Peter wrote diligently.
“And we know who’s back of it. It was all pie down to that dinner of yours.”
“Is that Maguire’s message?” asked Peter, though with no cessation of his labors.
“Nop,” said the man. “That’s the introduction. Now, we know what it means. You needn’t deny it. You’re squinting at the governorship yourself. And you’ve made the rest go back on Maguire, and work for you on the quiet. Oh, we know what’s going on.”
“Tell me when you begin on the message,” said Peter, still writing.
“Maguire’s sent me to you, to tell you to back water. To stop bucking.”
“Tell Mr. Maguire I have received his message.”
“Oh, that isn’t all, and don’t you forget it! Maguire’s in this for fur and feathers, and if you go before the convention as a candidate, we’ll fill the air with them.”
“Is that part of the message?” asked Peter.
“By that we mean that half an hour after you accept the nomination, we’ll have a force of detectives at work on your past life, and we’ll hunt down and expose every discreditable thing you’ve ever done.”