Newsie Baby (A Spot Conlon Love Story)

Chapter 4: The Brawl

The next day, the Newsies planned to have a strike where the newsies got their papers. They were going to make the newsies still working join them. If they didn’t join them, they got beat up. David was yelling something at Jack about this being a bad idea. They couldn’t make people join them if they didn’t want to. But Jack didn’t listen to anyone. He was rallying up the boys with his words of violence. I was sitting on the statue listening to them. David came over to me, looking at me for help as Jack continued to rally.

                “Les, will you talk some since into your brother?” David pleaded, “He’s going to get us all arrested if they use force. This is just what the bosses are expecting us to do.”

                “I can’t reason wit ‘em,” I said, “Jack does what he wants. As it is, they don’t even have enough newsies to go on strike.”

                “That’s what I’m talking about. He can’t use force. He only listens to you. Just tell him.”

                “And then what? Have him bite my head off? He’s already got his knickers in a twist cause I went to Brooklyn last night. I’m not stirrin’ the pot no more.”

                David groaned and went back to trying to reason with Jack. David’s attempt to reason with Jack didn’t work. All the newsies stormed into the paper stand gates. I followed behind them. I climbed up on one of the carriages that delivered newspapers so I could get to the awning above the door and sit on it. No one could see me up there and I could see everything. Hiding in the shadows was what I did. I didn’t need to get caught, just like Jack didn’t need to get caught. The boys stood at the bottom of the stairs blocking the way for any newsies to get out after they got their papers. A few joined them. One of the newsies walked down the stairs. He wanted Jack and his crew to move out the way. They weren’t going to move and they blocked his way so he couldn’t either. They all had menacing looks on their faces. David was still in Jack’s ear whispering not to do anything dumb, but Jack ignored him and slapped the paper out of the guy’s hand. That’s when the brawl began. The scabbers came out of the paper place and started fighting the striking newsies. Race tried to get to the gates but there were guys with chains and brass knuckles coming their way.

                “Jack, we got trouble!” Race yelled.

                I was still on the awning watching all of the commotion. I was about to come down and help when I heard a voice scream at me.

                “Les, stay up there!” Jack yelled.

                I perched back on the awning afraid for all the newsies down there. That’s when boys started to appear on the roofs of the buildings surrounding the little space. They were a rough and tough looking bunch. All armed with slingshots. From one of the roofs, Spot jumped down to the fire escape.

                “Never fear, Brooklyn is here!” he exclaimed.

                The Brooklyn newsies started firing pebbles from their slingshots at the scabbers hitting them and distracting them long enough for the newsies to get punches in. I smiled as I looked up at Spot. He smiled back at me when he saw me.

                “I thought I couldn’t change your mind,” I shouted to him.

                “Well, when a girl’s a sharpshooter like that, I figure she’s worth listenin’ to,” Spot said.

                I laughed and blushed. Spot grabbed onto the pully that brought the papers down and zip lined down to the ground. He started fighting along with the other newsies. He went to the gate where there were more newsies from Brooklyn waiting to get in. He opened up the gates and let them inside. The brawl was raging on. The newsies were winning and the scabbers were running away. The reporter that had been covering the newsie story, Denton, told the newsies surrounding Jack to freeze. He shot a picture of them.

                “Let’s go to Tibby’s,” Jack said.

                They all started to walk away, not even fazed by the brawl that had just taken place. Spot stopped walked and looked up at me. I climbed off the awning and back onto the paper carriage. Spot helped me down off the paper carriage with his hands around my waist. I hit the ground and was face to face with him, his hands still around my waist and mine on his shoulders.

                “You’re smarter than I thought, Newsie,” I said to him. 

                “Count  ya self lucky, pretty face,” he said, “Not many people can change the mind of Spot Conlon.”

                “Then why could I?”

                “I don’t know. Maybe I likes playin’ the hero or somethin’.”

                “Ya know your hands is still on me, right?”

                He smiled but moved his hands. I rolled my eyes but smiled too and we walked together to Tibby’s diner.