Here's a copy of Story of My Life. It is a short story from a great collection that we'll use to help us see how authors use poetic tools to develop character and situation.
How to Say Nothing in 500 Words.
Bartleby the Scrivner:
http://courses.washington.edu/art361a/readings/herman_melville.pdf
The Garden Party:
http://www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org/assets/KM-Stories/THE-GARDEN-PARTY1921.pdf