But when the second day passed and his ward was still absent, he began to be considerably exercised over her mysterious flitting, for a mystery always angered him.
He did not see a Boston paper that day, and the New York papers only briefly described the accident that had occurred to the limited express, without giving any names of the victims.
But on the third morning after the strange disappearance of Allison he was terribly shocked, after reading a full account of the accident, to find the name of “Miss Brewster” among the list of those who had been killed.
CHAPTER XVIII.
A CRUSHING TROUBLE.
John Hubbard sat like one stunned, upon realizing the full import of what he had read of Allison’s probable fate, and at once he seemed to comprehend her object in going to Boston.
He also had heard of the Mannings’ return from Rome, and, knowing how fond of her cousins Allison had always been, he had not a doubt that she had fled to them for protection and assistance.
But the shock which he had at first experienced was almost immediately followed by a thrill of exultation.