"No, absolutely not."
It was almost time for dinner and Kay had just popped the question. She was alone with her mother in the sewing room.
"Why not?" she was trying not to whine as she followed her mother to the dinning room. Her father was already seated, and so they seated themselves as well.
"Because you're a girl. A little girl, and too young to be out on the streets. Besides what would our friends think. What would YOUR friends think if you were out selling papers on the streets. Living like a common guttersnipe."
"Well who cares what they think! Race is already a Newsie, and Jason's parents let him sell three days a week, after school."
Sensing what the discussion was about, her father, Alex McRae cut in.
"Yes well, it doesn't matter what Race does, and Jason is a boy plus his family doesn't hold the same social status as we do. So he can get away with selling papers in the afternoons. And besides that I don't approve."
"No disrespect intended father. But, you don't even know what I asked." Kay answered trying not to sound disrespectful, for she wasn't trying to be.
"You want to sell papers like Race and Jason." He stated.
"Yes, I want to be a Newsie."
"Why?" He asked
"It would be fun." She shifted in her seat as her father's eyes bore into her.
He looker at both his wife and his daughter. He could tell that selling papers meant something to his daughter. But he knew far better than she, how dangerous the streets were. "Damn Race. He probably got this thought into her head." He thought silently, and then chided himself. He knew Race was a good boy, well as good as newsboys could be. No, Katherine had thought this up on her own. Her being his only child left made him want her to be happy. It was this thought that made him reply, "Your mother an I will discuss this later." Some servants entered with the dinner trays.
"Do you mind if we eat now?"
Kay lowered her eyes and gave a small nod as the food was set down before them, and the family started their meal.
It was almost time for dinner and Kay had just popped the question. She was alone with her mother in the sewing room.
"Why not?" she was trying not to whine as she followed her mother to the dinning room. Her father was already seated, and so they seated themselves as well.
"Because you're a girl. A little girl, and too young to be out on the streets. Besides what would our friends think. What would YOUR friends think if you were out selling papers on the streets. Living like a common guttersnipe."
"Well who cares what they think! Race is already a Newsie, and Jason's parents let him sell three days a week, after school."
Sensing what the discussion was about, her father, Alex McRae cut in.
"Yes well, it doesn't matter what Race does, and Jason is a boy plus his family doesn't hold the same social status as we do. So he can get away with selling papers in the afternoons. And besides that I don't approve."
"No disrespect intended father. But, you don't even know what I asked." Kay answered trying not to sound disrespectful, for she wasn't trying to be.
"You want to sell papers like Race and Jason." He stated.
"Yes, I want to be a Newsie."
"Why?" He asked
"It would be fun." She shifted in her seat as her father's eyes bore into her.
He looker at both his wife and his daughter. He could tell that selling papers meant something to his daughter. But he knew far better than she, how dangerous the streets were. "Damn Race. He probably got this thought into her head." He thought silently, and then chided himself. He knew Race was a good boy, well as good as newsboys could be. No, Katherine had thought this up on her own. Her being his only child left made him want her to be happy. It was this thought that made him reply, "Your mother an I will discuss this later." Some servants entered with the dinner trays.
"Do you mind if we eat now?"
Kay lowered her eyes and gave a small nod as the food was set down before them, and the family started their meal.
