If it was your own story, you might feel differently." "Shall I pass it off as my own, and make the negotiation ?" Harry was half tempted to say yes, but it occurred to him that this might prove an embarrassment in the future, and he declined the proposal.
They climbed rather a dark, and not very elegant staircase, and found themselves before No.

6.
Harry knocked, or was about to do so, when a young lady with long ringlets, and a roll of manuscript in her hand, who had followed them upstairs advanced confidently, and, opening the door, went in.

The two boys followed, thinking the ceremony of knocking needless.
They found themselves in a large room, one corner of which was partitioned off for the editor's sanctum.

A middle-aged man was directing papers in the larger room, while piles of papers were ranged on shelves at the sides of the apartment.
The two boys hesitated to advance, but the young lady in ringlets went on, and entered the office through the open door.
"We'll wait till she is through," said Harry.
It was easy to hear the conversation that passed between the young lady and the editor, whom they could not see.
"Good-morning, Mr.Houghton," she said.
"Good-morning.

Take a seat, please," said the editor, pleasantly.
"Are you one of our contributors ?" "No, sir, not yet," answered the young lady, "but I would become so." "We are not engaging any new contributors at present, but still if you have brought anything for examination you may leave it." "I am not wholly unknown to fame," said the young lady, with an air of consequence.