“A burglary--where?” Carroll demanded. “That’s what I can’t find out, sir. I overheard two detectives talking about it together at headquarters early this morning, but as soon as they caught sight of me they dropped the subject in a hurry. I’ve been scurrying around town all morning in the hope of finding somebody who could tell me who was robbed, but I haven’t been able to pick up anything. I tried to get an interview with Chief Hodgins, but he refused, as usual, to talk to a _Bulletin_ man.” “Humph!” Carroll grunted. “And you think the _Chronicle_ has the yarn, Parsons?” “I am quite sure they have, sir,” was the mournful reply. “One of the detectives admitted to me that Burns, the _Chronicle’s_ police reporter, had all the details, and a long interview with Chief Hodgins. I’m awfully sorry, sir. I hope you don’t blame me for falling down on the yarn.” Carroll got up and placed his hand on his reporter’s shoulder. “No, I don’t blame you at all, old chap. Considering the difficulties under which you are working, I can’t reasonably hold it against you if you get scooped occasionally on a police story. Keep pegging away, and don’t get discouraged. Better spend the rest of the day trying to get a line on this burglary yarn. You may be fortunate enough to run into somebody who can give you some information about it. If not--well, I guess we’ll have to grin and bear it.” A chuckle from the Camera Chap caused him to turn to that young man in indignant astonishment. “What’s the matter with you?” Carroll demanded irritably. “I don’t see anything to be amused about.” “Don’t you?” rejoined Hawley, with a grin, taking a plate holder from his camera and laying it on the desk. “I think you’ll be amused, too, Fred, when I tell you what I’ve got here. Would you mind handing me a pad and pencil?” “What are you going to do?” Carroll demanded wonderingly, as he handed over the desired writing implements. “I’m going to write a heading for the burglary story which will appear on the front page of the _Bulletin’s_ next issue,” the Camera Chap replied. “But we haven’t got the burglary story?” Carroll protested, with a puzzled frown. “Pardon me, but I have. It’s here in this plate holder,” declared Hawley. “I don’t mean to say that we’ve got the details of the larceny--but we’ve got something just as good--or better. Wait until I’ve written my heading, and I’ll explain.” He wrote rapidly on the pad, and handed the result to Carroll. “Writing headings is a little out of my line,” he remarked; “but I think this will about do.” Carroll stared wonderingly at these words. “There Was a Burglary in Town Yesterday, and Here’s the Reason Why.” “Underneath that heading,” the Camera Chap explained, in response to Carroll’s inquiring stare, “will go the snapshot which I took at police headquarters a few minutes ago. It’s a picture of Oldham’s chief of police, fast asleep at his desk.” CHAPTER V. A TELLING SHOT.