The Mission of Poubalov

by Frederick R. Burton

  CHAPTER II.

  AN EXPLANATION SUGGESTED.

  "Wait for me a moment, Paul," said Ralph Harmon as the people began topour out of the church.

  He went to the room in the vestry where Clara Hilman sat pale andtearless. With her were Mr. Pembroke, his daughter Louise, and two orthree other young ladies who were intimate friends of the unfortunatebride. Ralph did not approach the group, but paused at the door andlooked significantly at Miss Pembroke. She went to him at once, and,unseen by the others, he took both her hands in his and said:

  "I am going to Strobel's room and shall take Palovna with me. If I findany trace or news, as I undoubtedly shall, I will go directly to yourhouse and report. You may tell Miss Hilman so if you think it willrelieve her."

  "Clara, dear!" exclaimed Miss Pembroke, impulsively, "Ralph is going tofind Ivan, and will come back as quickly as he can to tell you."

  For several minutes the bride had been sitting as if petrified, makingno answer to the well-meant questions of her friends, unconsciousapparently of their tearful sympathy, but at this announcement her eyeswere lit by just a gleam of gratitude and she tried to speak to Ralph.Her lips quivered with unformed words, and she turned appealingly toher uncle.

  "Come," she faltered, "let us go home."

  Ralph bowed and returned immediately to the vestibule, where PaulPalovna waited for him. Both were accosted by many of the outgoingaudience, but they shook their heads and hurried down the steps andup the street to the nearest line of cars. They said little to eachother on the way to Ashburton Place, for they were oppressed withforebodings, and the consciousness that they had nothing upon which tobase speculation.

  Once Ralph exclaimed desperately, "What can have happened!" and Paulanswered, "He must have fallen violently ill." Both hoped that thismight be the case, and neither believed it. Mrs. White knew them both,for they were frequent callers upon her lodger, and her surprise,therefore, passed all bounds when she met them at the door and heardthem ask as with one voice, "Where is Strobel?"

  "Where?" she repeated, "where should he be? Haven't you seen him?"

  "No," replied Ralph, "he did not come to the church, and the rectordismissed the congregation."

  Mrs. White threw up her hands and sank into a chair. "Why--why--" shestammered, "he left here all dressed and gay as could be."

  "Did he seem quite well?" asked Paul.

  The good lady remembered her surprise and disappointment at findingIvan's eggs unbroken, his breakfast almost untasted and she told theyoung men about it.

  "That signifies nothing," said Paul; "I don't wonder he didn't care toeat. Did he appear to be troubled about anything?"

  "Not when he went away," answered Mrs. White; "I thought he seemed putout when the strange gentleman called."

  "There we have it!" exclaimed Paul, eagerly. "Who was the caller andwhat was his business, if you happen to know?"

  "I don't know either. I never saw the gentleman before. He was hereonly a few minutes. He sent up his card, and though I looked at thename, I couldn't remember it, for it had a strange look, something likeyours."

  "May we go to his room? The card may still be there."

  "I don't think it is," said Mrs. White, rising to follow the young menwho were already half way up the stairs; "I don't remember seeing itwhen I cleaned up."

  When Ralph and Paul had vainly examined the catch-alls, the vases,and every probable place into which a visitor's card might have beentucked, the Russian asked what had been done with the contents of thewaste basket.

  "My daughter Lizzie helped me," replied Mrs. White, "and took the wastepapers downstairs. I'll ask her to find them and look for the card."

  She left the room, and while she was gone the young men moved aboutnervously, repeatedly asking who the caller could have been, whatpossible connection his call could have had with Ivan's failureto appear at his wedding, and all manner of questions, vain andirritating, that arise when men are confronted by an emergency thatteems with mystery. Mrs. White reported that her daughter had gone outand that the waste paper from Mr. Strobel's room had been burned.

  "Lizzie may have seen that card," she said, "and I'll ask her when shecomes in. I can't think where she can have gone."

  "Was she here when the stranger called?" asked Ralph.

  "Oh, yes, and until after Mr. Strobel started away. I didn't know thatshe had left the house, and I can't imagine what she went out for.Perhaps she'll be back soon."

  "Do you know where Strobel hired his carriage?" inquired Paul.

