young randolph handed ray into the
carriage with just enough embarrassment
in his manner to interest her.
Ray Goldwin looked at him with surprise; and his handsome face and fine form attracted even more than a passing glance from her.
“I want to run up to the corner of Broadway,” said Mr. Goldwin, when they had reached the door. “John, you may call for me,” he continued, addressing the coachman; “I will be ready by the time you get there.”
Young Randolph handed Ray into the carriage, with just enough embarrassment in his manner to interest her. Then he placed the parcels on the seat beside her, receiving meanwhile a smile and a look that fully rewarded him. Raising his hat, he turned away, and as the coachman drove off he made a hasty retreat for the bank, from which the sunshine now seemed to have departed.
When he started for home at the close of business hours, two figures stood on the opposite side of the street, a little nearer Broadway.
As Herbert opened the outer door, preparatory to passing out, he took a position that brought his eyes directly upon them. One of them, uneasily, but perhaps quite naturally, placed a hand on the shoulder of his companion, while with the other he pointed directly at Herbert. Then, as if realizing that possibly he had been detected in this act, he nervously pointed to something on the top of the building, and all the while talked rapidly. This was sufficient to arrest our hero’s attention. He watched the two sharply for a few minutes while standing upon the steps of the banking house.
Under his direct gaze they appeared somewhat nervous, and finally moved off in the direction of Broadway. Herbert followed them, or rather followed out his purpose to go up to City Hall Park, and find, if possible, Bob Hunter. Before reaching Broadway, however, the two young fellows who had pointed at him stopped and peered into a show window, thus bringing their backs full upon Herbert as he passed them.
He knew so little of city life that he was slow to form an opinion, thinking that what seemed odd and suspicious to him would perhaps be all right in New York. He therefore dismissed the matter from his mind, and watched with amazement the crowds of men who at that hour of the day were pouring up Broadway, on their way home from business.
“What a great city this is!” he thought; “and it is American, too. I wonder if any of the cities of the Old World can turn out such a lot of business men as these!”
The boy was right in asking himself this question. The wonder he felt was natural, for a finer body of men can rarely be found than the business men of New York. And now he joined the stream that flowed northward. The massive buildings, tall and stately, on either side of Broadway, captured his admiration, and he gazed upon them with open mouthed amazement.