“I happen to have been elected mayor of North Valley.”
“As mayor of North Valley, you gave my brother to understand that you would put me out, did you not?”
“I asked your brother to persuade you to leave.”
“But you made clear that if he could not do this, you would put me out?”
“Yes, that is true.”
“And the reason you gave was that you had had instructions by telegraph from Mr. Peter Harrigan. May I ask to what office Mr. Harrigan has been elected in your town?”
Cartwright saw his difficulty. “Your brother misunderstood me,” he said, crossly.
“Did you misunderstand him, Edward?”
Edward had walked to the window in disgust; he was looking at tomato-cans and cinder-heaps, and did not see fit to turn around. But the superintendent knew that he was hearing, and considered it necessary to cover the flaw in his argument. “Young man,” said he, “you have violated several of the ordinances of this town.”
“Is there an ordinance against organising a union of the miners?”