the
various little tables. Vincent seated himself at one of these and
ordered something to drink. As the negro placed it on the table he said:

"I will give you a dollar if you will answer a few questions."

"Very good, sah. Dat am a mighty easy to earn dollar."

"Do you remember, about a month ago, a man named Pearson being here?"

The negro shook his head.

"Me not know de names ob de gentlemen, sah. What was de man like?"

"He was tall and thin, with short hair and a gray goatee--a regular
Yankee."

"Me remember him, sah. Dar used to be plenty ob dat sort here. Don't see
dem much now. Me remember de man, sah, quite well. Used to pass most of
de day here. Didn't seem to have nuffin to do."

"Was he always alone, or did he have many people here to see him?"

"Once dar war two men wid him, sah, sitting at dat table ober in de
corner. Rough-looking fellows dey war. In old times people like dat
wouldn't come to a 'spectable hotel, but now eberyone got rough clothes,
can't get no others, so one don't tink nuffin about it; but dose fellows
was rough-looking besides dar clothes. Didn't like dar looks nohow. Dey
only came here once. Dey was de only strangers that came to see him. But
once Massa Jackson--me know him by sight--he came here and talk wid him
for a long time. Dey talk in low voice, and I noticed dey stopped
talking when anyone sat down near dem."

"You don't know where he went to from here, I suppose?"

"No, sah; dat not my compartment. Perhaps de outside porter will know.
Like enough he takes his tings in hand-truck to station. You like to see
him, sah?"

"Yes, I should like to have a minute's talk with him. Here is your
dollar."

The waiter rang a bell, and a minute later the outdoor porter presented
himself.

"You recommember taking some tings to station for a tall man with gray
goatee, Pomp?" the waiter asked. "It was more dan three weeks ago. I
tink he went before it was light in de morning. Me seem to remember
dat."

The negro nodded.

"Me remember him bery well, sah. Tree heavy boxes and one bag, and he
only gave me a quarter dollar for taking dem to de station. Mighty mean
man dat."

"Do you know what train he went by?"

"Yes, sah, it was de six o'clock train for de Souf."

"You can't find out where his luggage was checked for?"

"I can go down to station, sah, and see if I can find out. Some of de
men thar may remember."

"Here is a dollar for yourself," Vincent said, "and anot