"The best in Riverview," said Penny softly.
"Yes, it is!" Mr. Henley declared with sudden emphasis. "I tell you,
Parker, I was irritated because of a trivial mistake in my firm's copy.
I've cooled off now. Suppose we talk over the matter tomorrow at lunch."
"Very well," agreed Mr. Parker. "The Commodore Hotel at one."
Bowing to Penny, Mr. Henley retreated into a waiting taxi and drove away.
"How do you like that, Dad?" Penny inquired after a moment's silence.
"I like it," answered Mr. Parker. "The _Star_ could have limped along
without Mr. Henley. But the going would have been tough."
"He'll renew the old contract?"
"Oh, yes, and probably give us a better one. Stealing Mr. Henley's words,
I am truly grateful."
Penny gazed at her father with twinkling eyes.
"Are those idle words, Dad? Or are you willing to back them in a material
way?"
"I might," grinned Mr. Parker. "Present your bill."
"Well, Dad, I've discovered to my sorrow that I can't support two cars on
my present allowance. I need a generous raise."
"You could get rid of Lena."
"Why, Dad! After her noble work tonight!"
"No, I suppose not," sighed Mr. Parker. "You've earned an increase, and I
may as well grant it."
"Retroactive to the time I started working on the story," added Penny. "I
figure if you pay back allowance, I'll be solvent once more!"
"You drive a hard bargain," chuckled the publisher. "But I'll agree."
Arm in arm, they started on down the street. Rounding a corner of the
_Star_ building they abruptly paused before the plate-glass window to
watch a long, unbroken sheet of white paper feed through the thundering
press. Freshly inked newspapers, cut and folded, slid out one upon the
other to be borne away for distribution.
"It's modern magic, isn't it, Dad?" Penny said reflectively as the great
machine pounded in steady rhythm.
"Yes, Penny," her father agreed. "And for this edition, at least, you
were the master magician!"
THE END
Transcriber's Notes
--Replaced the list of books in the series by the complete list, as in
the final book, "The Cry at Midnight".
--Silently corrected a handful of palpable typos.
--Conforming to later volumes, standardized on "DeWitt" as the name of
the city editor.
End of Project Gutenberg's Clue of the Silken Ladder, by Mildred A. Wirt