“Is it for me?” he asked.  And the man nodded, as he continued to write.

When the sheet was passed over the operator looked curiously at Dick—­ a look that made the youth’s heart sink.  With a hand that trembled in spite of his efforts to steady it, the oldest Rover boy held up the paper and read this: 

  “Anderson Rover was at this hotel until yesterday morning.  His
  baggage is here.  Bill unpaid.  Left no word.

Manager.”

“Gone!” murmured Dick, brokenly. “‘Left no word,’ ‘Bill unpaid!’ What can it mean?”

“Something unusual, eh?” said the operator, as he took the bankbill the youth handed out to him for the message and gave back the change.

“Very unusual,” was the reply.  “I don’t know what to make of this.”  Dick thought for a moment.  “I suppose I can’t get a train home before morning.”

“No, the first train for you is the eight-forty-five to-morrow.”

“Too bad!  I wish there was a train right away.”

There was no help for it, and a few minutes later the youth left the depot, and jumping on the motorcycle, started back for Brill College.

As he rode along Dick’s thoughts were busy.  What had taken his parent to New York and why had he disappeared so mysteriously?

“He certainly must have gone there on business—­ the business that has been bothering him so long,” he mused.  “But would that cause him to disappear?  Maybe he had an accident, or was waylaid for his money.”

A thousand thoughts surged through poor Dick’s brain, but he could reach no definite conclusion regarding his father’s disappearance.  Yet he was certain of one thing.

“He didn’t leave the hotel that way of his own accord,” he reasoned.  “He would pay his bill and look after his baggage.  It’s for some outside reason that he didn’t return to his hotel and answer Uncle Randolph’s telegram.”

When Dick arrived at the college he put the motorcycle away and went directly to his room.  Sam and Tom were still away, but he heard them returning just as he was on the point of going after them.  As they came in, he motioned for them to close and lock the door.  Fortunately, they had their rooms to themselves, Songbird, their only roommate, having gone away for the night.

“What did you learn, Dick?” asked both brothers, quickly.

“Not much—­ and still a great deal,” he answered, and told them how he had tried to send word home and had then called up the hotel in the metropolis.

“What do you make of this?” asked Tom, after he and Sam had read the brief message from the hotel manager.

“Do you think he met with an accident?” questioned Sam.

“I don’t know what to think.”

“It looks mighty suspicious to me—­ the bill unpaid and baggage left behind,” murmured Tom.  Then of a sudden he drew a sharp breath.  “Oh, Dick, do you think——­” And then Tom stopped short.