“But you are going to use them!” Melba declared firmly. “I insist upon it, Fred. If I don’t see them on the front[Pg 53] page of to-morrow’s Bulletin, I shall never speak to you again. And I mean that, too.”
Realizing that she did mean it, Carroll turned helplessly to the Camera Chap. The latter came promptly to the rescue.
“It is quite evident that Miss Gale overestimates the importance of those snapshots,” he said craftily. “Use them on the front page? That would be very bad judgment from a journalistic standpoint, I think. The news value of the pictures doesn’t entitle them to such a prominent position.”
“Certainly not,” said Carroll, catching the cue instantly. “As Mr. Hawley says, Melba, you are laboring under a wrong impression. Those pictures aren’t of any great importance. Whether we publish them or not really won’t make very much difference to the Bulletin. So you see, Melba, you’ll only be embarrassing us by insisting that we use them. Now that you know the real state of affairs, won’t you take them back like a good girl?”
“No, I won’t!” replied Melba. She laughed merrily. “You boys must be very simple if you imagine that I am to be deceived so easily. In spite of what you say, I know that those pictures were intended to be the star feature of to-morrow’s issue.”
“Not at all,” Carroll protested, felling that the circumstances warranted him in “lying like a gentleman.”
The girl laughed again. “Don’t you suppose I saw how hugely delighted you both were when you first picked up those films and recognized them as the stolen ones? It was only after Fred suddenly realized that my act might get me into trouble at home that you both made any attempt to hide your great joy at getting them back again. Besides which, my common sense tells me that my uncle and cousin wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble, to get hold of them if they hadn’t known that they were of great value. No, Fred; it is very manly and generous of you to want to make this sacrifice, but I am not going to let you do it. I insist upon your using these pictures. If I don’t see them in to-morrow morning’s paper—well, I’ve told you what the consequences will be.”
After some further argument, the two men saw that it was quite useless to attempt to alter her decision, and Carroll very reluctantly promised her that the snapshots would be used.
“And now,” said Melba, highly elated over her victory, “let me tell you the price of these films. You know I told you that I had come to sell them to you—not to give them. I sincerely hope that you won’t haggle over the terms, Mr. Editor.”
“Well, that all depends,” Carroll replied laughingly. “If you set too high a price on them, I am afraid we shall have to turn you down. I don’t mind admitting to you that the Bulletin’s treasury is in none too flourishing a condition just now. We are obliged to turn over every cent before we decide to spend it.”