“How would he know anything about that, Tom?  He wasn’t near the house when the ring was lost.  And besides, if he had taken the ring, he wouldn’t be so poverty-stricken.  He could pawn a four-hundred-dollar ring for quite some money.”

“I didn’t say that he might have taken the ring, Sam.  But he was around the place, and he might have heard something said that would give us a clew.”

“Oh, that might be possible.  Anyway, we can question him, just as you said.”

The walk to the East Side was quite a revelation to the Rover boys.  Never had they seen such a congestion of humanity.  The stores, the houses and the sidewalks seemed to be overflowing with people, while the streets were a jumble of wagons, trucks and push-carts.  Every conceivable sort of a thing seemed to be on sale, and they were solicited to buy at almost every step.

“They seem to be mostly foreigners over here,” was Sam’s comment.  “I don’t know as I would care to come through here alone at night, Tom.”

“Oh, you’d be as safe here as on Broadway,” was the reply.  “These people are poor, but you’ll find them just as honest as anybody.”

The boys had with them the card that Andy Royce had given to Dora, and it did not take them long to find The Golden Oak House.  It was an old-fashioned, frame building located on the corner of a narrow and exceedingly dirty alleyway.  Downstairs there were a saloon and a pawnshop.  The so-styled office and the sleeping apartments were on the three floors above.

“Not a very inviting place,” were Sam’s words, as he looked the resort over.  “Tom, do you think we had better go in?”

“Oh, I don’t think it will hurt us,” was the answer.  “Come ahead!”

Ascending the narrow and exceedingly dirty stairs, the boys passed through a dingy hall to where a glass door was marked “Office.”  Inside they found a small counter and rail, behind which a man in shirt-sleeves sat smoking a cigar and reading a sporting paper.

“Is there a man stopping here named Andy Royce?” asked Tom, as the man dropped his paper to look up at the newcomers.

“I think there is, but I don’t believe he’s in now,” was the answer.  “Want to leave any word for him?”

Tom thought for a moment.  “Yes,” he answered.  “I will leave a message.”  And taking out one of his cards, he wrote on it:  “I’ll call here Tuesday afternoon at about five o’clock to see you.”

“Hope you’ve got work for that fellow.  He needs a job the worst way,” said the hotel man, as he took the card.

“I don’t know about a job for him, but perhaps I can help him,” answered Tom.  And then he and Sam left the place.

They had just reached the sidewalk when they beheld Andy Royce coming towards them.  The former gardener of Hope Seminary was partly under the influence of liquor, and several children were annoying him by pulling at his coat and calling him names.