The Last Rose of Summer

05

As Jack made his way back to the Lodging House, the image of Ellie crossed his mind. While he didn't know her name, he did know that he had quite the crush on her. The fact that she kept rejecting his advances certainly made it all the more fun.

At the newspaper stand the next morning, Race sighed and said, "Them sirens kept me awake all night."

Mush shrugged. "Sirens is like lullabies to me. The louder they wail, the better the headline. And the better the headline, the better I eat. And the better I eat-"

"The further away from you I sleep."

Mush went after Race and they had it out.

Davey appeared and said, "Morning everybody. Sorry we're late. We had to help our mom with something."

"Oh, they got a mother! I was gonna get me one," Race mocked.

"What'd ya do with the one you had?" Romeo asked.

"He traded her for a box of cigars," Buttons stated.

"Hey, they was Coronas!" Race protested.

"We got a father too," Les added.

"Oh, a mother and a father," Buttons replied sarcastically.

"Well ain't we the hoi polloi," Race muttered.

"So how's it goin' today?" Les asked.

"Ask me after they put up the headline," Romeo said.

"Here it comes now." Les pointed to the appearing headline.

New newsie price: 60 cents per hundred.

"Is that news?" Davey asked.

"It is to me!" Elmer cried.

Albert raised his hands in frustration. "They jack up the price of papes, ten cents more a hundred!"

"I could eat two days on a dime," Elmer complained.

"I'll be sleepin' on the street," Crutchie added.

Jojo looked confused for a moment. "You already sleep on the street."

"In a worse neighborhood."

Jack entered and asked, "Hey. What're you all standin' around for?"

"Like Pulitzer don't make enough already," Romeo protested.

"Papes!" Weisel cried. "Papes for the newsies!"

Jack laughed. "Relax. It's gotta be a gag."

Weisel smirked. "Line up, boys."

"Good joke, Weasel. You really had the fellas goin'," He joked as he slapped the coins down. "I'll take a hundred and be on my way."

Weisel gave a small smile. "Hundred'll cost you sixty."

"I ain't payin' no sixty."

"Then make way for someone who will."

"Well you bet me and the fellas will hike over to The Journal."

"Yeah!" the newsies cried.

Specs approached and said, "I'll save you the walk. They hiked up their price too."

"We'll take our business to The Sun!" one of the newsies said.

"Same all around town. New day, new price," Weisel told them.

"Why the jack up?!" Jack questioned.

"For those kind of answers, you gotta ask further up the food chain. So ya buyin' or movin' along?"