THE LORD OF MISRULE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9430, 2 January 1909, Page 1

THE LORD OF MISRULE.

■ ■ . Lj * —— • ■ . ■ • (By AUSTIN PHILLIPSA Author of " How Claude DuVal Took to the Road," etc., etc>. ■

[All Rights Hesebvbi).] The big, glass-roofed, iron-girdered sorting-room hummed like; a bee-hive, the whole building seemed to shake with the ceaseless thud-thud of datestamps, . obliterating his Majesty's august' countenance, hordes of postmen tipped out the contents of their kharkicoloured bags, and. Murcester Post Office was in the stress and circumstance of Christmas work. Hoarsevoiced superintendents bustled _.to' and fro, coaxing the laggards and encouraging the strong, "the air reeked with the stench of boiling wax, oa the raided platform outside the- building a dozen sturdy, uniformed men were heaping the waiting mail-vans high with sacks. . , And in the middle of the" great room stood Ambrose 1 Ord, his hands; in the pockets of his tightly-buttoned, doublebreasted coat, his chest thrown forward, a dour, smile on hie cruel, face. For Ambrose Ord, like too many selfmade men, was a bully, and his staff hated him while they fearedv / Very quietly, for- one of hie characteristic little ways was the wearing of rubber on the soles of his boots that he might the more readily catch rulebreakers in. the act, he walked,, or rather stole, across to the far corner of the sorting room, where a fence of parcels ringed a dozen packers round, and, till he came upon them, hid Ambrose Ord from view. And as he passed by, men nudged one another and grin- j ned" and glared, and above the bustle and din there seemed to rise a silent, unvoiced hiss of bate— -for no one knew when his own turn might come or what j injustice would be done next. , Through the fence of parcels Ambrose Ord peeped. As u6 pried and peered, he. saw a sight that made his heart glad. One sorter, opening a wicker basket, threw a parcel to a^colleague. The other missed it, and it tell 1 with a crash io: the floor. wrap^ Eer-gave, the contents rolled out,, a cap Of mince pies and. a huge pudding atop of them. But, worst of all, the basin that held the pudding was smash- ! Ed, and the fragments of both pudding I and mince pies strewed the dusty floor. I Ambrose Ord stepped in among his 1 men and began to talk— as only Ambrose Ord could. When he was tired of abusing them generally he turnea to ! the individual— the weary-eyed thrower of the parcel, who stood facuig unn, his hands supporting a back that ached with hours of ceaseless stooping over baskets and bags. , • .■■■ Ambrose Ord^ unbuttoned his coat and delved in his breast pocket, and out of it he brought the note-book tor which he was infamous. .Because ; bis eyes were untired and his .back w^fi acheless he stoope* fver broken parcel and made a note of ttie address. He turned Over the pieces of the basm, with the pud< . ing niched in .them ;^ne counted the minee \pies— recounted %lm% make sure. ..TWn he turned to the. thrower, and hjs dour smile grew almost kind- .v _i „+ -+ << The^ pudding must, havte cost a^ said.^ '.'■'"• Aiid^ tKe mince pies ?; : . -They, are large ones. T#o , doz^n, let us say at twopence apiece: That will + be_ fourteen shillings altogether, when the claim comes in, : and now kindly do the. parcel up again and send it onwith a note of apology. Remember, Mr Sarson r fourteen shillings! /The extra money you've earned this Chnstmas will. just pay for it. You're fortunate, Mr Sareon!" - ; ■ . Mr Sarson looked hopelessly at nis chief The extra money was to have be«?ft paid for little seasonable luxuries —for little gifts that he was taking home to bis wife and children. And what would pay for them now ? Ambrose Ord watched him with the cruel smile-playing about his lips. Then he turned his back arid went away to look ie» more double. He fepon found it. Out&ide j on the raised platform where the mail-bags lay in heaps