The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-28
now" and the door closed behind him with a slam.

with a slam.
 A tap at the door. and a bell boy en- tered with card on a silver plate. You may send him up," said the young girl, as she turned to her sedate maid.
 Now. Susan. you need not scold. I Knew that you would not go with me to hear Bernhardt alone, and so have called a district messenger to escort us, and I telegraphed the manager to send nice-looking one. too"
 Now, Miss Alice, whatever will your father say to that?" sighed the woman, las she put her young mistress opera | cloak over the fair shoulders, and a cloud came over her face.
 He will have nothing whatever to say about It. He might have stayed here and taken me himself Did not
 the telephone book tell me that I could get a messenger for any service. and telephoned to the manager while you were at lunch"
 knock at the door stopped further speech. and as the servant opened 1t a fine looking young man entered and | said: T am from the "A. D. T. office. The manager said that you wished some | one to escort you to the theater this evening."
 Alice almost gasped as she realized that this most presentable person was only a district messenger. To be sure.
 he was attired in faultless evening dress, but she supposed that the com
 pany furnished the garments as a mat
 ter of business. She had been careful
 10 say that she did not want a man in
 uniform and that he must not be boy. In moment she realized that what
 ever his present circumstances he real
 ly was a gentleman, and she therefore
 gave him her purse (with trif1e of
 embarrassment), and asked him to call
 a cab. He took the dainty feminine
 trifle and looked at it a bit aghast,
 which the girl instantly noting, put | out her hand and taking back the
 purse, opened 1t and gave him a ten
 dollar gold piece. Handsome Hal. who lusually had no thought of discontinue
 under any circumstances. now recalled his novel situation and placed the coin
 in his pocket as they left the hotel.
 Alice had obtained the seats, and
 chaperoned by the maid, the two ent- cred a box at the Illinois.
 It was hard work for Hal to remem-
 Der that he was only a hired escort ;nd
 had not been properly introduced to
 the lady, but she had told him her name
 and he had stiffIy given her his mum
 ber,' as the managed had told him
 to do, but this had not satisfied the
 lady, so he quickly invented a name. and MT. Henry" he had been called since then.
 Absorbed in the marvellous acting of Mime. Bernhardt, the evening passed all too swiftly, and then. when the "A. D. T." had supposed his duty done.
 his imperious employer had insisted that she was hungry, and that she could not take supper in the Palm garden at midnight with only her maid, so MT. Henry" must attend her. and, truth to tell. that youth began to feel 10th to leave Miss Marquis.
 As they took supper together the iady politely ignored the fact that her escort was simply hired for the evening, and began to enjoy drawing him into con- versation. finding him. what he appear ed not only well-bred man, but brilliant conversationalist
 Hal prided himself on having some conscience, but when it reproached l..m with a breach of confidence in thus as- suming social relations with a fair un- known, he stif1ed its reproaches by as- suring himself that he was but doing his duty. Before they parted the lady had engaged his services for the next day to show her around the city.
 A week later MT. Marquis arrived, to find his disconsolate daughter quite re- conciled to his absence, and even sug- gested another trip for him, attesting her willingness to forego his society for another week.
 Where have you been this last week, really feared that you had been ar rested for debt or had pawned your clothes for your board bill, and was lying dormant until that draft arrived" was the greeting of Frank as Hal ent- | cred his office, eight days later
 For reply Hal took out an envelope | and a book and rendered them to Frank | for his signature. The mystery was not | fully explained. however, until late that | fall. when Frank went to New York to | act as best man at a wedding and for | his favor from the groom received a | gold district messenger badge. with the | mystic number "37" thereon.
 Alice now says Henry" without the l prefix, as she proudly gazes at her hus- band. He has long ago explained how | he happened to become for the nonce | an amateur "A. D. T."