BACKBEAT LOVE

Chapter 18

(The next morning Morgan, Les and Sarah headed to her work. Jeffrey and David were talking about
what to do about the strike in the apartment. Les, wasn't too happy about it, he wanted to be with
the other newsies, striking. Morgan promised his mother that she would keep an eye on Les. Les carried
his wooden sword, swinging it as he walked with them. Morgan and Sarah were walking behind Les, when
the Delancey brothers showed up. They blocked Morgan and Sarah they knocked Sarah's basket in the dirty sidewalk. Morgan helped Sarah start to put her lacework into the basket, the Delancey brothers kept their
way blocked. Les ran forward)

Les: You leave em alone!

(Morris shoved Les, who fell on his rear hard)

Morgan: Why don't you just leave him alone, he's just a little kid.

Morris: Where's little Davy, we need to talk to him.

(Morgan went after Morris, but Oscar grabbed her, he wrapped his arms around her so she couldn't move.)

Sarah: You stupid ape!

(Sarah socked Oscar in the jaw. Oscar reeled, but didn't move. He touched the bottom of his lip and
looked at his hand, it was bleeding. David and Jeffrey weren't that far from where they were, since
they close to the apartment building when the Delancey brothers blocked their way. David
and Jeffrey came running down the sidewalk. Morgan turned and saw them running towards them)

Morgan and Sarah screamed together: David Run, they're after you!

(Jeffrey and David kept coming, Jeffrey saw Morgan being held onto by Oscar, Oscar let go of
Morgan, but then went after Jeffrey. David went after Morris, he ran full force into him and slammed
him into the brick building, but then Morris got a hold of David and Oscar let go of Jeffrey to help
Morris with David. Oscar put on a brass knuckle and drew back his arm, but before he could throw the
punch. Someone grabbed his arm from behind.)

Morgan: It's Jack!
Jack: This is for Crutchy!(Jack head bu Oscar hard)
(Oscar fell down. Morris let go of David and went after Jack, but Jack got the best of him. Morgan and Sarah watched as the Delancey brothers were defeated. they started to walk away, but not before they shouted)

Morris: You better run, cowboy, we're telling our uncle, whose side you're really on!

Jack: Go ahead and tell 'em, I don't care, I'd rather rot in jail, then be a dirty scab!

(Once the delancey brothers were gone, David turned to Jack.)

David: Couldn't stay away?

Jack: Guess I can't be something I ain't.

David: what, A scab?

Jack: No, smart.

(Everyone laughed, to Jack's surprise, Morgan watched as Sarah hugged Jack and then moved away
shyly. Before they headed back to the Jacob's. Morgan pulled out the article from her pocket that
Denton had written it was crumpled and smelled like knockwurst, but he needed to read it.)

Morgan: You might want to read this Jack.

(Morgan held it out to Jack, who took it. Everyone waited until Jack was finished. Jeffrey looked at
Morgan, who shrugged her shoulders)

Morgan: We need to go see Denton.

David: She's right Jack.

Morgan: Denton is a reporter, he knows about important things.

Sarah: Morgan's right, we need to go see Denton.

Jack: Ok.

(Everyone headed to Denton's place. Morgan stopped until she was behind the others and next to Jeffrey,
so they could talk. )

Morgan: Good thing I snuck the article in my pocket before we left for Sarah's work.

Jeffrey: That was smart.

Morgan: I figured Jack might end up coming back on our side.

Jeffrey: I had the feeling too.

(Everyone walked in silence as they arrived at Denton's. Jack knocked on the door. Denton had answered
the door. He smiled when he saw who was at his door.)

Denton: Come in, I was just packing for my trip.

Jack: Did you write this?

(Jack held out the article that Denton wrote.)

Denton: I did.

Jack: The kids in the mills and the sweatshops and the factories, they're waiting to see what I do next,
you mean that?

Denton: I never write anything I don't mean.

Morgan: Tell Jack the truth, tell him how frightened the big shots are of the strike.

Denton: She's right, the city thrives on child labor, the whole country does, the men in charge are
terrifed that the nwsies strike will spread and they would lose their cheap labor and have to start
paying the kind of wages human beings can survive on.

Jack: Not much chance of that happening, as long as they got us all under their thumb.

Morgan: That's just it Jack, it might not be that way for long.

Denton: One voice becomes a hundred, a hunddred becomes a thousand, of coursse if that one voice gets
silenced.

Jack: Nobody's silencing this voice.

Jeffrey: Then prove it.

Morgan: How about we get word out to all the kids of New York, why don't we print our own newspaper, since
all the newspapers are pretending the strike doesn't exist.

