"They make a smart-looking couple, bub," commented Calvin Dow, feeling
perfectly free to stand at Stewart's elbow to inspect any object that the
younger man found of interest. "Is it to be a hitch, as the gossip runs?"
"There seems to be some gossip that's running ahead of my ken in this city
just now, Calvin!" The mayor frowned, his eyes fixed on the departing car.
His demeanor hinted that his thoughts were wholly absorbed by the persons
in that car. "I hope you're spry enough to catch it. Go find out for me,
will you, what the blue mischief they're up to?"
"In politics? Or--"
"In politics! Yes!" returned Morrison, tartly. "What other kind of gossip
would I be interested in, this day?"
He snapped himself around on his heels and started toward the men who were
waiting. He singled one and clapped brisk hands smartly with the air of a
man who wanted to wake himself from the abstraction of bothersome visions.
"Well, Mister Public Works, how about the last lap of paving on McNamee
Avenue? Can we open up tomorrow? I plan on showing our arriving
legislative cousins clean thoroughfares on Capitol Hill, you know!"
"I'm losing fourteen men off the job at noon today, Your Honor! Grabbed
off without notice," grumbled the superintendent.
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