The Last Rose of Summer

08

The newsies stood outside the newspaper stand outside the gates.

"Is anyone else coming?" Davey asked.

"I got no clue," Jack answered in a sour tone.

"You seen Spot Conlon, right? What'd he say?" Race asked.

"Sure, we seen him."

"Him and about twenty of his gang," Davey clarified.

"And them Brooklyn boys is big," Les added.

"I gotta say, Spot was impressed, wasn't he?" Jack said.

"I'd say," Davey agreed.

"So they're with us," Race stated hopefully.

"Well, that all depends on how you look at it. If you look and see Brooklyn, then they're with us."

Jack scoffed. "They want proof that we're not gonna run at the first sign of trouble."

"Are we?" Finch asked.

"We are not! There's us, we got Harlem-"

"Not so fast, boss," Mush interrupted. "Harlem wants to know what Brooklyn's gonna do."

"What about Queens?"

"Queens'll be right here backing us up, as soon as they get the nod from Brooklyn," Specs said.

Race nodded. "I got the same fish eye in Midtown."

Morris and Oscar Delancey appeared and Morris said, "Oh, hey, Oscar! Looks like it was bum information we got about a strike happening here today. Not that I'm complaining. My skull-busting arm could use a day of rest."

The gates were opened and the newsies walked through. Les stopped abruptly. "Are we doin' the right thing?"

"Sure we are," Davey reassured.

"Maybe if we just put this off a couple days," Race offered.

"No, we can't just put this off. Say something! Tell them if we back off now, they'll never listen to us again."

Jack turned to the newsies and said, "Hey, hey! We can't back down now. All right? No matter who does or doesn't show. Like it or not, now is when we take a stand."

"How's about we don't show up for work? That'll send a message," Finch said glumly.

"They'll just replace us. They need to see us stand our ground! Da- Davey, you tell 'em."

"Jack," Davey protested.

--

Davey:

Now is the time to seize the day.

Stare down the odds and seize the day.

Minute by minute, that's how you win it.

We will find a way.

But let us seize the day.

Crutchie appeared and exclaimed, "Hey Jack, look what I made! Strike!! Good, huh?"

"That's great!" Race said as he turned to Davey and said quietly, "That's pitiful."

"Don't be so quick to judge. Maybe Pulitzer will see from out his window and feel sorry for us," Les replied, indicating that he'd overheard.

"Hey, Specs, any sign of reinforcements?" Jack said.

Specs looked and shook his head as he motioned with his thumbs down.