SHOWING THEM.
When Owen Sheridan arrived at Chicago, the following day, he proceeded
at once to the address given in the telegram. He guessed that this was
the boarding house in which Chester Worthington, Dallas’ brother,
resided, and as it was Sunday, there would be, of course, no use in
looking up that young man at his place of business.
No. 89 Dulwich Street proved to be a nice-looking house on a quiet
street. Owen hoped to find Dallas there, for it seemed probable that the
girl while in Chicago would stay under the same roof as her brother. But
as he drew near he suddenly stopped short, and, uttering an exclamation
of astonishment, darted into a convenient doorway to avoid being seen by
a man who was ascending the stoop.
This man was stout, red-faced, flashily dressed, and wore a gaudy
necktie, from the center of which flashed a huge diamond. It was the
sight of him which had caused Owen such agitation, for he recognized the
fellow immediately as Jake Hines, fugitive from justice, and his
unsuccessful rival in love.
“Good heavens!” gasped Owen. “What can this mean? Is it possible that
the rascal can have anything to do with Dallas’ coming to Chicago? It’s
a lucky thing I’m here.”
He waited until the door of No. 89 had closed behind Hines, then he came
out of his place of concealment, and hurried toward the house. A
pleasant-looking woman responded to his ring at the doorbell, and he
questioned her abruptly: “That man who just came in here--where did he
go?”
“You mean Mr. Fitzgerald, I presume?”
“That’s probably the name he goes under,” said Owen, realizing that it
was not unlikely that Mr. Hines, being a fugitive from justice, had
assumed an alias. “Does he reside here?”
The woman regarded her excited visitor with cold suspicion. “Before I
answer any questions, sir, I must know who you are and what
business----”
Owen, without waiting for her to finish, displayed his badge, at sight
of which her manner changed.
“Oh, is that the kind of a man Mr. Fitzgerald is?” she exclaimed. “Well,
I’m not surprised to hear it. I took a dislike to him the first time I
saw him.”
“Oh, then he does live here?”
“No; but he comes here quite often to visit one of our boarders, sir--a
Mr. Worthington--and it’s up to his room that he’s gone now.”
“And is Miss---- Is anybody else up there with them?” inquired Owen,
with great eagerness.
“Yes, sir; Mr. Worthington’s sister from New York. She arrived here
yesterday, and has the room next to her brother’s. She’s up in her room
now--the second-floor rear--and----”
Without waiting to hear any more Owen rushed up the stairway, and paused
before a closed door, from behind which the deep voice of Jake Hines
could be plainly heard.