Along the railroad right-of-way crews of men were hard at work, but it was evident that it would be days before train service could be resumed.
Penny and Louise went into the crowded waiting room of the depot. Joe Quigley had locked himself into the inner office, but even there he was surrounded by a group of argumentative young men.
“Reporters!” Penny observed alertly. “I knew it wouldn’t take them long to get here!”
The newspaper men were bombarding Quigley with questions, demanding to know when and how they could send out their newspaper copy.
“I can’t help you, boys,” he said regretfully. “It will be two hours at least before we have wire service. Better try the telephone company.”
Just then one of the newsmen spied Penny and her camera. Immediately he hailed her. The other reporters flocked about the two girls, offering to buy any of the films at fancy prices.
“Sorry,” Penny declined. “My pictures are earmarked for the Riverview Star.”
“What? Didn’t you hear?” one of the men bantered. “Their wire photo car broke down just this side of Hobostein. The Star won’t move in here before night. By then your pictures will be old stuff.”
“Better sell to us,” urged another.
Penny shook her head. She wasn’t sure whether or not the men were joking. In any case she meant to hold her pictures until her father released them.