"He'll be in some time to-night," the clerk said. "He comes here every evening."
It was about nine o'clock that night when a message came to the boys' room that Mr. Hardy would see them in the sitting room of the hotel. Jack went down alone, and found waiting for him a grizzly, heavily- bearded man, rather stoop-shouldered. He glanced from under his shaggy eyebrows at Jack.
"You left a message for Enos Hardy?" the man asked.
"I did, in reference to Orion Tevis," admitted Jack.
"Have you the emblems?"
Jack showed the rings and card.
"Um!" grunted the man. "What do you want?"
"I want to see Orion Tevis, and ask him about my father."
"It will take me three days to bring you an answer," Mr. Hardy went on. "Will you wait here until then?"
Jack bowed his assent.