"De Royster? That is a good name. I know some of the family."

Mr. Annister wrote the note, and gave it to Roy, not asking his name.
In fact, the real estate man took his caller to be an office boy for
Mr. De Royster, for business men in New York frequently send their
office helpers on errands of importance, and this was no more than the
average office boy could do.

With the note Roy went to the Bleecker Building, as it was called. He
found the janitor, who readily showed him the vacant offices.

"Aren't rents rather high here?" asked Roy.

"That's what they are. But this is a good location for business men,
and they're willing to pay for it," answered the man.

"Have you no cheaper offices than these?"

"No. In fact all the others cost more. Some men have several rooms,
and they pay a good price."

"How many offices, or sets of offices, have you in this building? I
should think it would keep you busy looking after them."

"It does," replied the janitor, who, like others of his class, liked a
chance to complain of how hard they worked. "There are more than a
hundred offices in this building."

"And are most of them rented?"

"All but the five I showed you. I tell you the man who owns this
building has a fine thing out of it. He must make a lot over his
expenses."

"Who owns it?" asked Roy, wanting to see how much the janitor knew.

"I couldn't tell you. Mr. Annister never told me. He hires me. I
guess he must have an interest in the property."

"Yes, entirely too much of an interest in it," thought Roy. "He has
some of my interest, and I'm going to get it back."

There was one thing more he wanted to know.

"Are the tenants good pay?" he asked.

"They have to be, young man. If they get behind a month Mr. Annister
puts them out. That's why those five offices are vacant. But they'll
soon be rented. You'd better hurry if you want one."

"My friend will think it over," answered the boy from the ranch.

He had found out what he wanted to know. The property, instead of
decreasing in value as Mr. Annister had said, was increasing. Nearly
every office was rented at a good price, and the tenants were prompt
pay, save in a few instances. It did not require much calculation to
see that the income from the property was nearly double what Mr.
Annister reported it to be to Mr. Bradner. That meant but one thing.
The dishonest agent was keeping part of the rent for himself, and
sending fa