"Yes, sir; he came in from a walk five minutes since."
"I will send up my card."
The detective wrote on a blank card:
OSCAR FERGUSON,
DETECTIVE.
Important.
This was handed to a hall boy, who took it up to Mr. Lawrence's room, and returned with a message that the gentleman was to come up at once.
"I think you will have to go with me," said Ferguson to Fred. "It won't do for me to give you a chance to escape."
"That is the last thing I have in mind," said the train-boy; "but I shall be glad to see Mr. Lawrence."
Edmund Lawrence, a pleasant-looking man of middle age, looked somewhat surprised when turning his eyes toward the door, he saw Ferguson enter, followed by two boys.