before they were tumbled into : the waiting vans below, Ambrose Ord's suspicions eyes settled on a heap of sacking in a corner. In a flash he was there. Under a sheltering mail bag a man lay a man in uniform who rubbed dazed eyes, who staggered to his feet: and made' the merest imrbation of a salute when he saw his Postmaster before ihim. ■"■'■"«';■ - Ambrose Ord turned to the Superintendent in charge of the loading and frowned. - i^' "What does this mean^ Mr Ellert?" he r asked angrily/ "Is this the way you supervise' your men?" "Excuse me, sir," said the superintendent, who was young and good-look-ing and had fearless eyes that faced the cruel ones without flinching, "excuse me, but the man's got a touch of influenza, and as I can't spare Hm .■&&■.. together, I gave him leav.e to lie! down ; and gef" a bit of rest till" tlie next batch of bags is out. He's a 'good worker, sir, is Auld, when he's well." Ambrose Ord regarded the superintendent contemptuously; .■--.■• "Iniluenza!" he snapped. ."■% afraid you're not up. to your work, superintendent. It's drink^— that's what it is I" .< He turned to the man in uniform and went on. . . r - ; "Look here, my • man, you're' drunk!" „. r . . "Befe pardon, sir," said the shivering wretch, " I haven't torched a drop all day; I— V ■ \ " He really isn't drunk, put in the superintendent kindly.' " I know he's really ill. I've s^een, it coming on these three days." : : Ambrose Ord stamped his' foot. ' "Don't answer me back !" ; he flung out. "I say the man is; drunk— and drunk he is. Suspend him from diity at once and come and see; me in my room on Monday." V . Ambrose Ord was having a merry Christmas. Things were turning out 1 well. He talked back through the big sorting office and out into j&e stone corridor on the way, to his owjn I'oom, with his chest thrown out and a smile pf- self-importance an*" in: his head the one wer whelming idea that always possessed him — the . consciousness of yrhat a really big man he was/ Then the crowning- mercy happened.' In' a doorway at his righiß hand he saw a couple of figures in 1 earnest oon-

versatiOn. For a minute he stopfj^; Then quickly >he walked towards ib^t(^ in his inaudible boots with the rabltr V : soles. Just as he drew near he heard the crisp; sound made by the meetsftg of four young lips; The roof caught^ ■ the sound and threw it at the wall?, • and it echoed ill/vp 1 and down the corridor aad back again. ; -^l- • "What does this mean?" asked 4*s^ brose Ord in. a voice that was as b»rs as a paving-stono. " What does thii ; mean?" he repeated fiercely. , . .*"v ■* I The i paix . ; swung-, round v with 'a- eftairt;. Then the igirl— who was dark as night, ■' with large brpwu ! eyes and; hair the ■ colour of the ravenV wing— gar© r ; ■-£.■•' little cry arid hid herself behind jth* 1 man. And the man swore softly under ; his breath. For he knew better than to expect, any mercy -from Ambti&eV Ord. . . ~- : -■,:•• : ■: ' -. '->'-'. .^t;:*. . "This is malingering ; and nothujg else," roaried the tyrant. «' In tie :.\ first place, why isn't this young wonfloi „ " at work in the telegraph ■■giU©ries^£wte?| i you, Mr Saunders, why are 'you ifgt: M&M | your place at the sorting tables? :Y&P&~*+ a pair of shirkers, both 1 of you, «nd >;. yon shall be treated as such 1" ; =, Now Teddy Saunders was the ptider of the Murcester Post Office .In : "■*>&s - and play, and though he expe^ctedjtfwii mercy he wasn't going to be caNti&jwjtii shirker. So ho stood up to the ®|&S master and looked him full in the epi^ while behind him his right ha«d gM(i|?i s ed the right hand of the tremtpiß girl whose other hand hid her i ao& ~~^^ "If you please, ,Mr Ord;" hVfijt -V* quietly. "I've been on duty f or tweJv* '-% hours at a stretch, and -I had pennp- : sion to go and get a mouthful of f eiod* But because I wanted to see Miss Armstrong—if you please, sir, we're v^vj. f aged— l met her here by appointment- : he was off duty ht'f an hour ago^so she^ isn't doing anything wrong. And all I wanted to see her for was jap* to arrange about to-morrow^— to . kiow what time I was to go to her father's ' house, on Christmas Day, And my.