She bent forward to look eagerly into Mr. Reefer 's carved , granite face , and said with a frank smile : `` I have come to interview you on behalf of the Chronicle about the railroad bill . It was my brother who had the assignment , but he has missed his train and I have come in his place because , you see , it is so important to us . So much depends on this assignment . Perhaps Mr. Harmer will give Clifford a permanent place on the staff if he turns in a good article about you . He is only handyman now . I just could n't let him miss the chance -- he might never have another . And it means so much to us and Mother . '' `` Are you a member of the Chronicle staff yourself ? '' inquired Mr. Reefer with a shade more geniality in his tone . `` Oh , no ! I 've nothing to do with it , so you wo n't mind my being inexperienced , will you ? I do n't know just what I should ask you , so wo n't you please just tell me everything about the bill , and Mr. Harmer can cut out what does n't matter ? '' Mr. Reefer looked at Patty for a few moments with a face about as expressive as a graven image . Perhaps he was thinking about the bill , and perhaps he was thinking what a bright , vivid , plucky little girl this was with her waiting pencil and her air that strove to be businesslike , and only succeeded in being eager and hopeful and anxious . `` I 'm not used to being interviewed myself , '' he said slowly , `` so I do n't know very much about it . We 're both green hands together , I imagine . But I 'd like to help you out , so I do n't mind telling you what I think about this bill , and its bearing on certain important interests . '' Mr. Reefer proceeded to tell her , and Patty 's pencil flew as she scribbled down his terse , pithy sentences . She found herself asking questions too , and enjoying it . For the first time , Patty thought she might rather like politics if she understood them -- and they did not seem so hard to understand when a man like Mr. Reefer explained them .
XXXXX half an hour he talked to her , and at the end of that time Patty was in full possession of his opinion on the famous railroad bill in all its aspects .
For as if into like of on so to with