Was the woman aware that she was being watched? Had she moved to escape observation?
Frank stopped by the door at the rear end of the car. He looked out through the glass in the door.
Some one was on the platform at one side of the door. Frank opened the door and looked out.
The person on the platform was a woman in black, and she wore a veil!
A feeling of exultant satisfaction flashed over Merriwell, and he quickly stepped out onto the platform, closing the door behind him.
The train was racing along, the track seeming to fly away from beneath the last car.
It was a strange place for a woman to be, out there on the rear platform, and Merry's first thought had been that it must be the woman he sought, for had she not come out there to escape him? She had fancied he would look through the car, fail to find her, and decide that she was not on the train. It must be that she had seen Hodge come in, and had realized at once why he had entered the car. When he departed to carry the information to Frank, the desperate woman had fled to the rear platform.
Immediately on stepping out onto the platform, however, Frank decided that his reasoning was at fault.
It was a veiled woman, and she was in black, but it was not the woman he sought. It was not the woman who had caused his arrest in Denver!
The unknown looked at him, and said nothing. He looked at her and wondered. The veil was thick and baffling.
"Madam," he said, "this is a dangerous place."
"You are liable to become dizzy out here and meet with an accident," he pursued. "If you should fall--well, you know what that would mean. It is remarkable that you should come out here."
"The air," she murmured, in a hoarse, husky voice. "The car was stifling, and I needed the air. I felt ill in there."
"All the more reason why you should not come out here," declared Frank, solicitously. "You could have had a window opened, and that would have given you air."
"It must be some of them would open. If you will return, I'll endeavor to find you a seat by an open window."
"Very kind of you," she said, in the same peculiar, husky voice. "Think I'll stay out here. Don't mind me."
"Then I trust you will permit me to remain, and see that you do not meet with any misfortune?"