The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-30
liberties with the revenue laws; my word for

Of bags before, and q good deal Of Queens
messengers, too. There was one Of them,
who was Il kind of cousin to the clerk in
charge before you came. He used often to
travel in our van, and most times carried as
heavy bags as this I'll bet my life there 5
something more than diplomatic dispatches
inside it,
a | felt somewhat uneasy about the charge
50 unexpectedly placed in my possession
but in the occupation Of sorting and distribut-
ing the letters, | soon forgot all about it,
After the usual run we arrived at Dover,
and, while delivering my foreign mail bags
to the proper authority, looked out for the
Queens messenger. But he came not, and
was nowhere to be seen about the station.
[ made inquiry Of the guards bat they had
seen nothing of a gentleman thai answered
my description.
Perhaps he may be asleep and still in
one Of the carriages" suggested one OF them,
We searched the carriages, and sure
enough he was found in one Of them, ap-
parcntly fast asleep.
Not so. He was dead
a doctor was called, who examined him.
He had died, SO the doctor said Of heart dis
ease
Under the circumstances, what was | to do
with the dispatch bag2 If | sent it on with
the ordinary mails. it might not reach its
destination in due time. 1t might contain
dispatches Of Importance sufficient to decide
the fate of nations England had Just brok-
en- off diplomatic relations with Russia, and
war was deemed imminent.
| had very little time to consider, for the
mail steamer was about starting, and would
be of i'll less than five minutes.
had made a promise TO q man now dead.
| determined at all hazards to keep it. SO
leaving my own duties to my assistant Ned,
/ hastened aboard the mail steamer and set
off for Paris
On arriving there, went direct to the
English Embassy, and reported to one OF the
attaches in attendance that | had come from
England with dispatches.
1'liand them over old fellow" he said.
'EXcrsc me-, | replied, remembering the
instructions left me by the defunct Queens
Il can only deliver them to Lord
Cowley himself"
''By Joye now that's good" returned the
young swell, ''Bye-the bye, you don't wear
uniform; may ask if youare Queens mes
scnger ?''
"That's none OF your business I retorted.
''Be good enough to say to Lord Ccwley
wish TO see him; don't intend to deliver my
dispatches to any one but his Lordship.h
As | spoke. q handsome man entered the
room. and asked whether the Queens mcssen-
ger had yet arrived from London, Us they had
received IN Important note from the Turkish
minister.
eyes, replied the attache, this gentleman
has brought the dispatches but says he will
deliver them 10 no one except the Hlnbassa
dor HIMSELF
Il am the Secretary Of legation said the
gentleman who had Just entered. ''plcaso to
deliver tbs dispatch bag to me-
Il cannot do 50, sir" replied but ifyou
will give me moments private conversation
will make you acquainted with my reasons
for refusing Them
s'Oh, certainly" said the Secretary. "Step
inside here
| was conducted TO one ofthe ante cham
bers, where | told him of what had taken
place.
'sIow very dreadful :" he remarked "You
are right in not delivering the dispatches but
Us the poor follow directed you. His lorlship
will be here in few moments, and you can
fulfil your promise. l should not think Of
asking You 10 act otherwise"
The Secretary left me, and soon after re-
turned with the Minister. | had often seen
Lord Cowley before, and at once handed him
the dispatch bag, which he eagerly opened,
at the same time desiring me TO be seated.
A large package first made its appearance,
and then after it numerous small cases which
one by one, Lord Cowley put aside
Then, breaking open u sealed dispatch, and
seeming to have forgotten that there was 4
stranger present, he cmphatically uttered one
word
tWarm
The Secretary, by look, directed his at
al,
to dscomposo him.
You will not mention what you have
heard,' said the minister, addressing him
self to me, 'and you will await my orders. ="
| was about promising to keep his counsel
and explain my position to his Iordship, when
the Secretary said:
''Your Lordship, this gentleman is not one
of our regular messengers
ooh, indeed! Never mind. Please wait
here for 4 few minutes, sir; ! wish to have
some private conversation with you. Come
this way, Mr.. Secretary.''
So saying the two left the room together.
While they We're gone, | grew rather curl
Gus about what | had brought besides dis
patches and rs Lord Cowley had very neg
ligently left the package and case upon the
table. | thought it would be eXcusablc my
taking Il peep at them. | had already obscry-
ed that the cases were such as London leWel !
lcrs use; and as it turned out my obsorya-
ton was pretty accurate. They, in fact, con
tanned articles of English jeWelry, and the
names of several fashionable London dealers
such as Hunt & Roskell Hancock, h. Il l.,
Emanuel, Howell q Jamcs-wlth their re-
spectiyc trade marks, We're upon them. They
were addressed to several English gentle
men resident in Paris, who, us afterwards
discovered were either attaches OF her Brit
tanic Maiesty's embassy, Or their trends.
<.So' thought | ''this is the way Queens S
mcssengers-ge ALL and most OF
them officers of the army-are employed ;
carving biiouteric for u pack OF Foreign
! Office snobs.'
"IIowevcr, its good thing for me, = was
nv additional retlcction-''thus getting a
peep behind the scenes"
A few minutes afterwards his EXcellcncy
returned and handed me q note that had cyl
IDENTITY lust been written saying as he did
| so:
..Of course. you return to London. This
letter is an acknowledgement of the service
YOU have done, for which you will receive
PROPER remuneration. | have also to thank
YOU myself for the prompt and intelligen
manner in which you have carried out the
deceased officers wishes
thanked the ambassador tor his courtesy
and the next train found me flying back t(
| London.
On arri, ing there reported myself rs
a. la General Post Office as | believed it tt