“What did he say?” Penny asked curiously.
“Jerry wrote the story, and says it came from a reliable source. He’s coming over here to talk to me about it.”
Within ten minutes the reporter arrived at the Parker home. Penny loitered in the living room to hear the conversation. Jerry long had been a particular friend of hers and she hoped that her father would not reprimand him for any mistake he might have made.
“Have a chair,” Mr. Parker greeted the young man cordially. “Now tell me where you got hold of that story.”
“Straight from the farmer, Carl Gleason,” Jerry responded. “The stone was dug up on his farm early this morning.”
“Did you see it yourself?”
“Not yet. It was hauled to the Museum of Natural Science. Thought I’d drop around there on my way home and look it over.”
“I wish you would,” requested the editor. “While the stone may be an authentic one, I have a deep suspicion someone is trying to pull a fast trick.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve made a boner, Chief.”
“Oh, I’m not blaming you,” Mr. Parker assured him. “If the story is a fake, it was up to DeWitt to question it at the desk. Better look at the rock though, before you write any more about it.”