David: Good idea, except we don't know anything about printing a paper.

Jack: Yeah, but own man Denton does.

David: Well our man Denton has been reassigned somewhere else.

Denton: Besides we don't have the type and the presses......

(Jack cut Denton off)

Jack: I know just where we can find all the equipment we need.

Sarah: You've been staying down here? (Sarah whispered)

Jack: Yeah.

(Jack too them to where he was staying in the bowels of the World building and showed them the
equipment stored there. There was an old platen press, paper, can's of ink, drawers of lead type and compositing desk. Denton sat in the compositing desk while Sarah and Jack placed huge sheets of paper
on the paper cutter and together they cut the paper the size they needed. David, Les, Morgan and Jeffrey dragged the old platen press out into the open, oiled and dusted it, Morgan and Sarah both practiced
pumping the treadle. A few hours later Denton spread the ink on a roller, ran the roller across the page
of type he had set, pressed the sheet of newsprint to it, and then pulled the paper off. It was the first newsie banner. Everyone looked at it with wide eyes. It looked just like a newspaper. it was just the
sample proof.)

Denton: Words always carry more authority when they're in print, people who do't know any better assume
that anything that gets published is true.

(Morgan and Sarah both looked at Jack and noticed the trouble look on his face.)

Morgan: What's the matter Jack?

Sarah: Are yo ok?

Jack: Just thinking about spending the rest of my life in the refuge.

Denton: That may not be necessary, I just wrote something about it.

(Denton showed Jack the article, it was about the refuge and how the truth was hidden when Teddy
Rosevelt had visited there.)

Denton: I've found out a few things about Snyder's operation and I know some people who maybe very
interested in it.

Jack: Nobody's going to help us kids, not while money is being made.

Jeffrey: That's why the newsie banner is gonna change that Jack.

(Everyone went to work getting the newsie banner printed up. Morgan and Jeffrey worked along side
the others, they worked through the night. The sound of their enterprise masked by the thundering
presses overhead and by dawn they were covered in printer's ink and surrounded by stacks of a newspaper
called the Newsie Banner that told the real story about the refuge and the newsies strike. At 4:00 am
Les was dispatched to Boys Lodging House to wake the boys and spread the word that Jack was back with
the newsies and that a special edition or extry as the newsies called it was on the way. Jack and the
others heard Kloppman's wagon pull up beside the window. Sarah, Morgan, David and Jeffrey all went to
work passing the stacks of freshly printed of The Newsies Banner to Jack as he handed them to Denton
threw the window, who handed them to a few newsies that set them on the wagon, once the wagon was full
Jack smiled at Denton.

Denton: It was really nice of Pulitzer for letting us use his equipement.

Jack: Yeah, I should thank him someday.

(The others climbed through the window and out to the wagon. Everyone got on. Morgan sat next to Jeffrey.
Sarah and Jack sat together. Morgan didn't care that her face was smudged with printer's ink)

Morgan: Who would of thought that we'd be doing this.

Jeffrey: Yeah.

(Once the wagon stopped, they were met by newsies from all of New York. They all grabbed a stack and
pulled out half of the stack and left to hand them out to all the working kids of New York.Morgan and
Jeffrey took a stack, everyone was told to tell them to walk off their jobs and to be at the Newsies
Square at noon. They were also told to read The Newsies Banner to any of the kids who couldn't read.
They walked around and handed The Newsie Banner to all of the working girls who were at the sweat factory. Morgan felt so bad for the girls in there.)

Morgan: Here give these to the other girls in the factory.

(Jeffrey went to the next building and knocked, a boy answered the door, with a frightened look on
his face.)

Jeffrey: Can you read?

Boy: No.

Jeffrey: Is there someone who can read this to you?

(Another boy came out)

Boy: I'll read it to all the kids who can't read.

Jeffrey: Ok, it's important for you to read it to them.

Boy: Ok.

(Jeffrey left, he felt so bad for the kids, his heartached.)

(Everyone made sure that all the kids of New York got a free edition of The Newsies Banner.
At noon. Jack and the others all went to Newsies Square and waited. Morgan sat down, tired from
all of the walking and working, but it was ok with her. Jeffrey sat down next to Morgan, he wrapped
his arm around her and she smiled at him. Everyone waited.)

David: Think they will come?

Jack: Nobody's gonna come.


Race: Look! (Race pointed to the all the kids of New York coming in Newsies Square.)

(Everyone looked, all the kids were streaming in. Lots of the kids had handmade signs that
they were holding and waving. The sound was deafening, but nice to hear. It got so crowded in
Newsie Square that Morgan and Jeffrey had to get up from where they were sitting so they wouldn't
get crushed.)

