Harry Beaufort entered the Metropolitan Hotel with the confidence of a city boy who knew that hotels are places of general resort, and that his entrance would not attract attention. He walked slowly through to the rear, looking about him guardedly to see if he could discover anybody who answered to his idea of Philip Grafton. Had he seen Ben, he would doubtless have supposed that he was the cousin of whom he was in search; but Ben had come in about five o'clock and had gone out again with his friend, the reporter, who had called for him.
Thus Harry looked in vain, and was disposed to think that he would have to leave the hotel with his errand unaccomplished. This he didn't like to do. He concluded, therefore, to go up to the desk and inquire of the clerk.
[100]
"Is there a boy staying here named Philip Grafton?" asked Harry.
"Yes, my boy. Do you want to see him?" returned the clerk.
"Yes, sir, if you please."
"He went out half an hour since," said a bell-boy, who chanced to be near.
"You can leave any message," said the clerk.
"I have a note for him," said Harry, in a doubtful tone.
"I will give it to him when he comes in."
Harry hesitated. He had been told to put the note into Philip's own hand. But there was no knowing when Philip would come in.
"I guess it'll do to leave it," he thought. "Please give it into his own hands," he said; and the clerk carelessly assented.
Harry left the hotel, and five minutes later Richard Grafton, or Major Richard Grafton, as he called himself, entered and walked up to the clerk's desk.
"Any letters or cards for me?" he asked.
"There's a note for your nephew," said the clerk, producing the one just left.
[101]
"Ha!" said the major, pricking up his ears suspiciously. "Very well, I will take it and give it to him."
Of course the clerk presumed that this was all right, and passed it over.
Major Grafton took the note carelessly and sauntered into the reading-room, where he deliberately opened it.
"I must see who is writing to Philip," he said to himself. "It may be necessary to suppress the note."
As he read the note, the contents of which are already familiar to the reader, his brow darkened with anger and anxiety.
"It is fortunate that this came into my hands," he reflected. "It would have puzzled the boy, and had he gone to see these people the murder would have been out and probably my plans would have ended in disaster. There is something about the boy that leads me to doubt whether he would second my plans if he suspected what they were. I must devise some means for throwing these people off the scent and keeping the boy in the dark. What shall I do?"
[102]
After a little reflection, Major Grafton decided to remove at once to a different hotel. He resolved to do it that very night, lest there should be another attempt made to communicate with his young secretary. He must wait, however, till Ben returned.
Half an hour later Ben entered, and found the major walking impatiently up and down the office.
"I thought you would never come back," he said, impatiently.
"I am sorry if I inconvenienced you, sir," Ben said. "I didn't know you wished me back early."
"Come up stairs with me and pack. We are going to leave the hotel."
"Where are we going?" asked Ben in surprise.
"You will know very soon," answered the major.
Major Grafton notified the clerk that he wished a hack in fifteen minutes, as he was about to leave the hotel.
"Very well, major. Are you going to leave the city?"
[103]
"Not at once. I may spend a few days at the house of a friend," answered Grafton, evasively.
"Shall we forward any letters?"
"No; I will call here for them."
In fifteen minutes a porter called at the door of Major Grafton's room and took down the two trunks. A hack was in waiting.
"Where to, sir?" asked the driver.
"You may drive to the Windsor Hotel," was the answer.
The Windsor Hotel, on Fifth avenue, is over two miles farther up town than the Metropolitan. Leaning back in his comfortable seat, Ben enjoyed the ride, and was pleased with the quiet, aristocratic appearance of the Windsor. A good suite of rooms was secured, and he found himself even more luxuriously accommodated than at the Metropolitan.
"I wonder why we have changed our hotel," he thought.
As if aware what was passing through his mind, Major Grafton said:
"This hotel is much more conveniently located for my business than the other."
[104]
"It seems a very nice hotel," said Ben.
"There is none better in New York."
"I wonder what his business is," passed through Ben's mind, but he was afraid of offending by the inquiry.
Another thing puzzled him. He was ostensibly Major Grafton's private secretary, and as such was paid a liberal salary, but thus far he had not been called upon to render any service. There was nothing in this to complain of, to be sure. If Major Grafton chose to pay him for doing nothing, that was his lookout. Meanwhile he would be able to save up at least half of his salary, and transmit it to his mother.
When they were fairly installed in their new home Major Grafton said:
"I have a call to make, and shall be absent till late. I suppose you can take care of yourself?"
"Oh, yes, sir. If there is anything you wish me to do——"
"Not this evening. I have not got my affairs settled yet. That is all the better for you, as you can spend your time as you choose."
[105]
About an hour later, as Ben was in the billiard-room, looking with interest at a game, his cousin, Clarence Plantagenet, and Percy Van Dyke entered.
"How are you?" said Clarence, graciously. "Percy, this is my cousin, Ben Baker."
"Glad to see you, I'm sure," said Percy.
"Won't you join us in a little game?"
"No, thank you," answered Ben. "I don't play billiards."
"Then you ought to learn."
"I thought you said you were staying at the Metropolitan," said Plantagenet.
"So I was, but we have moved to the Windsor."
"Have you a good room?"
"Tip-top!"
"Does that mean on the top floor?" asked Percy, laughing.
"Not exactly. We are on the third floor."
"Come, Percy, here's a table. Let us have a game."
They began to play, and Ben sat down in a comfortable arm-chair and looked on. Though neither of the boys was an expert, they played [106] a fair game, and Ben was interested in watching it.
"It's wonderful how he's improved," thought Clarence. "When I saw him in pa's office I thought he was awkward and gawky; now he looks just like one of us. He's had great luck in falling in with this Major Grafton. Really, I think we can afford to recognize him as a relation."
When the boys had played a couple of games, they prepared to go.
"By the way, Ben," said Clarence, "the governor told me to invite you to dinner on Sunday. Have you any other engagement?"
"Not that I know of. I will come if I can."
"That's right. Ta-ta, old fellow."
"He treats me a good deal better than he did when we first met," thought Ben. "There's a great deal of virtue in good clothes, I expect."
Ben was asleep before Major Grafton came home.
In the morning, when he awoke, he found that the major was already dressing.
[107]
"By the way, Philip," said his employer, quietly, "we sail for Europe this afternoon at three."
"Sail for Europe!" ejaculated Ben, overwhelmed with surprise.
"Yes. See that your trunk is packed by eleven."