delicately-colored necktie from his rather large stock, and attired
himself to go out and call at Roy's hotel, which he soon reached.

"Good evening, Mortimer," greeted the clerk, who knew De Royster quite
well. "How are you?"

"Feeling very fit, old chap, don't you know," replied De Royster. "How
are you?"

"So-so."

"That's good. Charming evening, isn't it? Charming. I--er--I called
to see my friend, Mr. Bradner. Going to take him out and show him a
bit of New York after dark, don't you know. I have tickets to a very
nice show, and I think he'll like it. I owe a good deal to him, old
man. He's a clever chap. I want to repay him in some way. I'll go up
to his room."

"It's no use."

"No use. Why, my dear fellow, what do you mean?"

"I mean he was taken away--ill--in a cab by a friend of his."

"Who was the friend?"

Mortimer De Royster lost his rather careless manner, and was all
attention.

"A fellow named Wakely. He took rooms here a day or so ago. Made
friends with Mr. Bradner--Roy, I call him, for I feel quite friendly
toward him. Late this afternoon Wakely came to me and said Roy was
sick, and he was going to take him to a doctor."

"And did he?"

"That's what he did. Took his baggage too," and the clerk related what
had taken place.

"What sort of a fellow was this Wakely?" asked De Royster, with
increasing interest.

The clerk described him. The dudish jewelry salesman shook his head.

"I don't recognize him," he said. "What do you think about it? You
saw him."

"I'll tell you what I think," went on the clerk. "I think that fellow
Wakely is up to some game, and I wish Roy had not made his
acquaintance."

"That's just what I believe," exclaimed De Royster. "It seems a queer
thing that Roy should be taken sick so suddenly. Why, he was as
healthy as a young ox. I'll wager there's something wrong. He came
here to New York to expose a man he thought was a swindler, and I
believe the man has him in his power now. I must do something to aid
him."

"What are you going to do?" asked the clerk, as De Royster started out
of the hotel.

"I'm going to try to find the cab driver who took them away, and
perhaps I can trace Roy. If I can't do it that way I'll notify the
police. Roy has been taken away against his will, and maybe they are
keeping him in hiding. I'm going to find him!"

Roused into sudden action by the thought of danger to the lad who had
aided him, Mortim