“That’s it. I’m going to appeal to Mr. Royse, after Doolittle and the captain get through, tell him the whole story, and ask him to do the square thing.”
“I don’t know but that’s a good plan, Tom. I’m with you. Come along.”
They hurried up the street toward the lawyer’s office. As yet they had not seen the captain or Mr. Doolittle, though they realized that either of the two men might have observed them, and be on their guard. But they must take some chances.
“This is the place,” Tom said, as they halted in front of an office building “Now for it.”
They mounted the stairs, a directory on the lower floor telling them that the offices of Mr. Royse were on the second story. At the head of the second flight they saw a door, with a ground-glass panel on which was painted the lawyer’s name, and the word “Entrance.”
“Shall we go in?” asked Sam.
Tom hesitated a moment and then took a desperate resolve.
“Yes,” he said, “we’ll face ’em both if they’re in there. I’ve got to end this suspense. Let’s go in.”
They opened the door. To their surprise the room was vacant. There was a litter of papers and dirt on the floor, but not so much as a chair or desk. The room opened into another, and that was equally bare.
“Why—why!” gasped Tom, blankly.