“Do you expect to see young Nixon there?”
“I don’t believe we will,” remarked Jerry, wondering at the man’s questions.
“If you do I wish you would hand him this paper—no, I think perhaps I had better try and send it through the regular channels,” and the man seemed in doubt. “Would you give him a message if you saw him?” he asked.
“We’d be glad to do you a favor,” said Ned. “What’s it about?”
“Just tell him to come home at once,” was the answer, and the man seemed very much in earnest. “It is very important. I can’t tell you just what, but say to him that if he does not come voluntarily we will have to—. No, perhaps you had better not say that. It might frighten him, and we don’t want to do that. Just tell him to come home to attend to a matter of which he has already received official notice,” and the man returned a bundle of papers to his pocket.
“We’ll do it,” spoke up Ned, “though we’re not sure of seeing him.”
“I understand. It’s only a chance, but I will be glad to take advantage of it, and I will appreciate it very much if you can get that message to him.”
The man moved off up the street, leaving the three boys somewhat puzzled.