“I am afraid so,” was the reply, “but hope for the best. We can do nothing here, so we may as well go to the Wisconsin at once.”
While Maynard was cheered by the presence of the great detective, he realized that Nick’s willingness to respond to his call meant that the detective feared more than the loss of the diamonds. He would hardly have left his bed at that hour simply for the purpose of recovering diamonds which had been carelessly lost track of.
Arrived at the hotel, the detective made himself known to the clerk, that being the surest way of securing the attention he required. The clerk was at once all smiles, ready to answer all questions, to do anything in his power to accommodate the famous detective, whose appearance at the hotel was forever afterward spoken of as a notable event.
“First,” said Nick, “we must learn whether it was really Townsend who came here. Describe the young man you have reference to.”
“Medium build,” began the clerk; “brown hair, light mustache, blue eyes, Roman nose, very fair complexion.”
“That is the man,” said Maynard.
“Wait,” said Nick. “How was he dressed?”
“Suit of blue basket cheviot, sack coat, vest cut high, dark-brown derby hat, wing collar, blue four-in-hand tie with red threads in it, small diamond pin on the tie, long cuffs with amethyst buttons, diamond ring on the little finger of the left hand.”
“That was Townsend,” said Maynard.
“You ought to have been a detective,” said Nick to the clerk. “Now show us to the room to which he was taken.”