Spot: Brooklyn!

(He had his cane and he was waving it like a parade conductor.)

Jack: They made it, look at all of em!

David: I knew they would.

Morgan: Look, someone's coming.

(Two men in uniforms were pushing their way towards them. Jack seeing the officers, started to
back up, but Denton was behind him.)

Denton: It's ok Jack, you don't have to run.

Officer: Pulitzer wants to see Jack in his office.

Jack: Sure, will you go with me?

(Jack turned to Morgan, Jeffrey and David)

Jeffrey: Of course.

(Jeffrey, Morgan, Jack and David made their way out of Newsies Square and followed the two officers.
They were walked all the way up to his office. Once in Jack had a copy of the Newsies Banner and he
walked over to Pulitzer's desk and set it on his desk)

Jack: Extry, Extry read all about it.

(Morgan, Jeffrey and David all stood behind him alittle ways. They watched as Pultizer picked it up
and then looked at it.)

Pulitzer: What is this, I put a ban on all printing of the newsies strike, who defied me?!

Jack: We did.

(Pultizer looked at Jack, who was smiling widely.)

Pulitzer: Where? How? With what equipment?
Jack: "Only the best, Joe."
Pulitzer: You mean here? Under my nose?
(Jack grinned proudly and Pulitzer thrust a finger in Jack's face.)
Pulitzer: I promised that if you defied me, I'd break you, and I will. I don't understand you, boy.
I offered you a chance to start over. Anybody who doesn't act in his own self-interest is a fool."
David: Then what does that make you? You talk about self-interest, Mr. Pulitzer, but since the strike
began, the circulation of the World is down seventy percent. Every day you lose thousands of dollars
just so you can beat us out of a lousy tenth of a cent! That's what doesn't make sense.
Jack: It ain't the money, Davy, It's the power. If Joe starts giving in, when does he stop? He's got
to hold the line--ain't that right, Joe?
Pulitzer: Seitz, "where are the police? I sent for them ages ago. They must be here by now.
Jack: I ain't going to jail, They won't allow it.
Pulitzer: "And who is they?"
Jack: Them.
(Jack walked to the window.)

Jack: You give me to the bulls and they'll tear down the building, brick by brick."
(Jack threw open the window and the sound of a million voices came flooding up from below. Pulitzer
clapped his hands over his ears.)

Pulitzer: Stop that infernal racket!

