"Yes," went on the _Banner_ man, "you must be the same. Why, there were two columns about you in the paper this morning. You seem born for adventure. You being the hero of the hour, your escape of this morning will excite great interest. I can make at least a column of it. Here, Mr. Allston, come with me. We must get out of this crowd; then we can have a talk." Al resigned himself to the inevitable, and forced his way through the crowd, arm in arm with the reporter. While he shrank from having his personal affairs made public, he also had the interests of his employer at heart; he saw that the exciting incident of the morning might be used as an advertisement for the show, and he decided to sacrifice his feelings and let the ambitious and energetic reporter have his own way. "We'll step in here," said the _Banner_ man, leading the way into the lobby of a hotel. "Really, it is lucky for you that this thing happened; it can't fail to boom your show. And it needs booming, too, let me tell you, for the circus will be here to-morrow night, and is pretty sure to gather in about all the surplus cash that will be left in the neighborhood after to-day's performances." "Still," said Al, "my company is a strong attraction." "Under ordinary circumstances, yes; but not when the circus is in town. Still, we'll see what can be done. I've heard a good deal about you during the last twenty-four hours, and, honestly, I'd like to help you. You give me all the most startling facts in your career, and I'll write 'em up in good style." "But," smiled Al, "there has never been anything startling in my career." "Eh?" gasped the reporter. "What did you say?" Al repeated the statement. "An advance agent without a startling career!" said the _Banner_ man. "Why, such a thing was never heard of before. As a rule we have to cut out nine-tenths of the blood-curdling incidents in advance agents' careers, and even then what is left sounds like an Arabian Nights story." Al laughed. "Well," he said, "then I am a remarkable exception. Isn't that a startling fact?" "That may help things out a little." "Besides, it is not myself that I want to boom, but the New York Comedy Company." "Well, you are a _rara avis_! But by booming yourself you may at the same time boom the show. Now, tell me all about yourself first. You see, the public is more interested about you personally than about Mr. Wattles' company. But I'll work in a good notice for the show, too. Now, then, please tell me where you were born, when--and all the rest of it." Within ten minutes the reporter was in possession of most of the facts of Al's "career"; and, as the boy had said, there was nothing very startling in the story. But when the _Banner_ man had wormed the fact out of the lad that his sister had been lost or stolen in infancy, he exclaimed: "Why, that's just what I want. A romance in your life! Nothing could be better. A long-lost sister! That will show up in great shape in the heading."