The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-31


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There was nothing inside but a small
| strip OF paper, folded In two. The Few
blotted, ,hurriedly written lines which were
! traced on Il contained these words:
Come back as soon as you can. have
been Obliged to move. Come TO Covers
Walk, Fulham (number fve). will be on
| the lookout for you. Don't be alarmed
about US: we are both safe and well But
| come back-Martan."
The news which those lines contained
news which instantly associated with
some attempted treachery on the part OF
| Count Fosco-fairly overwhelmed me. i
stood breathelss. with the paper crumpled
up' In my hand. What had happened?
What subtle wickedness had the count
planned and executed In my absence? A
night had passed since Marian's note
was written-hours must elapss still. be-
fore / could get back to them-sorne new
disaster might have happened already. OF
which I was ignorant. And here, miles
| and miles away from them. here I must
remain-held. doubly held, at the dispo-
sal OF the lswi
! I hardly know 10 what forgetfulness or
nv obligations anxiety and alarm might
not have tempted me. but for the quiet
| ing influence OF my faith in Marian Ny
absolute reliance on her was the one
earthly consideration which helped me to
| restrain myself and gave me courage TO
wait. The inquest was the fret OF the I'M
pediments In the way OF my freedom or
| setion-I attended II at the appointed
| time: the legal formalties requiring my
presence In the room. but, as IL turned
! out, not calling on me to repeat my evil
dence This useless delay was hard
trial. although I did my best 10 quiet my
y irnpa tIence by following the course OF the
proceedings as closely as could.
The London solicitor OF the deceased
(Mr. Merriman) was among the persons
! present But he was quite unable to as
! sist the objects OF the inquiry. He could
| only saw that he was nexpressibly SHOCK
ed and astonished and that he could
throw no light whatever on the mysterf-
| Gus circumstances OF the case. AT inter-
| walls during the adjourned investigation.
he suggested questions which the coroner
! put but which led 10 no results. After a
| patient inquiry, which lasted nearly
three hours and which exhausted every
available source of information. the jury
| pronounced the customary verdict In
cases OF sudden death by accident They
| added 10 the formal decision a statement
| that there had been no evidence 10 show
how the keys had been abstracted. how
the fire had been caused. or what the
purpose was for which the deceased had
entered the vestry. This act closed the
proceedings. The legal representative OF
the dead man was left TO provide for the
necessities of the interment. and the wit
nesses were free TO retire.
Resolved not 20 lose minute I'm getting
10 Knowlesbury. paid my bill at the no.
tel. and hired fy TO take me 10 the
town. gentleman who heard me give
the order and who saw that was going
| alone informed me that he lived In the
| neighborhood of Knowlesbury, and asked
II would have any objection TO his get
ting home by sharing the fy with me.
accepted his proposal as matter OF
| course.
Our conversation during the drive was
| naturally occupied b. the one absorbing
! subject OF local interest.
NY new acquaintance had some
| knowledge OF the late Sir Percival's So
lctor: and he and Mr.. Merriman had
been discussing the state Of the deceased
| gentleman's affairs and the succession to
the property Sir Percivals embarrass-
ments were so we'll known all over the
I county that his solicitor could only make
/ a virtue Of necessity and plainly ac-
knowledged them. He had died without
leaving a will. and he had no personal
! property 10 bedueath, even n he had
made one: the whole fortune which he
| had derived from his wife having been
swallowed up by his creditors The heir
20 the estate (Sir Percival having left no
| lssuel was a son Of Sir Felix Glyde's first
cousin-an officer in command OF an East
Indiaman. He would find his unexpected
inheritance sadly encumbered; but the
! property would recover with time. and ~
| "the captain" was careful. he might be a
/ rich man vet before ne died
Absorbed as ! was in the one idea OF
\ getting 10 London. this informal ton
! (which events proved 10 be perfectly cor
rect had an interest OF its own 10 attract
| my attention. thought II justified me in
keeping secret my discovery Of Sir Perci-
/ walls fraud
The heir whose rights had usurped
| was the heir who would now have the
| estate The income from II. for the last
three and twenty years. which should
1 properly have been his. and which the
| dead man had squandered 10 the last
| farth!ng. was zone beyond recall II I
/ spoke my speaking would confer ad-
vantage on no one. ~ I kept the secret
my silence concealed the character OF the
man who had cheated Laura into marry
\ Ing him For her sake I wished % con-
I ceal it-for her sake still. tell this story
under feigned names.
/ I parted with my chance companion
/ az Knowlesbury. and went AZ once to the
\ town hall As had anticipated, no one
/ was present 10 prosecute the case against
/ me-the necessary formalities were OBJ
served-and was discharged. on leaving
\ the court. letter from Mr. Dawson wac
,rput into my hand II informed me that
I hc was absent on professional duty and IL
/ reiterated the offer I had already re-
/ ceived from him of any assistance which
/ I might require az his hands. wrote back
/ warmly acknowledging my obligations
1 20 his Kindness. and anologizing for not
/ expressing my thanks personally. in con-
sequence of my immediate recall, on
/ pressing business. 20 town.
| Half an hour later I was speeding back
| % ondon bv the exnreea train