Booms's washerwoman--" "Whatever has she to do with shorthand ?" asked Horace.
"More than you think, my boy.

She always takes eight days to wash his collars and cuffs.

He sends them to her on Wednesdays, and gets them back on the next day week, so that we always practise shorthand on the Wednesday evening.

Don't we, Booms ?" he inquired, as the proud owner of that name entered the office at that moment.
"There you are," sighed he.

"How do I know what you are talking about ?" "I was saying we always worked up our shorthand on Wednesday evenings." "If you say so," said the melancholy one, "it must be so." "I was telling Cruden he might join us this winter." "Very well," said the other, resignedly; "but where are you going to meet?
Mrs Megson has gone away, and we've no reader." "Bother you, Booms, for always spotting difficulties in a thing.