“Why, Ben! You were one of the best reporters the Mirror ever had!”
“Were is right,” returned Ben with a grim smile. “Haven’t worked there for six months now. The truth is, I’m down and out.”
“Why, that’s ridiculous, Ben! Nearly every paper in town needs a good man.”
“They don’t need me.”
“Ben, you sound so bitter! What has happened to you?”
“It’s a long story, sister, and not for your dainty little ears.”
Penny now was deeply troubled, for she had known Ben well and liked him.
“Ben, you must tell me,” she urged, taking his arm. “We’re going into a restaurant, and while we have dinner together, you must explain why you left the Mirror.”
CHAPTER
6
BEN’S STORY
Ben held back.