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 fire--for
matters were looking very promising indeed--took 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 talisman--James 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.
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