Carmen's Messenger

by Harold Bindloss

  XXVI

  THE REAL-ESTATE AGENT

  Next morning Foster got up in the dark and walked briskly down the mainstreet to the bridge. Lights were beginning to blink in the houses hepassed and there was a pungent smell of burning wood. In front, theforest rolled upwards in a blurred, dark mass, but he could not see themountains. The air was still and felt damp upon his skin, and he knewa sudden rise of temperature accounted for the obscurity. The mainthing, however, was that there was nobody to watch him, and he set offalong the road he had taken on the previous night.

  He had some trouble to keep the trail when he plunged in among thetrees, but day had broken when he reached the clearing, and a faintgray light shone through the haze. There was no obvious reason why thestranger's disappearance at the spot should interest him, but hissuspicions were quickly excited and it looked as if the fellow hadtried to make his acquaintance in order to learn his business in thetown. He had come early, hoping to find footprints that might give hima hint, but was disappointed. There were a number of marks, but theyhad lost their sharpness and he could not tell which had been maderecently.

  In the meantime, the light was growing and he saw that the shack at thefoot of the rocks had partly fallen down. Thick wooden beams and propslay beside the ironwork he had noticed on his last visit. It wasobvious that he was looking at a mineral claim that had been abandonedafter some development work had been done, while the trampled snowindicated that somebody had been removing the material not long since.Passing the heap of rusty iron, from which the snow was beginning toshrink, he found a narrow opening in the foot of the hill. This was atest adit, and the tilt of the strata indicated that its slope wassteep. The stone that had been taken out showed that it did notpenetrate far, and Foster saw no reason for entering.

  He next studied the rocks, and although he saw no path, imagined thatone could get up that way, but could not see why anybody should wish todo so, and the snow did not seem to have been disturbed. After aminute or two he turned back into the wood with a gesture ofdisappointment.

  The man he had followed had apparently come there to meet somebody, butalthough the mine was conveniently near the town it was a cold andcheerless spot for a rendezvous, Foster surmised from this that secrecywas important, but after all there was nothing to indicate that thematter had anything to do with him. As he went back he heard a musicalhumming in the tops of the pines and a lump of wet snow, slipping froma branch, struck his face. The humming grew louder until the wood wasfilled with sound, and he began to feel clammy and hot. A warm Chinookwind from the Pacific was sweeping up the valley, driving back thefrost.

  When he reached the town the snow was wet and the lights were out, butthe post office was open, and having telegraphed his new address, hewent in to ask if there was any mail for him. A girl was busy behind alettered brass wicket, but did not look up, and Foster saw the man inwhom he was interested standing among some others farther along thecounter. The fellow came towards him.

  "Been for a walk?" he said. "You get up early."

  "I'm used to that," Foster answered with a careless smile. "Anyhow, Iwant my mail, and you enjoy breakfast better if you've been out first."

  "Sure thing," agreed the other. "But you want to put on rubber shoeswhen a Chinook wind strikes this town."

  Then the girl clerk looked up and when Foster inquired for lettersthrew him two. His companion asked for his, giving the name ofTelford, and she indicated the lettering on the wicket.

  "Farther along, where you came from! Can't you read the alphabet?"

  "I can, now I see it," said the other good-humoredly as he turned back.

  On the whole, Foster was glad he had picked up the letters as the girlthrew them down. It is customary in Western cities for people to callfor their mail and girl clerks are sometimes curt, but she seemed tothink it strange that the fellow had come to the wrong wicket. If hehad had an object for doing so, he had learned Foster's name, but thelatter did not think he had seen the postmarks or that one letter hadan English stamp. Still, he had noted that Foster's boots were wet,which indicated that the latter had gone farther than the post office.

  He went out before he opened the envelopes, and then glancing at theletters put them in his pocket with a thrill of satisfaction, meaningto read them carefully after breakfast. Entering the hotel, he hung uphis coat and went to the dining-room. He was promptly served, and whenhe went out after finishing his meal, saw Telford, who had apparentlyjust returned from the post office, standing in the passage, which wasrather dark. It looked as if he had been hanging up his coat, but hestood near Foster's, and then moved on abruptly as another man came up.

  Foster met them and saw that the last was the man whom he hadhalf-suspected of watching Telford on the first evening. As he passed,he took the letters from his coat, and entering the rotunda sat downand lighted his pipe. It was possible that Telford had meant to searchhis pockets, but had been prevented by the appearance of the other, andFoster frowned. He was feeling the strain of the constant watchfulnessand getting tired of intrigue. As a matter of fact, he hated that kindof thing, and it would be a keen relief when he could attend to hisproper business and finish with the need for caution. In the meantime,he did not know if he had found a fresh clew or not. After all, he hadnot much ground for suspecting Telford.

