"Something else to print, Mr. Gregory?" I asked with my usual printer's enthusiasm, taking the folder from his thin hands.  He nodded, rubbing his eyes.  "Pulled an all-nighter for this one, I gather?"

"Editor wouldn't have it otherwise."  He flexed his tired fingers; they must've been run ragged from the probable all-night oddessy at his typewriter.

I nodded understandingly, flipping open the envelope to read the piece.  It was much shorter than I've known Mr. Gregory to write, but when I took in the words it had much more bite than his pieces were wont to have.  "You sure the editor'll let you print this, Mr. Gregory?" I asked nervously.  "This is some pretty strong stuff."

Mr. Gregory shrugged nonchalantly.  "Not as it stands, probably not."  He regarded the countertop.  "Not to say it shouldn't be published, though."

"I don't think the editor'll like it much..."

"But is it not the truth?" he asked me sharply.

I started.  "Yes sir, but--"

"Do you want to deprive people of truth?"  I hadn't seen such a fire in Mr. Gregory's tired eyes before, startled me something fierce.

"No sir!"

"Then you'll put it in today's edition?"

I checked the clock.  "Morning edition's just gone out, but I'll get to work on it right away for the evening printing."

Mr. Gregory nodded approvingly.  "Get to it, then."

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Author guidance for This story

This randomly fell out of my head after a conversation with a friend.

I'm seeing this set in a small New England or western town, roughly mid 19th-turn of the 20th century. Our lively narrator [name yet to be determined] is a typesetter at the town's local paper, the Sentinel-Times. He doesn't write for the paper, but he's well acquainted with both the unreported news of the town, as well as with those who try to report it.

Mr. William Gregory is one of the more prominent ones of these. A frank but fair columnist for the Sentinel-Times, he and his quest for truthful reporting are regular thorns in the unsavory editor's side.

Beyond this sketchy scaffold, however, I have no real idea how I want this to go. Please, feel free to add as you will, and hopefully help take this somewhere. I look forward to seeing its progress.

updated Dec 21 '09 by g2LaPianistaIrlandesa