“I don’t know any more than that he called here one day and said he would come in again the next, Mr. Rover.  If he is—­ er—­ missing you had better notify the police,—­ unless you have some idea where he went to,” continued the broker.

“I have no idea further than that he came to New York to see you—­ and that he came here from his hotel.”

“See here!  Do you mean to insinuate that we—­ er—­ may know where he is—­ why he is missing?” demanded Jesse Pelter, sharply.

“I insinuate nothing, Mr. Pelter.  But if you expected him the next day after he was here, and he didn’t come, why didn’t you telephone to him?”

“I—­ er—­ I didn’t know where he was stopping.  If I had known, I might have telephoned to him.  Although he had a right to stay away from here if he wanted to.”

“He is transacting quite some business with you, isn’t he?”

“We have done quite some business together in the past, yes,” answered the broker, coldly.

“And matters were not going very well, were they?” questioned Dick, sharply.

“They were going as well as could be expected.”

“You owed my father a great deal of money, didn’t you? "

“We did owe him something.  But we don’t owe him anything now.  We settled up with him in full,” was the reply, which filled Dick with new astonishment.

CHAPTER XVI

 More discoveries

“You settled up with him in full?” gasped Rick.

“Yes—­ some time ago.”

“Not for that stock in the Sunset Irrigation Company.”

“I was not talking about the Irrigation Company.  That is another affair.  Your father was to see us about that on the morning when he—­ er—­ when he failed to come here.  I—­ er—­ I thought he had gone back home to get certain documents which he stated he did not have with him.”

“And you haven’t seen or heard of him since?”

“Not a word, Mr. Rover—­ I give you my word.”

“Did he leave any of his papers with you when he was here last?”

“No.”  Jesse Pelter took up the telephone on his desk.  “Give me 2345 River!” he said to Central.  He turned to Dick.  “You will have to excuse me, Mr. Rover, I have some important business to transact.”

“It isn’t as important as finding my father,”. answered Dick, bluntly.

“I do not know how I can aid you.”

“Perhaps you don’t care to try,” returned Dick, pointedly, as he arose.

“What do you mean?” demanded the broker, and hanging up the telephone receiver, he, too, arose.

“Never mind what I mean, Mr. Pelter.  If you will give me no aid, I’ll find my father alone,” and having thus spoken, Dick marched from the offices, leaving the broker staring after him curiously.

“Hum!  Looks like a smart young man!” murmured Jesse Pelter, to himself.  “And I thought Anderson Rover’s boys were all school kids!  This lad has grown up fast.  I wonder what he’ll do next?  I guess I had better keep my eye on him.”