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Carmen's Messenger by Harold Bindloss
page 44 of 353 (12%)
freight started one of the men gave him some supper. Then he got into
a bunk and went to sleep.

He caught the next express going east, and on reaching Ottawa, where he
had some time to wait, half expected the man he had helped would come,
or send somebody, to meet him. Although he wore the fur coat and stood
in a conspicuous place, he was not accosted, and presently bought a
newspaper. It threw no light upon the matter, and for a time he walked
up and down, considering if he would go to the police. This was
perhaps his duty, but it looked as if the owner of the coat had not
been molested. After all, the fellow might be an absconding debtor,
and if not it was obvious that he had some reason for keeping his
secret. Foster decided to let him do so, and went back to the train.

When he arrived at Montreal he went to the _Windsor_ as he had been
told, but there was no letter or telegram waiting and none came during
the day or two he stayed. On the evening before he sailed he was
sitting in the large entrance hall, which is a feature of American and
Canadian hotels, when he thought a man some distance off looked hard at
him over his newspaper. Foster only caught a momentary glimpse of his
face, because he held up the paper as if to get a better light and
people were moving about between them; but he thought the man was Daly,
and after a few moments carelessly crossed the floor.

A man sat at the spot he had marked and the chairs on both sides were
unoccupied, but when Foster sat down in the nearest he saw the fellow
was a stranger. This puzzled him, since he did not think he had been
mistaken. It was, however, possible that Daly had been there, but had
moved off quietly when Foster's view was obstructed. If so, he must
have had an object for hiding, and Foster waited some minutes before he
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