Jack: It's too late .The racket's going to get louder and louder from now on. Putting me in jail ain't
going to stop it, and hiring more goons to beat us over the head won't do the trick either. You start
listening if you want your workers to come back. They need survival wages, Joe, and safe working conditions. They want a chance to take a breather every couple of hours. They want to live like human beings."
(Pulitzer stood at the window, looking down at the millions of children. The sheer number of them was
awe imspiring, the thought of what they might accomplish terrifying to some, wodrous to others. Presently Pulitzer turned back to Jack and the others)
Pulitzer: Perhaps our differences are not so great after all. Perhaps the three of us can resolve
the matter."
Jack: I think so, "What do you think?"
(Jack turned to Morgan, Jeffrey and David.)
Morgan: I think that Pultizer should put the price of the papes back to where it was and let the
newsies get back to selling.
Jack: So what do you say Joe?
(About 15 minutes later, Jack, Morgan, Jeffrey and David came back out. Sarah and Les came running up)
Sarah: So what happened?
Les: Yeah, did we win?
Mush: So what happened?
(Everyone was asking at the same time. Jack bent down, he put Les on his shoulders and then screamed
at the top of his lungs)
Jack: We won!
(Everyone started to cheer. Jeffrey grabbed Morgan and hugged her picking her up and then whispering
in her ear, we did it. Everyone was hugging each other, when they got intruppted by a paddy wagon coming
in the Newsies Square. )
Morgan: Who can that be?
Jack: I don't know.
(Once in the middle of the Newsies Square, an officer opened it up and a bunch of boys came filing out.
Crutchy was the last one and he was smiling. Soon officers were walking to the paddy wagon, it was Nigel Snynder in handcuffs, once Snyder was in the paddy wagon. Crutchy stopped the officer from closing it.)
Crutchy: Hold on a sec, do you mind if I do it?
Officer: Not at all.
Crutchy: Now don't forget Snyder to make friends with the rats.
(Crutchy slammed the door on paddy wagon and then made sure it was locked. He was laughing and smiling. Everyone watched as the paddy wagon left.)
Morgan: Good-bye Snyder!
Mush: Yeah, good-bye, don't forget to write!
Jeffrey: Not!
(Crutchy came up to them)
Crutchy: You should of seen him Jack, waving his walking stick like as sword, he was waving it and he
was really angry. Seems that when Teddy stormed in there, he saw the truth about The Refuge and well
it was great, he even wants to turn The Refuge into an orphanage.
Jack: Who was waving his walking stick Crutchy?
Crutchy: You're friend, the one who gave you a ride in his carriage, him!
(Crutchy pointed to a man who was shaking hands with the children, he had a walking stick and Morgan's
eyes got wide, it only could be someone famous then Teddy Roosevelt.)
Morgan: Jack that's Teddy Roosevelt!
(Jack looked at Morgan)
Jeffrey: The governor!
(Everyone watched as Teddy Roosevelt himself walked up to them, he stuck out his hand to Jack.)
Teddy: So you're the famous newsie strike leader.
Jack: I guess.
Teddy: I just wanted to thank you and offer you a ride to where ever you want, this time inside.
Jack: Can you take me to the trainyards?
Teddy: Sure.
Morgan: You're leaving?
Jack: Yeah, no sense of me staying any longer, the strike is over.
Teddy: It's up to you.
(Kid Blink handed Jack his bag and Jack walked to where the carriage was and climbed in, he sat
down and smiled. He looked around and waved to everyone as the carriage started up. Morgan noticed
Sarah. Morgan could tell she was fighting the tears from coming. Les hugged Sarah tightly and
started to cry, they started to walk from Newsies Square. Morgan pulled Jeffrey to the side and
then asked.)
Morgan: Check the omni.
(Jeffrey carefully pulled it out and opened it, it was still flashing red.)
Morgan: Still red, doesn't make sense, the newsies won the strike.
(Morgan looked and noticed that David and all the newsies were heading to the D.O.)
Jeffrey: Yeah, but why is the omni red?
Morgan: I don't know.
(Suddenly the crowd was coming back, they were following Teddy's carriage.)
Morgan: Sarah, Les, Jack came back!
(Morgan watched as Sarah and Les, both ran towards Jack. She also noticed that David had ran over
as well. Jack turned to Teddy, he grabbed his bag.)
Jack: Thanks for the ride govenor.
Teddy: No problem.
Sarah: You came back.
Jack: Yeah, all along I wanted to go to Sante Fe.
Morgan: Seems to me Jack, you finally realized something.
Jack: Yeah Morgan, that I got family here.
Jeffrey: It took ya long enough Jack.
(Everyone watched Sarah pushed her way through, she rushed up to Jack. Jack wrapped his arms around
her waist as Sarah, wrapped her arms around his neck and Jack kissed Sarah with a long lasting kiss.
It just made all of the newsies cheer. When they finally parted. Les ran up and hugged Jack. David was
right behind Les. Jack placed his cowboy hat on Les's head.)
Les: See I told ya he would be back Sarah.
Jack: I'm back for good.
Jack: So how's the headlines?
David: Headlines don't sell papes, newsies sell papes.
(Jack and David spit in their hands and then shook them. Morgan leaned in and whispered in
Jeffrey's ear.)
Morgan: Check the omni Jeffrey.
(Jeffrey opened the omni up and it went green.)
Morgan: Green light.
Jeffrey: Come on, we gotta go, we have to get back to Bogg and Olivia.
Morgan: But, I wanted to say good-bye.
Jeffrey: No time.
(Morgan sighed and the took hold of Jeffrey's arm)
Jeffrey: I'm setting to exactly to where we left London.
Morgan: Ok.
(Jeffrey turned the dials on the omni.)
Jeffrey: Hold on.
(Morgan grips Jeffrey's arm and closes her eyes. Jeffrey presses the button and they disappear.
Denton had walked up to Sarah and Les, he handed her a framed photo.)
Denton: Here's the picture from the Newsie Rally.
(Sarah looked at it, in it was Morgan, Sarah and Les standing together at Irving Hall.)
Sarah: Thank you Denton, it's wonderful, hey Morgan look.....
(Sarah turned around to tell Morgan and noticed that Jeffrey and Morgan were gone.
Sarah: Where did they go?
Denton: Maybe they had to leave.
Sarah: Without saying good-bye?
Les: I saw them, they just disappeared right on the spot they were.
Sarah: Les, you and your imagination.
Les: I swear I saw them.
Sarah: Come on, we gotta go, I want to show mama and papa the picture, maybe we can put it on
the shelf with the other pictures.
(Sarah and Les left the Newsies Square and headed home.)
Les: I'm telling you, it wasn't my imagination.
Sarah: Les, that's impossible.