CHAPTER 25 _SPECIAL EDITION_
Lights blazed on every floor of the _Riverview Star_ building,proclaiming to all who passed that another special edition was in theprocess of birth. Pressmen industriously oiled the big rotaries ready fora big run of papers; linotype men, compositors, reporters, all were attheir posts, having been hastily summoned from comfortable beds.
In the editor's office, Penny sat at a typewriter hammering out copy.Jerking a long sheet of paper from beneath the roller, she offered it toher father.
"My contribution on the Hubell Clock angle," she said with a flourish.
Mr. Parker rapidly scanned the story, making a number of corrections witha blue pencil.
"I should slug this 'editorial material,'" he remarked with a grin."Quite a plug you've put in for Seth McGuire--suggesting that he be givenback his old job as caretaker of the Tower."
"Well, don't you think it's a good idea?"
"The old man will get his job back--I'll see to that," Mr. Parkerpromised. "But the front page of the _Star_ is not the place to expresswishful thinking. We'll reserve it for news if you don't mind."
Crossing out several lines, Mr. Parker placed the copy in a pneumatictube, and shot it directly to the composing room. He glanced at hiswatch, noting aloud that in exactly seven minutes the giant presses wouldstart rolling.
"Everything certainly has turned out grand," Penny sighed happily. "HankHolloway and Clyde Blake are sure to be given long prison sentences fortheir Black Hood activities. You've promised to see that Old Seth getshis job back, so that part will end beautifully. He'll adopt Adelle and Iwon't need to worry about her any more."
"What makes you think Seth will adopt the orphan?" Mr. Parker askedcuriously.
"Why, he's wanted to do it from the first. He hesitated because he had nosteady work, and not enough money. By the way, Dad, how long will it taketo learn the owner of that automobile license plate that Clem Davis gaveus?"
"Jerry is trying to get the information now, Penny. All the registryoffices are closed, but if he can pull some official out of bed, there'sa chance he may obtain the data tonight. I'm not counting on it,however."
The door of the office swung back and City Editor DeWitt hurried into theroom.
"Everything set?" Mr. Parker inquired.
"We need a picture of Clyde Blake. There's nothing in the morgue."
"Salt Sommers has one you might use!" Penny cried. "It was taken whenBlake came here the other day. He objected to it because it showed thatone arm was shorter than the other."
"Just what we need!" DeWitt approved. "I'll rush it right out. Except forthe picture, the front page is all made up."
The door closed behind the city editor, but before Mr. Parker couldsettle comfortably into his chair, it burst open again. Jerry Livingston,breathless from running up several flights of stairs, faced his chief.
"I've got all the dope!" he announced.
"You learned who drove the hit-run car?" Penny demanded eagerly.
"The license was issued in Clyde Blake's name!"
"Then Adelle's identification at the picnic was correct!" Pennyexclaimed.
"Write your story, Jerry, but make it brief," Mr. Parker said tersely."We'll make over the front page."
Calling DeWitt, he gave the new order. In the composing room, headlineswere jerked and a story of minor importance was pulled from the form tomake room for the new material.
"We'll roll three minutes late," Mr. Parker said, glancing at his watchagain. "Even so, our papers will make all the trains, and we'll scoopevery other sheet in town."
Jerry wrote his story which was sent paragraph by paragraph to thecomposing room. Barely had he typed "30," signifying the end, when thelights of the room dimmed for an instant.
"There go the presses!" Mr. Parker declared, ceasing his restless pacing.
Within a few minutes, the first paper, still fresh with ink, was laidupon the editor's desk. Penny peered over his shoulder to read theheadlines announcing the arrest of Blake and his followers.
"There's not much here about Ben Bowman," she commented after a moment."What do you think will happen to him, Dad?"
"That remains to be seen," answered the editor. "He's already wanted forforgery, so it should be fairly easy to prove that he worked with Blaketo defraud the Camp Board."
"I'm worried about the orphans' camp. So much money has been spentclearing the land and setting up equipment."
"Probably everything can be settled satisfactorily in the end," Mr.Parker returned. "It may take time and litigation, but there's no reasonwhy a perfect title can't be obtained to the land."
Penny felt very well pleased at the way everything had turned out. Onlyone small matter remained unexplained. She had been unable to learn thesignificance of the watch fob found in Clem Davis' stable.
"Why, I can tell you about that," Jerry Livingston assured her. "The fobbelonged to Hank Holloway. He admitted it at the police station. Thelittle boy in the picture is his nephew."
Both Penny and her father were tired for it was very late. With the_Star_ ready for early morning street sales, they thought longingly ofhome and bed. Yet as their car sped down a dimly lighted street, Pennyrevived sufficiently to say:
"How about a steak at Toni's, Dad?"
"Oh, I don't feel like eating at this late hour," Mr. Parker declined.
"That's not the idea, Dad. I'm suggesting a raw steak for that left eyeof yours. By morning it will be swollen shut."
"It is quite a shiner," the editor agreed, gazing at his reflection inthe car mirror. "But the story was well worth the cost."
"Thanks to whom?" Penny asked mischievously.
"If I say thanks to you, Penny, you will be expecting an increase in yourallowance or something of the sort."
"Maybe I'll ask for it anyhow," Penny chuckled. "And don't forget thatyou owe me a hundred dollars for getting that crack-pot, Ben Bowman, outof your hair!"
"So I do," Mr. Parker conceded with a laugh. "That also will be worth theprice."
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Typographical errors were corrected without comment.
Replaced the list of books in the series by the complete list, as in the final book, _The Cry at Midnight_.
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