St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-14
SOLD FOR A QUARTER.
A Young Lawyer Finds 1t
Necessary to Send a
Note
To an Heiress Whose Hand He
Had Asked in Mar
rage.
The Messenger Fails to Col
lect His Fee Of the
Notary,
And Gets in His Work With
a Deadly Venge-
ance.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
There will be dead messenger boy
i'll this metropolis before many days,
and young man of fashion will be a
murderer, unless some fortuitous acct
dent stays the tragical event.
The young man is we'll known about
the clubs and in uptown resorts. He
is rich, cultured and good-looking. His
father is leading real estate dealer.
and has fine residence on Lexington
avenue. When his social duties per-
nit, the son makes pretense of prac-
ticing law in well known Office build
ing near the city hail.
For year or more it has been an open
secret that he was engaged to the daugh-
ter of Wall street banker, whose man
sion is one of the handsOmest on Fifth
avenue. The wedding was fixed for the
week after the holidays. Last Tuesday,
Dec. II, emesis, in district messen-
gers uniform. loomed up on the young
lawyers trail, and no w there's no tell
ing when the wedding will come Off
ever.
got the story from the young law
yerS most intimate friend; but only Oh
my solemn promise to use no name, as
there is shadowy possibility that the
sad difficlty may yet be compromised.
Besides. my informant promised me the
first and exclusive news of the mes
senger's slaughter, if it takes place.
The tale is truly pathetic, and chronl-
cles the most aggravated case OF mes
senger boy | ever heard OF.
1t seems that about fortnight ago the
young lawyer invited his fiancee to at
tend the first production of ''She Would
and She Wouldn't" at Mr.. Days thea
ter On the evening of Dec. IL. She ac-
cepted and he bought box.
Ordinarily the young lawyer is very
temperate, but last Monday night a
chum of his had birthday party, and
the festivities were continued into Tues
day afternoon. Then, suddenly remem-
boring some dry detail of law that
needed attention. the young lawyer and
two friends started for bis office down
town. The business was attended to,and
then they had something more" Which
the young lawyer had sent for. His
two friends did not get started for home
until after 7 O'Clock. Hall an hour
later the young lawyer, feeling the need
of cooling Graught, stepped into
neighboring art gallery, and ordered a
seltzer and lemon. AS he did so he
glanced unsteadily at the wall, and saw
a big poster with ''Daly's Theater' at
the top, and the announcement of the
first night of "She Would and She
Wouldn't" just below.
The young lawyers eyes bulged out
like the silver knobs on the handles of
the pneumatic ale pump behind the bar,
and he glared wildly at the clock. 1t
lacked just twenty minutes of s o'clock.
To get home, be shaved, dress, Call the
carriage, and reach the house of the
heireSS and then the theater before the
last act-even If he hadn't been too
"Seedy," anyhow-waS out OF the ques-
ton. Something must be done quickly,
and the young lawyer did it hy rushing
back to his Office and ringing for mes
Senger.
Ten minutes later a boy strolled in
leisurely, and the lawyer handed him
note addressed to the Fifth avenue heir
ess. The note briefly explained that
the writer was confined to his bed by a
case of acute dyspepsia. A fitful sleep,
into which he had fallen toward even
ing, was the cause of his delay in send
ing the note; and he begged thousand
pardons, etc.
Take that to No. Fifth avenue"
he said tot he boy, land be in hurry"
ANY answer"
''No."
Fifteen cents without an answer"
said the boy. PAY now"
The young lawyer dove into his
pocket only to find that his last quarter
had gone for the seltzer and lemon.
II do not want an answer" he said.
''i'll pay you when you get back"
'And say" he added. as the boy
turned to go, ''don't tell the young lady
that you came from my office. Should
she ask. just say you came from my
home i'll Lexington avenue. See?''
He was a knowing boy. He winked
and disappeared.
Two hours later the boy returned with
a note from the heiress. Itran:
80 sor you are sick. Don't worry
about the theater. 1t doesn't matter in
the least. Ever yours lovingly" etc.
The young lawyer began a jig. 1t
was cut short by the messenger boy.
TWENTY-FIVE cents" he said.
'sMy sou. | haven't got red" said
the young lawyer. Charge it till to-
morrow"
But they won't charge it at the
Office"
Eyes, they will. Tell 'em to hang it
up on the wires. That'll be all right
mo, it won't. Come on, now, an
gimme quarter"
MY son, | cannot. Lawyers, like
soldiers, give no quarter"
.'Say. amt you goin' to gimme that
money!" said the boy, plaintively. "Fll
get fired if go back without it. They
won't charge it,"
Yes, they will. Tell 'em to charge
the morning."
The boy insisted that it wouldn't. but
the young lawyer was obdurate.
Finally, the boy went out with CLEAN
of malevolence in his eye and sob in
his throat.
And just here | want to remark that
the swift-foOted messenger boy is a
dangerous enemy more especially II he
is III possession of secret.
That boy made bee line back to the
house in Fifth avenue; and it didn't
take him two hours, either. 1t was
nearly midnight, though, when he az
rived, but he rang up the family and de-
manded to see the young lady in per-
son. When she appeared, naturally
surprised, the boy said:
ne Sent me Dack 10 cOl1ect 20 Genus
for the message"
"Twenty-fve cents for the message?
Why, there must be some mistake.'
Yes, mum; that's what he said. He
thought there must be a mistake, OF
you'd have had sense enough to pay me
at first"
He did, did he? Did he say he ex-
pected me to pay for that mesSage?''
'.YeS, mum: an he tore all around
the office, he was so mad
The office? Why ] thought he was
at home, sick in bed"
ooh, no, mum; he an three other
gen'l'men was at the Office"
Are you sure"
Eyes. mum; they were there all the
afternoon playin' cards, an they KEEP
me runnin' fer beer every few minutes"