The Mission of Poubalov — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

22 AN EXPLANATION SUGGESTED. Ivan started for the church. Don’t you see? He meant to come, of course! Something dreadful has happened to him—’’ Her eyes filled with tears, and she paused a moment before continuing: ‘‘There must be more details, of course, but I am not well enough yet to hear them. Ask Ralph and Paul to come to-morow morning, will you, please? I must talk with them.”’ ‘‘T will,’’ replied Louise; ‘‘Ivan may come before that.’’ Ralph went to his home immediately after leaving Mr. Pembroke’s, but Paul, who had no other home than a furnished room in a lodging house, returned according to his promise to see Mrs. White. He felt that there might be a chance that the daughter, Lizzie, could throw some light on Ivan’s movements, but he had no doubt whatever that she herself had returned. He reached the house just as a postman was leaving it. Mrs, White stood in the hall, the door remaining oper, nervously opening a letter. When she had read it she screamed, and would have fallen to the floor had not Paul sprung forward to catch her. She recovered in a moment sufficiently to sob: ‘I’m so glad you’ve come. Lizzie has gone! Read what she says.’”’ Paul took the letter which she tremblingly handed him and read: “Deak Moruer: I am going away and shall not come back fora long time. Do not be anxious, and do not try to findme. You are not to blame for anything, and I cannot now tell you why I go. Some time I may do so, and I may write to you. I don’t know yet. Do not think unkindly of me. You will know some time that it is best. J love you and——”’ Two words here had been laboriously scratched out. Then came the signature, ‘‘Lizzie.’’ Paul made out the erased words to be ‘‘I love.’’ In spite of himself a dreadful fear came over him, a fear of something more painful for all of Ivan’s friends to bear than an accident, no matter how serious, Eomichooks.com