  Then Foster forgot his perplexities as he took out the letters. Thefirst was from Lucy Stephen, who said that the doctor had visitedLawrence and was satisfied with his progress. She added that Fosterknew Lawrence disliked writing letters, but she wanted to reassure himand wish him good luck. The note was short, but seemed to put Fosteron a footing of intimate friendship that he was grateful for, and hethought Lucy had written with this object.

  The other was from Alice Featherstone and his heart beat as he studiedit. She did not say much; they had still no news of Lawrence and herfather was very restless and anxious, while she feared her mother feltthe suspense. But she knew Foster would make every effort and wouldnot fail them; there was nobody else who could help. All she saidstruck a note of quiet confidence. Her faith was unshaken; she trustedhim.

  Foster thrilled and his weariness and dejection vanished. Alice wouldhave got Lawrence's telegram soon after she wrote and she had proof ofhis honesty now. Still, he had only kept half his promise, andalthough he had undertaken a task that needed abilities he doubted ifhe possessed, he meant to keep the other half. He was hemmed in bydifficulties and might make mistakes, but somehow he was going to makegood.

  For a time he sat in a corner, recalling what Alice had said in Englandand how she had looked. He pictured her standing in the dark-paneledlibrary at the Garth, with eyes that sparkled as she spoke in hisdefense, sitting with a smile in the half-light by the big hearth inthe hall, and waiting for him in the orchard. She moved through allthe scenes with the same calm grace; even in her anger--and he had seenher angry--there was a proud reserve. But Alice stood above all otherwomen; there was nobody like her.

  Then he got up with a resolute movement. Dreams and memories would nothelp, and he must get to work. To begin with, he would try to find outsomething about Telford, and went to the office, where the clerk wasunoccupied. As a rule, nobody knows more about everybody else'sbusiness than the clerk of a Western hotel.

  "Is there much doing in real estate just now?" he asked.

  "There will be soon. The mines are paying well and the bosses areplanning new developments. Then there's a big scheme for opening upthe ranching land in the bench country. That means a bigger city. Areyou looking for building lots?"

  "My line's dressed lumber, but when you get a building boom you wantmaterial. I suppose Mr. Telford does a good trade?"

  "Talks as if he was going to, but he hasn't begun yet," the clerkreplied with a smile that hinted that he had expected the inquiry.

  "Then he hasn't been here long?"

  "Only came into town a week since," said the clerk, rather dryly."When things look
like humming these fellows generally do come along.But you want to go slow when you deal with a real-estate man, unlessyou know all about him."

  "Yes," said Foster thoughtfully, "as a rule, that's true. Thank you,anyhow."

  He went back to his seat and lighted his pipe again. He had learnedthat Telford was a stranger and had apparently thought it advisable toaccount for his visiting the town. Foster saw that he ought to haveguessed the fellow was not a resident when he asked for his mail,because had he been in business in the city he would have had hisprivate box at the post office. Moreover he imagined that the clerkknew he really wanted to find out something about Telford, and thoughthim clumsy, but this did not matter. He had been told he had aningenuous look, which was rather an advantage, since it suited the parthe meant to play. He did not want people to think him clever, but theymust not suspect that he was pretending to be dull. Remembering hismistakes, he smiled as he admitted that there was not much danger ofthis. By and by Telford came in and sat down in the next chair.

  "Nothing doing this morning and the street's all mush," he said. "Ifyou're not busy, would you like a game of pool?"

  Foster agreed. His only business was to find out Telford's, and theman had given him an opportunity. The pool room is an institution inCanadian towns, but is not, as a rule, much frequented in the morningwhen trade is good. They had no trouble in getting a table and beganto play for a small stake, which Telford insisted on. Foster did notknow much about pool, and indeed had seldom had time for games, but hehad a steady hand and, somewhat to his surprise, won. Telford, whoraised the stake, won the next game, but was afterwards beaten.

  In the meantime, Foster had studied his game. The man made some cleverstrokes, but bungled others. He was not steady enough, but on thewhole Foster imagined he meant to let him win. For all that, he didnot think the other was playing a common trick with the object ofleading him on. The amount of the stake was not large enough for this.

  "Well," said Telford, "I guess you're too good for me. Suppose we sitdown and take a smoke. I'll play you again another day."

  "What you want to do is to let up on the drinks the night before,"remarked a man who was standing by. "If you were as cool and steady ashe is, you'd beat him easy."

