THE PRIME MINISTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10963, 4 May 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE PRIME MINISTER.

.^_The man had undeniably carroty red Jhair, rather pale-blue watery eyes and Vas dressed vi a most disreputable suit — a stained "coiat with a pronounced check pattern which might have been cast off by an out-of-work cabby— a pair of fray. eu trousers, much gone at the knees, and his down-at-heel left boot was done up with painfully obvious string. Yet for all .that, Marshal Third was regarding him- with unusual interest, and there was a suggestion of animation on his masklike face. '

"I understand, then, that your memory carries you no further back than, say, 3 or 4 o'clock this morning?" he said.

"Yes, that is. so; it might have been a trifle earlier. I had no watch, so could not tell." "Previous to that, you have absolutely no recollection of your former existence — who you are, where you come from or what your business or profession is?" -•'-.■•■

"None — none ; and yet — " He paused. "I have an idea that m my other life — my real life-^-there was an unimportant even impending— something which was causing me anxiety." "You, came to. yourself — to your present phase of ■ consciousness, we will say — ten hours ago,:,.then—r-" "I was m, a. maze of unfamiliar streets. I saw a policeman, and spoke to him, he told me roughly to clear .out. , A. seoond one, however, directed' me tp A station ' where, after, asking me , some questions, I was ' advised! to make ''my., way to , Scotland i Yard." "Were you hungry?" _TT "N-no. At first x felt" very , tired and deathly sick ; latei., I felt hungry.. I am hungry now,'! thinx.'.' The vigilant made a, sign to his serv-, ant, gave him a whispered order, and the little Jap trotted silently out of the room. ' "What happened at Scotland Yard?" "They referred me to you, Baying that you were" interested — a 'crank/- I] -think they called itr^lnsuch cases as- mine." The vigilant* s sfervant reappeared with luncheon laid on a*tray. It ! cohsisted «»f some slices of pineapples on' a plate, several other kmds.fcf fruit,- f die-eras, and one of the les^-lniowii brand. ?}oV Moselle W"' wines. Hartly' the kind of ' meal * qric would give to a carroty-haired tramp who had admitted to. being, hungi^.'i His: visitor looked at.the; foQd-'.doubtr fully, almost abstractedly. Then^with another curious movement of , passing his hand across his brow, r he -took a slice of pineapple and a rusk. He. was hungry, there could be no mistake on that point. ; •■_■ - '■ .-*. The pineapple finished, he reached out for the plate, and helped himse— • unconcernedly; then he picked' over, the van. ous fruitß. : ; The wine,, So; far, he h&d left untouched, j Yet he began to lock about him with the air. of =ya; man •vhomissed some detail of routine. Tlie vii>-' ilant frowned slightly^! picked up a, jriver cigarette, box from the table beside him, and pushed it acrossj together with some, matches..! !". : .... '.!','■ T ■ The tramp's face . lightened _t _. once. . With a curt. nod . of thanks \he. lelt. automatically for a waistcoat .pocket which was non-existent, gave _an exclamation of annoyance, and lit a cigarette.- After a few whiffs he reached out.for , the small bottle of wine with.a griiht of "sat;, isf action.' ;,'■„;'' '..'"..-...•.,!..' ':..[{' Marshall Third,picked np a'newspipsr haphazard from the pile beside him,, and began to read the foreign intelligence half aloud. The vigifant read on, turning from the' foreign intelligence to the report of the previous night, debate- in the Commons. His" visitor helped himself to another cigarette, btat made no comment. Third • turned ; td a telegram dealing with an obscure boundary 'quest ion affecting the Persian ; government Before he had read six' lines he was "interrupted by an exclamation of anger. ' "I 'tell you it ? s nonsense-butter nonsense!" exclaimed th© tramp. ■ "Any one but a noble' could ace that the 'real power behind the scenes is the German chancellory. We' had; the same trouble m '89i and we have have it againworse this; time. They want' ; ttt force our hand. 1 1 know it, I t©U you. T have proof of at. We. must stand. firm.. I '-will not tolerate ■' a . vacillating policy !* ' And with that be launched forth into a long tirade. • - ; - - ■;-,.' „ ; • , Third was an emotionless. ,, man by habit; yet even: bis hand, shook a little as he : clutched the paper, not daring to put it down lest he should break the {Win of thought. For five minutes by the clock ; his strange visitor sat -ana reeled 08, m sentences, Jute Which, cnuld <f y be toown > half : a dozens men m the .whole of EuiODe. "Perhaps .you are right," said Tbird, quietly. ? «Now I propose-that you^J J little; you have been walking abort half the ight, remember, and must feel tired. My servant shaU show you U.J 5- and by the time you are rested iTould doubtless be able to answer any 1 questions you like to ask. - -v.. The- red headed man rose heavily. •'You are very good," he said; and followed him from J-be room. . The door had barely closed behind turn befoV Third was a. the telephone^ 1 the table beside him, ringing insistently ahd demanding' instant attention. %c waTd%mpatieritly till presently there came an answering ring. "That Mr Thu-d?. What is it? I know we're under an! obligation W,ynu , . but this isjnost vate official wire, -.?¥*^" '-X want- to ccc him, I regret to say i^ 3 impossible,.he is indisposed and can see no one, he's confined to hjs room.' "He! s confined to a room !" Third, rand thatf room is 'm. my .house. For gUiess: « you wish to _a»e : the equation, come here at.oncej HI not a moment for polite evasions. ''Wha-^-tf^ Pot heaven's .sake. Mi Third Svhat are you saying?" >*-:--- •Repeat tha. 'he is here m my hous? afc Ihi. . -moment;* and that he has been missing some time last. eNemng, and ffitydu- know he is missing, and have Wat your wits' ends to try aid W "WHh>u'ln^nU minutes !'• came the answer,^ hansom dashed up to the door ; the , bell was pealed fraritfcally, add >- lookine, clean-shaven matt, of about BK literally flung into th. .room j .ho was white and breathless with "In God's name, where is he, Ml Third? I make no excuses; we were forced to do our best to cover his disSpearance, but every . *^**£P: harder. There arc thirty people waiting to see him at this moment, and no >~les_ than ten urgent cipher cables. ~V "He's upstairs," said the vigilant. "You'll. find him greatly changed, he added, drily; "but I make one stipulaS^on no account are you to touch Eft? .peak to him.- I r have given him I won . be answerable for the re ?ult. You word of honor-thanks-n-.w

