“I think his name is Jefferson,” said Joe. “Elroy Jefferson. I’ve heard that he owns Cabin Island.”
“Jefferson,” said Frank reflectively. “I’ve heard that name before.”
“Of course you have. He’s an antique dealer. Sort of queer old codger, from all accounts. We saved his automobile for him, don’t you remember?”
“Oh, now I know where I heard his name!” exclaimed Frank. “You’re right. He lives in a big house up the Shore Road.”
“Sure. His car was one of those stolen when the auto thieves were busy on the Shore Road. We found it in the cave when we rounded up the gang.”
The incident to which Joe referred was the climax of one of the numerous mysteries solved by the Hardy boys. The brothers, who were introduced to our readers in the first volume of this series, entitled: “The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure,” were the sons of a celebrated American detective, Fenton Hardy by name, and had already won considerable fame for themselves in and about their home city of Bayport by reason of their success in solving a number of mysteries that had baffled the local police.
Frank and Joe, although still in high school, were anxious to follow in their father’s footsteps. Fenton Hardy was a hero to them. For many years he had been connected with the detective bureau of the New York police department, where he had earned such distinction that he was able to resign and move to Bayport, there to accept cases as a private investigator. Internationally famous, he was frequently called in to solve mysteries that had been given up by the police in all parts of the country, as well as accepting other assignments in which police action was not desired.
Already the two boys showed that they had inherited much of their father’s ability. They were sharp, observant and intelligent enough to draw shrewd deductions from small clues.
In the volume immediately preceding the present story, “The Hardy Boys: The Secret of the Caves,” the lads tackled a mystery that even Fenton Hardy had not been able to solve, the disappearance of an aged college professor, and had eventually found the old man after a series of thrilling adventures on a lonely part of the Atlantic coast.
“So that’s Elroy Jefferson, is it?” said Frank. “Pleasant sort of customer, isn’t he? He didn’t treat us very well, considering we saved his automobile for him.”