  "Perhaps that's so," said Telford with a good-humored laugh and gaveFoster a cigar.

  "Are you going to make expenses this trip?" he asked.

  "I can't say yet," Foster replied. "Anyhow, you don't lose much bytaking a look round, and I sometimes go outside my regular line."

  "Well, if you feel like speculating in building lots, I might put youwise."

  Foster pondered. He knew that gambling on unused land was popular inCanada, in spite of taxes planned to prevent it, and while there arerespectable real estate agents, the fringe of the profession isoccupied by sharpers who prey upon what is fast becoming a nationalvice. Confiding strangers with money to invest are often swindled, andthere was an obvious motive for Telford's trying to cultivate hisacquaintance. On the whole, however, he did not think the fellow meantto victimize him in this way, though he was perhaps willing that Fostershould suspect him of such a plan. If so, it might be better toindulge him.

  "As a rule, I have a use for all the money I've got," he remarked."Still if I could find a lot that was bound to go up----"

  The other followed the lead and talked about city extension and thedevelopment of the neighboring land. He seemed to know his subject,and Foster was beginning to think his suspicions mistaken when Telfordcarelessly interpolated a few adroit questions about his usualoccupation. The questions were difficult to answer without tellingmore than it was advisable that the other should know, or, what wasequally to be avoided, showing that Foster was on his guard. He wasnow nearly sure that the fellow was an accomplice of Daly's, and theline he had resolved on would be difficult.

  He had to deal with a clever rogue who probably knew something abouthim and meant to find out more. In consequence, there was no use intrying to pose as an unsophisticated simpleton; he must, so to speak,play up to the fellow and persuade him that any suspicions heentertained were about the latter's designs upon his money. With thisobject, he disputed some of Telford's opinions and presently proved astatement of his wrong.

  Telford looked embarrassed and Foster thought he did it very well.

  "Perhaps I was putting it a bit too high, but the deal ought to turnout a snap if you can wait a while," he said, and laughed. "AnyhowI've got to give you bedrock facts after the way you caught me out.Say, you're pretty smart!"

  "You're apt to get stung over a land deal unless you're careful,"Foster modestly replied.

  It was a relief when Telford said they would stop talking business andproposed a visit to a bar. Foster felt mentally exhausted and thoughta drink would brace him. He did not see Telford at dinner and kept outof his way during the afternoon, but the man came into the dining-roomwhen supper was served. The room was large and furnished with separatetables, but Foster thought he knew the faces of the regular customersand noticed that a stranger sat at a table by himself.

  Telford made for this table, which seemed natural, since there was mostroom there, but a few moments afterwards the man whom Foster suspectedof watching him left his place. Crossing the floor carelessly, but insuch a way that a pillar hid his approach, he sat down near the othertwo. Foster admitted that he might not have remarked this had he notbeen suspicious and keenly watchful. The thing looked significant,particularly when a waitress came across, frowning, with some dishes.The man must have had an object for changing his place after he hadgiven his order, because in the small Canadian towns waitresses dealfirmly with troublesome customers.

  Telford did not seem to know the stranger and did not speak until theman politely handed him a cruet-stand. He did not say much after this,but Foster could not see him without leaning forward, because someother people sat down between. Still he felt a puzzling curiosityabout the fellow, and after supper went to the rotunda where the manpresently sat down not far off. He was young and vigorous, but walkedwith a slight limp as if one knee was stiff. His eyes were dark and hehad a rather engaging smile when one of the rest offered him anewspaper. Telford was not about, but the other man strolled in.

  Foster's curiosity got stronger. He could not remember having met theman he was studying, but had a vague feeling that he ought to know him.The strange thing was that he had not expected him to limp, but thiswas perhaps accounted for by his athletic figure. After a time, thefellow put down the newspaper and went off towards the bar, whileFoster, who found he had run out of tobacco, went to his room.

  When he got out of the elevator, he saw the other going along a passagein front, which he thought curious, because he could not have stayedmore than a few moments in the bar. Moreover his limp was notnoticeable now he imagined himself alone. Foster went on quietly,keeping his distance, and knitted his brows in thoughtful surprise whenthe other opened a door. The man, who did not seem to know Telford,had gone into his room.

  When the door shut he heard another step and saw, as he hadhalf-expected, the man who had watched Telford entering the passage,Foster immediately turned his head and went on to his room, where hesat down in the nearest chair. He had got something of a shock, sincehe now knew why he had studied the fellow with the limp. His brain hadbeen unconsciously occupied with a description Lucy Stephen had givenhim. The man who had gone into Telford's room was Walters.