Joe The Hotel Boy [49]
House.
"That settles it, I'm off," said our hero, and bought a ticket for the great city by the lakes without delay. Then he said good-bye to the Talmadges and the Gussings, and boarded the train at sundown.
Joe was now getting used to traveling and no longer felt green and out of place. He had engaged a berth, and took his ease until it was time to go to bed. Arriving at Chicago he made his way without delay to the Palmer House.
He found the hotel crowded and had some difficulty in getting a room. Mr. Maurice Vane had not yet arrived.
"I guess I'll leave a note for him," thought our hero, and sauntered into the reading-room to pen the communication.
While Joe was writing, two men came into the room and sat down behind a pillar that was close at hand. They were in earnest conversation and he could not help but catch what was said.
"You say he is coming West?" said one of the pair.
"Yes,--he started yesterday."
"And he has found out that the mine is really valuable?"
"I think so. Anyway he is quite excited about it. He sent a telegram to that boy, too."
"The hotel boy you mean?"
"Yes."
So the talk ran on and Joe at length got up to take a look at the two men. They were Gaff Caven and Pat Malone. At once our hero drew out of sight again.
"How can you get the best of Vane, Gaff?" asked Malone, after a pause.
"There is but one way, Malone."
"And that is?"
"Can I trust you?"
"Haven't you trusted me before?"
"We must--" Caven paused. "We won't talk about it in this public place. Come to my room and I'll lay my plan before you."
Then the two arose and left the reading-room as rapidly as they had entered it.
CHAPTER XXVI.
HOW A SATCHEL DISAPPEARED.
"They certainly mean mischief," Joe told himself, after the two men had vanished. He saw them enter an elevator, but did not know at what floor they alighted.
Looking over the hotel register he was unable to find the names of either Caven or Malone, or even Ball. Evidently the rascals were traveling under other names now.
"They'll bear watching," he concluded. "I must put Mr. Vane on guard as soon as he comes in."
He gave up the idea of leaving a note and took his station in the corridor of the hotel. After waiting about two hours he saw a well-known form approaching, dress-suit case in hand.
"Mr. Vane!"
"Oh, Joe, so you're here already! I'm glad I won't have to wait for you."
"I'm afraid you won't be able to get a room, Mr. Vane. But you can have mine."
"I telegraphed ahead for a room, Joe."
"Do you know that your enemies are here?" went on our hero.
"My enemies?"
"Gaff Caven and Pat Malone. But they are traveling under other names."
"Have they seen you?"
"I think not, sir."
Mr. Vane soon had his room assigned to him and he and our hero passed up in the elevator. As soon as they were in the apartment by themselves, Joe related what he had seen and heard.
"They are certainly on my trail," mused Maurice Vane. "And they must have kept pretty close or they wouldn't know that I had asked you to accompany me."
"They have some plot, Mr. Vane."
"Have you any idea what it is?"
"No, sir, excepting that they are going to try to do you out of your interest in that mine."
Maurice Vane and Joe talked the matter over for an hour, but without satisfaction. Then they went to the dining room for something to eat.
"We start for Montana in the morning," said the gentleman. "I think the quicker I get on the ground the better it will be for me."
Although Maurice Vane and Joe did not know it, both were shadowed by Caven and Malone. The two rascals had disguised themselves by donning false beards and putting on spectacles.
"They leave in the morning," said Caven. "Malone, we must get tickets for the same train, and, if possible, the same sleeping car."
"It's dangerous work," grumbled Pat Malone.
"If you want to back out, say so, and I'll go it alone."
"I don't want to back out. But we must be careful."
"I'll be careful, don't fear," answered
"That settles it, I'm off," said our hero, and bought a ticket for the great city by the lakes without delay. Then he said good-bye to the Talmadges and the Gussings, and boarded the train at sundown.
Joe was now getting used to traveling and no longer felt green and out of place. He had engaged a berth, and took his ease until it was time to go to bed. Arriving at Chicago he made his way without delay to the Palmer House.
He found the hotel crowded and had some difficulty in getting a room. Mr. Maurice Vane had not yet arrived.
"I guess I'll leave a note for him," thought our hero, and sauntered into the reading-room to pen the communication.
While Joe was writing, two men came into the room and sat down behind a pillar that was close at hand. They were in earnest conversation and he could not help but catch what was said.
"You say he is coming West?" said one of the pair.
"Yes,--he started yesterday."
"And he has found out that the mine is really valuable?"
"I think so. Anyway he is quite excited about it. He sent a telegram to that boy, too."
"The hotel boy you mean?"
"Yes."
So the talk ran on and Joe at length got up to take a look at the two men. They were Gaff Caven and Pat Malone. At once our hero drew out of sight again.
"How can you get the best of Vane, Gaff?" asked Malone, after a pause.
"There is but one way, Malone."
"And that is?"
"Can I trust you?"
"Haven't you trusted me before?"
"We must--" Caven paused. "We won't talk about it in this public place. Come to my room and I'll lay my plan before you."
Then the two arose and left the reading-room as rapidly as they had entered it.
CHAPTER XXVI.
HOW A SATCHEL DISAPPEARED.
"They certainly mean mischief," Joe told himself, after the two men had vanished. He saw them enter an elevator, but did not know at what floor they alighted.
Looking over the hotel register he was unable to find the names of either Caven or Malone, or even Ball. Evidently the rascals were traveling under other names now.
"They'll bear watching," he concluded. "I must put Mr. Vane on guard as soon as he comes in."
He gave up the idea of leaving a note and took his station in the corridor of the hotel. After waiting about two hours he saw a well-known form approaching, dress-suit case in hand.
"Mr. Vane!"
"Oh, Joe, so you're here already! I'm glad I won't have to wait for you."
"I'm afraid you won't be able to get a room, Mr. Vane. But you can have mine."
"I telegraphed ahead for a room, Joe."
"Do you know that your enemies are here?" went on our hero.
"My enemies?"
"Gaff Caven and Pat Malone. But they are traveling under other names."
"Have they seen you?"
"I think not, sir."
Mr. Vane soon had his room assigned to him and he and our hero passed up in the elevator. As soon as they were in the apartment by themselves, Joe related what he had seen and heard.
"They are certainly on my trail," mused Maurice Vane. "And they must have kept pretty close or they wouldn't know that I had asked you to accompany me."
"They have some plot, Mr. Vane."
"Have you any idea what it is?"
"No, sir, excepting that they are going to try to do you out of your interest in that mine."
Maurice Vane and Joe talked the matter over for an hour, but without satisfaction. Then they went to the dining room for something to eat.
"We start for Montana in the morning," said the gentleman. "I think the quicker I get on the ground the better it will be for me."
Although Maurice Vane and Joe did not know it, both were shadowed by Caven and Malone. The two rascals had disguised themselves by donning false beards and putting on spectacles.
"They leave in the morning," said Caven. "Malone, we must get tickets for the same train, and, if possible, the same sleeping car."
"It's dangerous work," grumbled Pat Malone.
"If you want to back out, say so, and I'll go it alone."
"I don't want to back out. But we must be careful."
"I'll be careful, don't fear," answered