The young reporter and Retto left the small room.  Larry soon found that Grace had recovered from her swoon.  Rapidly he told her of what he proposed doing.  With her he would go to Jersey City and try to trace the missing millionaire.

“And we’ll find him!” he added, with vigor.

He went downstairs to telephone to Mr. Emberg of the new and unexpected turn the case had taken.

“Keep right after it, Larry!” said the city editor.  “Find Mr. Potter and get the story!”

As the Leader reporter turned to go upstairs he saw, entering the hospital, a young man whom he recognized as Hans Fritsch, the German newspaper man he had met at the lonely tenement.

“What are you doing here?” asked Larry, noting that his friend was attired in an automobile suit.

“I comes to see how gets along a friend of mine.  He is here sick.  I have a day off from mine work and I comes in my new automobile.  After dot I goes me for a nice ride.  Come along!”

“Where are you going?” asked Larry, a sudden idea coming into his head.

“Ofer by New Jersey.  Dere is goot automobiling roads.”

“Are you going to Jersey City?”

“Sure.  I goes by dot on der ferry.  Den I skips out by der Plank Roat, und maybe I goes me out to der Oranges Mountains.  I am just learning to run my car goot!”

“I’ll go with you!” cried Larry.  “Have you room in your car for two?”

“Surely!  For four, if you likes to bring ’em.  My mother, who is in Germany, und quite vell off, send me der car for a birthday present, odervise I should not haff him.  Reporters here do not get monies enough to buy automobiles!”

“I’ll be with you in five minutes!” exclaimed Larry, hurrying off to tell Grace.

“I am ready as soon as I see how my sick friend is,” declared the German reporter.  “Den we go quick like de wind, und haff a goot time!”

“Yes, and maybe a hot pursuit!” said Larry under his breath, for he had determined on a bold plan.  He would, in Fritsch’s auto, give chase to the captors of Mr. Potter.

CHAPTER XXX

MR. POTTER IS FOUND—­CONCLUSION

There was a throbbing of the motor, a grinding and shrieking as the clutch was thrown in, a trembling to the car as Fritsch advanced the spark and opened the gasolene throttle still wider and the automobile, bearing the German reporter, Larry and Grace, was off.

“Here are some goggles!” said Fritsch, handing back two pairs to his passengers.  “You vill need dem when ve goes like de wind.  If I had known I was to haff a lady I would get a dust coat.”

“It doesn’t matter,” replied Grace, her eyes shining with the excitement.  “I want to find my father.”

“Your father?”

Then Larry explained.  He could safely do so since the German paper did not come out until the morning of the next day, and Fritsch could not “beat” him.