Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-11-19

done anything for himself unassisted.
"Confound it I" muttered Harold, in
real chagrin, as he picked up his letter,
81 shall cause uncle to lose his seat, and
he'll be getting all sorts OF dining-room
doors slammed in his face. It's cruel
hard lines, considering all he has done
for me. He'll never trust me again,
either for he told me those facts over
an after-dinner bottle at his club, and
ought not to have been such a fool as
To remind him of them" Thus did
Harold Pleasby soliloquise, pOndering
with CONSERVATION over the terms of
that very private letter which was 60
ing TO fall under Lord Huxmouth's
eyes.
The train stopped at Didcot, and
Harold had 10 change trains for Lon
don. His first impulse was to hire
trap and post back TO Oxford, to try
and get his letter from the post-Otfice
authorities but moments reelection
convinced him that he should be too
late. On making inquiries of the guard
he learned, indeed, that his letter must
be actually in the train by which he
was travelling, for the bags had been
collected half-an-hour before he had
left Oxford.
There WAS nothing for it then, but TO
90 on to London, and, once there, to
Try whether the letter might not be
stopped by hook or crook from being
delivered at its destination.
Harold was a bold fellow, who had
won many an uphill cricket-match by
steady blocking without losing his
nerve but he could make free hits too,
when occasion required it, and he re-
solved to make such a one now. He
dismissed the idea of going to Grosve-
nor Square, where Lord HuxmOuth
lived, waylaying the postman, and at
tempting to bribe that official, tor he
thought il would be of no use and he
dIslIked the notion of corrupting one of
Lord HuXmouth's servants, because he
knew that secrets which get into the
ears of menials are like water poured
into percolator. Having made up his
mind that his uncle would be ruined if
hls letter reached Lord HuXmouth' s
hands, he thought that his simplest
course wonld be to drive straight to
ST. Martin's-le Grand, and confess his
I " OAAO VI NAAS
high officials there. He happened to
know one of the ornamental upper
/ clerks of the establiShment-ap pleasant
/ fellow. named Gosling, who had been
at school and college with him /; and he
| felt sure this functiOnary would give
him the letter if he could do So. Al
Paddingtou, Harold made but one
bound across the platform, without
claiming his portmanteau and scram-
bled into a hanson. He saw the scar
let curricle of the post-office standing
apart from the row of cabs, and he con
graduated himself that he should have
a good start of that vehicle. But alas
his hanson had scarcely got well undeI
weigh, before the bright two-wheeleC
trap, SO light on its springs and drawn
by such a capital little trotter, came
flashing past him. Harold ratified hi:
umbrella against the trap-door of hi
cab, and shouted to the driver to bestlI
! himself if he wished to earn an eXtrs
halfcrown. The cabman did his best
but the mail-cart, with its gilt cipher
and emblaZOned crown, the fast gray
trotter, and the sedate driver in blue
were quickly vanishing into a tricoloreC
speck. At turn in the road the specl
melted and Harold, on arriving at thu
post-office, felt that he must be at leas
five minutes behind-hand In the time
race which he had been running. Th,
driver pointed significantly to the steam
ing sides of his horse, who looked as Il
he had been taking Turkish bath, anC
remarked that it was useless trying Il
beat the Queens mails. Harold flunl
him his fare and ran breathless into thu
office ':Mr. Gosling ?'' he asked of th'
first messenger he met.
lover the way, sir, in the new build
ings," answered the messenger ''bu
l doubt whether you'll find him now
it's just struck four.
doesn't Mr.. Goslmg stay after fou
then 2"
mo, sir; all the young gentlemen
leave as soon as they can. Thank you
sir, this is the way.
He said ''thank You" because he ha'
received two-shilling piece and, tax
ing Harold over the way to the new
buildings. he consigned him to anothe
messenger. who. on receipt of simila
gratuity, put John Pleasby's nephe'
into a waiting-room and left him there
for ten minutes. When he returne'
Harold was fumIng and stamping nj
foot. ''Really must see Mr.. Goslln
at once" he said, before the mesSenge
had opened his mouth.
"Mr. Gosling asks if you'll kind
wait five minutes, SIR" was the reply
Hang it, no; not minute J" shoute
} Harold. "Take me to Mr.. GOsling i'm
. mediately, wherever he :" and h
pushed the messenger so deliberately ou
, of the room that the latter ran dow
the tagged passage in some fear, as
he had a tIpsy customer at his heels
Luckily the pair met the ornaments
clerk coming down staircase. He ha
a crutch-stick and an eyeglasS and wa
chewing a tOothpick. My dea-a
Pleasby-" he began but Harol
, cut him short, clutching him by the cui
and drawing him aside to explain hi
errand. Then Mr.. Gosling dropped hi
affectation of manner and flung ava
his toothpick. YOU'RE just like th
Others he remarked seriously; ''yo
people of the public have the odde:
: ideas about the post-office just CON
here"
3 He reascended the staircase an
opened door. Harold, following hi
? in the hope of recovering his lette
, found himself in a glass cage, or boz
: where couple of watchers were su
Z veying some eight dozen clerks, sortln
! letters on a long table below. Thel
, was another cage of the same sort
E the opposite side of the room, and ever
? movement of the sorters could he oil
E tinctly seen from them. The thumpin
l made by the instruments with whic
5 the stamps were defaced and the pos
$ marks stroke was incessant. As IA
? as letter-bag was emptied on to Il
/ table, its contents were dispersed IN
v second. like a snow-wraith in a hig
\ wind; and the letters that had bee
n stamped were swept away in heaps to
f farther end of the table, where the
were classed in categOries and tied
: ;.,, t,,nilas The hunllinp DrOce