Evening star., 1921-10-16
BUSINESS MINISTER 4

rlVeQ from bOulORno, came iito
Charing Cross some seven
hours late, and It had no taxi.
You imagine him. balanced by two suit
cases. wading through deep snow from
the tube station at Oxford Circus to
wimpcle street, and subs!ding. limp
but still fluent, into the arms of Sam.
his factotum.
1t was about this time, in his judg-
ment II pm. on April Is. that q man
fell from the top story Of Montmo-
rency House. the hugest and newest OF
the new blocks of flats thereabouts.
He fell down the we'll which lights
the inner rooms. made something OF
thud as his body passed through the
cushion of snow and hit the concrete
below. In the howl of the wind and
the rattle of windows It would have
been extraordinary If any one had
heard him. And the snow went on
falling.
Mr.. Fortune was still telling Sam
his troubles when the Hon. Stanley
Lomas came down stairs.
!'Lomas. old dearw Reggie turned
and looked him over. "Yes. you have
been going 1t. You ought to get
away"
II dare say I shall. That is one Of
the things I'm going to ask YOU
what you think about resignation"
"oh. Peter! As bad as that?" Reg
gle whistled. There's been nothing
in the papers"
only innuendos Damme. you can't
get away from 1t in the clubs'
They had it out over dinner.
Some months before new gov
ernment had been formed. and the
spiritual grace was the great coal
ramp. Some folks in the city began
to buy the shares Of certain coal COM
panies. Some folks in the city began
to spread rumors that the government
was going to nationalist mines. dis
trict by district-those districts first
in which the shares had been bought.
The shares then went to vast price.
"All the usual nauseating features
of a stock exchange boom." said
no. This is founded on fact" said
Lomas. Whoever started the game
had exact and precise. information.
Somebody Of the inner circle gave the
plan away. The scheme hadn't come
before the cabinet. And nobody knew
which the particular companies were
but the president of the board OF
trade and his private secretary"
The president-thats Horace KIM
"Yes. No politics about him: He's
the rubber king. YOU know. He was
brought in on the business men FOR
business cabinet cry. But I must say
i have nothing against Kimball He
really is quite an able fellow. and he's
mad to catch the fellow who gave his
scheme away"
"If only Kimball and his private
secretary knew. either Kimball or the
q
MY dear Fortune. that Is the hope
less sort of jingle I say in my sleep.
! believe Kimbalrs honest. As keen
as they make 'en1, but absolutely
straight. He is ridiculously rich. He
mower and position and so on. And
then at the start his career IN mucked
by a financial scandal. You can't sup
pose he had hand in it."
remains the private secretary.
"oh. YES. Ktmball thinks very well
Of him-said he had the highest opin-
ion Of Sandford. and so on"
intelligent. My. respects to H. Kim
hall. What evidence have you, Lo-
mas. old thing?
None. only that one OF sandford's
friends is young fellow called
waIkden. and he's in one Of the firms
which have been running the stock
exchange boom. We have nothing to
act on. and they're all cursing me
because we haven't"
Meaning Kimball?
a day to know how the case is going
on, please But the whole govern
ment's on It now. Minutes from the
home secretary-bitter mems. from
the prime minister They want :: a
Find us some one to hang. or we'll
II told you was thinking of re-
"Becsuse they want to bully you
into making a case against the pri-
vate secretary-and you have q con-
science?"
goodness. no. I'd convict him to-
day IL 7 could. 7 don't like the fell
convict him. Thev must have some
body to hang. and can't find him"
'It isn't rnuch in my way" Reggie
nurnured. "The civil service friEhtens
me. But YOU intrigue me. Lomas. yo"
dn indeed. I would know more OF
Thev worry me"
NV God. they worry me-" said Lo-
mas heartily.
"They are too good to be true. 7
wen. I can't flnd him."
''Hope on. hone ever. And don't re-
sign for all the politicians outside
hell. IL may be they want to get rid
of you. I'll come and see you tomor-
row"
'T wish you would" said Lomas.
Comforted by wine and sympathy.
Tomas was sent away to trudRe home
through a foot Of snow. And the
snow went on falling.
THE snow fingered; in every street
l. great mounds lay unmelted. Reg
gle shIvered az he got out OF his car
in se,ttsnd Yard. and he scurried up
stasry nnd put himself as close as he
could TO Lomas. fire.
I'm waiting for yoa." said Lomas
quietly. There's new fact. Three
thousand pounds has been paid into
Sandford's account. 1t was handed IN
over the counter in notes Of small
amounts yesterday morning. Cashier
fancies ii was paid in by a stoutish
man in glasses-couldn't undertake to
sTt's a wicked world. Lomas. That
wouldn't matter SO much IL it was
sensible Who Is Sandford. what Is
he, that such queer things happen
round him?'
II don't know so much about queer.
SIR" said Supt. Bell. II suppose this
THAT'S what we're meant to sup
pose Reggie agreed. That's what
"He must know his account would
be watched. That's the point TOOK
well. sir. as I was saying. it's the
usual sort OF thing" Supt. Bell pro-