“He said I was to tell you it was very important for him to see you,” went on the messenger. “He saw you when he went out to make the announcement about there being plenty of cash. Mr. Bentfield says it’s to your interest to see him.”
“But I’ve got to telephone some news in to my paper,” answered Larry, chaffing at the delay. “It’s to the bank’s interest to have it known that there is no danger of a run. Otherwise you’ll have a mob of out-of-town depositors around your doors in the morning. I’ve got to telephone, and I’ll see Mr. Bentfield later.”
“There’s a telephone in his private office,” said the messenger. “I was to tell you that you could use that if you wanted to.”
Larry’s eyes sparkled. He knew the advantage of getting to a telephone quickly when it was close to last edition time, and down in Wall street, in the congested financial district, at this hour of the day, the wires were overburdened with messages. Larry realized that to go out, and hunt up a public pay station, would take time, and he never hoped for such good luck as the chance to use the president’s private wire to send in his news.
“Very well,” he said, “I’ll see Mr. Bentfield.”
He was shown into the bank president’s room. He found a number of men there, among them Mr. Potter, who looked at him and smiled.
“That reporter!” fairly growled the black-moustached director as he saw Larry. “What does he want now?”
“I have sent for him,” replied Mr. Bentfield. “And I may say that I have changed my opinion of newspaper men in the last few hours. Mr. Dexter, I have something to say to you.”
“Would you mind if I telephoned this news in to my paper first?” asked Larry respectfully. “It is very important to me, as this is my profession.”
“Go right ahead!” said the president, in more genial tones than he had used when Larry saw him before. “Here is my telephone. I’d be glad to have you make as emphatic as possible the announcement I just made. And, after you have ’phoned that in, I’ll add some other news that may give you another ‘scoop,’ as I believe they are called.”