"How long are you going to keep these things in the warehouse?" he asked of Droom.
"I'm not going to keep them there at all. They belong to Mr. Bansemer. He'll take them out when he has the time."
"He's getting all the time he wants now, I guess." commented Eddie. "Say, talking about time, I'll be twenty-one next Tuesday."
"Old enough to marry."
"I don't know about that. I'm getting pretty wise. Do you know, I've just found out how old Rosie Keating is? She's twenty-nine. Gee, it's funny how a fellow always gets stuck on a girl older than himself! Still, she's all right. I'm not saying a word against her. She wouldn't be twenty-nine if she could help it."
"I suppose it's off between you, then."
"I don't know about that, either. We lunched at Rector's to-day. That don't look like it's off, does it? Four sixty-five, including the tip. She don't look twenty-nine, does she?"
"I've never noticed her."
"Never--well, holy mackerel! You must be blind then. She says she's seen you in the elevator a thousand times. Never noticed HER? Gee!"
"I mean, I've never noticed anyone who looked less than twenty-nine. By the way, do you ever see Mr. Rigby? I believe she is in his office."
"I don't go to Rigby's any more," said Eddie, with sudden stiffness. "He's a cheap skate."
"I HEARD he threw you out of the office one day," with a dry cackle.
"He did not! We couldn't agree in certain things regarding the Bansemer affair, that's all. I told him to go to the devil, or words to that effect."
"Something loose about your testimony, I believe, wasn't there?"
"Oh, the whole thing doesn't amount to a whoop. I'm trying to get Rosie another job. She oughtn't to write in there with that guy."
"Well, you're twenty-one. Why don't you open an office of your own? Your mother's got plenty of money. She can buy you a library and a sign, and that is all a young lawyer needs in Chicago."
"Mother wants me to run for alderman in our ward, next spring. I'll be able to vote at that election."
"You've got as much right in the council as some others, I suppose."
"Sure, mother owns property. The West Side ought to be as well represented as the North Side. Property interests is what we need in the council. That's--"
"I don't care to hear a political speech, boy. Are you busy this afternoon?"
"No. I wouldn't be here if I was."
"Then get up there and hand those books down to me. Nobody loafs in this office to-day."