errogated Larry. "You can take a seat
over there," he added, pointing to some chairs farthest removed from
the group of which he was a member.

As Larry moved away he heard one of the men remark:

"Wonder if he's a newspaper man?"

"I don't believe so," replied another. "I've never seen him before
and I know most of the reporters in New York. None of the editors
would send a new man to interview Sullivan. He's too tough a bird
for a greenhorn to tackle. I guess he's a messenger from some
broker's office. Maybe Potter sent him."

"I wonder who this Potter is, and what all that talk meant?" Larry
thought to himself as he took a chair, and watched the messenger
enter a small room at the end of the big apartment.

In a little while Sam, who appeared to be a sort of janitor around
the place, came back to inform Larry that Sullivan would see him.

"Now for my game of bluff," said the young reporter to himself as he
entered.

The political leader was sitting behind a desk, littered with
papers. He was a small man, wearing glasses, and looking like
anything but the chief factor of an important Assembly district. Mr.
Sullivan was bald-headed, and had rather a pleasant face, but there
was a look about him that indicated force of character, of a certain
kind, and a determination to succeed in what he undertook, which is
what makes a good politician.

"You wanted to see me?" and the question came in a low voice,
totally unlike the loud tones Larry had, somehow, associated with an
important politician.

Larry felt the eyes of Sullivan gazing sharply at him, as though
they were sizing him up, labeling him, and placing him on a certain
shelf to be kept there until wanted. Sullivan was a good reader of
character, as he showed by his next question.

"What paper are you from?"

Larry started. He wondered how the man knew he was from a paper, for
Larry had said nothing about it. Seeing his confusion Sullivan
laughed.

"Wondering how I took your measure, aren't you?" he asked, and when
Larry nodded he went on: "You have the air of a newspaper man, which
you may consider flattering, as you have acquired it after having
been in the game only a short time. I assume that because it's my
business to know most of the reporters in this city, and I never saw
you before. If you didn't look like a newspaper man I'd size you up
for one, because only a reporter, or some of my political friends,
would come here to see me. You're not th