  "No, I don't. Lizzie might, for I remember he said something to herabout it the day before. I wonder where she----"

  "He probably ordered his carriage from Clark & Brown," said Ralph toPaul. He had no intention of ignoring Mrs. White's motherly anxietyabout her daughter, but he saw no reason for attaching significance toher absence, and his mind was burdened with a growing conviction thatsomething serious had happened to his friend.

  "Suppose we make some inquiries," responded Paul. "If you will goto Clark & Brown's office, I will take a run around all the hotelcab-stands in the vicinity. He might have left his order at the TremontHouse or in Bosworth Street, you know."

  "I'm agreed," said Ralph. "We must get hold of the man who drove him.One of us is likely to succeed. Suppose, as Strobel may after all turnup at any minute, we meet here as soon as we can. I'll take in theRevere House as well as Clark & Brown's."

  "I wish you would meet here, gentlemen," interposed Mrs. White; "Lizziemay be back then."

  "I hope she will be, Mrs. White," said Ralph. "She may be able to tellus something about Strobel. It seems strange that he hasn't sent someword."

  "I begin to fear that we shall find him at a hospital, badly injured,"remarked Paul.

  "Oh, I hope not!" exclaimed Mrs. White. "I declare! it makes me feeldreadfully about Lizzie."

  The young men departed at once upon their errands. It was Paul Palovnawho came upon a clew. He found where Ivan had engaged his carriage, andhe went to the livery stable, which was in the South End, to find whathad become of the driver and his passenger. He arrived there just afterthe driver had come in with his damaged carriage.

  "I started in with the gentleman," said the driver, "but I broke downat the corner of Tremont and Park Streets and he went along withsomebody else."

  "Who was it?" asked Paul.

  "I don't know. I never saw the cabman before."

  "Whose rig was it?"

  "I don't know that, either. I never saw the horse before, and thecarriage was like hundreds of others that you might see in Boston anyday."

  Paul tried to think what ought to be done next.

  "Did Mr. Strobel have a second accident?" asked one of the stableproprietors.

  "I fear so," replied Paul; "we haven't seen him, and as he was going tohis own wedding, his failure to turn up is rather alarming."

  "Going to be married, was he?" the stableman spoke thoughtfully. "ThenI guess you'll find that he has been made the victim of a practicaljoke. I suppose he had plenty of friends who were aware of hisintentions?"

  "Certainly, but I cannot imagine," said Paul with some indignation,"that any of them would have carried a joke to the extent of keepinghim away from his wedding."

  "Perhaps not," admitted the stableman, "but it looks as if some onehad deliberately tried to delay him. Don't you know how the accidenthappened to our carriage?"

  "No. What was the matter?"

  "Somebody had loosened the nut of the forward right wheel so that itwas bound to come off before they had gone very far. The breakdown wasno accident."

  "You are sure of this, I suppose," exclaimed Paul; "but when could ithave been done?"

  "When Mike was waiting in front of the door to Mr. Strobel's place.You'd better tell this gentleman what you told me, Mike."

  "I waited there a good half hour before Mr. Strobel came out," repliedthe driver. "And while I was there a fellow crossed the street andspoke to me. He stood in the street kind o' leaning on
the wheel.'Go'n' to take Mr. Strobel to his wedding?' says he. 'I'm go'n' totake a gent of that name,' says I 'but I don't know nothing 'bout hiswedding.' 'That's what 'tis,' says he, 'and a very fine man he is, anda fine day it is for the ceremony; and that's a fine horse you have,'and all that kind of palaver, till I thought he'd talk me blind. Aftera while he said good-morning, and went on, bad luck to him."

  Paul looked at the stableman in surprise. "Could the nut have beenremoved then without the driver knowing it?" he asked.

  "Yes, but it wasn't necessarily removed. It may have been started. Youget up on the seat and sit back indifferently, as a driver would belikely to sit. Just try it. I want you to be satisfied."

  Paul climbed to the driver's seat on the coupe, and the stablemanleaned over the wheel.

  "You see," said the latter, "unless you bent over and looked downsharply you wouldn't make out what I was up to, and not having anyreason to suspect a trick, you'd likely sit still; more likely thannot, if you was an ordinary driver, you'd look the other way most ofthe time; and--but I don't need to talk any longer for here is thenut!" and he held up a small wrench in which was the nut of the wheelby which he was standing.

