He looked at Jerry who was known as the best writer on the paper, and then his eyes moved on to Penny who waited with bated breath.
“This was her story from start to finish,” said Jerry as the editor hesitated.
“Get going!” ordered the editor again, and now he looked straight at Penny. “Give it to me in takes.”
Penny hurried to a typewriter. The lead, telling of Mr. Rhett’s return, Potts’ arrest and recovery of the stolen bonds, almost wrote itself. Keeping her own part and Jerry’s entirely out of the story, she wrote smoothly and with speed.
When she had finished half a page, she called: “Copy boy!” and ripping the sheet of paper from the typewriter gave it to him to carry to the editor’s desk.
With a fresh sheet in the machine, she wrote on until she had a second “take” ready. Again she called the copy boy and, as he snatched it from her hand, rolled still another sheet into the typewriter.
At last she was on the final page and glanced over it before she typed “30” at the end. The story had been well told, written tersely in the manner DeWitt liked. With a feeling of exultation, she realized she had done a good job.
Getting to her feet, she dropped the last page into the copy basket. Earlier sheets already had been copy-read and were in the process of being set into type. Any moment now, the edition would roll and papers would be on the street.
Penny turned from the desk to see Jerry sitting with his feet propped up on one of the tables. He was gazing at her quizzically and grinning.
“Well, you did it again, Penny!” he remarked.