On the floor above a telephone rang, but neither of them paid any heed, knowing that Mrs. Weems would answer. In a moment the housekeeper called down the stairway, telling Mr. Parker he was wanted on the ’phone.
“It’s Mr. DeWitt from the office,” she informed him.
Putting aside his hammer, Mr. Parker went upstairs. Soon he returned to the basement, his manner noticeably subdued.
“What’s the matter, Dad?” Penny inquired curiously. “You look as if you had just received a stunning blow.”
“DeWitt telephoned to tell me the Star lost an important story today.”
“How did that happen, Dad?”
“Well, a correspondent wired in the news, but by accident the message never reached DeWitt’s desk.”
Penny regarded her father shrewdly. “Ben Bowman’s telegram?”
“I’m afraid it was,” Mr. Parker admitted. “The message came to two dollars. I didn’t know DeWitt had hired a correspondent at the town of Altona. Naturally I jumped to conclusions.”
“So you lost a news story because you refused a bona fide telegram,” Penny said, shaking her head. “Ben Bowman scores again.”