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Page 22
When I came home that afternoon I found myself unexpectedly involved
in a matter that for the remainder of the day at least, prevented me
from further attending to the affair I had in hand. The next morning
Mr. Blake did not start out as usual, and at noon I received
intimation from Fanny that he was preparing to take a journey. Where,
she could not inform me, nor when, though she thought it probable he
would take an early train. Mrs. Daniels was feeling dreadfully, she
informed me; and the house was like a grave. Greatly excited at this
unexpected move on Mr. Blake's part, I went home and packed my valise
with something of the spirit of her who once said, under somewhat
different circumstances I allow, "Whither thou goest I will go."
The truth was, I had travelled so far and learned so little, that my
professional pride was piqued. That expression of Mr. Gryce still
rankled, and nothing could soothe my injured spirit now but success.
Accordingly when Mr. Blake stepped up to the ticket office of the
Hudson River Railroad next morning, to buy a ticket for Putney, a
small town in the northern part of Vermont, he found beside him a
spruce young drummer, or what certainly appeared such, who by some
strange coincidence, wanted a ticket for the same place. The fact did
not seem in the least to surprise him, nor did he cast me a look
beyond the ordinary glance of one stranger at another. Indeed Mr.
Blake had no appearance of being a suspicious man, nor do I think at
this time, he had the remotest idea that he was either watched or
followed; an ignorance of the truth which I took care to preserve by
taking my seat in a different car from him and not showing myself
again during the whole ride from New York to Putney.
CHAPTER VII
THE HOUSE AT THE GRANBY CROSS ROADS
Why Mr. Blake should take a journey at all at this time, and why of
all places in the world he should choose such an insignificant town
as Putney for his destination, was of course the mystery upon which I
brooded during the entire distance. But when somewhere near five in
the afternoon I stepped from the cars on to the platform at Putney
Station only to hear Mr. Blake making inquiries in regard to a certain
stage running between that town and a still smaller village further
east, I own I was not only surprised but well-nigh nonplussed.
Especially as he seemed greatly disappointed to hear that it only ran
once a day, and then for an earlier train in the morning.
"You will have to wait till to-morrow I fear," said the ticket agent,
"unless the landlord of the hotel down yonder, can harness you up a
team. There is a funeral out west to-day and--"
I did not wait to hear more but hurried down to the hotel he had
pointed out, and hunting up the landlord inquired if for love or
money he could get me any sort of a conveyance for Melville that
afternoon. He assured me it would be impossible, the livery stable as
well as his own being entirely empty.
"Such a thing don't happen here once in five years," said he to me.
"But the old codger who is dead, though a queer dick was a noted
personage in these parts, and not a man, woman or child, who could
find a horse, mule or donkey, but what availed himself of the
privilege. Even the doctor's spavined mare was pressed into service,
though she halts on one leg and stops to get her breath half a dozen
times in going up one short hill. You will have to wait for the
stage, sir."
"But I am in a hurry," said I as I saw Mr. Blake enter. "I have
business in Melville tonight, and I would pay anything in reason to
get there."
But the landlord only shook his head; and drawing back with the air of
an abused man, I took up my stand in the doorway where I could hear
the same colloquy entered into with Mr. Blake, with the same
unsatisfactory termination. He did not take it quite as calmly as I
did, though he was of too reserved a nature to display much emotion
over anything. The prospect of a long tedious evening spent in a
country hotel seemed almost unendurable to him, but he finally
succumbed to the force of circumstances, as indeed he seemed obliged
to do, and partaking of such refreshment as the rather poorly managed
hotel afforded, retired without ceremony to his room, from which he
did not emerge again till next morning. In all this he had somehow
managed not to give his name; and by means of some inquiries I
succeeded in making that evening, I found his person was unknown in
the town.
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