All this time nothing very new had developed about the robbery, so there was not much for the young reporter to write for the Leader. The story still “ran,” but it was mostly of the financial effect, and the efforts of the Consolidated to recoup itself after the big loss. Of his search for the store that had sold the bag Larry wrote nothing, and none of the other papers seemed to be following that clew.
Larry visited many department stores, and at first, as had been the case on his trips to the trunk shops, he met with no success. Not many of the stores carried bags of the kind in question, and few had sold any lately. Of those that had, the sales could be traced, and they were to persons who were above suspicion.
“I guess I’ll not do much on this trail,” thought Larry, regretfully, as he came out of the store after store without any result. “I’ll tackle the bricks next.”
He was approaching one of the largest department stores in the city, as these rather gloomy thoughts came to him, and, as he turned down Sixth avenue, to enter it, he wondered if, after all, he would be successful.
As he had done on his visits to other department shops, he went directly to the office of the superintendent.
“I’m from the Leader,” Larry explained briefly, “and I’d like to know if you handle these bags, and if you sold any lately. It’s about the million-dollar bank robbery,” he added, as he showed the valise.
“Is that so?” inquired the superintendent interestedly. “Well, say, we do handle those bags. I remember seeing some in the trunk department not long ago. But I guess I’d better refer you to the head of stock. She’ll know more about them than I do, and some of the sales people may remember selling such a bag recently. That was a big robbery, all right. Did you write the story of it?”
“I did,” admitted Larry modestly.
“Good! I’m glad to have met you. Here, boy, show this gentleman to the trunk department, and tell Miss Mason I said she was to give him any information she had.”
Larry followed his guide through the big store, and was soon in the section where traveling bags, trunks and other aids to tourists were displayed.