"Lane! Are you done loosening those blasted stays yet?" Perry hollered.

Lois looked back at Alice who was doing the job for her with a look of annoyance on her face. "Why did you marry that man?"

Alice smiled in reply.

And she hollered back, "Just about. Keep your shirt on."

Perry looked over at Clark, who was dusting off the press. He was a bright red because of the nature of the conversation.

"You're going to have to get used to vulgar talk if you work around here, Kent."

"Yes, sir."

Lois came out at last breathing easily.

"Why do you let your sister lace your stays to begin with?" Perry grumbled.

"I don't know. Why don't you put on a pair of stays and see how far you get doing it by yourself?"

"Don't wear one then."

"The clothes don't fit without one, not to mention I'd probably be labeled as a whore. I could let Alice do the honors, but I would have to come over here in nothing but my shift and not only would my label be assured, but I don't think anybody here wants that." She smirked when she saw Clark's growing discomfort. "And I think Kent over there would die."

"I think we can get down to business now," Perry said. "We have to get started on that business form for Mark Andrews before we get started on the newspaper." He handed Lois a piece of paper. "I think I've deciphered all of it."

"You would think they'd have the courtesy to get someone who could write neatly if they're taking something to the print shop," Lois said, going over to the press.

"When you've been in the business as long as I have, you get to where you can translate any chicken scratch that comes through here."

"Do you know how to work this thing?" Lois asked Clark, snatching the cloth from him and stuffing it in her pocket.

"Yes."

"Good." She pulled out the compartment box with the type. "We'll take turns. You get the lines ready and I'll be the beater this time around. Perry's usually the pressman, but you look like you're strong enough to work it if you think you can handle it."

She watched him as he started putting the letters in backwards and satisfied that he really did know what he was doing, she turned to Perry. "Am I still going to the Old South Meeting House alone?"

"You shouldn't miss it." He coughed a little, "If it wasn't for this cold and Alice worrying so much about me, I'd go myself, but she's right. It's a cold day and it'll be even colder this evening. You're going to have to get there early. Thousands are expected to turn out. It's almost the 25th day and they haven't unloaded the tea yet, so I think it's safe to say we've done it. I think you should take Kent with you."

"I'll be fine by myself."

"I'm sure you will, but I want more than one perspective. You tend to get a little heated at these kind of events and I have a feeling Kent will remain unbiased. I also want you to take Olsen with you."

She frowned. "He's not the best artist in Boston."

"He's got potential. He just hasn't been to art school yet and he's all we can afford right now."

She looked back at the press and let out a small gasp. Clark had the type ready and was putting it in the galley. "How the—how did you get that ready so fast?" she asked. He simply smiled and she watched as he tied the galleys, locked the chase, and secured the stone bed of the press. He seemed to be doing it at a faster than average pace, but it wasn't unreasonable. She couldn't understand how he'd gotten the type done so quickly.

"It's ready, Miss Lane," he told her.

Lois picked up the ink balls to spread the mixture of varnish and lampblack evenly on the type, still glancing at Clark incredulously every now and then. Clark put down the moistened sheets for her. She leaned up against Perry's desk and watched him work again. Perry was watching too. He got the page out at a good speed too. He was quick without being too quick. Lois was amazed. He didn't even seem to be the least bit tired when he was through. It took hours to get a page out and it had been done in record time. Of course, the ink still had to dry, but he had the page completed before lunch.

"I think we hired the right man. I've never seen anyone work a press that fast in all my born days," Perry said astonished. He looked at Lois with a smile, "You might be reduced to a housekeeper before you know it."

She folded her arms. "Don't count on it."

"Dinner's ready." Alice said.

Lois couldn't help staring at the new mild-mannered apprentice, who seemed both flattered and shy by her attention. There was something not right about him. She didn't know what it was, but it was practically inhuman to be as fast as he'd been during that first step. She decided to shrug it off and focus on getting her bread, cheese, and apple eaten. On the bright side, there would be plenty of time to get to the meeting house.

They took off after lunch. Lois looked toward the harbor. "I'm getting sick of seeing those ships," she said.

"I have a bad feeling about tonight. I think the colonies are overreacting when it all comes down to taxes."

"Oh, no."

"What?" he asked.

"You're a bloody loyalist, aren't you?"

"No, I just don't think war's the answer. We can solve this without going to war."

"So you're just an idealist. It's too late for peace. They can't tell us what to do when there's an ocean to separate us and they won't let us have representation in parliament. "

"I still think there are more peaceful ways to go about this."

She patted him on the arm, "I don't think so. Believe me there is a war coming, so you better think about which side you're going to be on."

TBC