Upon this he wrote to Morwick Farm to say that he had seen a man exactly answering to the description of John Jago, but bearing another name, working as a clerk in a merchant's office in Jersey City.

Having time to spare before the mail went out, he had returned to the office to take another look at the man before he posted his letter.

To his surprise, he was informed that the clerk had not appeared at his desk that day.

His employer had sent to his lodgings, and had been informed that he had suddenly packed up his hand-bag after reading the newspaper at breakfast; had paid his rent honestly, and had gone away, nobody knew where! It was late in the evening when I read these lines.

I had time for reflection before it would be necessary for me to act.
Assuming the letter to be genuine, and adopting Naomi's explanation of the motive which had led John Jago to absent himself secretly from the farm, I reached the conclusion that the search for him might be usefully limited to Narrabee and to the surrounding neighborhood.
The newspaper at his breakfast had no doubt given him his first information of the "finding" of the grand jury, and of the trial to follow.