The Mission of Poubalov — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

14 THEIR WEDDING MORNING. party. An old, bent man issued from the carriage, leaning heavily on a cane and hobbled up the steps. ‘‘This is stranger than Ivan’s delay!’’ exclaimed Har- mon in a whisper to his Russian colleague; ‘I don’t be- lieve old Dexter ever went to a wedding before unless it was his own, and I never knew he was married.”’ ‘Who is he?’’ asked the Russian. ‘‘Old Dexter is allI can say. He’sa kind of miser and money-lender combined, I think. I don’t believe he’s any friend of Ivan’s.’’ ‘‘No. He’s bowing to Mr. Pembroke.”’ Very ceremoniously but with a halting movement, the old man had taken off his hat to Mr. Pembroke and passed on into the church. Mr. Pembroke had bowed stiffly in return and then bent over his niece to speak to her, Clara was by this time plainly disturbed. It was a quarter past the hour, and the congregation itself was setting nervous. A few persons came out into the vesti- bule to learn what caused the delay. The organist’s flit- ting harmonies became monotonous, intolerable, and the rector within the chancel was not so impatient as alarmed, A few minutes later the organist stopped altogether. The rector joined the wedding party in the vestibule, Clara had been taken to a room in the vestry by her guardian. ‘If he should come now,’’ said Mr. Pembroke, gravely, I don’t believe we could go on. The strain has been too great for Clara.’’ Dr. Merrill spoke to her as only a clergyman can speak to a parishioner, and minutes dragged along. At last when an hour had passed, and there was yet no word from Ivan, the rector dismissed the congregation, and the members of the wedding party went homeward, wondering and sorrowful. Eomichooks.com