the woman in the alcove-第29节

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ies　on　getting　well。

What　was　at　the　root　of　his　extreme　grief　at　leaving　her？　Did　he　fear　the　person　he　was　going　to　meet；　or　were　his　plans　such　as　involved　a　much　longer　stay　than　he　had　mentioned？　Did　he　even　mean　to　return　at　all？

Ah；　that　was　the　question！　Did　he　intend　to　return；　or　had　I　been　the　unconscious　witness　of　a　flight？



XVII

SWEETWATER　IN　A　NEW　ROLE

A　few　days　later　three　men　were　closeted　in　the　district　attorney's　office。　Two　of　them　were　officialsthe　district　attorney　himself；　and　our　old　friend；　the　inspector。　The　third　was　the　detective；　Sweetwater；　chosen　by　them　to　keep　watch　on　Mr。　Grey。

Sweetwater　had　just　come　to　town；this　was　evident　from　the　gripsack　he　had　set　down　in　a　corner　on　entering；　also　from　a　certain　tousled　appearance　which　bespoke　hasty　rising　and　but　few　facilities　for　proper　attention　to　his　person。　These　details　counted　little；　however；　in　the　astonishment　created　by　his　manner。　For　a　hardy　chap　he　looked　strangely　nervous　and　indisposed；　so　much　so　that；　after　the　first　short　greeting；　the　inspector　asked　him　what　was　up；　and　if　he　had　had　another　Fairbrother…house　experience。

He　replied　with　a　decided　no；　that　it　was　not　his　adventure　which　had　upset　him；　but　the　news　he　had　to　bring。

Here　he　glanced　at　every　door　and　window；　and　then；　leaning　forward　over　the　table　at　which　the　two　officials　sat；　he　brought　his　head　as　nearly　to　them　as　possible　and　whispered　five　words。

They　produced　a　most　unhappy　sensation。　Both　the　men；　hardened　as　they　were　by　duties　which　soon　sap　the　sensibilities；　started　and　turned　as　pale　as　the　speaker　himself。　Then　the　district　attorney；　with　one　glance　at　the　inspector；　rose　and　locked　the　door。

It　was　a　prelude　to　this　tale　which　I　give；　not　as　it　came　from　his　mouth；　but　as　it　was　afterward　related　to　me。　The　language；　I　fear；　is　mostly　my　own。

The　detective　had　just　been　with　Mr。　Grey　to　the　coast　of　Maine。　Why　there；　will　presently　appear。　His　task　had　been　to　follow　this　gentleman；　and　follow　him　he　did。

Mr。　Grey　was　a　very　stately　man；　difficult　of　approach；　and　was　absorbed；　besides；　by　some　overwhelming　care。　But　this　fellow　was　one　in　a　thousand　and　somehow；　during　the　trip；　he　managed　to　do　him　some　little　service；　which　drew　the　attention　of　the　great　man　to　himself。　This　done；　he　so　improved　his　opportunity　that　the　two　were　soon　on　the　best　of　terms；　and　he　learned　that　the　Englishman　was　without　a　valet；　and；　being　unaccustomed　to　move　about　without　one；　felt　the　awkwardness　of　his　position　very　much。　This　gave　Sweetwater　his　cue；　and　when　he　found　that　the　services　of　such　a　man　were　wanted　only　during　the　present　trip　and　for　the　handling　of　affairs　quite　apart　from　personal　tendance　upon　the　gentleman　himself；　he　showed　such　an　honest　desire　to　fill　the　place；　and　made　out　to　give　such　a　good　account　of　himself；　that　he　found　himself　engaged　for　the　work　before　reaching　C。

This　was　a　great　stroke　of　luck；　he　thought；　but　he　little　knew　how　big　a　stroke　or　into　what　a　series　of　adventures　it　was　going　to　lead　him。

Once　on　the　platform　of　the　small　station　at　which　Mr。　Grey　had　bidden　him　to　stop；　he　noticed　two　things：　the　utter　helplessness　of　the　man　in　all　practical　matters；　and　his　extreme　anxiety　to　see　all　that　was　going　on　about　him　without　being　himself　seen。　There　was　method　in　this　curiosity；　too　much　method。　Women　did　not　interest　him　in　the　least。　They　could　pass　and　repass　without　arousing　his　attention；　but　the　moment　a　man　stepped　his　way；　he　shrank　from　him　only　to　betray　the　greatest　curiosity　concerning　him　the　moment　he　felt　it　safe　to　turn　and　observe　him。　All　of　which　convinced　Sweetwater　that　the　Englishman's　errand　was　in　connection　with　a　man　whom　he　equally　dreaded　and　desired　to　meet。

Of　this　he　was　made　absolutely　certain　a　little　later。　As　they　were　leaving　the　depot　with　the　rest　of　the　arrivals；　Mr。　Grey　said：

〃I　want　you　to　get　me　a　room　at　a　very　quiet　hotel。　This　done；　you　are　to　hunt　up　the　man　whose　name　you　will　find　written　in　this　paper；　and　when　you　have　found　him；　make　up　your　mind　how　it　will　be　possible　for　me　to　get　a　good　look　at　him　without　his　getting　any　sort　of　a　look　at　me。　Do　this　and　you　will　earn　a　week's　salary　in　one　day。〃

Sweetwater；　with　his　head　in　air　and　his　heart　on　firefor　matters　were　looking　very　promising　indeedtook　the　paper　and　put　it　in　his　pocket；　then　he　began　to　hunt　for　a　hotel。　Not　till　he　bad　found　what　he　wished；　and　installed　the　Englishman　in　his　room；　did　he　venture　to　open　the　precious　memorandum　and　read　the　name　he　had　been　speculating　over　for　an　hour。　It　was　not　the　one　he　had　anticipated；　but　it　came　near　to　it。　It　was　that　of　James　Wellgood。

