"It's such a relief to know that the case is in good hands," she said. "If Fenton Hardy can't find poor Todham, I'm sure no one can. Though he may turn up of his own accord," she added.
"We'll hope for the best," said Mrs. Hardy quietly.
"Dad didn't like to question you too much on Saturday," Frank remarked. "He didn't want to bother you more than he could help."
"I'm afraid I wasn't in any condition to tell him many details."
"Perhaps if you would tell us anything you overlooked, we might be able to help out a little, too."
Miss Todd was thoughtful for a moment.
"There were a few things about Todham that would identify him almost anywhere," she said. "For instance, he was very careless about his shoes."
"His shoes?" echoed the boys.
"He would not keep them laced. It was simply impossible to keep an eye on that man, and if I didn't watch him he was just as likely as not to go out to classes in the morning with his shoelaces dragging on the ground, and he wouldn't notice them unless he tripped over them. He was very absent-minded."
"That's a pretty good clue to go on. What did your brother look like, Miss Todd?"