New-York tribune., 1903-01-12
"Licensed Messenger a."

nad had a
his notice for The Daily Post" He had driven
home in the snow. congratulating himself and con-
graduating his paper. Instead OF rusnlhg not
headed to F1eet-st. he could wait Tor ene oiodu
reaches of tomorrow. He would nave 1inie "
do himself justice with all that interval. anu ."
Monday morning The Daily Post "ouIu uiSpiaS
his column with pride and satisfaction re"
critics served their paper as he did. he rejected
as he closed the final sheet Instead or iylns III O0u
as was his right of Sunday morning. insoeao oi
Iunching out as his invariable practice' anu
instead of drinking tea in choice drawing
room that Sunday. he had devoted the day to duty
He would take his notice up TO the office hmseh
and then-he looked his watch II had grown
late. It nearly Z. and he had accePeeu
an invitation to supper for half-past- and F0f-
chester Place was quite step from BLOOMSBURY
even if YOU took the Tube He was Undecided
Rv wav of mitigating his perplexity. he changed
his coat and attended to his nair. But even tnaI
brought him no further When he stood on tne
doorstep and watched the snow go BY ne was sun
wondering how he should get his notice up 10
p1estst and himself to Porchester Place within
the half hour Come what might. he would get II
up by o'clock; and as for Maose CraSen, n7
had done her justice. She was sweet as tne rim
nsss Perbaps. when she read his notice. she
would want to meet him He was sure sne would
..rar .nd fair as the lIly' quoted, graceful as
the egIantipe" He did not quite know what the
eglantne was; but the sound OF 1t was eNqWSi'e'
and he had often heard it used in some sucn sense
As he quoted. the wind came Dy anu looh iAi4i III
the teeth It was bitter cold The snow niled MS
,as ord baean to settle on his overcoat- F1eet-st
or Dorchester Place? He was not quite sure ui
a cab drove by He hailed ii. and the man pulleu
I'D the window. dorchester Place ne oirecteu'
surely he could not keep Mrs Fenwlck ano 'he
renwick girls waiting He was rather s"eeu VA ~
Mabel; but there were two ana when tne He,i'
cot causht in Olives hair-wen. 1t was oln1cuiI
They would be sure to have cold turkey ne ndo
Iuncned on timed beef and oranges ana d miice ~
ME sent up by his landIady The turkey rather
attracted him. and the Fenwick girls and ars-
I,i1 -ere charming He pictured the cOsey
drawing room. with the Turner, and Dig nre IN
the hearth and himself holding rortn IN lhe oeS'
chair He could be uncommonly WITTY at LINES
even brilliant He was glad when the CAP ore"
I'D at the house: but. for all that ne nao hol ue
Iivered his notice of the pantomime-
II was still In his pocket. His mind was weighed
with if. When he rang the bell it accused him II
he could get rid of it Mrs. Fenwicks supper Woulo
be perfect. He thought of Madge craven tne
Princess Peerless in white. and stared at the girl
who opened the door to him. Was there post
office in the neighborhood where he could get
special messenger? he asked There was one IN
Queens Road but that was shut on sundays
The one in London Road was OPEN IT was not
far off. lust round the corner nearly; you turned
TO the right and took the second on the left IL was
about ten minutes walk. the maid admitted, wnen
the cab was gone. Well, he would do it There
was no good in putting it of GraceruI as the
erIantine" he repeated, fondly, and told the maid
N tell Mrs Fenwick to go in to supper: he would
he back in a minute He thought II would De
longer but curiousIy enough he kept his word
Fate he declared. was kind to HIM This ooserva-
tion occurred over the soup He mao expected
an uncomfortable trudge 10 the postoflce, and, 10
and behold he had stumbled straightway into a
man with badge on his arm IhCeilseu SleSSeh-
ger "a" said the badge
Alexander cried Mrs Fenwick and the two
Fenwick girls in chorus alexander? they
laughed. -
"Tt was outside the public house at the corner"
from Roland.
Yes! Had he lame leg?
.I didn't notice: but he had badge on his arm,
No. a.
.t4sd he a red face and beard-a frightened
beard that looked as though IL might U0 "iPPeU
off at any moment?
But Roland had only the badge
Alexander and his badge had sprung out OF the
night like a messenger licensed oy heaven Ahe
r,,bc house lights had discovered this miracle
Roland -Rawlinson had blessed him and committed
the badge to memory. 1t was his one precauuon-
Hastily he had inquired Of Alexander whether ne
would take the envelope up TO Fleet-st IL must
,e+ there before u: 1t is for a paper the Daliy
POST"
Alexander had touched his hat 1t woulo get
,bera before 9; he would take the TUBE 10
C-.ar11 Iana- there was a penny bus to Fleet
~ he could do 1t in twenty minutes he couid
walk it by She was great walker alLhousH
his leg was bit stiff; or he could take tne Nleuo
ro,itsn from Queens Road and go stralght 10 ar
-;nsdon-st: he would cut across Snoe Lane no
was voluble and explicit in one breath was A-eA
-. by, his own showing Mercury Of infinite
resource. - -. -
documents
"a shilling and the fare
"FJere are two"
Alexander bowed down to the snow
.eyorve got TO get there before u, dead or ahve'
drunk or sober. It's for The Daiy Fost- iii9
in narting Rawlinson. true to the canons OF tne
d-.r,a he criticised was always impressive on soch
occasions l.. x,
Utmost pocket had buttoned mis- jacket ana over
coat with maternal care
Roland waited for him to start He watched him
n,,+ his head in at the public house door woman
s,d a habv answered this summons and heard the
axuItant news They received commands Inc
woman and the baby retired once more snug I"i
the evening; and then Alexander, Licensed nss-
saneers 81 disappeared in the direction OF the
.rT1be" All this had occupied but Few moments
.nd RavIinson had seen his commissioner depart
before he ioined the Fenwicks in Porcnester Flace
rs he safe?" he had asked. at the turkey.
Alexander was acquitted without a STAIN on MS
character He had Mrs. Fenwicks messages
for years, and the wife and baby were MS own
te u-as imorudently prolific. but he had none OF
the colder vices That was all that could De urged
against him
Meanwhile, Alexander having decloeu 10 court
no fresh enterprise after the astounding coup tha
- t.os,1Iar so unexnectedly a moment ago. had
removed his badge He had straightWay removed
his badge He had never been proud OF IT, and
desiring no further custom for the nonce. ne mad
retired swiftly into private life Without MS badge
he was a free ctizen-one VINO cnose ms own niiee-
e. 90 indanendent as the best With it he stood
aIad-a convenience menial errands. a public
nackass It was badge of servitude- 1t pro-
claimed his inferior station TO the world 1t set
HIM at a disadvantage against his fellows II gave
small boys their opportunity ana potineh the nsure
- ~tts oredtt He unstrapped this sign board and
nIaced II in the breast pocket OF his overcoat Then
Re n,,t his hand into his trousers TO whether