The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-14
THE WOMAN IN WHITE
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.

in our favor confronted the next emer-
| gency, and played the second move In
! the game
The object OF the second move was TO
induce Lady Clyde TO leave Blackwater.
unaccompanied by her sister. Unless
we could persuade her that Marian had
| gone on TO Cumberland first, there was
no chance OF removing her, OF her own
/ free-wiA, from the house To produce
| this necessary operation in her mind. we
concealed our interesting invalid in one
| Of the uninhabited bedrooms at Black
water. At the dead OF night. Nine Fos-
! CO. Nine. Rubelle. and myself Percival
/ not being cool enough 10 be trusted). ac-
! complished the concealment The scene
] was picturesque mysterious, dramatic.
| In the highest degree.
BY my directions. the bed had been
| made In the morning on a strong nov
| able framew work OF wood We had only
10 lift the fra work gently at the head
and foot and to transport out patient
where we pleased without disturbing
! herself on her bed No chemical as
sistance was needed. or used in this case.
our interesting Mar.an lay in the deep
repose OF convalescence. We placed the
candles and opened the doors, before
! hand. |. In right OF my great personal
strength took the head OF the frame
work-my wife and Nine. Rubele took
the foot. ] bore my share OF that ines
timably precious burden with a manly
tenderness. with a fathery care Where
Is the modern Membrandt who could de-
pict our midnight procession? Alas for
the Arts alas for this most pictorial OF
subjects! the modern Rembrandt Is no
where TO be found
The next morning my wife and ! start
ed for London. leaving Marian secluded
I'm the uninhabited middle OF the house.
under care OF Nine. Rubelle: who kindly
consented 10 imprison herself with her
patint for two or three days. Before
taking our departure. I gave Percival
Mr. Fairles letter OF invitation 10 his
niece dnstrueting her TO sleep on the
journey 10 Cumberland at her aunt's
house). with directions To show IL TO
Lady Clyde on hearing from me also
obtained from him the address OF the
asylum In which Anne Catherick had
been confined and a letter TO the pro-
prietor, announcing to that gentleman
the return OF his runaway patent 10
medical care.
| had arranged. az my last visit to the
metropolis. To have our modest domestic
establishment ready 10 receive us when
we arrived in London by the early train.
In consequence OF this wise precaution.
we were enabled that same day To plav
the third move In the game-the getting
possession Of Anne Catherck
Dates are of Importance here 7 com
bine In myself the opposite Characters
tics Of man of sentiment and man
Of business. I have all the dates at my
fingers ends
On Wednesday. the oath day OF July.
1880 ] sent my wife. in o cab. to clear
Mrs. Clements out Of the way. I'm the
first place. A supposed message from
Lady CLYDE In London was sufficient to
obtain this result. Mrs. Clements was
taken away I'm the cab. and was left in
the cab. while my wife con the pretense
ef purchasing something al a shop gave
her the slip, and returned to receive her
expected visitor az our house i'm St Johns
wood. II IS hardly necessary To add that
the visitor had been described TO the
servants as Lady Clyde"
In the meanwhile | had followed I'm an
other cab, with n note for Anne Gather
ick. merely mentioning that Lady CLYDE
intended 20 keep Mrs. Clements To spend
the day with her. and that she was TO ioin
them. under care of the good gentleman
waiting outside. who had already saved
her from discovery i'm Hampshire by Sir
Percival The good gentleman" sent
IN this note by a street boy. and paused
FOR results a door or two further on. At
the moment when Anne appeared al the
house door and closed II. this excellent
man had the cab door open ready for her
absorbed her into the vehicle--and
drove off
Pass me, here one exclamation In
parenthesis How interesting this isD
ON the way 10 Forest road my COM
panion showed no fear. can he pat
nal-no man more so--when / please:
and was intensely paternal on this oc-
casion. What titles ] had 10 her conf
dence l had compounded the medicine
which had done her good. l bad warned
her Of her danger from Sir Perclval
Perhaps | trusted too implicitly in these
titles perhaps undeuated the keenness
of the lower instincts in persons OF weak
intelect-it Is certain that / neglected
to prepare her sufficiently for n disap-
pointment on entering my house. When
] took her into the drawing room-when
she saw no one but Mime. Fosco who was
n stranger TO her-shc exhibited the
most violent agitation: II she had scent
cd danger In the air. as a dog scents the
presence of some creature unseen her
alarm could not have displayed itself
more suddenly and more causelessy. I
interposed I'm vain. The fear from which
she was suffering I might have soothed
but the serious heart disease. under
which she labored. was beyond the reach
OF all moral palllatives To my unspeak-
able horror, she was seized with convul-
sions--a shock 10 the system. in her con-
dition. which might have laid her dead
AT any moment AZ our feet.
The nearest doctor was sent for. and
was told that Lady CLYDE needed his
immediate services. To my Infinite relief
he was n capable man. represented my
visitor 10 him as a person of weak in
tellect. and subject 10 delusions. and I
arranged that no nurse but my wife
should watch in the sick-room The
unhappy woman was too III. however. TO
cause any anxiety about what she might
say The one dread which now oppressed
me was the dread that the false Lady
Clyde might die before the true Lady
Clyde arrived In London
! had written a note In the morning
10 Nine. Rubelle. telling her 10 Join me
az her husbands house on the evening
of Friday the 26th: with another note 10
F1rcival. warning him 10 show his wife
her uncle's letter Of invitation. 70 assert
that Marian had gone on before her and
10 dispatch her 90 town by the midday
train on the Goth also. ON reflection.
had felt the necessity. In Anne Gather
icks state of health, Of precipitating
events. and 81 having Lady Clyde az my
disposal earlier than had originally
contemplated. What fresh directions. in
-