Now it sometimes happens that seeming misfortunes are only blessings in
disguise. When Ford entered the hotel café to eat his belated dinner, he
saw Evans, the P. S-W. auditor, sitting alone at a table-for-two. He
crossed the room quickly and shook hands with the man he had meant to
interview either before or after the meeting with North.

It was after they had chatted comfortably through to the coffee that
the auditor said, blandly: "What are you down for, Ford?--anything
special?"

"Yes. I am down to get leave of absence to go East," said Ford warily.

"But that isn't all," was the quiet rejoinder. "In fact, it's only the
non-committal item that you'd give to a _Rocky Mountain News_ reporter."

Ford was impatient of diplomatic methods when there was no occasion for
them.

"Give it a name," he said bluntly. "What do you think you know, Evans?"

The auditor smiled.

"There is a leak in your office up at Saint's Rest, I'm afraid. What
sort of a bombshell are you fixing to fire at Mr. North?"

Ford grew interested at once.

"Tell me what you know, and perhaps I can piece it out for you."