"Wait here until I come back," he said in a sharp tone.
"Where are you going?"
"Give me your check quickly," went on his father, without heeding the question. "Hurry!"
Steve fumbled in his jacket pocket.
"Be quick, son, be quick!" commanded Mr. Tolman impatiently. "Don't you know it is never safe to leave anything of value in your coat when you are staying at a large city hotel? Somebody may have taken the pocketbook already."
Scarlet with consternation the lad produced the check.
"If nothing has happened to that pocketbook you will be very fortunate," asserted the man severely. "Stay here! I will be right back."
With beating heart the boy watched him thread his way between the tables and disappear from the dining room into the lobby.
Suppose the bill book should be gone!
What if there had been valuable papers in it, money—a great deal of money—and now through his carelessness it had all disappeared? How stupid he had been not to remember about it and give it to his father the instant they had met! In fact, he would much better have taken a chance and handed it to the bus conductor than to have done the foolish thing he had. He had meant so well and blundered so grievously! How often his father had cautioned him to be careful of money when he was traveling!