In American hotels the halls are large and provided with seats, and are generally used as smoking and reading-rooms by the male visitors to the hotel.At Harker's Hotel there was a small bar at the end of the hall, and a black waiter supplied the wants of the guests seated at the various little tables.Vincent seated himself at one of these and ordered something to drink.As the negro placed it on the table he said:
"I will give you a dollar if you will answer a few questions.""Very good, sah.Dat am a mighty easy way to earn a dollar.""Do you remember, about a month ago, a man named Pearson being here?"The negro shook his head.
"Me not know de names of de gentlemen, sah.What was de man like?""He was tall and thin, with short hair and a gray goatee -a regular Yankee.""Me remember him, sah.Dar used to he plenty ob dat sort here.
Don't see dem much now.Me remember de man, sah, quite well.
Used to pass most of de day here.Didn't seem to have nuffin to do.""Was he always alone, or did he have many people here to see him?""Once dar war two men here wid him, sab, sitting at dat table ober in do corner.Rough-looking fellows dey war.In old times people like dat wouldn't come to a 'spectable hotel, but now most ebery one got rough clothes, can't get no others, so one don't tink nuffin about it; but dose fellows was rough-looking besides dar clothes.
Didn't like dar looks nohow.Dey only came here once.Dey was do only strangers that came to see him.But once Massa Jackson-me know him by sight he came here and talk wid him for a long time.Earnest sort of talk dat seemed to be.Dey talk in low voice, and I noticed dey stopped talking when any one sat down near dem.""You don't know where he went to from here, I suppose?""No, sah, dat not my compartment.Perhaps de outside porter will know.Like enough he take his tings in hand-truck to station.You like to see him, sab?""Yes, I should like to have a minute's talk with him.Here is your dollar."The waiter rang a bell, and a minute later the outdoor porter presented himself.
"You recomember taking some tings to station for a tall man wid gray goatee, Pomp?" the waiter asked."It was more dan tree weeks ago.I tink he went before it was light in de morning.Me seem to remember dat."The negro nodded.
"Me remember him bery well, sah.Tree heavy boxes and one bag, and he only give me quarter dollar for taking dem to de station.
Mighty mean man dat."
"Do you know what train he went by?"
"Yes, sah, it was de six o'clock train for de souf.""You can't find out wher his luggage was checked for?""I can go down to station, sab, and see if I can find out.Some of de men thar may remember.""Here is a dollar for yourself," Vincent said, "and another to give to any of the men who can give you the news.When you have found out come and tell me.Here is my card and address.""Bery well, sah.Next time me go up to station me find about it, for sure, if any one remember dat fellow."In the evening the negro called at the house and told Vincent that he had ascertained that a man answering to his description and having luggage similar to that of Pearson had had it checked to Florence in South Carolina.
Vincent now called Dan into his counsel and told him what he had discovered.The young negro had already given proof of such intelligence that he felt sure his opinion would be of value.
"Dat all bery plain, sah," Dan said when Vincent finished his story.
"Me do doubt dat old rascal Jackson give money to Pearson to carry off do gal.Oh course he did it just to take revenge upon Tony.Pearson he go into de plot, because, in de fust place, it vex Missy Wingfield and you bery much; in do second place, because Jackson gib him money; in do third place, because he get hold of negro slave worf a thousand dollar.Dat all quite clear.He notdo it himself, but arrange wid oder fellows, and he stop quiet at de hotel for two days after she gone so dat no one can 'spect his having hand in do affair.""That is just how I make it out, Dan; and now he has gone off to join them."Dan thought for some time.
"Perhaps dey join him thar, sab, perhaps not; perhaps him send him baggage on there and get out somewhere on do road and meet them.""That is likely enough, Dan.No doubt Dinah was taken away in a cart or buggy.As she left two days before he did, they may have gone from forty to sixty miles along the road, to some place where he may have joined them.The men who carried her off may either have come back or gone on with him.If they wanted to go south they would go on; if they did not, he would probably have only hired them to carry her off and hand her over to him when he overtook them.I will look at the time.table and see where that train stops.It is a fast train, I see," he said, after consulting it; it stops at Petersburg, fifteen miles on, and at Hicks Ford, which is about fifty miles.I should think the second place was most likely, as the cart could easily have got there in two days.Now, Dan, you had better start tomorrow morning, and spend two days there if necessary; find out if you can if on the twentieth of last month any one noticed a vehicle of any kind, with two rough men in it, and with, perhaps, a negro woman.She might not have been noticed, for she may have been lying tied up in the bottom of the cart, although it is more likely they frightened her by threats into sitting up quiet with them.They are sure not to have stopped at any decout hotel, but will have gone to some small place, probably just outside the town.
