The Mission of Poubalov — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

130 LIZZIE WHITE. rose. It was as if she expected a disagreeable scene, and was determined not only to see it through, but to contrib- ute her full share to its unpleasantness. Clara’s greeting was unuttered. ‘‘Why did you think it was I?’’ she asked. ‘““This,’’ said Lizzie, indicating the letter; ‘‘it’s mother.”’ ‘Did she tell you I was coming?”’ ‘‘No, but she tells me how you’ve hunted for well snough you’d come on here to find him.”’ ‘It is hardly correct,’’ said Clara, gently, “ came on to find him, though I would go an so. 7? ‘*Yos, I guess you would.’’ Lizzie was relentless. Her tone spoke detexminntibe to make Miss Hilman suffer to the utmost. Clara conquered the emotions that Lizzie stirred within her, and added: ‘‘from the start, Lizzie, I have steadfastly denied that Mr. Strobel went away with you, or that your departure had to do with his disappearance. Please understand me: I did not expect to find Mr. Strobel with you. If I had thought differently, I should not have come,” Lizzie laughed scornfully. ‘*No,’’ she said, ‘‘you would have known that you were too late. You are very brilliant, Miss Hilman, but I guess you’re finding that it takes more than that to holda man,”’ | This was as bad as anything that Clara had anticipated as among the possibilities of the conversation; but, hold- ing her great purpose firmly in mind, she persisted in con- tinuing the interview. Suffer insult she must, but she ~ would not give up without obtaining some manner of information. ‘‘For your own good name, Lizzie— —’’ began Clara, but | t ‘ } the girl interrupted hotly: “My good name! what have you to do with it, I should like to know? I hadn’t seen any Boston papers, and I — Eomicbooks.com