The Mission of Poubalov — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

80 CORROBORATIVE DETAIL. as if every newspaper in the city had undertaken to solye the mystery. Where, then, was the long account of the second day’s developments? | Tucked obscurely away in the middle of a page devoted to a miscellaneous assortment of news, she found at last a few paragraphs setting forth the conclusions of the de- tective bureau, that there was no financial irregularity to be attributed to Mr. Strobel, and that the missing man had undoubtedly eloped with Lizzie White. Miss Hilman’s health was reported to be good, and it was noted that she had taken a personal hand in the investigation with every appearance of confidence in the loyalty of her be- trothed. Clara found longer reports in the other papers, and the one that had published the first intimation of the elope- ment, continued to make it the sensation of the hour, but it was a labored effort, devoted quite as much to ex- ploiting its own enterprise in beating the other papers as to setting forth the news. So, then, the community, of which the newspapers were the reflection, had contentedly accepted the first solution that offered, and all her work had gone for nothing, worse than nothing, for she found herself pictured as a pitiable victim to her lover’s faithlessness. The very fact that the reporters refrained from bringing out the picture of her misery in strong colors was evidence of the sincerity with which they wrote. They were satisfied that Ivan had eloped! To tell how loyally she had clung to him would be to put her ina ridiculous light before all readers. The tears that came to Clara’s eyes were angrily dashed away at first, but they would flow, and after a moment she _ gave full vent to them. Her experience was one that comes only to those who have to suffer such great calami- ties that for the time all life seems to be centered upon them, and the awaking to the cold fact that all life runs along just as before, and the great calamity speedily be- comes an event of yesterday, is almost as hard to bear as” the original shock. This awakening with Clara was coin- comicbooks.com