"Well, this is great!" he declared heartily. "I see by your window card you carry Mackinaw's goods and I haven't been able to get them nearer than the city." He was addressing all three who stood together back of the counter like a trio in a comedy. The young man looked critically at the show goods in the show counter--the supply left by the travelling salesman. "Here they are, sure enough!" he exclaimed. "Just give me a half dozen of those plugs, and of those dry flies, and a dozen of those bobbers--" Nancy set out the boxes and the customer helped himself. He knew exactly what he wanted, and the girls marvelled at his quick selection of the fancy colored artificial minnows, the little feather flies, used to decoy the poor fish, and the bobbers, of which article Nancy had as pretty a selection as might have been in a really large shop. "You don't know what an accommodation this is," went on the young man, putting down a twenty dollar bill to pay for his purchases. "No, don't bother to put paper on the boxes," he objected, as all three attempted to wrap the goods. "I'll put them right in the car. You see, I'm at the fishing club over on the lake, and when we want supplies there we _want_ them instantly," he concluded. And he was gone before the surprised clerks had time to realize that the sale had almost cleared out all the fancy tackle, and there were coming in at the door two elderly gentlemen, who looked exactly as if they would want fancy flies. One of the gentlemen poked his head in the door so comically, the girls all giggled. "Well!" he exclaimed. "So it _is_ a shop. Thought it might be a Sunday School fair and I'd get roped in," he chuckled, stepping inside cautiously. "Sorry, but I didn't come to buy. Can you direct me to Professor Sanders' office?" he asked, while politely removing his hat. "His office? Why, he hasn't any office that I know of," faltered Nancy, surprised at the question. "He has messages sent to the ticket office at the station," volunteered Ruth. "Oh, I see," replied the man, seeming to "see" more than the girls did. "Then, we'll go over to the station--" So saying the man backed out of the door smiling pleasantly as he departed. "Well, I declare!" exclaimed Nancy. "Our Disappearing Dick is going to have callers. I wonder if he'll perform for them?" "Those are important looking men," Isabel commented. "Did you see their car?" "Wasn't it fancy?" agreed Ruth. "Perhaps Sibyl will get a ride home." "I don't think you folks can be very good detectives around here," Nancy criticized, "or you would have found out what so many people mean by saying that Mr. Sanders disappears."