The Wallypug in London Part 5

"Letters from which I hope to derive a princely income," continued the little man grandly; "and, therefore, I have no time for such foolishness as looking into shop windows."

"He's afraid thad he bight have to sped sub buddy," remarked A. Fish, Esq.

"Nothing of the sort," replied the Doctor-in-Law, turning very red though.

"Well, don't waste time talking about it; let's go if we are going,"

said the Rhymester; and so, as I also had some correspondence to attend to, it was arranged that the Wallypug, the Rhymester, and A.

Fish, Esq., should go for a little stroll by themselves. I had some doubts in my own mind as to the advisability of letting them go alone, but they promised not to go beyond Kensington Gardens, and to wait for me there just inside the gates.

After they had gone I settled down to my letter-writing, and was getting along nicely when the Doctor-in-Law interrupted me with:

"I say, I wish you would let me have about twenty sheets of note-paper, will you, please?"

"Twenty!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, twenty," said the Doctor-in-Law. "Or you had better make it a quire while you are about it."

I thought the quickest way to get rid of him was to give him the paper, so I got up and got it for him.

"And a packet of envelopes, please," he said, as I handed it to him.

"Anything else?" I asked rather sarcastically.

"Stamps!" he replied, calmly holding out his hand.

"Well, really--" I expostulated.

"Oh, halfpenny ones will do. You're surely not so mean as to mind tenpence, are you?"

"I don't think I'm mean, but--"

"Hand them over then, and don't waste so much time talking," said the little man impatiently, and so, just to get rid of him, I gave him the stamps and sat down to my letters again.

I had hardly begun when he came back.

"Don't you take any other newspapers than these?" he demanded, showing me a handful.

"No, I don't, and I think it's rather extravagant of me to have those," I replied.

"Well, then, how do you suppose that I am going to manage? I want at least five other papers, and it's _most_ important that I should have them."

"You might buy them," I suggested.

"They are so dear," he grumbled.

"Well, why don't you go to the Public Library then?" I suggested. "You know where it is, and you could see all of the papers there, you know."

"Ah, a capital idea," he said, putting on his hat and going out.

"Now," I thought, "I shall have peace at last."

I was not left undisturbed long though, for a few minutes later Mrs.

Putchy came to the door.

"Oh, please, sir, will you go down? Mr. Doctor-in-Law is having such a bother with the postman."

I hurried out, and found the little man very angry indeed.

"This postman won't give me a letter," he cried when he saw me.

"Perhaps he hasn't one for you," I answered.

"But I saw him giving them away all down the street for nothing,"

persisted the Doctor-in-Law. "And when I asked him in a civil way for one, he refused to give it to me. It's no use for him to say he hasn't one, when he has a whole packet in his hand now, and a lot more in his bag, no doubt. Are you going to give me a letter or not?" he continued, turning to the postman.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE ME A LETTER OR NOT?"]

"No, sir," continued the man, smiling. "I haven't any for you."

"Very well, then," said the Doctor-in-Law decidedly, "I shall certainly write to the Queen and tell her that if she employs you any longer I shall take all my custom away, and I shall not send the twenty letters, that I intended writing to-day, off at all."

I endeavoured to explain to the little man that the postman could not possibly give him a letter if he had not one addressed to him.

"Oh, that's all nonsense," he exclaimed, going off in a huff. "Of course you would take his part."

Before I could settle down to work again the Rhymester and A. Fish, Esq., returned.

"Where's the Wallypug?" I demanded.

"Oh, he's coming by the next 'bus," said the Rhymester. "Haven't you had any rain here?"

"No," I replied.

"Oh, we had quidt a sharb shower," said A. Fish, Esq., "ad I was afraid of gettig wet, so we stopped a 'bus--there was odly roob for two though, ad the Wallypug said thad he would cub od by the dext."

"I hope he will get home all right," I said anxiously. "I don't think you ought to have left his Majesty by himself."

"Oh! it's only a little way," said the Rhymester; "he's sure to get home all right."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "SO WE STOPPED A 'BUS"]

An hour pa.s.sed and there was no signs of the Wallypug. I now began to get seriously anxious.

It would, of course, be the easiest thing in the world for his Majesty to take the wrong 'bus, and be taken goodness knows where.

I couldn't think what was best to be done. The Rhymester suggested sending the Crier out, but I never remembered having seen one at Kensington, and at last, after searching for some time ourselves in Kensington Gardens, and making inquiries in High Street, and failing to glean any tidings of his Majesty, I thought it best to go to the Police Station.

Here I found a very important-looking official in uniform, with a big book in front of him.