"No, she hasn’t, and I can’t understand what’s keeping her."
Without stopping to say another word, Owen hurried around to Dallas’ boarding house. It was ridiculous, of course, to suspect that she could have stolen that letter; but the mystery must be cleared up immediately.
"Where’s Miss Worthington?" he inquired of the landlady, who came to the door in response to his ring.
"I couldn’t tell you, Mr. Sheridan," the woman answered; "she left here last night."
"Left last night!" repeated Owen blankly.
"Yes; she came in here just before supper time, rushed up to her room, packed her suit case, and hurried out of the house as if a thousand demons were after her."
CHAPTER XVI.
THE PINK ENVELOPE.
For a moment Post-office Inspector Owen Sheridan stood staring stupidly at Dallas Worthington’s landlady, appalled by the significance of what the woman had just told him.
"Gone!" he exclaimed dazedly, at last, "and with her suit case. But didn’t she say where she was going, Mrs. O’Brien? Didn’t she tell you when she’d be back?"
"No, sir; not a word. She rushed out of the house like a creature possessed. In all the while I’ve known her I’ve never seen her in such a state. She’s usually such a calm, dignified young woman, as well you know, Mr. Sheridan. If it wasn’t that she left her trunk behind her, and that she don’t impress me as bein’ at all that kind of person, I’d be inclined to think that she’d skipped to beat her board bill; she owes me three weeks’ board. I’ve been gettin’ nothing but excuses and promises from her lately."