The Mission of Poubalov — page 227: what you’re looking at

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

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. 223 houses. Under the porch she paused a moment in the effort to still the beating of her heart. Then, instead of making any attempt to pass through the front door, she went around to the driveway that Paul had described, and came to an entrance at the very back of the tavern. She placed a trembling hand upon the knob and sought to ‘insert a key in the lock—but the door was opening before her! It was not only not locked, it had not been latched, and the pressure of her hand had set 1t ajar. With unsteady step and with her mind bewildered by gerewsome conjectures, Clara entered. She closed the door behind her and lit the candle. Had Poubaloy, then, returned when she had weakly given up the watching, and abducted Ivan a second time? Whatdid her uncle’s words mean? ‘‘All is lost!’’ Was Ivan—— She did not permit herself to frame the thought completely, but gathering all her resolution set forth to accomplish her task. Not even indulging ina useless regret that Paul was not with her, she looked about the room in which she stood. It had once been a kitchen, and a glance at it was enough. An open door was before her and she passed through it. This was evidently the dining-room, and several doors were in view, only one of which was open. Feeling that this indicated the course taken by Poubalov in carrying Ivan out of the house from the room where he had been confined, she pushed on, and passing through this door, found herself in the front hall. There was a stairway at her right hand, and doors at both right andleft. Whither should she go? The doors were closed and she chose the stairs. At the top were two corridors as well as the passage leading to another flight of stairs. Haphazard she pro- ceeded along the corridor to the left. It was tortuous, like all hotel passages, and the floor was broken here and there by steps, now up, nowdown. She passed many doors, but all were closed. At the very end were two doors, almost 3ide by side, and as she stood hesitant, her blood chilled and her heart leaped to her throat. (CONNIE OOOLKS (C(O) im