“But Mr. Edgerton,” I says, “how can He when He is said it to a hundred newspaper reporters and they have wrote it down?”
“He just says that He didn’t say it and they all have to say they made a mistake.”
“But my God don’t none of them ever kick?”
“Two of them done it onst but all they got was they was not allowed to no more interviews which put them out of business and taught the others better.”
“Well,” I says, “if a Man has got all the newspapers where you can walk on their faces like that,” I says, “why does He want an electric camelephant to ride?”
He says it has always been that way there used to be what was called an Ananias Club in Washington and that was for people that had objected to the Spokesman changing his mind. He says that now they don’t allow no stenographic notes of the Spokesman’s interviews so that it will not be possible to prove what He has said. “And so you see,” he says, “how easy it is to be a Great Man.”
“Well,” I says, “they will see that Hunkie count will make a fool out of them all,” and he says, “That is exactly what will happen and it will give the Spokesman a black eye worse than the one that He got up there when He had the police-strike,” he says. “The truth is I am sick of telling Him what to do and not having it done and if somebody was to offer me a good position in private life I would take it tomorrow.”
I says, “Oh Mr. Edgerton do not desert your country and do not desert me.”
“Don’t you worry Mamie Riggs,” he says and that is the first time he has ever called me Mamie. “I am not agoing to desert you and you will have a friend in me for the rest of your life for you have got more sense than any male politician in the business,” he says and of course that is a sweet thing to say and he gives my arm a squeeze as we are walking on the street but then I am scared because I have got to remember that he is a married man and all.
So to remind him I says, “And how is the wife getting on?”