The Brick Moon, and Other StoriesHale, Edward Everett
Science
The Brick Moon, and Other Stories
Hale, Edward Everett
Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
But the time had come to turn his left flank and to
attack his forces in the rear, for the postman now took
the field,--that is to say, Harrington, good fellow,
finished his third delivery, four good miles and nine-
tenths of a furlong, snow two inches deep, three, four,
six, before he was done, and then returned to his branch
office to report.
"Two-legged parcel; insufficient address; 99 Linwood
Street! Jim, what ever come to that letter that went to
99 Linwood Street with insufficient address six weeks
ago?"
"Linwood Street? Insufficient address? Foreign
letter? Why, of course, you know, went back to the
central office."
"I guess it did," said Harrington, grimly; "so I must
go there too."
This meant that after Harrington had gone his rounds
again on delivery route No. 6, four more miles and nine-
tenths more of a furlong, 313 doorbells and only 73 slit
boxes, snow now ranging from 6 inches to 12 on the
sidewalks, and breast-deep where there was a chance for
drifting, when all this was well done, so that Harrington
had no more duties to Uncle Sam, he could take Nora
McLaughlin's work in hand, and thus defeat the prince of
evil.
To the central office by a horse-car. Blocked once
or twice, but well at the office at 7.30 in the evening.
Christmas work heavy, so the whole home staff is on
duty. That is well. Enemy of souls loses one point
there.
Blind-letter clerks all here. Insufficient-delivery
men both here. Chief of returned bureau here. All
summoned to the foreign office as Harrington tells his
story. Indexes produced, ledgers, journals, day-books,
and private passbooks. John McLaughlin's biography
followed out on 67 of the different avatars in which his
personality has been manifested under that name. False
trail here--clue breaks there--scent fails here, but at
last--a joyful cry from Will Search:--
"Here you are! Insufficient address. November 1.
Queenstown letter--`Linwood, to John McLaughlin. Try
Dorchester. Try Roxbury. Try East Boston. Try
Somerville'-- and there it stops, and was not returned."
"Try Somerville!"
In these words great light fell over the eager
circle. Not because Somerville is the seat of an insane
hospital. No! But because it is not in the Boston
Directory.
If you please, Somerville is an independent city, and
so, unless John McLaughlin worked in Boston, if he lived
in Somerville, he would not be in the Boston Directory.
Not much! Somerville has its own seven John
McLaughlins besides those Boston ones.
"I say, Harry, Tom, Dick--somebody fetch Somerville
Directory!"
Dick flew and returned with the book.
"Here you be! `John McLaughlin, laborer, 99 Linwood
Street!
"Victory!"
Satan's forces tremble, and as the different officers
return to their desks "even the ranks of Tuscany" in that
well-bred office "can scarce forbear to cheer."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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