The Washington times., 1894-10-20
Slug Six.

Slug Six was the prettiest girl in the COM
posing room, and that is large saying, for
all the lady typos were charming creatures.
But Slug Six was not merely pretty; she
was exquisite-and more than that. All the
boys were in love with her. They avowed it
openly.
That is. all the boys except Slug Thirty
seven. If he was in love with her he never
boasted about it. Perhaps he was too shy.
Or perhaps he was inspired by one of those
queer passions which Slug Nineteen called a
really-truly love, and hence found 1t too deep
for utterance Or perhaps, again, there was
some black-eyed beauty down in Dixie to
whose remembered charms he remained
faithful
For Slug Thirty. seven came from "South
Carolina" He was tall, serious, sunburnt
youth and very green about city ways. At
first he was quite in despair at the com plea
tions OF a large printing office.
You see, / came from a country printin'
Office he confessed to Slug Six. Il nevah
saw copy cut in takes this way befo'e'
II am sure the foreman is very kind" she
said
Eyes, ma am. the fo'eman is kindness ITSELF
But it's the galley boy I'm afraid of"
Slug Six smiled.
"He is an autocratic young gentleman,
isn't he?" she said. but you're good COM
posit0r Better than the most of US, in fact.
You will get along all right in a few days.
And if there's ever anything in which l can
help you l hope you will not hesitate to call
upon me-"
"Thank you, ma am; you ah very kind.
I'll be suah to do it.
The boys were highly amused at Thirty
Sevens innocence. They would get him to
. fall q Tar nd
then laugh Historically at his quaint South
ernisms.
Slug Six was sorry to see him chaffed 80
cruelty.
But Slug Thirty-seven wasn't such an "easy
mark" as they took him to be. 1t was not ap-
parent at first, but they gradually discovered
that he gave them tit for tat; and quite often,
in the height OF their hilarity, they were
shocked to find out that the laugh was really
on his side.
And Slug Six, who was much surprised at
this, was very glad of it-perhaps unreason-
ably glad.
There were more surprises in store for her,
however.
''You know" said Thirty-seven, laying his
stick on the case one morning and turning
toward her. you know | haven't been TO
theatah since l came heah."
Haven't you, really? Well, you ought to
go.
1
nevah did like to so anywhah alone"
Slug Six had no comment to make.
Il thought he continued, "that perhaps
you would go with me some evening"
''Oh; [ don't knowl Il"
''Of co'se had no right TO expect you to
go" he said gently, "and if you would
rathah not"
1T isn't that" she replied. realizing that
he was entitled to perfect frankness, ''indeed,
l should like very much TO go; but you see
l haven't known you very long, and my
parents are not acquainted with you at all"
"Yes, maam that's so, he said, and went
back to his work.
bad. She felt highly uncomfortable about it.
He was certainly a gentleman. And she had
wanted to go to 'Charley's Aunt" so long.
Later in the day she came and stood tim
idly beside him.
''Mr Woodruff was the first time any
body in the office excepting the cashier had
ever spoken his name; 1t sounded sweetly
strange from her lips-"Mr. Woodruff, l have
been thinking that perhaps, if you care to,
you might come out some evening-say to-
morrow evening-and get acquainted with
my father. Then we can ask mamma about
the theater. you know"
That was three months ago.
And Slug Twenty-tnree, who is bachelor
old enough to be called ''uncle" by all the |
typesetters and is, therefore, excellent au- |
thority on matters matrimonial, now says he |
soon expects TO beinvited to the wedding. |
He gives the following reasons for his belief |
Slug Thirty-seven has quit chewing tobacco. |
He puts S12 in the savings bank every Satur-
day night. He studies the ''for rent" adver-
tisements with great solicitude and is inter-
ested to an unusual degree in the price of
provisions.
Slug Six has new light in her beautiful
eyes. Last Sunday she might have been seen
closely scrutiniZing a four-room fiat near
Lincoln Park. And there has been dress
maker at her house sewing ever so busily for