Satisfied　now　that　he　had　a　ticklish　matter　to　handle；　he　prepared　for　it；　with　his　usual　enthusiasm　and　circumspection。

Sauntering　out　into　the　street；　he　strolled　first　toward　the　post…office。　The　train　on　which　he　had　just　come　had　been　a　mail…train；　and　he　calculated　that　he　would　find　half　the　town　there。

His　calculation　was　a　correct　one。　The　store　was　crowded　with　people。　Taking　his　place　in　the　line　drawn　up　before　the　post…office　window；　he　awaited　his　turn；　and　when　it　came　shouted　out　the　name　which　was　his　one　talismanJames　Wellgood。

The　man　behind　the　boxes　was　used　to　the　name　and　reached　out　a　hand　toward　a　box　unusually　well　stacked；　but　stopped　half…way　there　and　gave　Sweetwater　a　sharp　look。

〃Who　are　you？〃　he　asked。

〃A　stranger；〃　that　young　man　put　in　volubly；　〃looking　for　James　Wellgood。　I　thought；　perhaps；　you　could　tell　me　where　to　find　him。　I　see　that　his　letters　pass　through　this　office。〃

〃You're　taking　up　another　man's　time；〃　complained　the　postmaster。　He　probably　alluded　to　the　man　whose　elbow　Sweetwater　felt　boring　into　his　back。　〃Ask　Dick　over　there；　he　knows　him。〃

The　detective　was　glad　enough　to　escape　and　ask　Dick。　But　he　was　better　pleased　yet　when　Dicka　fellow　with　a　squint　whose　hand　was　always　in　the　sugartold　him　that　Mr。　Wellgood　would　probably　be　in　for　his　mail　in　a　few　moments。　〃That　is　his　buggy　standing　before　the　drug…store　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　way。〃

So！　he　had　netted　Jones'　quondam　waiter　at　the　first　cast！　〃Lucky！〃　was　what　he　said　to　himself；　〃still　lucky！〃

Sauntering　to　the　door；　he　watched　for　the　owner　of　that　buggy。　He　had　learned；　as　such　fellows　do；　that　there　was　a　secret　hue　and　cry　after　this　very　man　by　the　New　York　police；　that　he　was　supposed　by　some　to　be　Sears　himself。　In　this　way　he　would　soon　be　looking　upon　the　very　man　whose　steps　he　had　followed　through　the　Fairbrother　house　a　few　nights　before；　and　through　whose　resolute　action　he　had　very　nearly　run　the　risk　of　a　lingering　death　from　starvation。

〃A　dangerous　customer；〃　thought　he。　〃I　wonder　if　my　instinct　will　go　so　far　as　to　make　me　recognize　his　presence。　I　shouldn't　wonder。　It　has　served　me　almost　as　well　as　that　many　times　before。〃

It　appeared　to　serve　him　now；　for　when　the　man　finally　showed　himself　on　the　cross…walk　separating　the　two　buildings　he　experienced　a　sudden　indecision　not　unlike　that　of　dread；　and　there　being　nothing　in　the　man's　appearance　to　warrant　apprehension；　he　took　it　for　the　instinctive　recognition　it　undoubtedly　was。

He　therefore　watched　him　narrowly　and　succeeded　in　getting　one　glance　from　his　eye。　It　was　enough。　The　man　was　commonplace；　commonplace　in　feature；　dress　and　manner；　but　his　eye　gave　him　away。　There　was　nothing　commonplace　in　that。　It　was　an　eye　to　beware　of。

He　had　taken　in　Sweetwater　as　he　passed；　but　Sweetwater　was　of　a　commonplace　type；　too；　and　woke　no　corresponding　dread　in　the　other's　mind；　for　he　went　whistling　into　the　store；　from　which　he　presently　reissued　with　a　bundle　of　mail　in　his　hand。　The　detective's　first　instinct　was　to　take　him　into　custody　as　a　suspect　much　wanted　by　the　New　York　police；　but　reason　assured　him　that　he　not　only　had　no　warrant　for　this；　but　that　he　would　better　serve　the　ends　of　justice　by　following　out　his　present　task　of　bringing　this　man　and　the　Englishman　together　and　watching　the　result。　But　how；　with　the　conditions　laid　on　him　by　Mr。　Grey；　was　this　to　be　done？　He　knew　nothing　of　the　man's　circumstances　or　of　his　position　in　the　town。　How；　then；　go　to　work　to　secure　his　cooperation　in　a　scheme　possibly　as　mysterious　to　him　as　it　was　to　himself？　He　could　stop　this　stranger　in　mid…street；　with　some　plausible　excuse；　but　it　did　not　follow　that　he　would　succeed　in　luring　him　to　the　hotel　where　Mr。　Grey　could　see　him。　Wellgood；　or；　as　he　believed；　Sears；　knew　too　much　of　life　to　be　beguiled　by　any　open　clap…trap；　and　Sweetwater　was　obliged　to　see　him　drive　off　without　having　made　the　least　advance　in　the　purpose　engrossing　him。

But　that　was　nothing。　He　had　all　the　evening　before　him；　and　reentering　the　store；　he　took　up　his　stand　near　the　sugar　barrel。　He　had　perceived　that　in　the　pauses　of　weighing　and　tasting；　Dick　talked；　if　he　were　guided　with　suitable　discretion；　why　should　he　not　talk　of　Wellgood？

He　was　guided；　and　he　did　talk　and　to　some　effect。　That　is；　he　gave　information　of　the　man　which　surprised　Sweetwater。　If　in　the　past　and　in　New　York　he　had　been　known　as　a　waiter；　or　should　I　say　steward；　he　was　known　here　as　a　ma