The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-09

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I almost ssDubt whether I ought not
20 90 step further and burn the letter
once. for fear OF its one day falling into
wrong hands. 1t not only refers 10
Laura I'm terms which ought TO remain n
secret forever between the writer and me:
but IL reiterates his suspicion-so obstin-
ate. go unaccountable. and so alarming
that he has been secretly watched since
he left Iimmerfd9e. He declares that he
saw the faces OF two strange men, who
followed him about the streets OF Lon
don. watching him among the crowd
which gathered at Liverpool to see the ex-
pedition embark: and he positively as
serts that he heard the name OF Anne
Catherick pronounced behind HIM. as he
got into the boat. His own words are
These events have a meaning. these
events must lead 10 a result. The mys-
terry OF Anne Catherick is not cleared up
yet. She may never cross my path
again: but if she crosses yours. make
better use OF the opportunity. Miss Hal
combe. than I made OF IL. speak on
strong conviction: entreat you to re-
member what I say" These are his own
expressions. There ie no danger OF my
forgetting them-my memory is only too
ready to dwell on any words OF Hart
rights that refer to Anne Catherick.
But there is danger in my keeping the
letter. The merest accident might place
II at the mercy OF strangers. ] may fall
III: may die Better 70 burn II at once,
and have one anxiety the less.
1t Is burned! The ashes OF his farewell
letter-the last he may ever write to me
lie I'm a few black fragments on the
hearth. In this the sad end to all that sad
story? Oh. not the end-surely. surely
not the end already.
2sth.-- The preparations for the mar
4 hsx hA Ar.S.-o " ha
come to receive her orders. Laura is
perfectly impass.ve. careless about the
question OF all others in which a wo-
mans personal interests are most closely
bound up She has left II all to the
dress-rnaker and TO me. II poor Hart
rasht had been the baronet. and the hus-
band OF her fathers choise. how different
ly she would have behaved How anx-
ious and capricious she would have been.
and what a hard task the best OF dress
makers would have found II to please
heri
Soth.-We hear every day from Sir Per-
cival. The last news Is. that the altera-
tons In his house will occupy from four
to six months. before they can be proper
ly completed. II painters, paper-hang-
ers, and upholsterers could make hap
piness as we'll as splendor. shall be IN
terested about their proceedings in Laura
future home. As II is. the only part OF
Slr Percivafs last letter which does not
leave me as II found me- perfectly tndif-
ferent to all his plans and projects. Is
the part which refers to the wedding
tour. He proposes as Laura Is delicate.
and as the winter threatens to be unusu-
ally severe, TO take her TO Rome, and to
remain in Italy until the early part of
next summer. II this plan should not
be approved he Is equally ready al
though he has no establishment OF his
own in town, to spend the season IN Lon
don, In the most suitable finished
house that can be obtained for the pur-
pose.
entirely out OF the question (Which IL IS
my duty TO do. and which have done).
I, for one. have no doubt OF the pro-
priety OF adopting the first OF these pro-
posals In either case. a separation be-
tween Lura and me is Inevitable. II Will
he longer separation. in the event or
their going abroad. than II would be I'm
the event OF their remaining In Lon
don-but we must set against this d.sad-
vantage the benefit OF Laura on the other
side. OF passing the winter In a mild cli-
mate. and more than that, the immense
assistance I'm raising her spirits and re-
conolling her TO her new existence, which
the mere wonder and excitement OF
travelling for the first time IN her life I'm
the most interesting country in the word
must surely afford. She is not OF a dis
position to find resource in the conven-
tional Rayetes and excitements OF Lon
don. They would only make the first
oppression OF this lamentable marriage
fall the heavier on her dread the be-
ginning OF her new life more than words
can tell; but l see some hope for her II
she travels-none II she remains at home
IL Is strange TO look back at this latest
n nd N Ht.I 49, n
am writing OF the marriage and the
parting with Laura, as people write OF
settled thing. 1t seems so cold and so
unfeeling to be looking at the future
already in this cruelty composed way
But what other way Is possible. now that
the time is drawing so near? Before
another month IL over our heads, she will
be his Laura instead OF mine. His Laura,
i am as little able TO realize the ldes
which those two words convey-my MIND
feels almost as dulled crd stunned by it.
MS If writing OF her marriage were like
writing OF her death
December ist.--A sad. sad day: a day
that have no heart TO describe at any
length. After weakly putting Il off. last
night, / was obliged 10 speak TO her this
morning OF Sir Percivars proposal about
the wedding tour.
In the full conviction that should be
with her wherever she went. the poor
child-for a child she is still in many
thines-was almost happy at the pros
pect OF seeing the wonders OF Florence
and Rome and Naples 1t nearly broke
my heart TO dispel her delusion. and TO
bring her face TO face with the hard
truth. I was obliged to tell her that no
man tolerates a rival--not even a woman
rival-in his wife's affections, when he
nrst marries her. what tever he may do
afterward. I was obliged to warn her
that my chance OF living with her per-
manently under her own roof depended
entirely on my not arousins Sir Perci-
vals jealousy and dlstrust by standing
between them at the beginning OF their
marriage, In the position OF the chosen
depository OF his wife's closest secrets.
Drop by drop l poured the profaning
bitterness OF this worlds wisdom into
that pure heart and that innocent mind.
while every higher and better feeling
within me recoiled from my miserable
task. IL IL over now She has learned