The next morning, when Smith descended from his car, Ames was on the platform, but as the News man advanced toward him the party leader shook his head.
“Nothing doing, Ames,” he said.
“I didn't know but you'd come down to see Carveth,” insinuated Ames.
“Carveth, Carveth? Oh, yes—merely a coincidence;” and he turned away to enter the coach.
“Interesting, but not true,” murmured Ames. He let the coach drive off and then set out briskly in pursuit.
Reaching the hotel, he hurried up-stairs to a room on the second floor that immediately adjoined the one occupied by Mr. Carveth. There was a connecting door. Over this door was a transom and below the transom Ames had placed a table, on the table a rug, and on the rug a chair.
“I interpreted your wire as signifying your willingness to accept the nomination at the hands of the party organization,” Smith was saying as Ames mounted to his post.
“Well—yes,” answered the creator of the Plymouth Rock Dollar Shirt cautiously.
“We're going to read Dick Pogue out of meeting, Mr. Carveth; he's been fed from the public crib about long enough. I suppose you've seen in the Washington despatches that Senator Burke is ill? One of the first jobs the next governor will have will be to appoint his successor.”
“That's so; but you ain't told me where the hitch comes in.”