The Mission of Poubalov — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

¥ 160 THE LITTLE FRONT ROOM, been so selfish, she thought, as to encourage the ur . ; nate man to devote his life to her purpose, and to arou such devotion that he was carried by it to the very ¢ mission of murder? She shuddered as the word occurred’ her, and the looked appealingly at Poubaloy, as if to — 8 from him some further assurance that the miracle had « curred to avert the tragedy that Litizki had planned. ‘Tt is absolutely nothing, Miss Hilman,” said the sp interpreting her glance correctly, ‘‘save a hole in my ce and the probable perforation of some interesting do ments. I will show you.”’ Having just placed her in the chair, he was bendi over her as he spoke, and now he stood erect, and while. the passengers looked on amazed, he unbuttoned his co and drew from the breast pocket a large leather wa filled with papers. | ‘‘f wear no armor,”’ he said, smiling as he laid the di: ger on the window ledge, that he might use both hands i showing how he had escaped. One side of the wallet the mark of the knife, a gash clean cut in the leather, e\ dence sufficient that the blow had fallen with all the for that Litizki could command. Opening the wallet, he t out several folded papers, showing without revealing tl nature, that the blade had pierced them, Aft last he dr forth a little copper plate, and held it up te the light. ‘“Yes,’’ he said, ‘‘that finished it. The wallet itself ¥ almost sufficient to save me, but without this plate I thin I should have been scratched a bit. I had this plate | graved a short time ago in New York, as I wished to p sent my card with my name printed in characters fl would be intelligible to English-speaking people. The: graver gave me the plate, of course, when he deliver my cards, and at the moment I put it here for cony: ience. I had forgotten all about it. You see,”’ handing t plate to a gentleman who stood beside him, ‘‘my frie managed to erase my name but he left me my renee ‘‘You are to be congratulated,’’ = Pee man, returning the plate after a vain attequtiiere 3 com