Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-09-13
" Oh! woe is me that I am here!
Oh! woe is me, thou art not near"

IL read somewhat thus:
'Oh! woe is me that am here!
Oh! woe is me, thou art not near
Nell was giving it with oratorical
flourishes and tragic tones, and ended
the couplet with q ringing laugh, in
which Harry joined, in the pauses be-
tween blowing the FIRE and poking il
with sticks.
They did not see the amazed visitor
who hastily came forward.
" Is this the Office of the Express %
he asked.
Harry sprang to his feet, and Nell
turned in dismay to meet very
amused look, in a very fine pair of eyes.
cit is, sir, answered Harry.
Are you the editor?" continued the
stranger.
"Well, yes-sometimes," said Har-
ry, demurely. "Just now I'm the dev-
H. in few moments shall be 'com-
positor;' and my editorial hours are few
but they do come once in a while"
"I am glad to make your acquain-
tance," said the stranger, advancing
and offering his hand, " Mr. Harte OF
the St. Paul 1Imes."
Harry grasped his hand warmly, and
at once introduced him to his sister.
Nell had taken her feet down from
the stove, and got on her dignifed
manners again, and as soon as she
could, without rudeness, she quietly
took her place at the case, and went
to work, as naturally as though she
had never done anything else.
Mr.. Harte proved genial and cult
waited. He got Harry into conversa-
ton on congenial topics, and gradually
drew from him the story of his expe
rience in editing which naturally in
cluded the story of his sisters work.
Nell's persistent industry and mono
syllable replies effectually baffled the
gentleman's curiosity, though, as il
was strongly excited, he went to the
verge of politeness.
Tim surprised, Harry" said Nell,
rather sarcastically, when Mr.. Harte
had gone, that you didn't tell him
my name, age and birthplace, the col
OF of my eyes, and the size of shoe !
wear"
CHOW, Nell! perhaps I did warm
to him little, but isn't it comfort to
see such a splendid fellow out in these
wilds; and don't it make one young
again to have good talk with an ac-
tive wide-awake man.
Considering that you have reached
the mature age of twenty-three," said
Nell, 1T must be q comfort to feel
young again"
"Now, Nell!" said Harry, selling her
by both shoulders, and turning her
around, "look at me, and tell me why
you have taken such a dislike to Mr..
Harte?"
"Who said I had taken dislike to
Mr.. Harte ?" said Nell, shortly.
"Well, what makes you SO CROSSE"
"Its enough to make one cross, to
have work interrupted" said Nell, pull
ing away and setting vigorously to her
work. "You have lost an hour, and
how are you going to make it up?"
True enough, sis; I forgot the
bothersome paper" and to work he
went, never suspecting the cause Of
Nells unusual petulance.
But the truth is,' Mr.. Harte, was the
first real gentleman she had met since
she became a printer. 1t had placed
her in an awkward position, and nat
urally it nettled her.
Mr.. Harte had intended to take the
morning stage, but his curiosity was
aroused by Harry's story, and he sud-
denly discovered that it was pretty
cold, and he thought he would stay
over a day.
At dinner, therefore, he had another
chance to see the amateur printer, and
thanks to Harry's politeness, he had a
seat next to her-and she wasn't cross,
and they got pretty well acquainted be-
fore dinner was over, and she returned
to her work.
In the afternoon he chanced into the
office again, told Nell he didn't feel at
home out of a printing Office, and as
Harry and boy were printing off the
paper, Mr.. Harte sat down by Nell,
and helped her fold them.
Before the stage drove up the next
morning, they had become quite init