Larry hurried out of the room, going down in the servant’s elevator, to avoid landing in the hotel lobby, and so meeting his old rival, Peter Manton.
“I guess I’ve ‘scooped’ the Scorcher,” thought our hero, as he hastened toward his office with the big story all ready to write.
CHAPTER VI
A VISIT TO SEÑOR PARLOTI
Larry heard afterward what happened to Peter. The reporter for the Scorcher, after waiting impatiently for some time in the hotel corridor, was shown up to the singer’s room. Then came another wait.
Madame Androletti, attired as her maid, came out and announced that the “singer” would see him soon.
“But I can’t wait!” insisted Peter. “I’m in a big hurry. I have a tip that Madame Androletti’s son is ill, or something, and I want a story about it.”
“The Madame will see you at once!” exclaimed the pretended maid, with a smile. In spite of the fact that her heart was torn with anguish at the loss of her son, the singer was enough of an actress to carry out the rôle she had assumed for Larry’s sake.
There was another wait, while Madame Androletti pretended to go and confer with her mistress in another room.
“Oh, this delay is fierce!” exclaimed Peter, who, on looking at his watch, saw that it was nearly first edition time. “I’ll never get the story in time for the paper. And I’ll wager that Larry Dexter is after it, too. I want to beat him!”