Part 50 (2/2)

”Very well. Glad to see you at any time,” returned the man.

Once down in the street again, Hal looked up and down, but could see nothing of Ferris.

But when the youth reached Grand Street he beheld Ferris making for downtown as rapidly as his long legs would carry him.

”I suppose he is going to stand outside and meet Mr. Allen when he comes out,” thought Hal. ”I will follow him, and see what turns up next.”

d.i.c.k Ferris walked up Grand Street until he came to Broadway. Here he stood upon the corner, and presently waved his hand toward a pa.s.sing horse-car.

Immediately a man descended from the car, and came toward the tall youth. It was Hardwick.

”Hullo! This can't be a chance meeting,” said Hal to himself. ”No wonder Ferris hurried to the corner. He almost missed his man.”

As Hardwick stepped from the street to the sidewalk, he glanced toward where Hal was standing, gazing into a shop window. Then he turned to Ferris, and the two began an earnest conversation.

Hal pa.s.sed the pair, but did not catch a word of what was said. Nor did the young watcher notice d.i.c.k Ferris' quick, nervous look in his direction.

A few minutes later, Hardwick and Ferris walked back down Grand Street.

Reaching Chrystie, they turned into it, and walked along several blocks until they came to a narrow alley leading to a lumber-yard.

Both pa.s.sed into the lumber-yard and out of Hal's sight. Wondering what had become of them, the boy pa.s.sed the place.

No one was in sight.

”That's queer. I wonder if they entered that building in the rear?”

For fully ten minutes Hal hung around, but neither Hardwick nor Ferris put in an appearance.

A wagon was leading up on one side of the yard, but presently this drove off, and then all became quiet.

Watching his chance, when he thought no one was observing him, Hal entered the gate of the lumber-yard and hurried down to the building in the rear.

There was a window beside the door to the place, and Hal gazed inside.

An elderly man was present. He was seated beside a hot stove, toasting his s.h.i.+ns and reading a morning paper.

”They didn't enter the office, that's certain,” said Hal to himself.

”Now, where did they go?”

Suddenly he stopped short. Was it possible that Hardwick and Ferris had discovered that they were being followed, and had slipped through the lumber-yard merely to throw him off the scent?

”It certainly looks like it,” thought Hal. ”I'll sneak around the back way, and see what I can discover.”

Back of the office were great piles of lumber, all thickly covered with snow. Among them could plainly be seen the footsteps of two people. The marks were fresh, and led along the back fence and then to the right.

Hal followed the marks among the piles of lumber until he came to a spot where all became mixed, as if some one had retraced his steps.

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