Mr. Stevenson had returned from his fishing trip and he appeared at the offices of The Rover Company that afternoon. Only Sam Rover and his brother Tom were present. Dick having gone to one of the banks to see what could be done in the matter of extending a loan which would come due in a few weeks.
“This is an outrageous state of affairs!” said Ruth’s father, and his whole manner showed that he was in anything but an amiable frame of mind. He was having a great deal of trouble with the contractors who were laying out his estate at Dexter’s Corners and, more than this, his fishing trip had been unproductive of results.
“It is certainly exceedingly unfortunate,” answered Sam, as he offered the newcomer a chair.
“Where is Richard Rover?”
“He’s out on a little business. He’ll be back in about an hour.”
“I can’t understand why these offices were left completely unprotected and why so many securities were left where the bandits could lay their hands on them,” went on Mr. Stevenson, dropping into the chair and fanning himself with his straw hat. “I’ve read all the accounts in the newspapers. Somebody must have been grossly careless.”
“Well, it’s not the only hold-up that’s happened in New York lately,” answered Tom, nettled by the visitor’s manner. “Of course, if we had dreamed that we were going to have a visit from such bandits we would have been better prepared to meet them. It’s too bad, and no one can be more sorry about it than we are.”
“And then about that insurance! The idea of letting it lapse! Why, I never let an insurance policy lapse in my life!”
“That was the fault of one of our clerks. He did it either through carelessness or by design. Just now we’re inclined to think that it was done deliberately, for the sole purpose of injuring us.”
“Oh, say, Tom Rover, don’t put it off on one of the clerks. Those things ought to be attended to by one of the officers!” Mr. Stevenson mopped his brow with his handkerchief. “How is this hold-up going to leave the Company?” he went on abruptly.