Page:Lynch Williams--The stolen story and other newspaper stories.djvu/71

 The boy looked at Mr. Stone.

"Hurry," said the editor. "This person seems to be impatient."

"Yes, sir," said the boy, dazedly, and carried the envelope over to Woods, who nodded impatiently, stuck the thing hastily in his pocket with his left hand, and with his right kept on writing.

"He seems to be occupied," Jones remarked, affably. "But he will be at leisure shortly. You see it's nearly time to go to press."

But Munson cried, "Well, then, I'll go in and speak to him."

Jones stood by the gate. "Sorry, but it's against the rules of the office." Stone, behind him, was filling a pipe and remarked, aloud: "This is one place where an Earth reporter cannot go," which made some of the others laugh. Nearly the whole staff had moved down by the gate now.

Munson looked at them. He did not know what tack to take, and time was flying. He tried being civil. "But, see here, gentlemen," he said, earnestly, "I've simply got to see Woods before we go to press." He