had hardly left thej room before" h_ Jas back, absolutely .white 1 foolery to, th*f > < 'M hoarsely. "That red-headed, drunken loafer, the man whom I have served and honoSd for ten years !" The >igilam stretched out an arm. "Wait!" he said, sternly. "That man you saw upstairs came into ttus room a couple of hours ago to ask me who he is ; he liimself has no recollection. 1 tested him m various ways. lurst, o, all, he is a man of intellect and refinement; a cultured- orator; a child could see that ho has recently been shave J, his skin stained, and his hair dyed. Be was still suffering slightly from the ef feet* of a drug; a 'doped' drink, 1 should say, though ho has been walking about since two or three this morning. Tluit man, nevertheless, told mo this* " The Vigilant rapidly typed a few l:nes and handed them across. Mr Halsey glanced at them. "My Ood!" he said again, "only h. and I know it. If this leaks outr-" "Burn it," said the vigilant curtly. "Do you Relieve now?" • "BuH-I beg your pardon—the thing s impossible., He* disappeared at 5 yesterday, or shdrtly afterwards. He has been strange of late; tho strain of the last week has been terrific. Yet that man upstairs—" ... , ■_, « i "Ib the prime minister ol 'England, and I can prove it." ... , Mr Halsey wiped the pei'spnation from his forehead." T „ "In face of this"— tapping the paper-.---"I dare not doubt it. Yet, ( how— m *" ~ mercy* b name — how can it be?' "It's a case of loss of identity. II you take my advice it. will be only temporary. But for the further proofs. lou know him ; have seen him daily ; know, his habits. I have read of them m a magazine article. He was hungry. I gave him luncheon. You sec he has eaten pineapple, foie-gras and dritnk two glasses oi wine. The cherries he has left untouched. I read that, he had a peculiar aversion to cherries. When he smoked his cigarettes he was amazed at not finding his holder. Every one who

reads knows that he is a great cigarette smoker and always uses a holder. I read to him an article on' the Persian boundary, and he told me what I have written for you there and many oth.r things." 1 "Yet how—?" ■_•*>- v "I have heard that often m the afternoons, when fine, he leaves his work for an hour, and takes a' stroll by the water m St. James' park, nesting his brain." "That is so." "The attack must have taken- him quite suddenly after a prolonged stress of work. Some professional shai'por. noticed that he was indisposed— and they got hold of him and lured him away, drugged and robbed him. A confederate recognised him, they got alarmed, and while he was still under the influence of the drug disguised him as you see and turned him adrift. He will wake m half an hour, probably; Go back; _et a bundle of official papers— anything will do — sit at my table with the* light fit'!', on your face, scatter- the papers about, and pretend to be working when ho comes down. Then speak to ■ him quietly m your usual manner. I shall remain out of sight. He will probably answer you rationally and coherently; if so; get him away as quickly as possibly and smuggle him into his house— : tHe rest is m your hands." '• ■"'.!-. '' ,l "' -Mr Halsey had been sitting at Marshall Third's table a fujll hour,- fac/ng the door m the flood of ; light from'thewindow, the vigilant watching from 'behind a big leather' screen, when « they heard the sound of fobtsteps. : -' .''''Quickly," warned the Vigilant, ani .Mr Halsey, very white, nodded. The, door opened and the red-headed man, how clothed "m; a blue serge „uU of. Third's,- entered. -T : He .lTOke'd'TpJtizzledTto^ theq his face lighted .p. '** ■"'■''"' *' ''Ah ! tfie^e^you aie, Jlalseyj; haye those despatches come in.,.yet?" "Yes, sir. I've taken them., to your private room. There, are two Tor-, three papers here for you to sign."' * 1 The great man nodded and , sat dcSwh,' Mr Halsey, with shaking hahds,v pulled out his watch.; 1 "It's late' sir. '.. VVe'd, better Tbe getting off A " ' ",'!. p; . :"'• t' .' .■•';;■ '"Very'well, 1 said;, lx>rd' Ali^rston, with ii sigh. * "What * wouldn't J; .giye; for' ja rest for a, little while. "". ■•?."! d really believe Jfju; change, places with any 'oiif-' ing tramp on a country rdadsrde. * '; T