My Sweetheart -Newsies Racetrack Higgins-

[11]

Joesph Pulitzer was never a family man. He was not close to his mother or father, or his siblings. He only attended his sister's wedding, to Harry Davis, after she begged him for weeks to come. And even then, he showed up late, and left early.

So when his nieces were born, he rarely spoke to or saw them.  Ruth and Katherine had grown very close, and Katherine urged her to join her at The Sun, mush to his dismay.

Joesph didn't dislike Ruth, but he wasn't fond of her either. After finding out about Ruth being taken to the refuge from Mary, Joesph haz d came up with a plan.

The next day, Joesph Pulitzer called his sister.

He told her he wanted to co to us his talk with his niece, and she brought Ruth down.

"Katherine, please excuse us, we have important things to discuss." Joesph waved his daughter away when she tried to greet her, and she hugged her cousin goodbye.

Mary and Ruth followed Joesph into his office, taking a seat in front of the desk. "So," he started, taking a seat in his chair, "How was your first night back?" He turned to Ruth.

Her face deadpanned as she answered. "It was fine."

Joesph turned to his sister, "Mary, do you have any clue who your daughter has been associating herself with?" he smirked wickedly.

Mary looked at her daughter carefully, before turning to her brother. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, your perfect angel of a daughter has been loitering with a bunch of street filth."

"They are not street filth!" Ruth stood up, slamming her hands on the desks. While Katherine may of been the more outgoing of the two, Ruth was willing to stand up to anyone who angered her.

"See what I mean? They have changed her." Pulitzer sneered.

"Joesph-" Mary tried to talk, but was cut off by Ruth.

"If anyone's the filth here, it's you!" She directed at her uncle. "You take advantage of hard working kids, for your own gain. You disrespect and disregard their safety and rights, placing them beneath you, when in reality, you are the filth you speak of. And yesterday? Yesterday, they made the front page of the Sun for beginning to bring you down." Ruth's face began to turn red and hot with anger. Her mind flashed back to the night on the roof, where Racetrack treated her better than half of the men in all of New York. And yesterday, where after they reunited at the restaurant, they walked along the East River until the sun rose.

A knock at the door stopped the conversation from going any further.

"Mr. Pulitzer, I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" The mayor poked his head inside.

"No, my sister was just leaving. Ruth, can you got retrieve Katherine? I need to have a word with you two." He snapped, and Ruth glared back, but went to find the redhead.

Mary looked at Ruth silently, as they walked out of the office. The mayor walked inside, followed by another city official, and Snyder.

Snyder glared at Ruth, and as she walked past him, she put her hand on her back, and held up one finger. She turned around and smiled sarcastically, before resuming walking with her mother.

"What mother? I know something's on your mind." Ruth said quickly, adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

"He's right. They have changed you." Mary paused. "But I don't think it is for the worse. I remember what it's like falling in love." She smiled, before leaving a speechless Ruth alone.

"Ruthie? What happened?" Katherine spotted her cousin.

"Uh, Nothing." Ruth cleared her throat. "Your father wants to see us."