“The check may throw some light upon the subject, however,” he told himself; and, with this thought in his mind, he made his way into the baggage-car, where, he soon found Allison’s portmanteau, but which, alas! had no name upon it.
When the débris was removed from the track, the uninjured cars were transferred to their proper pathway, where they were attached to another ingoing train, while the injured were made as comfortable as circumstances would permit, the dead being placed in a baggage-car.
All save Allison, the old gentleman who had constituted himself the guardian of her lifeless form refusing to allow any one else to touch her.
He carried her in his arms to a stateroom of one of the parlor-cars, where he laid her upon a berth and then sat down beside her to keep guard over her until they should arrive in the city, when he knew he would be obliged to yield the body up to the proper authorities, to be retained for identification.
As we already know, Allison had informed no one of her intention of going to Boston to put herself under the protection of the Mannings.
She had simply told Mrs. Hubbard that she was going to New York, and might not return that day.
As she had sometimes remained overnight with one of her up-town friends, John Hubbard did not experience any uneasiness when she failed to make her appearance that evening.
He knew that she was bitterly angry with him, and it was not surprising that she should wish to get away from his presence for a time. Possibly she had even gone to consult some lawyer with reference to her affairs, but he only smiled viciously at this thought, for he believed that his plans had been so cleverly devised that there was not the ghost of a chance of their being overthrown.