I say, or
not?"

The President looked the angry man squarely in the eyes. "I do not,"
he answered quietly. "Good morning."

CHAPTER 13

"It's corking! Simply corking!" cried Haynerd, when he and Hitt had
finished reading Carmen's report on her first few days in Washington.
"Makes a fellow feel as if the best thing Congress could do would be
to adjourn for about fifty years, eh? Such freak legislation! But
she's a wonder, Hitt! And she's booming the Express to the skies! Say,
do you know? she's in love, that girl is! That's why she is so--as the
Mexicans say--_simpatico_."

"Eh? In love!" exclaimed Hitt. "Well, not with you, I hope!"

"No, unfortunately," replied Haynerd, assuming a dejected mien, "but
with that Rincon fellow--and he a priest! He's got a son down in
Cartagena somewhere, and he doesn't write to her either. She's told
Sid the whole story, and he's working it up into a book during his odd
moments. But, say," turning the conversation again into its original
channel, "how much of her report are we going to run? You know, she
tried to head us off. Doesn't want to attack Ames. Ha! ha! As if she
hadn't already attacked him and strewn him all over the field!"

"We'll have to be careful in our allusions to the President," replied
Hitt. "I'll rewrite it myself, so as not to offend her or him. And
I--but, by George! her reports are the truth, and they rightfully
belong to the people! The Express is the avowed servant of the
public! What she finds out belongs to all. I see no reason for
concealing a thing. Did I tell you that I had two inquiries from
Italian and German papers, asking permission to translate her reports
into their own columns?"

"No? Jerusalem! We're becoming famous! Did you wire her to see
Gossitch and Mall?"

"Yes, and Logue, as well as others. And I've put dozens of senators
and congressmen on our mailing list, including the President himself.
I've prepared letters for each one of them, calling attention to the
girl and her unique reports. She certainly writes in a fascinating
vein, doesn't she? Meanwhile, she's circulating around down there and
advertising us in the best possible manner. We're a success, old man!"
he finished, slapping the city editor roundly upon the back.

"Humph!" growled the latter. "Confine your enthusiasm to words, my
friend. Say, what did you do about that liquid food advertisement?"

"Discovered that it was beer," replied Hitt, "and turned it firmly