He had turned his face to the front, but I could see that he was agitated, and was holding himself under with a strong hand. As I walked beside him and noted his fine physique, the well-set head and clear-cut features, I felt genuinely attracted toward the manly fellow, and wondered what was the secret of his interest in that lovely girl, whom he had yet shunned; for, looking back upon the events of the previous day, I could see that he had purposely held aloof from the moment when he saw that a champion and protector was at hand.
'I had thought,' he said after a little, 'that is, I fancied there might be something—some clue to her whereabouts in the bag.'
'It was not complete,' I answered. 'When I could not overtake her, and the brunette did not recommend herself to my confidence, I opened the bag, after some hesitation.'
'Yes?' The syllable was a direct and eager question.
'I found nothing by way of identification save two letters, both unsealed, and these, after some reluctance, I opened.'
'Ah!' A trifle stiffly.
'The first was from a lady in Boston to a lady here at the World's Fair.'
'Indeed!' A freer tone, almost a sigh of relief.
'This gave me so little information that I was obliged to open the second letter, which was written, I suppose, by the owner of the bag, and not as yet posted; even this did not give me her address.'
'How strange!'