One day, the Newspaper King, inspecting his office premises, came upon a
little door in an upper part of the building. Turning to his private
secretary, who was at his elbow, he said: ‘I don’t remember seeing this
little door before. What is the room used for?’
‘Well, sir, it is only a lumber room,’ replied the secretary, ‘and it is
used now for souls.’
‘For souls?’--The great man was surprised.
‘Yes, for souls. We use it for storing the souls that you have bought
from time to time. Those of the staff, you know, sir, and others,’ the
secretary answered, adding apologetically: ‘I know, because I peeped in
the other day, and saw my own. It is in the top right hand corner.’
‘Ah--um!’ The Newspaper King mused for a moment, then, with one of those
flashes of inspiration which have made his name famous: ‘Could make
something out of it for the dull season. Tell Daly to do a special. Call
it “Queerest Room in London”--or similar title. Get comments from
Bishops--two will do.’
And he passed on, outlining to the secretary as he went, the rules for
the new £10,000 competition for Piebald Rabbits.