Page:Despotism and democracy; a study in Washington society and politics (IA despotismdemocra00seawiala).pdf/49

 "The dd old sneak!" he yelled—and then dashed off a curt note to the Secretary. Thorndyke promptly confiscated this note, and dictated another, which was, if anything, more affectionate in tone than the Secretary's. Crane would wish, above all things, to oblige the Secretary, but was himself under the weather, and so forth, and so forth.

"But I played golf with him at seven o'clock this morning!" cried Crane, throwing down his pen.

"So much the better," replied Thorndyke. "You are returning his own lie to him with interest. Go on—'Possibly by to-morrow you may be well enough to comply with the wish of the committee, and come to the Capitol. In any event, before a formal request is made for your attendance, your convenience will be consulted with regard to the hours and the weather.' And when you get him up here put him in the sweat-box and give him all that's coming to him—that's the way to get on with him."

"I see," said Crane, light breaking upon him, "and when you had the old fellow up here, and I