"Well, from the way you're tossing the papers in that bag I know you've got some news for me."
"Yes, I have, but I don't know how important you'll think it is. Here we are!" She drew forth a paper and glanced at it.
"It's just a memorandum, a list of names of a few men who need watching. The Afro-American convention is to meet on the 22d; that's Thursday of next week. Bishop Carter is to preside. The thing has resolved itself into a fight between those who are office-holders and those who want to be."
"Yes, well what's the convention going to do?"
"They're going to denounce the administration."
"Hem, well in your judgment, what will that amount to, Miss Kirkman?"
"They are the representative talking men from all sections of the country, and they have their following, and so there's no use disputing that they can do some harm."
"Hum, what are they going to denounce the administration for?"
"Oh, there's a spirit of general discontent, and they've got to denounce something, so it had as well be the administration as anything else."
There was a new gleam in Mr. Hamilton's eye that was not one of pleasure as he asked, "Who are the leaders in this movement?"
"That's just what I brought this list for. There's Courtney, editor of the _New York Beacon_, who is rabid; there's Jones of Georgia, Gray of Ohio--"
"Whew," whistled the boss, "Gray of Ohio, why he's on the inside."
"Yes, and I can't see what's the matter with him, he's got his position, and he ought to keep his mouth shut."
"Oh, there are ways of applying the screw. Go on."
"Then, too, there's Shackelford of Mississippi, Duncan of South Carolina, Stowell of Kentucky, and a lot of smaller fry who are not worth mentioning."
"Yes, Courtney has seen to that, the forces are compact."
"How's your young man, the one for whom you've been soliciting a place--what's his name?"
Miss Kirkman did her womanhood the credit of blushing, "Joseph Aldrich, you mean. You can trust to me to see that he's on the right side."
"Happy is the man who has the right woman to boss him, and who has sense enough to be bossed by her; his path shall be a path of roses, and his bed a flowery bed of ease. Now to business. They must not denounce the administration. What are the conditions of membership in this convention?"