“He bought a ticket for Galveston, Texas,” whispered Randy excitedly. “What do you think we ought to do?”
“We might have him held, but I think the best thing we can do is to let him go on. If he’s in this plot and going to Galveston, he’s doing it for a purpose. Let’s make sure he gets on the train and find out if we can just what Pullman car he takes and what the number of the train is. Then, if the police want to do anything, they can have him arrested on the way.”
They watched Ken Greene go through the gate and then Randy persuaded the gateman to allow him to pass without a ticket, stating that it was a matter of great importance concerning a fellow who had just gone on ahead. Then Randy, still keeping out of sight, saw Greene enter car No. 4 and take a seat by one of the windows. A few minutes later the train rumbled away out of the station.
“Well, that’s that!” said Randy, as he rejoined his brother. “We’ve got the number of the train and the number of the car and I know he’s seated on the left-hand side about the center, so the authorities can locate him almost anywhere along the line.”
“Now that he’s gone, might it not pay to go back to the boarding house and see if we can learn something more about him?” suggested Andy. “His boarding mistress might tell us something that would be valuable.”
It did not take the twins long to return to the boarding house. There they found out that the boarding mistress was in a hospital and that a girl scarcely more than their own age was in charge.
“Yes, Mr. Greene left just a short while ago,” said the girl. “He had gotten word that an aunt of his was sick and that he would have to go and see her immediately.”
“Did he say where the aunt lived or what her name was?” questioned Randy.
“Why, he said the aunt lived in Rochester and that her name was Sobber—Mrs. Arabella Sobber.”
“Did he say when he would be back?”