Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-27

all his points asleep or on the verge
of waking. He had Joined Mr.. Penne-
fether at the vault door. But he told
US that three of the joint stock banks
In Old Broad street had been forced
open and their strong-rooms cleared.
"Our friends hold to their thorough
methods" said Lord Almeric to me.
There is a breadth in their rascality
that takes the breath away"
He turned to the young offlcer OF
the guards.
ut is useless to beg you not to be
concerned. Pennefether," he said
gently. THAT you must inevitably
be. But beg you-and you also. in
lspector-to be rid of the idea that
you are in any way culpablc. You
could not have foreseen this event, nor
could you have helped yourselves if
YOU had. The blame, If any, attaches
to me. ] should have taken steps to
protect the bank from this optrs ge.
Come-let ME see the extent of the
| damage"
In the bank premises, everything
was scrupulously neat and tidy, until
we came to the vault door, and that
had a section cut through il. 1t was
| big enough for Lord Almeric to go
| through. and l followed him.
They have not been greedy"
| said he "They have taken
! only million pounds sterling, Jimmy
and have left the remainder. Now.
let us see how they have treated our
securities"
He turned TO a side door, which also
had been treated with the flame In
, side the room was a heap of smolder-
! ing papers, and from this there rose
a pungent smell The papers were
securities. and they had been de-
stroyecd beyond recognition by hav-
ing had acid poured over them.
THE wantonness OF It," cried Lord
Almeric. The sheer damned warton
| usclessness OF st. Ur-r-r! The theft
Of the gold I can understand-but
this.-this means months OF work.
chaos-endless useless bother and
vexationi"
| Does it represent much money.
sir?" I ventured.
Millions. I cannot cay how much.
1t viii be recoverable. the greater
part OF it, perhaps. But when think
of the complications-thc damned
messiness and bother-ur-r-r"'
He recovered himself quickly.
Il beg your pardon. Jimmy. I'm
! making an exhibition OF myself-but
the thing IS so unpardonably stupid.
Come, We'll &C to my room and think
this out"
your pardon. Lord Almeric. There's
something I'd like TO do before the
crowd gets about. Could you put me
in charge OF police officer, while I
20 shopping round to find out IL the
thing links up with Wall Street"
why. of course. Would you obliEe
me by taking MIR. Boon round, in
spector. and seeing that he is not in
terfered within"
very good. my lord"
I went off with the inspector and
got outside the buildings. / hunted
round the streets about the bank in
comparative quiet. The London police
are nothing If not efficient, and they
had drawn round the district a Gordon
that was impossible. Only a few
civilians were about the streets
l found four star-shaped spiatters
of powdered glass on the exchange
side OF the bank, and two in n sort
of courtyard within the buildings
They were perfect in shape. and
showed me what the smears 7 had
found round Wall Street would have
been but for the crowds that had
trampled them about. We went along
old Broad street, and there / found
| traces of the powdered glass, three