“Only by asking in all the places where they sell them,” replied Larry, “and at that, it’s a slim chance. But it’s worth taking.”
He had stopped in the Leader office that afternoon, before coming home, and had had a talk with the city editor. Mr. Ember had told Larry to go ahead on his own lines, to do just as he thought best, always remembering that the paper wanted news, above everything else, and exclusive news, or “beats,” in preference to any other.
“I think your idea of the valise clew is a good one,” the editor had said. “You needn’t write too much about it, or the other papers will be on the same trail. But as soon as you find out anything definite, then spring the story.”
And so Larry had gone home to puzzle over the matter. Now he had something definite to work on, as a result of Lucy’s suggestion, and he determined to begin the first thing in the morning.
Accordingly, after a visit to the office of the paper, when he wrote a short story of his talk with the directors, he started uptown again.
“I’ll try the trunk and bag stores first,” thought Larry. “This is an expensive sort of valise, made of good leather, and a small store would not be likely to carry it. So I’ll try the big places first. It looks like a stock bag, for it doesn’t seem as if it had been made to order.”
The valise was a yellow one, made of strong, heavy leather, with substantial clasps or handles. It was not such a one as would be purchased by a casual traveler, but looked to be made for carrying heavy weights.
It would be of little interest, and serve no purpose, to detail all of Larry’s trips to various stores in search of information as to one that had recently sold a valise such as he carried. Shop after shop was visited without result.
Only a few had ever carried such a satchel as was used to aid in the robbery. Some had sold out their supply years before, and had not replenished it. Others still had some, but had made no sale of them in months. The bags were made in various factories, from a stock pattern, and it was practically impossible to trace the one in question in that way.
“Well, I guess I’ve covered nearly all the regular bag and trunk stores,” said Larry, about a week after he had begun his detective work on the bank mystery. “Now for the department stores. They’re going to be harder yet.”