^ time isn't up~ for another ten tninutfefi, > /^ so that I havens been shirking, an 4if you like I'll go back to the Sorting^ Office at once if they're pressed. - X really^ didn't mean to do any harm-j- : and if you please, sir, don't punish Lottie; anyway^ it isn't' her fault!"; 'X'?. The sincerity of the young man's ik^et H carried conviction even to the biasse4 mind of Ambrose' Ord. But becaus*r' he was , a' bully he made the moot '"■■■of/,^ what he might have overlooked. ' : 'C :; "I don't want to hear your reaqiop^? he said coldly. " I only know #Mt ' you've done- You have behaved in a» unseemly way - upon Governmeirt pr«^ ; mises. I myself saw— heard yW*r^lieV ? knot but the words with extraoMKnpry,*^ vehemence— "jkiss this young woman ." \ just now. .■' Offences against -discipline 12 'and conduct must be punished as they :i deserve. Be good enough W Tetuni:^ to yonr dirties, without djelay. . Attd <~* you, .Miss Armstrong you wffl^do weUrr to leaye the building. I shall repo^S your disgraceful , flirtatious conduct to*, ■ the proper quarter." •»- . ; .^ >;, He broke off and looked „ gloatingly- -.' jat the unhappy. boy and girl-^hep J?€£» : . > little more^and then^ he adnuiiistereS the final -sting^^'^;-.-'"-'^^'^'^^^-'^^'.:^: "Good affernoony'* he called, setf&ag his foot ufton the' stairs' that r led *tfa KisUiown room. 'And to the- accoinpaninle^ii 3 of a: sobbing. thaj. followed- -Jhm>aV'liifrf? twent; jftlfe tatrafcing ' greet ins; -'.*&& >fu&oX] Christmas to Trou both V * ! 1 ~^.'~' ' L^ Half an hour, later Ambrose Ord ;"sa& "Si in his own comfortable room.,- at. hist :6wik^-r convenient .fchee^fadigi^ : de«K^ ;*-W]fß^ n 'fi^; :i ; heavy- -pinsiGß^B&&%iri^ : ?cin^^ and, before-a blazing fire, a red pr^b^t made hearthrugi, ; with *V.R. wbrl^J into it by some wretched cl»nviqti ■• 'ifi :| front of Ambrose Ord were sheete of "'■,- closely-covered^ " fpb^c^^l'Bal^wiiy: ~4 down the last sheet he signed his n«me with ! a flourish arid then looked at, j|s^ own writing with undisguieed adniinttion. After, that he picked up tK« .? other iheets and arranged them neatly V in order and read them through wither a keen delight at the truth which ha had perverted and the harm that he was going to do. Mt was the official death' warrant of the boy and girl iii, ' the corridor that he: had signed, and • : there was no recommendation to mercy : or hope of reprieve. :.'.:."'.'. Suddenly, as he sat there, gloating and in ecstasies with his power, there/ came a knock upon the door. " Come in ! " he cried, his eyes still - on tk^i pipers. '• '■ ■ And somebody came in and stood before his table, without saying v » wcrd, and waited. • When presently, Ambrose Ord pot down the report and looked up. he saw Bitting in the chair .in front of him. a grey-haired, spebtacled ' woman, one of those middle-aged tragedies of which provincial post-offices are full. His. ' eyebrows went up. ; ' ■ "Well?'* he.askedj less, curtly than usual, because his mind was still run* ing on. the report ; .'*' Well, what d« you want?" ' The woman cleared her throat. Bfc» • seemed nervous but determined. ; "I'm Miss Winti," she began, I supervisor in the . Telegrapft /Gallery. i I've come to see you' about <Jne of t&B , :-stafi_^' , . -'. -;. ■ ■■' ':':-:■ :. "Yes;" s«ki4 Ambrose Ord, still r«^ ther absentlyl "What's her ,naw?. M The grev-hairgd woman paused. ', "Her name, is Armstrong/* she wiid qutatiy. .■ * f Lptfcie Annsstrong. Ydu fret her in the c-oixidor half an hour ago;,! J * Ambrose Crd : began' to ba intereafced. He hoped he -was going to hear 'W^h thing ' to the detriment of his' victim • to clinch' the case against her.'- ' .-■■..''■■ '•.' ' ■ . ''■.