HAL IN A NEW ROLE.
Instead of continuing toward the East River, Dick Ferris soon turned
northward and presently reached Grand Street.
This neighborhood was entirely new to Hal, and he was at once satisfied
that the tall boy was not going to pay a visit to Tommy Macklin.
Passing down Grand Street, Ferris presently came to a tall, white
building, with a large open hall-way, the entrance to which was covered
on either side with signs.
Entering the hall-way, Ferris mounted the stairs to the third floor, and
then passed to a small office in the rear.
Hal was not far behind, and he had no difficulty in locating the
apartment Ferris entered.
The upper part of the office door contained a ground-glass panel, upon
which was painted in black letters:
ROBERT E. HAMILTON,
FINE LAW AND BLANK PRINTING.
For a second Hal studied how to get into the place, but soon an idea
struck him, and he lost no time in entering.
He saw Ferris in earnest conversation at a small counter, which ran
across the office, which was narrow but quite deep. Hal edged up and
listened to what passed between the tall youth and a man in charge.
Ferris had a number of slips in his hand, and these the proprietor was
examining with great care.
"You wish all of them duplicated?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Dick Ferris.
"It's a nice piece of work."
"I suppose it is, but the firm is willing to pay for it."
"Who are the blanks for?"
"Mr. Albert Schwartz. But I am to call for them."
"I do not know the gentleman."
"I will leave a deposit on the work," replied Ferris, promptly.
"Oh, all right! And how many of each of these blanks do you want?"
"Twenty of each."
"What! No more?"
"No. Next year we are going to have an entirely new set. If you do these
right, Mr. Schwartz says he may give you the new work."
"I'll do them in the best style. How soon do you want them?"
"As soon as possible. We are in a great hurry for them."
"In two days do?"
"Oh, yes!"
"Very well. They will cost thirty-six dollars."
"As much as that?"
"Yes. I will have to take my workmen from another job, and we always
charge a little more for a rush."
"How much of a deposit shall I leave?"
"Five dollars will do."
"Then here you are."
Dick Ferris pulled a five-dollar bill from his pocket, and, after
receiving his receipt, walked out of the office.
He glanced at Hal as he passed, but our hero's back was turned to him,
and Hal seemed to be interested in some prints which hung upon the wall.
"Now, sir, what can I do for you?" questioned the proprietor, turning to
Hal.
He left the slips Ferris had brought lying upon the counter.
"I would like to know how much you charge for printing wedding
invitations," replied Hal, approaching the counter where the slips lay.
"Wedding invitations, eh?" The proprietor smiled. "Here is a young man
about to get married," he thought. "By his looks, I think, he wants
something rather nice."
"Yes, sir," said Hal.
"With an engraved plate, I suppose?"
"Of course."
"I'll show you our book of specimens."
The man turned away to where a number of books were lying upon a side
desk. As he did so, Hal carelessly picked up the slips Ferris had left
and examined them.
He could make nothing of them, excepting that one had the words: "Bonds
of the Second Class, receivable," printed across its face, and another,
"Sumner, Allen & Co. Transfer Slip of Limited Calls, December."
"Here you are," said the man, coming up with one of the books, and he
gathered up the slips and put them away with a memorandum.
Hal looked over the book, and noted down the prices of several styles of
invitations.
"I do not want to order," he said. "I merely wanted the prices."
"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."
Dick Ferris walked up Grand Street until he came to Broadway. Here he
stood upon the corner, and presently waved his hand toward a passing
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 passed the pair, but did not catch a word of what was said. Nor did
the young watcher notice Dick 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 passed into the lumber-yard and out of Hal's sight. Wondering what
had become of them, the boy passed 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 shins 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.
As he paused, examining the tracks, he heard a noise behind him, and,
turning, he found himself confronted by Hardwick.
"I want to know what you are following me about for?" demanded the man,
savagely.