Dan looked at Bob, and Bob looked at Dan; and then they looked at Nelson and Tom.
“Closed!” muttered Dan finally.
“Is there a boarding house here we can go to?” asked Bob.
“I don’t believe so; never heard of any,” answered the operator.
“Well—you’ll send that message, won’t you?” asked Dan anxiously. The operator hesitated.
“It’s against the rules,” he objected. “If you lived here I might.”
“It will be all right,” said Dan. “It’s to my father, and that’s his address there. We’ve lost every cent of our money, and I don’t know how we’re going to get any more unless that message reaches him.”
“Well—all right. I guess I can send it for you. You guarantee charges, do you?”
“Yes,” said Dan. “And we’ll come around in the morning for the answer. I’m awfully much obliged.”
“Where is the nearest place we could get lodgings and something to eat?” asked Bob.