“They certainly did not come from our office!” was the reply.
The millionaire arose hastily and approached the desk just as the clerk was drawing a number of telegrams from his letter-box.
“I left orders to have these taken to your room as soon as they arrived,” the clerk explained, “but it seems that the night man chucked them into your letter-box and forgot all about them.”
Mr. Havens took the telegrams into his hand and returned to the corner of the lobby where he had been seated with Mellen and Glenn.
“There seems to be a hoodoo in the air concerning my telegrams,” he said with a smile, as he began opening the envelopes. “The messages which came last night were not delivered to my room, but were left lying in my letter-box until just now. In future, please instruct your messengers,” he said to the manager, “to bring my telegrams directly to my room—that is,” he added, “if I remain in town and any more telegrams are received for me.”
“I’ll see that you get them directly they are received,” replied the manager, impatiently. “If the hotel clerk objects to the boy going to your room in the night-time, I’ll tell him to draw a gun on him!” he added with a laugh. “Are the delayed telegrams important ones?”
“They are in code!” replied the millionaire. “I’m afraid I’ll have to go to my room and get the code sheet.”
Mr. Havens disappeared up the elevator, and Mellen and Glenn talked of aviation, and canoeing, and base-ball, and the dozen and one things in which men and boys are interested, for half an hour. Then the millionaire appeared in the lobby beckoning them toward the elevator.
Mr. Mellen observed that the millionaire was greatly excited as he motioned them into his suite of rooms and pointed to chairs. The telegrams which he had received were lying open on a table near the window and the code sheet and code translations were not far away.
Before the millionaire could open the conversation Ben came bounding into the room without knocking. His face was flushed with running, and his breath came in short gasps. As he turned to close the door he shook a clenched fist threateningly in the direction of the elevator.