“The general was to be home at eight--so his wife said. I think I will go up there, as I want to be off in the morning stage, if possible. Can you let me have breakfast at half-past six?”
“Certainly, Mr. Carter.”
“All right. Just send somebody in time to wake me up for it. I am liable to oversleep myself.”
“I won’t forget.”
The man with the red whiskers rose, and, putting on his hat, took his way to the residence of General Wall. It may be imagined with what feelings Walter listened to the details of the plot by which he was to have lost his property. It was clear that the despised mining stock was worth fifty thousand dollars, and with the information he had acquired he could doubtless obtain that sum. He would be rich once more! How this would affect his plans he could not yet determine. One thing he did, however. He wrote another letter to Mr. Shaw, giving him a full account of what he had overheard, and asking his advice in the matter.
CHAPTER XXX
A DISCOURAGING SEARCH.
When we took leave of Joshua Drummond, several chapters back, he was about to start for Chicago. New York was too near Stapleton to make it a safe place of residence. Joshua knew his father, and understood how he must be affected by his running away, and more than all by the loss of the government bond. In Chicago he would feel safe, and accordingly he bought a ticket to that city. He had never traveled, and dreaded the experience; but his apprehensions were soon succeeded by greater confidence, and in due time he landed in the busy Western city.
He first went to a hotel, but was dismayed on finding the charge to be three dollars per day. In his opinion this was enough for a week’s board. He remembered Sam’s advice to seek out a cheap boarding house, and decided to seek one out without delay. He picked up a copy of the Chicago Tribune in the reading-room of the hotel, and took down the numbers of three houses where board was offered to the public. He put down the numbers on a piece of paper, and started out in search of them.
The first was a large and handsome house, on a fashionable street. It is needless to say that Joshua found the prices altogether above the figure he was willing to pay. The second was cheap and dirty. The third was a respectable-looking place, and would just suit him, so he thought.