■. <; Oh,,'yes," he said, and he tapped the report that lay, on Uhe; table in: front ofe him. "Oh, yesi I rememb«w Miss Arjoistrong, very well. And*'— • . the tiptof his long sneering nose came down ofer his thin upper lip— " and I rather that Miss Armstrong won't forget me!" > Miss Wint made no answer. SK« merely' iooked at him gravely through : her spectacles. Ambrose Ord waited j some seconds for her to 'speak.. Then, impatient at her silence, he burst out: " Whiit have you come to tell me about the girl. Nothing good, I'll warrant. A piece, of baggage that goes kissing 'a young man 1 nnder my very H eyes. Has she. been troublesome in her • work— fiey? Gome, 1 let me know; it once!" •, . • . Miss Wint shook her head. vl ''She's given no trouble," she answered. " Nqne at alh She never does; It isn't thai I've come- about !" '.'.. Ambrose. Ord ftowned. ■■',■• V. WJiat on earth have you come here for?" he crie4,i " wasting my time Hke this?" Then, with a; im^r: * f I suppose you'v«- come to. tell me what a mode] clerk she is and how Tv» "^fi* ■■■{-..., Judged herL_W? }i " " ■■", < That'^' said the middle-aged wo» , man, gently, " is precisely what I halt? come to do?" ' ' : she faced; Ambrose Ord so called* " that for once he was too taken abaqlc ; , to forget himself in- the presence of %: woman. He could say. nothing. ■; ■-'■Sfe--" : v only stared and stared., Misjs Wint !^p^ 5 ed at him steadily* Then' she w^jty" 1 "She is a model clerk. Mi Ojtfk. pfs^ known her ever since she was ft biwrv arid I'd trust her as I'd trust no «4»i else. It was I that got her to coaop //v here at all-— and I'veMooked after her. V " and helped hbr ever since; she Vm^^'^ She'? 0 -. * ne least , biifJS;^ .^

bad as for flirtation at the office— wh£r,she'd never dream of such, a thing. She only got engaged to Mr Saunders a week or two ago— and it was natural eJHo&gh that they should meet and arrive things' for Christmas. I give you nfr word, fllr Ord, she's a thoroughly good girl and there isn't a better aßi<% all the hundred and fifty in the bjjjjding." Wint stopped to take breath, foFiihe had been carried away by her enthusiasm. Before she oould begin again Ambrose Ord laughed. His laugh was : not a pleasant one to hear at the» Dest : of times; now it was like /the ring of*' the devil's dice in a cracked fcea- '■ ♦rfhank you " he said, in slow, ironic|| 2 tones. "Thank you, Miss— er~V?mt;' did you say your name wasr VPiu I want help' in the management '* ofw office I'll send for you. Till then t must ask you to get back to your own - Se%&rtment. Good afternoon 1" <-m}M he waved his hand significantly thirds the door. ■^Bfii Miss Wint made no move. She BS€ facing him, quiet but resolute. c '-* r Then you won't be persuaded?" she ■sked, calmly. ' a /**PersuadedP What do you mean? I^laVe the room at once I", Ambrose Grd half rose from his chair, t. &sCiss Wint sighed, took off her spectacles and said regretfully: "Goodness knows it's not my doing, Atl&rose But since there's no other yftip? of bringing you to reason I'm obHgssto remind yon of what I've been tiprtg to forget th«se thirty years 1" -%Kffrrose Ord gasped, spluttered and cftß&psed into his chair. Then, leaning half across the table, he stared into iwr 4f*ce and oried: *M3sbd God, it's Bessie— Bessie Wint." ■'„ f^Tbe middle-aged woman nodded. ; '** I«s. I'm Bessie Wint," she raid. **t*fe^ been at Murcester ever since 3^i^j ' went away from Pershore thirty j^ia'rs ago. You broke my heart and 1 ' . equldn't bear to stay after you'd gone, •Cldgot theni to send me to some place t|ift wan big enough to forget in. And t|um, after all those years, you came h«yr*- to be postmaster— came here to mak& people unhappy, Just as in the oldidaysyon made me— oh, how miserable I was I Of course, you never recognised me — you'd even forgotten my yer^ -name 1 I was too old and plain ; to ctftch your eye, and besides there ; were, the spectacles. But it's me, Ambrpiie, all the same. And now I'm goy ; th{ftb make you do as I want. You're gfefiif to tear up that report about Lome Armstrong and Mr Saunders!" .. w Ani IP" blustered Ambrose Ord, : tiffiSwing out his chest and thrusting forward his lower Up. "Am IP If you thins you're going to fire off any of your., Sentimental tricks on me, you're mistaken. Not a bit of it. On the eigiin%ary, I am going to send the re- ~, pott forward to-night. Now will you be^good enough to leave the room?" jjtft Bessie Wint shook her head and / tittled herself resolutely in her chair. #£• If that unjust leport about .