FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
raph boy, about two and a half feet high, stood outside upon the step. "Telegram, sir," he said in a thin voice. "Give it to me, my lad," replied the Prophet. The small boy handed the telegram and turned to depart. "Wait a moment, my lad," said the Prophet, very gently. The small boy waited. "Do you wish to be strangled, my lad?" asked the Prophet. The small boy tried to recoil, but his terror rooted him firmly to the spot. "Do all the other boys at the office wish to be strangled?" continued the Prophet. "Come, my lad, why don't you answer me?" "No, sir," whispered the small boy, passing his little tongue over his pale lips. "Very well, my lad, the next boy who brings a telegram to this house will be strangled, do you understand that?" "Yes, sir," sighed the small boy, like a terror-stricken Zephyr. "That's right. Good-night, my lad." The Prophet closed the street door very softly, and the small boy dropped fainting on the pavement and was carried to the nearest hospital on a stretcher by two dutiful policemen. Meanwhile the Prophet opened the telegram and read as follows:-- "Insufferable insolence. How dare you; shall pay dearly; with you to-morrow first 'bus. "JUPITER AND MADAME SAGITTARIUS." "Mr. Ferdinand!" called the Prophet. "Yes, sir." "I am about to write a telegram. Gustavus will take it to the office." "Yes, sir." The Prophet went into the library and wrote these words on a telegraph form:-- "Jupiter Sagittarius, Sagittarius Lodge, Crampton St. Peter, N. Your life is in danger; keep where you are; another telegram may destroy you. Grave news. "VIVIAN." The Prophet gave this telegram to Gustavus and then prepared to go upstairs to his grandmother. As he mounted towards the drawing-room he murmured to himself over and over again,-- "Sir Tiglath--Malkiel! Malkiel--Sir Tiglath!" He found Mrs. Merillia very prostrate. It seemed that the telegraph boys had very soon worn through the cotton-wool with which the knocker had been shrouded, and that the incessant noise of their efforts to attract attention at the door had quite unnerved the gallant old lady. Nevertheless, her own condition was the last thing she thought of. "I don't mind for myself, Hennessey," she said. "But it is very sad after all these years of respect and even, I think, a certain popularity, to be considered a nuisance by one's square. We are hopelessly embroiled with the Duchess o
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Prophet
 

telegram

 

strangled

 

Sagittarius

 

telegraph

 
office
 
terror
 

Malkiel

 
Tiglath
 

Gustavus


Merillia

 

murmured

 
Jupiter
 

danger

 
destroy
 

prepared

 
prostrate
 
Crampton
 

VIVIAN

 

upstairs


drawing

 

mounted

 

grandmother

 

efforts

 

respect

 

Hennessey

 

thought

 

hopelessly

 

embroiled

 

Duchess


square

 
popularity
 

considered

 

nuisance

 

condition

 
knocker
 

shrouded

 
incessant
 

cotton

 
Nevertheless

gallant
 

attract

 
attention
 
unnerved
 

answer

 

whispered

 
passing
 

continued

 
firmly
 

tongue