“Yes. He has n’t much use for you.”
“So he tells me every time he sees me. He considers me a slinker because he says I’m a Socialist at heart, but my heart is weak. Socialism is all right in its way. It’s a good vaccination, but a bad disease. Milliken’s working in your shop now, is n’t he?”
“Is he? I did n’t know it.”
“Stick to me and you’ll learn a lot of things,” smiled the politician. “Yes; he’s assistant to Big Girdner in the press-room. There’s another German for you, Girdner, and a good one. Well, I’ll tell Emil Bausch to come in again to see you.” At the door he paused. “By the way, are you likely to be interested personally in politics?”
“Office for myself? No. I’ve got my hands full now.”
“Later, perhaps. Well, if you should want anything for any of your friends, let me know. Perhaps I could manage it.”
“Could you? Locally?”
“I have a little influence locally, as a member of the Cities Improvement Committee.”
“We were speaking of Eli Wade a moment ago,” said Jeremy. “Something I wrote in The Record helped to get him out of a job he was very proud of.”
“The Public Schools Board? Yes: I know.”