The Only Girl Newsie

Chapter 24: Pulitzer's Office

Davey throws open the doors to Pulitzer's office, and Jack runs in. Pulitzer and his two followers are answering calls from behind his desk. All three look startled as Jack comes up and slams a newspaper on his desk.

"How did you get in here?" Pulitzer asks us.

"We let ourselves in," Davey replies.

Jack looks Pulitzer in the eyes. "Read it and weep."

"Well," one of Pulitzer's supporters starts saying. "They wrote a good paper. And pulled this whole thing off quite well.

"Where did you write this from?" Pulitzer demands, standing from his chair. "I want to know right now who disobeyed my orders!"

"Why, Mr.Pulitzer, you should know we'd never take business from anyone else," I tell him as I finally reach his desk, settling myself beside Jack.

"Why, you little girl." Pulitzer throws his finger in my face as he talks. "You should be careful before I get your father in here." He threatens.

Jack puts an arm between Pulitzer and me. "I'd stand down if I were you," Jack tells him, glaring into his soul.

"Sir," Pulitzer's other follower begins. "Tell the boy to call off the strike."

"Not until you meet our demands," Jack tells them.

"And what are those?" Pulitzer's follower asks.

"Put the prices back," I tell them.

Pulitzer throws something off his desk. "You know I can't do that. It's simple business. He tells us.

"Then answer me this question." Davey joins jack and us in front of Pulitzer's desk. "Ever since you jacked up the prices, you've lost more money than ever because of our strike. How is that simple business?"

"You know, we will call off this whole thing, just put back the prices," I tell him.

"Never going to happen." Pulitzer looks me in the eyes as he speaks.

The doors fly back open as his secretary runs in. "Mr.Pulitzer, the governor is here!"

"What?" Every adult in the room yells while is three kids give each other very smug looks.

Teddy Roosevelt enters the room with Medda by his side. "Joseph Pulitzer, you have caused quite an uproar. You better be fixing it." He says.

"I'm working on it," Pulitzer says, exasperated.

"Well, get on with it," Roosevelt says. "Give these kids what they want."

"What?" Pulitzer yells.

"You heard me. Give these kids what they want." He repeats himself. "We'll be waiting outside for the good news."

As Roosevelt and Medda leave, Davey turns to me and says, "we should leave Jack to figure this out."

I nod, and we join the boys outside. Spot and Race give us a questioning look as we join them. After what feels like forever and no time at all, Jack stands out on a balcony. The crowd goes silent. 

Jack yells out, "Newsies of New York, we won!"

The cheers that follow are deafening.