Dropping his cudgel, since he would have no use for it, Benson made his way down the alley to the street beyond. At the corner stood a small grocery store, whose proprietor was in the doorway.
"I wonder," began Jack, "whether you saw a woman came down out of this alley-way lately? A tall woman?"
"About twenty minutes ago I saw a tall woman, in a gray dress and wearing a gray veil," replied the storekeeper.
"Was she carrying anything?"
"Some sort of a grip—a suit case, I guess."
"Did you ever see the woman before?" persisted Jack.
The storekeeper shook his head.
"Which way did the woman go?"
"I don't remember, particularly, but I think down that way," replied the grocer, pointing.
Jack hurried along. It was a quiet part of the town. None of the people to whom he spoke within the next three or four minutes remembered having seen the tall, veiled woman in gray, though some "thought" they "might have."