Page:Lynch Williams--The stolen story and other newspaper stories.djvu/33

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The Stolen Story

shows what a new official he was. It also suggests that a great deal of carefulness would be required to work up the story.

"There isn't a man here that can handle that story right," the managing editor said. That was five minutes before Woods left The Day office. About three minutes after he came to The Earth's office, McCarthy was saying: "Well, Mr. Woods, what do you think of that for a story to begin with!"

The instant McCarthy left off promising him great things and began to tell about this piece of news Woods had left off sullenly comparing this city editor with Mr. White, and began listening in his tense, absorbed manner, and now could have repeated McCarthy's every word and intonation. "Is that tip absolutely straight?" he asked, scowling.

"You see who it's from. There's the Commissioner's name."

Billy Woods reached for his hat and stick with his right hand, and some copy paper with his left. "Then it'll make the biggest local story this year," he said.

"Cover it thoroughly, Mr. Woods.

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