The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-17

|
ing his wife's intended Journey from
Hampshire TO London on the 2eth. Inex
showed that he had taken that journe,
by the personal testimony OF the drive
OF the fly; and l proved that she had per
formed II on the appointed day by tn,
order book at the livery stables Mariar
then added her own statement OF tn,
meeting between Laura and herself a
the madhouse and OF her sisters ESCAPE
AFTER which / closed the proceedings b,
informing the persons present OF Sir Per.
civaTs death, and OF my marriage.
Mr.. kyrle rose. when I resumed m,
| seat, ana declared. as the legal adviser
| OF the family. that my case was proved
by the piainest evidence he had ever
heard In his life. As he spoke those
words, j put my arm round Laura, and
raised her so that she was plainly visible
10 every one In the room Are you al
OF the same opinion / asked. advancing
toward them a few steps. and pointing
TO my wife.
The effect OF the question was cleo
| trical. Far down at the lower end OF the
ROOM one of the oldest tenants on the
estate started TO his feet. and led the
rest with him In an instant. / see the
man now. with his honest brown face
and his iron gray hair. mounted on his
window seat waving his heavy riding
whip over his head. and leading the
cheers. There she Is. alive and hearty
God bless her! CT II tongue lads! CT
IL tongue" The shout that answered
him, reiterated again and again, was the
sweetest music i ever heard. The labor
ers in the village and the boys from the
school. assembled on the lawn, caught
up the cheering and echoed II back on
us. The farmers wives clustered round
Laura. and struggled which should be
first TO shake hands with her and TO i'm
plore her. with the tears pouring over
their own cheeks, TO bear up bravely. and
not TO cry. She was so completely over
whelmed, that was obliged TO take her
from them, and carry her to the door
There I gave her into Marians care
Marian. who had never failed US vet
whose courageous self control did not fail
us now. Left by myself at the door. | in
vited all the persons present tafter thank
ing them in Lauras name and mine) to
follow me TO the church yard, and see the
false inscription struck of the tombstone
with their own eyes.
They all left the house. and all joined
the throng of villagers collected round
the grave where the statuary's man was
waiting for us In a breathless silence.
the first sharp stroke OF the steel sounded
ON the marble. Not voice was heard,
not a soul moved till those three words,
Laura. Lady Clyde" had vanished from
sight
Then there was a great heave OF relief
among the crowd. as II they felt that the
last fetters OF the conspiracy had been
struck of Laura herself and the assem-
bly slowly withdrew 1t was late In the
day before the whole inscription was
erased. one line only was afterward en-
graved in its place: Anne Catherick,
July 25th 1880"
returned 10 Limmeridge house early
enough In the evening to take leave OF
Mr. Kyrle. He and his clerk. and the
driver OF the fly. went back 20 London by
the night train. on their departure an
insolent message was delivered 10 me
from Mr. Fairlie. who had been carried
from the room in q shattered CONDITION
when the first outbreak OF cheering an
swered my appeal TO the tenantry. The
message conveyed TO us Mr. Fairlie's
best congratulations" and requested to
know whether I'VE contemplated stopping
in the house" ] sent back word that the
only object for which we had entered his
doors was accomplished: that ] contem- |
plated stopping In no mans house but
my own; and that Mr.. Fairlle need not /
the slightest apprehension of |
ever seeing us. or hearing from us again. |
We went back 10 our friends AT the farm |
escorted 10 the station. with the heart |
lest enthusiasm and good will. by the /
whole village. and by all the farmers In |
the neighborhood-we returned TO Lon |
DON
AS our view OF the Cumberland hills |
faded in the distance, l thought OF the |
first disheartening circumstances under |
which the long struggle that was now |
past and over had been pursued. II was |
strange TO look back and to see now.
hat the poverty which mad denied us all |
hope OF assistance had been the indirect
means OF our success by forcing me TO
ict for myself. IL we had been rich
enough to find legal help, what would
nave been the result? The gain Con Mr..
[yrle's own showing) would have been
more than doubtless: the loss-judging by
ne plain test OF events as they had real
v happened-certain. The Law would
lever have obtained me my interview
With Mrs Catherick The law would
lever have made Pesca the means OF
orcing a confession from the count.
Two more events remain 10 be added to
he chain. before IL reaches fairly from
he outset OF the story 10 the close.