When they reached Eastborough Centre, Quincy found he was too late for the train. He had nearly an hour at his disposal. His first visit was to the Eagle Hotel, where he put up the horse. Mr. Parsons, the proprietor, was greatly pleased to meet him.
“You haven't forgotten how we railroaded Strout out of office, have you?”
“That was long ago,” said Quincy. “Strout and I are good friends now. He's one of my partners in the Fernborough store.'
Quincy took Mr. Parsons aside and had an animated conversation with him.
“I can get you just what you want, Guv'nor. Kind and gentle but some go in them when needed.”
“Send them to the Hawkins House and don't forget the saddles.”
They crossed the square to the telegraph office, where Quincy sent this message.
“Meet me at State House by two o'clock. Leave your trunk at station. Something important.
As they were leaving the office Quincy met Tobias Smith, father of Abbott and Ellis Smith, and Wallace Stackpole.
“Glad to see you, Guv'nor,” said 'Bias. “You remember Mr. Stackpole that we gave Strout's job of tax-collector to--he's held it ever since. We're mighty glad Strout lives in Fernborough. We don't have circuses at town meetings now he's gone.”
Quincy's next visit was to the office of the _Fernborough Gazette_, which was published in Eastborough, as the editor and proprietor, Mr. Sylvester Chisholm, Mr. Strout's brother-in-law, could not get printers in Fernborough, and, being an Eastborough-born boy, his paper had a large circulation in that town and in Westvale, its principal village.
Quincy obtained some copies of the paper containing his speech at the Town Hall. On looking it over he was astonished to find it reported _verbatim_.
“How did you manage it, Mr. Chisholm? My address was extemporaneous.”
Sylvester smiled. “Well, the fact is, Mr. Sawyer, while I was working on the _Eastborough Express_, when you were here five years ago, I studied short-hand, and it came in handy that night.”
The train was express to Boston and Quincy was in his chair in the Executive Chamber by half-past eleven. After a careful examination of the case of Ivan Wolaski, he decided to refuse the request for extradition, and the Governor of Colorado was so notified in a communication which from moral, legal, political, and humanitarian points of view was unanswerable. It was nearly two o'clock when the last official letter was signed.