"
"Was such a story printed this morning?" asked Ned, eyeing the
reporter closely.
"I think not," said the reporter, "but we are an afternoon paper,
you know. We have a report that you are on your way to Mare Island,
California, and that you have a carload of explosives for the navy."
"Was such a story printed this morning?" repeated Ned, smiling
again.
"No, it wasn't. But it will be this afternoon," answered the young
man impatiently.
"If such a report had been known in Chicago last night," replied Ned
sharply, "it would have been in every newspaper in that city and
this city this morning. No correspondent sent you such a story.
You are a poor guesser."
The reporter was at least four years older than Ned and Alan.
Therefore, he gave a little start of surprise. He had been trapped
in a trick that he had often worked successfully on many an older
person. For Bob Russell, easily the brightest and quickest-witted
reporter in his city, thus to be turned down by two "kids" would
never do. Without wasting time to deny Ned's charge, he tried a
belligerent role.
Pages:
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54