Thompson, the proprietor, was a sour-visaged man, tall and lanky and evidently a dyspeptic.

Having been beaten by Hopkins at the last election, when he ran against him on the Republican ticket, Thompson had no desire to see Forbes more successful than he had been himself.

And there were other reasons that made it necessary for him to support Hopkins.
So he was both gruff and disagreeable when Patsy, after buying a lot of ribbons of him, broached the subject of politics.

He told her plainly that her cousin hadn't a "ghost of a show," and that he was glad of it.
"The young fool had no business to monkey with politics," he added, "and this will teach him to keep his fingers out of someone else's pie." "It isn't Mr.Hopkins's pie," declared Patsy, stoutly.

"It belongs to whoever gets the votes." "Well, that's Hopkins.