The Mission of Poubalov — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

A DANGEROUS MEN. 61 It was the luncheon hour when the young ladies reached _ home, and Mr. Pembroke had arrived before them. His _ face expressed painful anxiety as he greeted his niece. _ **My poor child,’’ he said, ‘‘you have heard everything, _ Isuppose?”’ _ “*T have heard a great deal, uncle,’’ replied Clara, ‘‘and 2 appreciate your motives in withholding the paper from _ me that published the wicked rumor that Ivan had eloped, _ but you should have known me better. Do you suppose, ' uncle dear, that that rumor disturbed me? I dismiss it | more lightly than anything that has been said.”’ **Poor child! poor child!’’ sighed Mr. Pembroke. _ “Why do you say that?’’ asked Clara, sitting down wearily. ‘Of course, Iam sorrowful; nobody can realize ~whatI suffer; but I am confident that Ivan has done no - wrong, and I cannot believe that we shall not find him. I _ have returned to rest, not to give up the search.’’ ‘‘Clara, my dear girl,’’ said her uncle, tenderly, ‘‘you’d best give itup. You have a great sorrow to bear, but I _ know how brave youare. There is no occasion for fur- ther search.”’ *“No occasion! Uncle, what do you mean?’’ _ ‘“*The detective assigned from headquarters to make an _ investigation has been to see me,”’ *YVes, yes! what did he say?” _ “*The worst possible, Clara. He is convinced that Strobel _ went to New York, if not with Lizzie White, then to join her there. It is the only possible explanation of his disap- _ pearance.”’ | No! no! you know nothing about it, and the detective _ isa fool!’’ cried Clara. _ Mr. Pembroke was immensely surprised at this violent ‘outbreak, when he had expected tears, prostration, the deepest grief. It occurred to him that perhaps his niece's mind had been unsettled by her trouble. She sat looking a him with blazing eyes, her face flushed, her foot nerv- (C(O) - ously patting the floor. comlicbooks