Chapter 8 - The Great Escape

"KATE! KATE!" David yelled. He had been looking for her all around Manhattan. He was now entering Bottle Alley.

"Dave!" Mush said panicked. "They got her!"

"What are you talking about? Who got her?" David asked in confusion.

"The bulls! They found Kate. Itey and Snitch were selling around Grande Central Station, and she was trying to buy a train ticket, when some lady says, 'Doesn't that girl look like the drawings in the newspaper?' Soon, the bulls got her, and according to Itey, she didn't even try to struggle. She just went with them," Mush relayed the story.

"WHAT!" David couldn't believe what his ears were hearing.

"You think she would've put up a fight or something, but Itey and Snitch said she looked like she just gave up," Mush said.

"Do you think they'll take her to the refuge?" David asked.

"That's where they usually go," Mush said.

"What time is it?" David asked.

"Almost around lunch," Mush answered.

"Let's go, we need all the help we can get!" David said dragging his friend with him to Tibby's.

"What do we need help for, Dave?" Mush asked being dragged along.


Just as there was a disagreement breaking out in Tibby's about Kate, David and Mush entered.

"Davey, come on, tell these guys- Kate was a fake. She was just usin' us," Racetrack said. Some newsies agreed with Race, others objected to his opinion.

David stood in front of the newsies and had a grave face. "Remember the night of the rally, where the bulls were pulverizing us?" he asked. "That was just one night, but Kate had to live with that almost everyday. Before I knew her dad was dead, I said I'd kill him if he laid a finger on her, and I meant it. She's been nothing but good to us. Mush, you once said there are secrets that you wouldn't tell, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did… and I was ready at any moment to stand up to my old man, but he drank himself to death before I could," Mush said.

"Maybe Kate was keeping a secret, maybe it was a hit and run. But maybe she was telling the truth. Either way, who cares? She's one of us, she's a newsie, and we have to stick together. One for all and all for one, right?" David asked.

Not one newsie said anymore about the murder after that. Kate was one of them, and they were going to help her.


Kate sat on the dirty cot and hugged herself. She imagined grotesque punishments that she would have to endure.

"Dear God," Kate kneeled on the floor, facing the cot in a bedtime prayer. "Forgive me for not honoring my father… I never meant for him to die, I only wanted to escape. You saw how he would beat me near to death, didn't you? Help me make it through this and if there's any way that this cup should pass-"

"Kate!" a voice whispered.

Kate looked around, but saw no one. "God, is that you?" she asked looking up to the rotten ceiling.

The voice laughed softly. "No, it's me, David!"

Kate looked behind her. Hanging by rope out of her barred window was David.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We're getting you out of here," David said.

"We?" Kate asked.

"Racetrack, Mush, and Blink are up there," David said pointing upwards.

"Why do you want to save a lying, runaway murderer?" Kate asked reminding him of their encounter earlier that day.

"Kate… I'm so sorry for not understanding. I was so stupid. Kate, I'll make it up to you. I'll kiss you a thousand times to let you know I love you," David said.

"Come on, Dave! We don't got all day… er, night! She might be Juliet, but you're no Romeo!" Racetrack whispered harshly.

Kate giggled. "How'd you get up there anyway?" she asked.

David shook his head, "It's a long story."


Kloppman was waiting anxiously for the arrival of David and Kate. He thought about that poor girl- being beaten by her father, having to go to the refuge. Kloppman felt certain that if the girl really had murderous intentions, they were for good reasons. Well, soon, the bad times would be over for her, Kloppman was sure of it.

The door opened and in walked five newsboys. David, Racetrack, Mush, Kid Blink… and someone who he didn't recognize.

"Well, where is she?" Kloppman asked.

The boy he didn't recognize pulled off his cap and down fell dark blonde hair. "Right here," Kate said. "You must be Mr. Kloppman," she extended her hand to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kloppman said taking her hand. "Come with me, I'll show you where you'll be staying for the night," he said leading her up the stairs. David, Race, Mush, and Blink followed them up.

The room was dark. Kloppman turned on the lights, and…

"SURPRISE!" came a loud shout. The newsies were all there, and so was Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs. David and Kate were very surprised indeed.

"What's all this?" David asked.

"Well, us newsies got together, and we all pitched in…" Race began to say.

"Pitched in? For what?" Kate asked.

"We read the papers, and your friends told us the dilemma you were in, Kate. We sent a telegram to Jack and Sarah , telling them that they'd be having guests over for a while…" Mr. Jacobs said.

"Why?" David asked, still not understanding.

"You're going to Santa Fe! Boy, I wish I could go with you!" Les said.

Racetrack came forward holding two train tickets- one way to Santa Fe. "You two will leave tomorrow morning…"

David and Kate looked at each other in amazement. David had only planned for them to get her out of the refuge. He hadn't gone as far to plan for them to leave New York.

"Papa, Mama, you're okay with this?" David asked, shocked that his parents were even involved.

"I know you think that we treat you like a little boy sometimes," Mrs. Jacobs spoke up.

"Sometimes?" David asked sarcastically.

"David," Kate said elbowing him in the side.

"But we know you're a man… and we want this for you- for the both of you," Mrs. Jacobs said embracing the two.

"Santa Fe…" David said, still in shock.

The newsies, Kloppman, and the Jacobs familythrew a farewell party in the Newsboys Lodging House for the young lovers, and the next morning twonewsboys (one of them being a girl in disguise)boarded a train bound for Santa Fe.