“Nonsense! All nonsense!” murmured Mr. Wilson, as Larry left the president’s room, carrying the valise.
“Well, now that I’ve got it, I wonder what I shall do with it?” asked Larry of himself, as he walked down the bank steps. The institution had closed for the day, though a curious crowd was outside, looking at the place from which a million in cash had so mysteriously disappeared. Many in the crowd held copies of the Leader, with Larry’s story on the front page, but none of them knew that the young man, walking down the steps with a valise in his hand, was the reporter who had sprung the big sensation on the city.
The valise, however, at once attracted attention.
“Hey, dere goes a guy wid money!” cried a newsboy.
“Maybe dat’s part ob de million!” added another.
“Hey, mister, lend me ten thousand plunks, will youse?” besought a ragged urchin. “I’ll give youse my note fer it!”
The crowd laughed at this, and Larry smiled. He made his way through the press of people, many of whom evidently believed that the valise did contain a large sum. Men began to crowd uncomfortably close up to Larry.
A policeman, of whom there were several in the throng, elbowed his way to the young reporter’s side.
“Do you need any help?” he asked, for he had noted that Larry came from the bank. “If there’s money in that you ought to have some one with you.”
“It’s perfectly empty,” replied Larry, with a laugh. “See!” and he opened the satchel and held it upside down. There was a craning of necks, as though the crowd expected to see a shower of greenbacks, but they were disappointed.