The Mission of Poubalov — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

106 WHAT BECAME OF LITIZKL ‘‘T was so afraid something dreadful had happened to you!’’ she exclaimed, ‘‘but I knew that you had not de- serted me.’ ; ‘Deserted you?’’ said Litizki huskily; ‘‘no, but I was” afraid you would think so. I didn’t know what Poubalovy might have told you, and unless you thoroughly under- stand that man, that fiend, Miss Hilman, he is likely to make you believe anything.’’ ‘‘Then you know that he had been here! You must have recognized his hat in the hall.’”’ | ‘‘T saw it there and his stick, too, but I knew before then that he had been here. I came to tell you.”’ Litizki paused, the look of grateful relief that had over- spread his features at first giving way to his customary depressed expression, and he fell into his habit of speak- ing with averted eyes, or with but occasional furtive glances at the person addressed. ' “Do tell me, "said Clara; “I have been very anxious _ about you.’ ; Litizki ieee a moment, and then asked: ‘‘May I see Poubalov’s cane?’’ 4 ‘To be sure,’’ replied Clara, and she brought it to him from the hall. ‘ Litizki took it, looked it over, felt along the top, and suddenly drew forth the handle, from which a gleaming blade depended. Clara started back with a low exclama- tion of alarm, Litizki touched the edge of the blade with his thumb, as a man tests a razor. ’ ‘‘Alexander Poubalov,’’ he murmured gloomily, ‘‘held this over my heart once, not so long ago.” He thrust it back into its sheath, where it came to rest with an angry click, and handed the cane to Clara. ‘That is the kind of man he is, Miss Hilman,”’ he said; **T thought you might like to know.”’ If he had wished to impress Clara with the horrik gravity of the situation, with its frightful possibilities, he succeeded beyond measure. She held the cane, fee | that it epitomized the spy’s career, and a dras