-Lottie Afmstrong and Teddy Saunders goes forward," she said, "another report tdjl go by the came post. It will be a jwgbfl about you, Ambrose— about an iaeiHent in your career that will make pleasant reading for your enemies, if you have forgotten the Pershore betm fraud I haven't 1" brose Ord turned pale, but he tar&d tb carry things with a high you blackmail me!" he cried leudjy. " What's dead's dead, and you hmf^'i a feofakp of evidence to go npon^l" ■: -■ ■'-' • ■ .- / Haven't IP" said 'Bessie Wint, Cftlltt Still. "I think I have. Listen to: toe for a minute or, two, and then aiIMM you've changed your mind or tijo&Ym going to tell you little Btey about yourself— and me." %2£b made a gesture as thxragh he «oaid have struck her — then, with fejjaied nonchalance, he leaned back, ylwned. and thrust his hands into ins tewtseri pockew '".Oh 6y all means," he said sneerinaU: * " But I warn you you're waetr Log .-, your time. ". ; . .VTJfcfot&inJi f#," said Bessie Wint.n^. ana ..cleared her throat and be~"Msb*r9 was once a man at a little fobtwtfcry town who worked in a post oifte^-'- $3.0 was extravagant and fond oic women ? 8 society. Be wasn't conifcnfc with making love to one girl, ana fartiikivg her heart— there were a dozen others he used to walk out with. But jmttnts and Outings cost money, and llbmrmvi— who waa very young— had a fiiudi palary and began to get into Presently the bills began to OonwMn-^and he got frightened and lost luV head. Then be tried betting— hut be only got deeper into the mire. After th*% since be couldn't get money Wtfair means, he tried foul. But all t&£Hbne, though he ill-treated her and ftfctf: tired of her, the first girl, whose heart be had broken, stuck to him and . bMped him. She even lent him money -x&ttoney that he never paid her back— «M never will, for she would never let him now." Ambrose Ord banged his fist down anon the table, almost beside himself Wrth'.'iTage and shame. . is!-'My God, she shall I" he cried fiercely. Bessie Wint shook her head. "You're mistaken, Ambrose," she Baid, aoftly. "J didn't speak of the debt' to get it paid. "I spoke of it to shams you as you deserve to be shamed." . **'Ypu shall take it." repeated Ambrose Ord. "You shall take it if 1 Jmvetto put it into your hands by force." Bessie Wint picked up her spectacles, adjusted them, and crossed her hands in her, lap. .-i*Bunnbse you let me finish my little stojry, Mr ura, said sne. And Ambrose Ord eat and listened 1&&& chidden child. "One day : " went on Bessie Wint, "the/ man j hit upon a scheme for getting money. He got to know that c pertain horse had won a certain race Maq^he wrote to three bookmakers making a bet on that horse. And to make tS* (bookmakers think that he had post<?d the letter before the result of was known he altered the postmark—that is to say, he committed forgery. The bookmakers, though they were suspicious, j)aid the man a large Bum of money. But he wasn't content. He^tlid it a second j time. And the bookmakers paid again. But the third time;. b 6 tried it they refused to give h^i-the money and came and threate^d'hina witn proceedings. At first he denied it all. But when they had 1 gone away his courage went too, and be: wrote to them owning up. Then, inadesperation, he sent for the girl, who was fool enough to love him still." JBessie Wint paused. Ambrose Ord gfti watching her