say anything more he went back to the card game. Neither newsie saw the small eavesdroppers on top of the bunk.
"Jolly wes can't let Kit go away, wes need her." Bait turned to Jolly with a frown.
"Yeah wes should go after her." Jolly suggested.
"Yeah Ise bet she is going to that place Nebraska."
"Yeah we have money Ise bet we could find her and bring her back and surprise everyone."
"Yeah, come on lets get our money and go."
"Okay." Both boys jumped off the bunk and went over to where they kept the money that they had earned. As they were putting stuff into small bundles the little girls came over. Two Bit had her thumb in her mouth and kept tugging on Lacy's shirt sleeve.
"Two Bit wants to know what you doing." Lacy stated after Two Bit whispered in her ear.
"Wes gonna go get Kit and bring her back." Bait answered.
"Two Bit wants to know why."
"Cause she didn't want to leave, and wes need her here." Jolly sounded logical and Bait nodded in agreement.
"Can Two Bit and me come along?" Lacy asked.
"Well…" Jolly was hesident but Bait cut in.
"Yeah if youse really want to youse can."
Both girls smiled really big. "Go get some stuff together, but don't let Tack or anyone else see youse, wes gonna sneak out."
The girls nodded, before they left, Lacy thought of something. "Shouldn't wes tell Tack or Spot where wes going?"
"No cause they would stop us." Bait said seriously.
"But they would worry if wes don't leave a note." Lacy said just as seriously.
"Okay wes leave a note, what should wes say?" Jolly got a piece of paper and a pencil.
"Umm how bout,
Spot and Tack,
Me and Jolly and the goils went ta find Kit in Nabaska. Wes bring her back.
Then wes sign it." Bait suggested.
"Wes should say we got money for food so they don't worry." Lacy added.
"Okay here sign it." Jolly held out the note and the kids signed it, well Two Bit put down some lines and Jolly added an arrow that said "To Bit"
They gathered their things and slipped pass the unaware newsies and headed for Manhattan.
Around 5 in the afternoon he heard them come in, but decided to leave them to themselves figuring that if they needed him, which they almost never did, one or the other would come for him. It wasn't even 10 minutes when most of the newsies came back down the stairs. Spot stopped in before he followed his newsies out, "Hey Kosei do youse mind keeping a eye out for Kit? Her brother is here and Ise worried he might try something stupid."
Andrew Kosei looked up from his paper work, "Sure Spot, I'll keep my eyes and ears open."
Spot smiled a bit, "Thanks Kosei, wes be back in about an hour or so. If Kit comes wondering tell her wes went to Toby's."
"I'll do that." Kosei said with a wave of his hand. Spot then went to catch up with the rest of the newsies, his stomach over ruling his brain's message to stay at the lodging house.
Kosei did keep an ear open and before long he heard muffled yelling. He was going to investigate when he heard the thump of feet landing in the bunkroom. He figured Kit and her brother must of come in, after fighting it out. He went back to his paperwork, until he heard Kit call out to him.
"Kosei?" Kosei came from his back room, "I wanted to say good-bye, I am going back to Nebraska." Kit was worrying her lip with tears in her eyes.
Kosei came from around the counter and brought her into a hug, "You want me to tell the boys?"
Kit stepped out of the hug and held out two letters, "No just give them these letters tomorrow. Tell them I went to Manhattan for the night. Just make sure Spot reads his first. I'll miss you Kosei."
Kosei tried to smile, "Miss you too Kit. Try to keep in touch."
"I'll try really hard." He knew it was a lie but nodded in acceptance.
"Kit come on they'll be back soon then we'll never get out of here." Cray said impatiently from the door.
"Bye Kosei, make sure they know I love them." Kit looked as if she was ready to break down then.
"Will do Kit, bye." Kosei assured her as she walked out the door.
He went back to his desk, and pondered how he was going to tell the newsies that Kit was gone. She had touched many lives in her three month stay, and had an effect on all the newsies. She was either seen as the little sister or mother by many newsies; and held a special place in all their hearts. Kosei dreaded telling Spot that she was gone. Even though Spot and Kit had never said they were a couple until the day before they had acted like one for quite sometime. Spot wasn't going to take this well, and neither were the twins.