  "Great Scott!" exclaimed Paul, smiling, in spite of his anxiety, at thedexterous way in which the stableman had proved that the trick mighthave been done. "What sort of man was this, Mike, who talked to you?"

  "I dunno, sir. Medium sized, young, I should say."

  "Would you know him again?"

  "I would that!"

  "By the way, did you see anybody call at the house while you werewaiting?"

  "Yes, a gentleman went in. I heard him ask for Mr. Strobel, and he cameout again inside of five minutes."

  "What was he like and where did he go?"

  "I couldn't tell you what he was like. I paid no attention to him. Hewent away toward Somerset Street. The fellow at the wheel was talkingto me as he went along."

  This was all the information of value that Paul could obtain, althoughhe asked many more questions. He found Ralph waiting for him in Ivan'sroom, and Mrs. White was there, overcome with anxiety on account of thecontinued absence of her daughter.

  "I think," said Ralph when he had heard his friend's report, "that we'dbetter speak of this at police headquarters."

  "Are you going to say anything about Lizzie?" asked Mrs. White.

  "Certainly not, unless you wish it. She will doubtless come in beforeevening."

  "I don't know," murmured the landlady, despairingly; "she didn't saya word about going out, and I'm dreadfully afraid! I can't find herlittle traveling bag----"

  She stopped suddenly as Paul wheeled about and glanced at her with astartled glance. There was a moment of silence, and then the Russiansaid quietly: "I will come back early in the evening, Mrs. White, andif your daughter has not appeared, I'll help you to make inquiries. Wemust look after Strobel now."

  The young men reported the circumstances at police headquarters andthen went to Roxbury. It was five o'clock when they arrived at Mr.Pembroke's house, and they cherished a hope that some word from Ivan,if not Ivan himself, would be found there. They were disappointed.Louise Pembroke told them that nothing had occurred except that Clarahad succumbed to the shock and strain, and was under the care of aphysician.

  "About an hour ago she broke down and cried," said Louise, "and thephysician said it was the best thing that could have happened to her.He would have been afraid to have Ivan return before that. Now she isnot in any immediate danger."

  "Are you going to tell her what we have done?" asked Ralph.

  "Yes. I'll do so now."

  Louise found her cousin calm and hopeful.

  "Ralph has come back," said Clara. "I heard the bell, and knew it mustbe he. Well?"

  "Ralph says, dear," replied Louise, "that Ivan started for the churchin a carriage, and that there was a breakdown on the way that appearsto have been caused by a trick. He then took another carriage, andafter that they do not know what became of him."

  "Lou," said the sufferer, "I suppose people would expect that I shouldfeel humiliation most of all, but I don't, and if I did I should nolonger feel it now that I know Ivan started for the church. Don'tyou see? He meant to come, of course! Something dreadful has happenedto him--" Her eyes filled with tears, and she paused a moment beforecontinuing: "There must be more details, of course, but I am not wellenough yet to hear them. Ask Ralph and Paul to come to-morrow morning,will you, please? I must talk with them."

  "I will," replied Louise; "Ivan may come before that."

  Ralph went to his home immediately after leaving Mr. Pembroke's, butPaul, who had no other home than a furnished room in a lodging house,returned according to his promise to see Mrs. White. He felt that theremight be a chance that the daughter, Lizzie, could throw some light onIvan's movements, but he had no doubt whatever that she herself hadreturned. He reached the house just as a postman was leaving it. Mrs.White stood in the hall, the door remaining open, nervously opening aletter. When she had read it she screamed, and would have fallen tothe floor had not Paul sprung forward to catch her. She recovered in amoment sufficiently to sob:

  "I'm so glad you've come. Lizzie has gone! Read what she says."

  Paul took the letter which she tremblingly handed him and read:

  "DEAR MOTHER: I am going away and shall not come back for a long time. Do not be anxious, and do not try to find me. You are not to blame for anything, and I cannot now tell you why I go. Some time I may do so, and I may write to you. I don't know yet. Do not think unkindly of me. You will know some time that it is best. I love you and----"

  Two words here had been laboriously scratched out. Then came thesignature, "Lizzie." Paul made out the erased words to be "I love."

  In spite of himself a dreadful fear came over him, a fear of somethingmore painful for all of Ivan's friends to bear than an accident, nomatter how serious.