looked his surprise, but
sat still.

"Because that is the case," proceeded Jimmy, calmly. "In fact, the
Howilton companies that got the contract are owned by the Toronto ring,
anyway."

The Provincial Secretary rose hastily, and as hastily expressed the
opinion that the honorable member for Mid-Toronto was mistaken. "It is
a grave charge he makes," he said, "and I do not think it has any real
foundation."

Jimmy ignored for a moment the challenge as to his veracity. "The
Howilton companies," he said, "are owned by the Toronto ring. But if
the Provincial Secretary had known it, he could have been independent
of the ring." He paused, but the Provincial Secretary was sitting
gloomily silent. "There are at least three new coal firms in this
city," said Jimmy, "that are out of the ring, and they could have
filled the orders at still smaller prices than the government paid.
But the government chose to send out circulars on its old lists, on
which the names of the new companies do not appear, instead of
advertising for tenders, and giving all a chance, and the government
has been stung--that's all."

The opposition members were pounding their desks as Jimmy sat down.
The government side was silent. The Provincial Secretary rose and
declared in solemn tones that he would ask "to-morrow" that a committee
of the House be named to investigate the whole matter, and he hoped the
honorable gentleman would bring all the facts in his possession before
it.

"I will," said Jimmy, laconically, and he did, with the result that the
government got a rare black eye that set it rolling down the Hill of
Overthrow, at the bottom of which, a few years later, it landed, and
landed hard.

"I did my best, anyway," said Jimmy, when, the House having risen, the
reporters gathered around him to compliment him on his maiden speech.

CHAPTER XXVII

Sally Miller was able to walk a little now--a very little--but firmly,
and without the effort and the pain that the journey around the table
had cost her in the old days. She was living with Miss Whimple, who
had insisted on it from the day the doctors had declared the girl fit
to be removed from the hospital. There was no certainty of an absolute
cure: the doctors could not promise that, but, with every month, the
hope of ultimate recovery strengthened. She had been a long time in
the hospital, nearly two years, before the signs of improvement were
marked enough to admit of encoura