Kosei suddenly had no more time to think about it, the newsies came back to the lodging house, not as saddened as before. The twins rushed up the stairs to try to talk Kit into giving them a lesson with the little girls on their heels, not wanting to be left out. Kosei began counting in his head the seconds for one or all to come asking about Kit.
"KOSEI where's Kit?" Jolly came into running into his office with Bait trailing behind. Spot and the others had heard the question and followed the boys. Kosei knew his office wasn't going to hold everyone and he only wanted to repeat the lie once so he walked out into the foyer.
"Kit's brother needed her to go to Manhattan with him for the night. Something about being short at Irving Hall." The excuse sounded lame in Kosei's ears even as he gave it, and while most of the newsies just nodded and went up to the bunkroom Spot stayed back giving Kosei a skeptical look.
"Kosei, youse ain't saying everything. Cray didn't need to talk to Kit in private if he was asking her to work at Medda's. Where's my goil?"
Kosei motioned for Spot to come into his office. "Ise supposed to give this too you tomorrow but if youse deserve to at least have a chance to go get her." Kosei spoke as he gave Spot the note that Kit had written him.
The room was silent as Spot read finally he looked up from the note anger smoldering in his eyes, "When did she say they were leaving?"
"She didn't say, Ise assuming in the next day or so."
Spot nodded shortly and went to the bunkroom to find Rounder. He was in the middle of a poker match. Spot went over to the game and was patient as the game came to a close. "Youse wanna join in?" Sticks asked as he shuffled the deck.
"No Rounder wes got ta talk." Spot motioned with his head and Rounder nodded.
"Sticks don't hold the game on account of me." He spoke as he got up and followed Spot off to the side of the room.
"Kit ain't gonna be coming back any time soon." Spot cut right to the point. "Her cousin is making her go with him and his brother back to Nebraska. Ise gonna go after her, hopefully catch them before they leave and if not Ise gonna to head for Nebraska. Youse gonna be in charge till Ise get back."
"How long youse think you'll be gone?" Rounder asked, not questioning Spot's decision to go find Kit.
"Don't know probably till Christmas if Ise have to go to Nebraska." Spot said with a shrug.
"What are youse gonna tell the kids or is that gonna be my job." Rounder asked before Spot could leave.
"Ise tell them before Ise leave tomorrow." Spot said over his shoulder as he began to look through things to take with him. Rounder watched him for a moment and after it became apparent that Spot wasn't going to say anything more he went back to the card game. Neither newsie saw the small eavesdroppers on top of the bunk.
"Jolly wes can't let Kit go away, wes need her." Bait turned to Jolly with a frown.
"Yeah wes should go after her." Jolly suggested.
"Yeah Ise bet she is going to that place Nebraska."
"Yeah we have money Ise bet we could find her and bring her back and surprise everyone."
"Yeah, come on lets get our money and go."
"Okay." Both boys jumped off the bunk and went over to where they kept the money that they had earned. As they were putting stuff into small bundles the little girls came over. Two Bit had her thumb in her mouth and kept tugging on Lacy's shirt sleeve.
"Two Bit wants to know what you doing." Lacy stated after Two Bit whispered in her ear.
"Wes gonna go get Kit and bring her back." Bait answered.
"Two Bit wants to know why."
"Cause she didn't want to leave, and wes need her here." Jolly sounded logical and Bait nodded in agreement.
"Can Two Bit and me come along?" Lacy asked.
"Well…" Jolly was hesident but Bait cut in.
"Yeah if youse really want to youse can."
Both girls smiled really big. "Go get some stuff together, but don't let Tack or anyone else see youse, wes gonna sneak out."
The girls nodded, before they left, Lacy thought of something. "Shouldn't wes tell Tack or Spot where wes going?"
"No cause they would stop us." Bait said seriously.
"But they would worry if wes don't leave a note." Lacy said just as seriously.
"Okay wes leave a note, what should wes say?" Jolly got a piece of paper and a pencil.
"Umm how bout,
Spot and Tack,
Me and Jolly and the goils went ta find Kit in Nabaska. Wes bring her back.
Then wes sign it." Bait suggested.
"Wes should say we got money for food so they don't worry." Lacy added.
"Okay here sign it." Jolly held out the note and the kids signed it, well Two Bit put down some lines and Jolly added an arrow that said "To Bit"
They gathered their things and slipped pass the unaware newsies and headed for Manhattan.