"I shouldn't mind this riches-and-fame business for quite a while," he thought. (Mollie June was for the time forgotten; thus it is with the fickle male.)
Rockwell had sat down in the next chair. Merriam made an effort of memory.
"Yes," said Rockwell. "We'll have to get at the speech as soon as the train starts."
Just then a small but vociferous urchin appeared in the door of the car. His cap proclaimed him a telegraph messenger.
"Telegram for Mr. Rockwell!" he shouted, as though Mr. Rockwell were probably in the next county.
Rockwell signed the book, and the lad slowly withdrew himself, taking generous eyefuls of Rockwell, "Senator Norman," and the private car. As he lingered with a last backward stare in the doorway, Merriam winked at him, and the boy grinned and generously, democratically winked back.
Turning from that wink to Rockwell, Merriam was startled. The man sat limp with the telegram on his knee and a pencil in his hand. I will not say he was pale, but certainly he was haggard.
Merriam tried to read it, but could make no sense at all. It was very long but apparently a mere string of words with little intelligible meaning.
"It's code," said Rockwell. "I've underlined the words that count."
Picking out the significant words by means of Rockwell's underlining, Merriam read:
George kidnapped from rooms whereabouts unknown doctor disappeared cancel trip return Mary.
A moment later Mr. Wayward, who had stopped at the station cigar stand to replenish his stock of nicotine, rejoined them and was shown the telegram.
"We've got to go back," said Rockwell. "Now that they have Norman in their power--for Crockett is behind this, of course,--they may denounce us--may make Norman himself denounce us--any minute. They have no end of a grip on him, and he has no great love for the rôle of Reformer himself--nor for me. Our only hope is to get back to Chicago and find him and get hold of him again." He jumped to his feet, "I must see the station master at once."
"Yes," said Mr. Wayward, "there's nothing else for it."
Rockwell hastily departed to announce their changed plans to the station master, and Merriam and Mr. Wayward looked at each other. The latter's face had assumed the humorous smile which had been his expression towards the whole affair from the beginning.