The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-30
(Ooutinued)


themselves 10 my mind after hearing H.
In the nrst place. saw darkiy what 'ne
nature OF the conspiracy had been; now
chapoes had been watched, and how cir
.,r,stsnoes had baen handled to insure
,mpunity 20 a daring and an mtlcate
crime. While all "details were still mys-
ferv 10 me. the vile manner In which the
personal resemblance between the worn-
an in white and Lady CLYDE hao peen
turned to account was clear beyono
douht n was plain that Anne Catherlck
had been introduced into Count Fosco
house as Lady Clyde: II was plain that
lady Glyde had taken the dead wom-
ans place IN the asy1um-the suDsutu-
ton having been so managed as 10 MAKE
innocent people (the doctor and the TWO
servants certainly. and the owner OF tne
mad house in all probability accom-
plices I'm the crime.
The second conclusion came as the nee
essary consequence OF the first. We three
had no mercy 10 expect from count ros-
60 and sir Percival Clyde. The success or
the conspiracy had brought with IL
clear gain TO those two men or tnlrty
thousand pounds-twenty thousand 10
one ten thousand to the other, through
his wife. They had that interest as well
as other interests, in ipsu1ng their I'M
punity from exposure: and they would
leave no stone unturned. no sacrince un-
attempted no treachery untried, 10 dls-
cover the place In which their victim was
concealed, and TO part her from the only
friends she had In the world-Marian
Halcombe and myself
The sense OF this serious peril-a peril
which every day and every hour might
bring nearer and nearer TO us-was the
one influence that guided me In fixing the
place OF our retreat. / chose IL In the Tar
east of London. where there were fewest
idle people TO lounge and look about them
I'm the streets. i chose IL In poor and a
populous neighborhood-becau the
harder the struggle for existence among
the men and women about US. the less
the risk OF their having the time or talk
ing the pains TO notice chance strangers
who came among them These were the
great advantages looked to: but our 10
cality was a gain TO us also In another
and hardly less important respect. We
could live cheaply by the daily work OF
my hands, and could save every farthing
we possessed TO forward the purpose-the
righteous purpose of redressing an infa-
nous wrong-which. from first to last,
now kept steadily in view. iso
In a weeks time Marian Halcombe and
] had settled how the course OF our new
lives should be directed.
There were no other dodgers In the
house. and we had the means OF going In
and out without passing through the
shop. i arranged, for the present at least.
that neither Marian nor Laura should
stir outside the door without my being
with them: and that. in my absence from
home, they should let no one Into their
rooms, on any pretence whatever. This
rule established, i went to a friend
whom i had known In former days-a
wood-engraver In large practice-to seek
for employment. telling him at the same
time that had reasons for wishing TO
remain unknown.
He at once concluded that was In
debt, expressed his regret In the usual
forms. and then promised 10 do what he
could to assist me. left his false i'm
preston undisturbed. and accepted the
work he had to give. He knew that he
could trust my experience and my In
dustry. i had what he wanted. steadiness
and facility: and though my earnings
were but small. they sufficed for our me-
cessities. AS soon as we could feel GER
tain OF this. Marian Halcomb and put
together what we possessed. She had be-
tween two and three hundred pounds left
OF her own property. and I had nearly as
much remaining from the purchase-mon-
ey obtained by the sale OF my drawing
masters practice before / left England
Together we made up between us more
this little fortune In bank. to he kept
for the expense Of those secret inquiries
and Investigations which was determin-
ed to set on foot. and TO carry on by my
self II could find no one to help me. We
calculated our weekly expenditure to the
last farthing. and we never touched oui
little fund except In Daura's Interests
and for Laura's sake.
The housework. which. IL we had dared
trust stranger near us. would have
been done by a servant was taken on the
first day taken as her right, by Marian
Halcombe. what a woman's hands ar,
At for" she said. "early and late thes,
hands OF mine shall do" They tremblec
as she held them out. The wasted arm.
told their sad story OF the past os sh,
turned UP the sleeves OF the poor plair
dress that she wore for safety's sake
but the unquenchable spirit OF the WON
an burned bright In her even vet I saw
the big tears rise thick in her eyes ant
fall slowly over her checks as she LOOKED
at me. She dashed them away with {
touch OF her old energy. and smiled witt
q faint reflection OF her old good spirits
Don't doubt my courage Walter" sh.
pleaded: '1ts nv weakness that cries
not me. The housework shall conuuer IL
n can't"
And she kept her word-tha victor,
was won when we met IN the evenin o
and sat down TO rest. Her large. steady
black eyes looked at me with a flush q
their bright firmness Of bygone DAYS. e
am not quite broken down yet" she said
II am worth trusting with my share n
the work" Before / could answer sh.
added. In whisper. And worth trustin,
with my share In the risk and the danger
too. Remember that. n the times comes
did remember IL. when the time came
As early as the end OF October the da n,
course OF our lives had assumed its set
tied direction, and we three were a. com
pietely isolated In our place Of conceal
ment as n the house we lived in ha,
been desert island. and the great net
work Of streets and the thousands of ou
fellow creatures all around us the water
OF an illimitable sea could now reckon
on some leisure time for considering wha
my future plan OF action should be. ans
how I might arm myself most securei-
81 the outset for the coming struggle will
Sir Percival and the count
I gave up all hope OF appealing 10 m,
recognition Of laura, or 10 Marians rec
cenition of her. IN proof Of her Identity
n we had loved her less dearly. n tn
fnsffDcf fr1r I'm ne by that love ha,