The Mission of Poubalov — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

AN EXPLANATION SUGGESTED. 21 ‘Certainly not, aaipas ven wish it. he will doubtless - geome in before evening.’ ‘‘T don’t know,’’ murmured the landlady, despairingly ; “she didn’t say a word about going out, and I’m dread- fully afraid! I can’t find her little traveling bag——”’ She stopped suddenly as Paul wheeled about and glanced at her witha startled glance. There was a mo- ment of silence, and then the Russian said quietly: ‘‘l will come back early in the evening, Mrs. White, and if your daughter has not appeared, I’1l help you to make in- quiries. We must look after Strobel now.”’ The young men reported the circumstances at police headquarters and then went to Roxbury. It was five o’clock when they arrived at Mr. Pembroke’s house, and they cherished a hope that some word from Ivan, if not Ivan himself, would be found there. They were disap- puinted. Louise Pembroke told them that nothing had oc- curred except that Clara had succumbed to the shock and strain, and was under the care of a physician. ‘*A bout an hour ago she broks down and cried,’’ said Louise, ‘‘and the physician said it was the best thing that could have happened to her. He would have been afraid to have Ivan return before that. Now sheis not in any immediate danger.’’ ‘‘Are you going to tell her what we have done’?’ asked Ralph. “Yes. I'll do so ent Louise found her cousin calm and hopeful. ‘‘Ralph has come back,’’ said Clara. ‘‘I heard the bell, and knew it must be he. Well?”’ ‘‘Ralph says, dear,’’ replied Louise, ‘‘that Ivan started for the church in a carriage, and that there was a break- down on the way that appears to have been caused by a trick. He then took another carriage, and after that they do not know what became of him.”’ ‘‘Lou,’’ said the sufferer, ‘‘I suppose people would ex- pect that I should feel humiliation most of all, but I don’t, and if I did I should no longer feel it now tbhat.f..kv: