The Mission of Poubalov — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 THEIR WEDDING MORNING. down in a moment, angry and bewildered. He could dis- cover no break about his vehicle, but there was the wheel upon the ground, there was the body leaning forward, - straining upon the shafts, disconcerting the horse—— ‘‘Open the door!’’ cried Ivan, imperatively; “I can’t be shut up here!”’ The driver got the door open aftera little trouble and Ivan crawled out. ‘‘T don’t see how it happened,’’ began the driver. ‘‘No matter. It can’t be helped in a minute, can it? I must have another conveyance. ’’ A crowd was quickly gathering, and as Ivan looked around him he caught the eye of the driver of the closed carriage. ‘‘Are you engaged?’’ called Ivan. Then, as the driver signified his willingness to take a fare, Ivan recoiled. The carriage looked as if it were on the way toa funeral. He hated presentiments, and despised himself for the momen- tary feeling of discomfort. ‘You can pull down the curtains, sir, after you get in,”’ said the driver as if he had noticed his prospective passen- gers discomfort. ‘‘Where to, sir?’’ he continued with his hand on the door. Ivan told him and with a ‘‘Hurry, please,’’ bolted into the carriage. The driver sprang to his seat as if his salvation de- pended on his speed, lashed his horse heavily, and the carriage fairly leaped through the crowd and down Tre- mont Street. It was a beautiful June morning and the passenger was on his way to his own wedding, but he did not lower the curtains of the gloomy carriage. A gentle quiver of excitement stirred the congregation that filled the little vine-covered church on Parker Ave- nue as the clock tolled the noon hour and the organist be- gan to play softly, his fingers weaving scraps of melody into a vague but pleasing harmony like the light that fil- tered through the stained glass windows. This was but comicbooks.com