Mrs. Murcher thought Olly must be in his room.
"I believe he is going home this evening," she said; "he wants to show his folks a new suit of clothes that has been given him. I guess he's trying them on."
"I am a neighbor of his," said Perce. "I am camping on the beach with some friends; and we want him to join us."
"Well!" exclaimed the landlady, "you can go right up to his room and find him. It's in the old part of the house; but you'd better go up the front way; it's lighter."
She was explaining to Perce that he must go up one flight, proceed to the end of the corridor, and then step down into a lower passage—when the tall young brunette called over the banisters, "I'll show him!"
He mounted after her; and she threw open the door of what seemed an unoccupied room, to let more light from its windows into the corridor.
"Be careful not to stumble!" she warned him. "That's his room, right before you, as you go down those steps."
So saying, she disappeared in some other room, and Perce was left alone in the dim hall. He paused a moment to get a glimpse of the sea through the door and window of the room she had opened, which happened to be Mr. Hatville's room; then he groped his way to Olly's door and knocked.
In a little while, he returned alone to his friends on the beach.
"I couldn't find him," he said. "Mrs. Murcher sent me up to his room, but he wasn't there; and I went all over the place. Then she said she thought he must have gone home, to show his folks a new suit of clothes; he had asked her if he might; but she didn't expect him to go so soon."