“It’s a good story! It’s a beat!” said the city editor half to himself. “They tried to keep it quiet, but we beat ’em at their own game. That fact about the hydraulic ram breaking was a fine feature.”
Larry sat down in a chair, for he was tired. Then Mr. Emberg, who seemed for a time to have forgotten that he was present, noticed him.
“You can go home, Larry,” he added. “You’ve done enough to-day.”
“I thought I’d stay until Mr. Newton came in,” said the boy. “I’d like to hear how the thing ended.”
“All right, I’m going to stay myself,” said the city editor. He began looking over some proofs on his desk in readiness for the next day’s paper. In half an hour Mr. Newton arrived.
“Hello, Larry!” the reporter exclaimed. “Did we do ’em? Well, I guess yes! How about it, Mr. Emberg?”
“You and Larry certainly covered yourselves with glory,” spoke the city editor. “First thing we know Larry will be out getting news himself.”
“Well, I guess the other papers will sit up and take notice,” went on Mr. Newton. “Not one of the other men got a line in to-day and they’re half wild. It took quite a while for the men to cut through the wall. Then there was a lot of speech-making over the importance of the affair and we finished the journey, walking all the way from New Jersey to New York, under the river, though I can’t exactly say it was without getting wet, for the tunnel leaked like a sieve after we got through the wall.”
“It was a good piece of work,” commented Mr. Emberg. Then with a nod to Larry and Mr. Newton he went out. The reporter and the copy boy soon followed and, that night, Larry astonished his mother, sisters, and brother with the wonderful tale of going under the river.
“It’s dess like a fairy ’tory,” said little Mary.