LOCKED OUT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1781, 5 March 1888, Page 3

LOCKED OUT

This purging of the Big Baildfn?s of all human life between the hours of 1 and 2 I o'clock daily, with the exception of tin messenger Inchargo, 1b (jays the "E zoning Preea") producing some novel developments. The other day the "well-known O'Connor was Lit to gaatd the only entrance during thi praecribad period. O'Connor ia an old eoldior, who has seen much service m the field In past years In defence of th!a oolony, and the military inatinct of Implicit obedienco to ordtri is etlll strong within him. His instructions being to admit no one to the buildings between 1 and 2 o'clock, he vowed a swe-»r that even if Bjelezbub himself m the auise of a Crown Minister, a permanent Head of the department or an Undersecretary ehonld seek entrance within that hour, he would deny it to him, and, if need be, defend the portal to the death. It wanted still twenty-five minutes to 2 o'clock, when a well kno»n Civil Servant, who rejoices m the possession of a high and important offiae ander Government, blithely ascended the steps of the main entrance, and was about to entar the Buildings, but suddenly f.xind himself confronted by O'O nnor, staudiog emanly to " attention," with one of the new bright fire hose n zzles at "the shoulder." "Ftz can't come m; Sorr !," said O'Connor, *' not before 2 o'clock."

" Oh' ! thai'a nonEenbe 1 " said the high Official

" BedadJ you're right there," acqulosoed O Connor, " but for all that, thim's me orders."

"Yes, of course, those ere the orders my good mßn," urged the other, " but they only apply to ordinary Civil Servants, clerks, and nnch like."

" Faith, thin," aald tha Imperturbable O'Connor, " It's not for the like ay ma to be sayla' who's an or'any Civil Servant nnd who isn't, though I might make a shrewd guess at that samp, d'ye molnd, Me lnatructiona are to lut no wan m, and divll a wan geta m accordingly,"

"Bat, messenger," said the Official, waxing somewhat warm, "you must permit me to go In. Do yon know who 1 am, Sir ! My position m the Service as Inspector General -"

Och ! Bad luck to mo ! It Is an officer ye are ?" oried O'Connor. " Well, Jlueral, dear, you'll know I must obey orders. Sure, you can't go m, Sorr, not ay ■ yoa was the Dook ay Cambridge !" "This Is foolery, air !" said the now irate Civil Servant, "I'm not a member of the Permanent ferae— "

"Ah 1 Look at that now 1" said O'Connor. "Sure I took yea for only a militiaman myaelf, but there's no knowing nowadays who they make jinerals and colonels, and sloh like. Faith ! It's sorry I am to re'uso you, but you must shtop till two o'clock.'*

"Then I'm tp understand that you won't let me pasp," oried the Indignant Inspector-General. "You'll hear of this again, my man. Mind, I tell yon once more, I'm the Inspector-General-——" "And I tell ytz again," replied O'Connor, getting angry m his turn, "that Inßpeotor-Jlneral, or Field Marshall, or Owld Nick himself, as the case may be, I don't let yez In, Sorr, till the clock strikes 2, and maybe I will hear ay It again, but I mean to shtiok by me orders."

And with that O'Connor shut the door, brought the n< zzle to " the order," and " stood at ease," while the InspectorGeneral went away ■m a considerable temper to "consider the position." The end of it was he reported trusty Old O'Connor to the authorities, who replied that while they regretted the incident, the messenger had acted >( accotdin' to

the Stafoots" And now there's another high cffiolal m the Olvil Service who mentally consigns the new regulations to Sheol, and vows that the midday hour reccEs Is an Invention of the Evil One— which, to say the least of it, is someffbat rough on Sir Harry.