“A routine man,” commented Banneker.

“After all, the routine man is the backbone of the office.” Mr. Gordon executed a fantasia on his thumb. “Would you care to try a desk job?” he asked, peering at Banneker over his glasses.

“I’d rather run a trolley car. There’s more life in it.”

“Do you see life, in your work, Mr. Banneker?”

“See it? I feel it. Sometimes I think it’s going to flatten me out like a steam-roller.”

“Then why not write it?”

“It isn’t news: not what I see.”

“Perhaps not. Perhaps it’s something else. But if it’s there and we can get a gleam of it into the paper, we’ll crowd news out to make a place for it. You haven’t been reading The Ledger I’m afraid.”

“Like a Bible.”

“Not to good purpose, then. What do you think of Tommy Burt’s stuff?”