The World Will Know (Newsies)

21: There's Change Comin'

In most homes in New York City, most people were still asleep at six in the morning. That number included the twins. Rebecca and Elizabeth were fast asleep, curled up in their comfy beds with beautiful dreams dancing in their heads.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Hearst were awake. They were sitting down in the drawing room, quietly talking over their morning coffee. The two of them didn’t want to be disturbed, and they knew that this early in the morning, their conversation would not be overheard, especially by their sleeping daughters.

They didn’t take into account, though, that their son was awake during that time. Bill was getting ready to go to work that morning. He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t been able to sleep that night, so he thought it made sense for him to get ready to go earlier rather than later. Maybe he could stop and pick up some things on the way to the paper.

As he passed by the closed door to the drawing room, he heard his mother’s voice through the cracks. “I wrote to the Academy last week, and I received a response,” she whispered.

Academy? What academy? Bill hadn’t heard anything about an academy. He pressed his ear up against the wood and listened further.

There was a rustling of paper, then silence for a few seconds. “So, they’ll take them?” His father sounded hopeful, almost relieved with the news.

“The girls can start there this coming fall,” she replied, seemingly proud of this fact. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Yes, it certainly is.” There was a shuffling of papers and the sound of footsteps, and Bill immediately knew they were getting ready to leave the room. He quickly stepped back from the door and hurried into the powder room across the hall. As soon as he closed the door as quietly as he could, he heard the door to the drawing room open and his parents step out. Their current conversation was indistinct, but it didn’t matter. He listened as the voices got louder, then faded away as they left the hall.

When the coast was clear, Bill snuck out of the powder room and into the drawing room, silently searching for what could be the letter his mother had received. There was an envelope lying on the table, so he went over and examined it. It was addressed to his mother from Lailana Academy in Boston, a place he had never heard of.

He pulled the letter out of the envelope and began to read.

Dearest Mildred,

My deepest condolences for you and your issues with your unruly daughters. Through our enduring friendship over the course of our lives and my knowledge of your husband and his impeccable character, I am certain that it could not have been either of your faults that these girls have turned into such miscreants. I certainly have my suspicions on what is the cause of these responses.

I have looked into your request, and I am pleased to say that we do have space at our academy for the upcoming year. I would like to personally invite you to enroll your daughters for this term. We will hold their spaces until we hear otherwise, as these two seem to be urgent cases. I can assure you that your daughters will have the finest education here at Lailana Academy, and they will learn to be proper ladies. I personally guarantee that this behavior of theirs will be behind them by Christmas. Also, Elizabeth will have the most advanced medical care for the injuries described in your previous letter. My best wishes for a quick recovery.

Please write to me and let me know your decision as soon as possible. If you choose not to enroll, my advice would be to keep them away from those newsies at all costs. From what you described, their strike brought this rebellion into full bloom, and it also caused the injuries inflicted on one of them. I’d even be wary of Mr. Pulitzer’s daughter, Katherine. She seems to be helping to foster these developments. If you would be so kind as to offer me Mr. Pulitzer’s address when you reply, perhaps I could offer Miss Pulitzer a place at the school as well. It would allow your daughters to have a friend at the school during this important era of their lives. Do let me hear from you soon.