Apologies for those of you who have been waiting for an update! End of the school year is such a CRAZY TIME right? Lost of emotions coming your way:
Katherine finished her years at Vassar with honors. She was sad to realize that she was only allowed 2 years for a general degree. While the young men her age were allowed a 4 year degree in an area of study and graduate education beyond.
A few weeks after she returned home Katherine was struggling to fit back into society life. She couldn't spend one more day attending high tea, dress fittings, or having boring pointless conversation with her "friends". Using her "byline" name: Katherine Plumber she was granted an interview with The New York Sun. She just hopped her Father would support her decision and give her is blessing.
Joe, Kate, and Katherine sat down to dinner. This was part of the routine she hated. No surprises….the same routine…They would sit and talk, having polite conversations walking on eggshells .But they could feel it in the air. An uneasy feeling this dinner was going to be different. Kate tried her best to keep conversation flowing. She wished Joe and Katherine could be as close as they once were, but it seemed since Katherine arrived at home the tension between the two seemed worse than ever.
"Did you enjoy your tea at the Plaza this afternoon Kitty?"
Katherine looked up from her meal to her mother. Her sweet Mother, who always tried to fix everything. Katherine smiled at her knowing that she was just trying to get their typical "polite" conversation going. But tonight she couldn't just sit here and pacify her parents.
"It was fine Mama, nothing interesting to speak of."
Joe looked up from his soup to smile at Katherine.
"Nice to see you settling into nice NORMAL routines Kitty."
Katherine cringed at this thought that this could be part of her everyday life. Kate felt Katherine's tension at Joe's comment. She knew Joe using the word "normal" was a dig, and he was baiting Katherine into a fight. Before Katherine could respond Kate jumped in.
"Kitty I am going to the dressmaker tomorrow and noticed that you could use some new additions to your wardrobe. Could you accompany me? Maybe a dress for your Papa's Party?"
Katherine looked down at her soup
"I'm sorry Mama, but I can't I have an appointment tomorrow"
Kate looked at her daughter confused. She wasn't aware of any appointment in Katherine's schedule.
"What kind of appointment would that be?"
Katherine took a deep breath, knowing this was going to be bad.
"I guess it's not so much an appointment as a meeting…"
Joe looked up at her confused
"A meeting?"
"Well more like….an interview….at the New York Sun…"
Silence filled the dining room. Katherine held her breath waiting for her father's reaction.
Joe slammed his spoon on the table and shot up.
"Katherine Ethel Pulitzer...I want this to be the LAST time I say this. You will NOT be working at any paper."
"Joe...Please…"
Kate stood up and tried to approach her husband. But Joe help his hand up, and gave her a cool fighting look. She sat back down.
"Papa...please I'm not doing this to hurt you...but I just…"
"Katherine do you realize the life of a reporter? Odd hours, stress over deadlines, spending your days running from one place to another, and your nights at the typewriter? Not to mention how dangerous it is for a women on the streets today."
Katherine cringed at this thought. Her mind bringing up the memory she had tried hard to forget.
"Do you think the Sun will hire you? What would you even do there? You have no credentials or experience to be a reporter! No one has hired a female reporter since women have started getting on the streets! Newspapers cannot handle that liability! How did you even get an interview anyway? No paper would interview you without contacting me!"
Katherine shot up from her chair. This was it she couldn't take this from her Father anymore.
"Papa! You cannot tell me what to do anymore! I am a grown woman, I've lived on my own...and I've been just fine! I will be making my own decisions from now on!"
Kate looked up a her daughter. She could not believe the strong woman she had become, proud she was standing up for herself, but also scared for her. Katherine and Joe had both reached their breaking point. She knew this would not end well.
"Kitty, calm down your Father only wants what's best for you."
Joe cut his wife off.
"Kate I cannot stand by while my only child makes herself a pariah in society. Can you imagine what people will think if we allow her to do this?"
Katherine was on the verge of tears.
"Is that all you really care about Papa? How this will look to your colleagues and customers? Worried you won't sell as many papers if I don't fit in?"
Kate stood up and went to her daughter, but she refused to allow her mother to coddle her. Kate just put her hand on her back.
"You know that's not what your father means. He loves you, we both do!"
Katherine turned away from her mother. Joe's felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He never wanted his Katherine to feel this way, but if he didn't put his foot down she could be dead in a matter of months. The three stood in silence for a few minutes. None of them were sure how to move on from this. Finally Joe collected his anger and sat down. Very calmly he said:
"If you decide to do this I will not support you!"
Both Katherine and Kate turned toward him surprised both by his words and how calmly he stated them. He continued,
"You will will be cut off, no money, no place to live, no support or contact from us whatsoever."
Kate stared at her husband in disbelief.
"JOE!"
"Papa!"
Katherine looked crushed. She always imagined her father would be upset, but she never thought he would disown her.
Joe looked at his baby girl, his passionate, brave, smart girl. He turned away from her tears pooling in his own eyes. He never wanted it to come to this, but this was his last resort. He didn't want her to go but if she left he knew she was as good as dead anyway.
"Joe, you don't mean that. Kitty he doesn't mean that. Why don't we all just calm down and think things through."
Katherine took a deep breath and nodding she turned towards her mother.
"It's alright Mama. If this is the only way I can be a reporter, then I have to do it. I'll be out of here before the week is out."
Kate went up and hugged her baby tears now cascading down her face.
"Kitty, please….reconsider! You don't know what it's like out there by yourself."
Katherine looked up at her Mother.
"I love you Mama, and I'll always be your girl"
With that she kissed her on the cheek and started off to her room. Not looking at her father. She needed to get away from him and start to collect what belongings she was taking with her.
Kate went up to her husband grabbing his shoulders.
"Joe, please go talk to her...tell her we aren't going to disown her. She is our only child….our baby."
Joe looked down at his wife and took her in his arms. Tears falling on her head. His voice cracking. Kate understood this was breaking his heart just as much as hers.
"I'm so sorry Kate….I love her so much, but we have to let her go. She will never be happy here...if she can survive and do this on her own there will be nothing that can stop her….But...we have to let her go."
Joe kissed the top of Kate's head. As much as Kate wanted to fight it, she knew her husband was right. So she nodded and continued to cry into her husband's chest. Joe and Kate stayed there for awhile both crying over the loss of their baby girl.