The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-30
THE WOMAN IN WHITE. .
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.

nOtninH, Il VIII turn 10 "a trcsn Thkt' anu
give you the answer Immediately. But
you must excuse one thing-you must
excuse my beginning Mr. Hartright. with
an expression OF surprise at the interest
which you appear 10 have felt In my
late daughter. II is quite unaccountable
TO me. II that interest makes you anx-
ious for any particulars of her early life,
] must refer you to Mrs, Clements who
knows more OF the subject than / do.
Pray understand that / do not profess
TO have been at all over fond OF my late
daughter She was a worry TO me from
| frst 10 last. with the additional disad-
vantage OF being always weak In the
| head. You like candor, and / hope this
satisfies you.
There Ia no need TO trouble you with
many personal particulars relating 10
those past times. II will be enough 10
| say that 1 observed the terms OF the bar
| gain on my side. and that / enjoyed my
| comfortable income. IN return, paid quar-
terry.
Now and then got away and changed
| the scene for a short time. always ask
| ing leave of my lord and master first.
and generally getting H. He was not.
| as have already told you, fool enough
| 10 drive me too hard. and he could rea-
sonably rely on my holding my tongue,
| for my own sake. II not for his. One
| OF my longest trips away from home
was the trip took TO Lmmeridge. TO
| nurse a half-sister there, who was dying
| She was reported TO have saved money:
| and ! thought IL is well Gin case any
accident happened 10 stop my allowance)
| 10 look after my own interests In that
| direction. AS things turned out how
ever. my pains were all thrown away;
and l got nothing. because nothing was
| 10 be had.
| l had taken Anne TO the north with
me; having my whims and fancies. occa-
| sionally, about my child, and getting
| at such times, jealous OF Mrs. Clements
| influence over her. ! never liked Mrs.
Clements. She was a poor empty headed.
| spiritless woman-whst you call a born
drudge-and / was. now and then, not
| sverse TO plaguing her by taking Anne
| away. Not knowing what else to do with
my girl, while l was nursing In Cumber-
land, ] put her to school at Limmeridge.
| The lady OF the manor, Mrs. Fairlie Ga
remarkable plain looking woman. who
had entrapped one OF the handsomest
me In England into marrying herr,
amused me wonderfully by taking vo-
| lent fancy TO my girl. The consequence
was. she learned nothing at school. and
was petted and spoiled at Limmeridge
house. Among other whims- and -faHeies
| Ghich they taught her there, they put
some nonsense into her head about al
ways wearing white. Hating white and
/ liking colors myself ] determined to take
the nonsense out Of her head as soon as
we got home again
Strange TO say, my daughter resolutely
/ resisted me. When she had got a notion
| once fixed in her mind. she was. like
other half witted people, as obstinate as
a mule in keeping II.
! We quarreled finely: and Mrs Clements
/ not liking TO see IT. I suppose, offered 10
J take Anne away 10 live in London with
! her. should have said Yes. II Mrs.
1 Clements had not sided with my daugh-
ter about her dressing herself in white.
| But being determined she should not
dress herself In white. and disliking Mrs
| Clements more than ever for taking part
| against me. / said No, and meant No
and stuck 20 No. The consequence was
my daughter remained with me: and the
consequence OF that, in its turn. was the
first serious quarrel that happened about
| the Secret
The circumstance took place long after
| the time / have Just been writing of |
had been settled for years in the new
town; and was steadily living down my
! bad character, and slowly gaining
] ground among the respectable inhabit-
ants II helped rue forward greatly to-
ward this object. TO have my daughter
with me. Her harmlessness. and her
|
certain amount OF sympathy. I left of
| opposing her favorite whim on that ac-
! count, because some OF the sympa thy
was sure, in course OF time 10 fall 10
my share Some OF It did fall date
my getting a choice Of the two best sit
tinss 10 let in the church from that time
and date the clergyman's first bow
from my getting the sittings
I Well being settled in this way, I re
| ceived. a letter one morning from that
| highly born gentleman (now deceased,
In answer 10 one Of mine, warning him.
according 10 agreement, OF my wishing
to leave the town, for a little change
! OF air and scene.
The ruffianly side OF him must have
been uppermost. / suppose. when he got
my letter-for he wrote back refusing
me in such abominably insolent language
! that lost all command over myself and
abused him, In my daughters presence
\ as "a low imposter whom | could rum
| for life, II ! chose TO open my lips and
let out his secret" / said no more about
him than that, being brought TO my
senses, as soon as those words had es-
capped me. by the sight of my daughters
face looking eagerly and curiously at
! mine. I instantly ordered her out OF
the room until | had composed myself
again.
| Ny sensations were not pleasant I can
tell you. when | came 10 reflect on my
own folly. Anne hai been more than
| usually crazy and queer that year: and
when I thought OF the chance there
might be OF her repeating my words in
the town. and mentioning his name in
connection with them, II inquisitve
people got hold Of her. I was finely ter
r.ned at the possible consequences MY
worst fears for myself my worst dread
Of what he might do, led me no further
than this. ! was quite unprepared for
what really did happen. only the next
day.
On that next day. without any warning
tc me 20 expect him. he came 20 the
house
His first words. and the tone inSsxhich
| he spoke them. surely ne Il was, showed
me plainly enough that he had repented
! already OF his insolent answer 10 my
application, and that he had come, In n
mighty bad temper. 10 try and settle
matter. right again before II was too
late. Seeing my daughter In the room
with me I had been afraid to let her
out OF my sight. after what had happen