The boy came to admire the coolness of the veteran reporter who could write a story with a boy standing at his elbow grabbing each page of copy as it was finished and rushing it to the editor, and thence upstairs. “I’m going to be a reporter,” Larry decided one day, when he had been on the paper three weeks. “I’m going to study and fix myself for a place on the _Leader_.” He began to see the importance that a really good and conscientious reporter holds in a community. He heard the newspaper men telling of the well-known public men they interviewed, the events of the day they took part in, and all this fired his ambition to be one of the _Leader’s_ reporters. He spoke to his mother about it that evening and said he was going to attend night school. “There’s a teacher in one of those schools who lives on the floor above,” said Mrs. Dexter. “I heard his wife talking to Mrs. Jackson the other day, and she mentioned it. His name is Professor Carlton.” “I’m going up and ask him about it,” decided Larry, who, of late, had been getting in the habit of doing things quickly, as they did in the newspaper office. Professor Carlton was at home, and Larry, after introducing himself, stated the object of his call. “What do you want to study for?” asked the teacher. “To be a reporter,” replied Larry. “I’m afraid it will take more than study to make you that,” said Mr. Carlton. “You have to have a ‘nose for news’ I’m told.” “I know,” said Larry, nodding gravely, “that’s what Mr. Emberg, the city editor, says.” “Then you’re on a paper now?” asked Mr. Carlton. “Only a copy boy,” replied Larry. “Many a copy boy has risen to be a reporter, though,” was the teacher’s answer. “I hope you will. But about the evening schools. You see this is summer, and the schools do not start until September. That’s two months off.” “I don’t want to wait as long as that,” said Larry. “I want to be earning more money as soon as I can.” “Perhaps I can help you,” said the instructor, who had taken an interest in the lad. “I have little to do nights, and we might make a class of one, with you for the pupil and me for the teacher, say three evenings a week. You would learn more rapidly then, and be ready when the evening schools opened in the fall.” “I’m afraid I couldn’t pay for the lessons,” said Larry. “Never mind about the pay,” said the professor. “I’ll be only too glad to help a boy that wants to help himself.” So it was arranged. Larry had a good common school education, but there were many things he was ignorant of that the boys of his age, in the city, were instructed in. So, under the direction of Mr. Carlton he applied himself to his books evenings, and made good progress, everything considered.