with strafe emotions moving him. It was as if he was a boy "again and the boyish fascination Khe. once had for him had come back — ows stronger than ever betore. He fffif himself weakening, felt that for her sake, if for no other reason, he would do anything she asked. For she had been the one real passion of a selfish life/ . ■ , H;Then she went on again. Si'fsßecause the girl loved him — because, in fact, she was a fool — she went to* the bookmakers and pleaded for hinju she even paid back the amount of the winnings out of her own saviv&s,. so that the bookmakers might not fWpseuutei She went through all .kinds : in getting their promise -£%§% she got it — and when she came ■ back with it to the man he vowed and «*oie that there was no one like her U£"jdl the world. But one day, when tiift£sfoman came to the office in the morning, she found the man gone— gotW" to a town a hundred miles away, without a word of good-bye. And the ''': g^r'*-^Bessie Wint broke suddenly off and began to wipe her spectacles— "oh, never mind the girl !" , The sight of her tears seemed to bring his courage back. With an effort : . bff l"eirashed down the growing emotion that was making -him weak. In, a voice that rang hard and cold as ever bis voice bad rung he asked, sneoring.l^: "Ts «iat the story?"

out looking up. " That is the story of Ambrose Ord !" Suddenly she swung round and faced him. "If you don't tear up the report that lies on your table this minute that story goes to London by to-night's post 1" she cried. Ambrose Ord snapped careless fingers and laughed. "Bah," he said. "Headquarters won't take any notice except to dismiss you for slandering your superiorIt isn't as if you'd proofs 1" But Bessie Wint countered with » knockdown blow. "1 have proofs," she said. "I have th<* letters with the forged postmarks. I have, besides, the letters you wrote to the bookmakers, making a - clean breast of it all and begging for forgiveness. All these things I humbled myself to get from them, because I loved 'you and wanted to make you safe from prison. And though you broke my heart I've kept them all these years — as — as a woman does keep things, even when there's no use or hope, or" even wish for, hope. So, if your report goes to London mine goes too. And with it go the letters to prove your guilt. They'll dismiss you without a pension, after thirty year" service. There's no mercy for that sort, of thing, and you know it!" Ambrose Ord rose to his feet ana faced, her, holding her eyes with bif* own. She did not flinch — her lips smiled a little — perhaps she was smiling at her own weakness for him in the past — and now. Then, as he said nothing, but averted his eyes and faced her no more, but stood there, irresolute and out-generalled, she enatched the report from the table and thrust it into his hands. He forced his eyes back to hers to ask them a question whose answer he knew in advance. . Then, with a curse, he ripped the papers in two and stood holding a half of them in each hand. Bessie Wint pointed to the fire at bis back. Slowly he turned, as if in obedience to some power that he would fain but could not resist; slowly, reluctantly, he dropped the papers, one after the other on the Ted-hot coals. Then, together, they watched them burn, saw them crinkle into 'a charred mass, on which, here and there, a word of Ambrose Ord's bold handwriting stood out, for a brief /second, plain and clear. And after that they looked into the ■empty fire, seeing there many and long-forgot-ten things. At last Bessie Wint turned and walked to the door.. She was going to help two people to the happiness that had never been her own. But as she went out she looked over h«>r shoulder, and said in a desperately shaky voice : "A happy Christmas, Ambrose 0-d. and a happy New Year I" But he answered nothing — till the door was shut and it was too late. He only stood o+nrinw- into the fire, seeing many an " ■ . v: nge.