They found Tom Rover in his private office at a large desk piled high with sheets and documents. He was hard at work signing his name to a number of sheets, but smiled pleasantly when he saw who his visitors were. The boys, of course, were well known to most of the employees, and so had passed in without being questioned.
“Come to help me out, I suppose,” said the father of the twins, with a grin. “All right. Take off your coats, roll up your sleeves and pitch in. There is plenty to do.”
“If that is the case, Uncle Tom, I guess you don’t want us to disturb you,” said Jack quickly.
“I’ll be through here in less than half an hour,” announced Tom Rover. “Just make yourselves at home for that length of time, and then I’ll be with you.”
This was a gentle hint that he must get through with his work, and the boys lost no time in backing out of his office. They went into the offices usually occupied by Dick Rover and Sam Rover, looking over a number of books, magazines and pamphlets.
“Let’s go down in the street for a while and take a look around,” suggested Andy, who always liked to be on the go.
As there was nothing particular for them to do in the offices, the others agreed to this, and so, telling the twins’ father that they would come back at the end of the half hour, they walked out into the corridor opening upon the elevators and the stairway.
As they waited at one of the elevators for a chance to go down, the elevator came up and stopped to let out a messenger boy. Then it continued on its way upward.
“Say, did you notice who was in that elevator?” cried Randy quickly.
“I thought I saw Mr. Martell,” answered Fred.