There was a natural attraction between him and Adeline Thorstad. They had mutually a flare for politics and intense personal prejudices complicating that instinctive liking. They often ran upon the same moral catch words in their conversation. Robinson began to be a “booster” for Mrs. Thorstad. He saw her political possibilities and commenced to call attention to her here and there in his columns.
It was one of Mr. Thorstad’s few occasions of protest.
“Shall you tell him to keep your name out of his paper or shall I?”
“But he’s said nothing that isn’t awfully friendly, Eric. I hate to hurt his feelings. I’m sure he meant to be kind.”
“You don’t want to be featured in ‘The Town Reporter,’ Adeline. It doesn’t—it isn’t right.”
She let the stubborn lines settle over her face.
“I don’t think the ‘Town Reporter’ is as corrupt as almost any of the others.”
“Look at the stuff it prints!”
“But, my dear, if it’s true, isn’t there a kind of courage in printing it?”
He looked at her in exasperation, measuring her and his own futility.