IN THE SILENCE ROOM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19198, 14 June 1924, Page 11

IN THE SILENCE ROOM.

fßv Maurice Lane-Norcott, in the Daily 3 Mail.) James is one ol tnose men that something ought to ne done about, ihe uoveinment, I think, should appoint a Commission to sit iron James. Or belter sti.i, a coioner. 1 was gnawing mv pen in tho Silence Room at the ciuo when James entered yesterday. “Hullo,” he said sitting down on the edge of my writing table and swinging Jus silly legs. “In the throes, eh ! Lear, dear! What a life!” . . ‘‘Shut up, James,” I said. ‘This is tlie Silence Room.” . He glanced around at the vacant chairs. Then he knocked his pipe out noisily into the pen tray. “Wei - ., what of it?” he demanded. The place is empty, isn’t it? I’m not disturbing anybody.” “On the contrary James,’ I said, you are disturbing me. I’m trying to think of a plot.” “On, a plot,” he said. “Well, that should be easy enough. Things are constantly happening, you know.” I did not know. I wished hard that something would happen to James; something horrible. But he just drew a fresh breath. “Why not write a story about a typist?” he suggested. “That be rather a good idea, don’t yon think ? For a minute there was silence. Then James broke out again. “How about this?” he said rather proudly. “There is a jolly pretty girl called Janet Clare and she’s typist to a tough sort of stockbroker chap in Chan-cerv-lane. Now ” “There aren’t any stockbrokers in Chan-cery-lane, James,” I remarked coolly. “Oh, well, Mincing-lane, then,” he said vaguely. “Anyway, this fellow, who’s name is Derek Somcthing-or-other is in love with Janet, who can t stand him at anv price, you follow me? ’ I sighed. “The reason she can’t stand him, ’ continued James blithely, “is that sho loves another stockbroker called Henry Hatliawav Now the Mot of tho whole thing is this. Between them these two fellows own a whole gold mining company. “Oh,” I said wearily. “Which brines us to the great lovemaking scene,” said James tenselv. “Derek What’s-his-name proposes to Janet in the board-room. She refuses him. In a flash he sees it all. She loves his rival, Henry Hathway. So what does he do?” „ T -j “I haven’t the least idea, I said viciously. "Why, he goes straight out to the Stock Exchange a..d throws the whole of his gold mining shares on the market.” announced James dramatically. Tnevitab’.v there Is a panic. The things slump hopelessly and Henry is ruined. Not a bad idea, eh?” “And the end. James? I asked. “Yon mean whet happens to Janet?” he said. “Oh, I should think she’d better marry another fellow altogether. Say, a bank' clerk railed Dick Richards.” When I fell up to it I’m going to write to Mr Ramsay MacDonald about James, tie is a positive menace to tho country.