For the Leader wanted something each day about the big story. Very frequently a newspaper will begin a “crusade,” or take up some special line, and the reporter assigned to it has to turn in so much “copy” a day, no matter whether there is any news or not.
No sooner had the young reporter heard, from the bank president, that the suspected clerk had disappeared, than he arranged to go to Hackenford.
“There’s where the main news is now,” thought Larry. “There must be some reason why Witherby did not come back. He must suspect something. Maybe he’s skipped out with the million, and doesn’t miss the thousand-dollar bill he left behind. I’ve got to get after him, no matter where he’s gone.”
The young reporter prepared his story of the finding of the bag, so cunningly hidden behind the old ledgers. Then, after a talk with Mr. Emberg, he left for Hackenford.
“See what you can pick up there, Larry,” suggested the city editor. “If you think it will spoil the case to write anything about it, don’t do it. What we want you to do is to find the thief and the million, and there won’t be any doubt but what you’ll get a ‘beat’ out of it.”
Arriving in Hackenford, Larry at once sought out the detective who had been sent to watch the boarding-house where Witherby had his room. Larry had been told where to look for the official.
The latter, who was a good man in his own line, which was getting evidence against counterfeiters, was all at sea when it came to spying on a person such as the reporter believed Harrison Witherby to be. The detective had engaged a room across the street from the boarding-house, giving it out that he was a photographer, looking for new subjects.
To carry out this idea he had improvised a shelf on the window ledge of his room, and was making blue prints of nothing in particular when Larry found him, for the detective had not given up the case, though it looked hopeless.
“Well?” asked the young reporter.
“No, bad,” replied the detective, shortly. “I’ve kept a careful watch of that place over there, and I’m sure your man hasn’t come in or out. I’ve been at the window nearly all the while from early this morning, before daylight, when I got here, until now, and nobody, at all resembling the person you spoke of, has shown up.”