“Oh, but some of the other papers will be sure to hear of it,” said Larry.
“They may get something about it, but not many reporters are around that early. The cops who made the arrest will go off duty and there will not be many to tell the details of the chase. That’s the best part of it. We may not get a beat in one sense of the word, but we’ll have the best story.”
When Mr. Emberg came in, Larry, after a few minutes of hesitation, got up courage enough to advance and tell the story.
“Well, you certainly had your eyes open,” said the city editor.
“I thought it would make a good story,” said Larry.
“So it will. You know what’s news all right, youngster!”
And that was the best praise Larry had that day.
“Here, Newton,” went on Mr. Emberg, “you fix Larry’s story up. Give it plenty of space and throw in lots of fun.”
Then Larry told his friend the story of the stolen pocketbook from beginning to end. Mr. Newton became infused with Larry’s enthusiasm at the description of the upsetting of the ash barrel and the peanut stand. He made many notes and then sat down at a typewriter and began to make his fingers fly as rapidly as he possibly could.
Larry could hardly wait for the paper to come out that afternoon, so anxious was he to see “his story,” as he called it. There it was, right on the front page, under a display head: