The Mission of Poubalov — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

HOW LITIZKI SAVED MISS HILMAN. 141 ognition he took his seat, which was in about the middle of the car. | Hours passed slowly while the train rushed on as if madly intent upon checking the flight of time. Poubalov occupied himself with a book. Litizki could not have fol- lowed the words on a printed page had he tried to do so. His brain worked over and over the idea that had found its way there days before, and he could not, if he would, have thought of anything else. ‘The time matters not,’’ he argued with himself; ‘‘as well now as at another, but there must be provocation if possible. If there is no provocation, then proceed without it. It must be done at all hazard. And there must be no failure.”’ Somewhere between Westerly and Providence the train came to a stop. There was trouble with the engine—what, it matters not. The train could not proceed until the dam- ace had been repaired. A brakeman was sent forward to the next station fo telegraph for assistance, and the engi- neer busied himself in effecting a temporary adjustment of the machinery. so that some progress could be made even though it were slow. Poubalov went forward with many passengers to watch the work, and Litizki followed him. Altogether nearly two hours were lost by the acci- dent, so that it was dark when the train rushed through the suburbs of Boston. Poubalov then rose and went into the car forward. Li- tizki went after and saw the spy drop intoa chair not far from where Clara sat, her back to the window, her profile clearly in view. There were many vacant seats in the car, some unoccupied at the moment because the pas- sengers, weary with the long journey, were standing up, . making early preparations for departure. All the men were at the forward end, waiting their turns at the wash- room. The train had just rolled past Roxbury crossing, two miles from the terminus, when Poubalov rose again and sauntered forward, sinking negligently into _the chair OMMUC MOORS