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

doubt. This was highly improper, ana
very ungentleman-like on your part.
II we see each other again. remember
II you please. that viii allow no liber-
ties TO be taken with my reputation. and
that the moral atmosphere OF Welmins-
ham Ito use a favorite expression OF my
friend the rector's) must not be tainted
by loose conversation OF any kind. II
you allow yourself to doubt that my hus-
band was Anne's father. you personally
insult me In the grossest manner. III you
have felt. and n you still continue 10 feel.
an unhallowe curiosity on this subject,
] recommend you in your own interests
to check II at once and forever On this
side OF the grave. Mr.. Hartright. what
ever may happen on the other, that Gu
riosity will never be gratined.
Perhaps. after what have Just said,
you will see the necessity OF writing me
an apology. Do so; I will willingly re
ceive IL. I will afterward. II your wishes
point 10 a second interview with me. go
a step further, and receive you. My cir
cumstapces only enable me 10 invite you
20 tes-not that they are at all altered
for the worse by what has happened. l
have always lived. as think told you.
we'll within my income; and have saved
enough. in the last twenty years. TO make
me quite comfortable for the rest OF my
! life. II Is not my intention 20 leave
Welmingham. There are one or two little
advantages which I have still TO gain In
the town. The clergyman bows to me
as you saw. He Is married: and his wife
| is not quite so civil. propose to Join
the Doroas soicety; and mean 10 make
| the clergymans wife bow 10 me next
II you favor me with your company,
| pray understand that the conversation
must be on general subjects. Any at
| tempted reference TO this letter will be
quite useless--I am determined not to
acknowledge having written II. The evil
dence has been destroyed in the nre. i
know: but think II desirable 10 err on
! the side OF caution. nevertheless.
On this account. no names are mon
TONED here. nor is any signature attached
| 70 these lines: the handwriting Is dis
guised throughout. and / mean 10 deliver
! the letter myself. under circumstances
which will prevent all fear Of iu being
| traced 10 my house. You can have no
possible cause 10 complain Of these pre-
| cautions. seeing that they do not Affect
the information here communicate, In
consideration of the special indulgence
which you have deserved at my hands.
NY hour for tea is half h-past FIVE. and
my buttered toast waits for nobody.
The Story Continued by Walter Hart
right
| I.
| My FIRST impulse. after reading Mrs.
y
10 destroy II. The hardened. Shameless
depravity Of the whole composition. from
| beginning to end-the etrocious perver-
| sity OF mind which persistently asso-
| ciated me with a calamity for which
had risketd my life In trying TO avert--so
disgusted me. that was on the point or
tearing the letter. when a considera ton
! suggested itself, which warned me to
| wait a little before I destroyed IL. 4.
This consideration was entirely uncon-
nected with Sir Percival. The infor-
nation communicated 10 me. 90 far as
II concerned him. did little more than
| confirm the conclusions at which i had
already arrived.
He had committed his ofrense as had
supposed him 10 have committed II; and
| the absence Of all reference. on Mrs
Catherick's part. to the duplicate regis
ter at Knowlesbury. strengthened my
previous conviction that the existence Of
| the book and the risk OF detection which
| II implied must have been necessarily
unknown TO Sir Percival My interest In
the question Of the forgery was now at
( an end: and my only object In keeping
| the letter was TO make IL Of some future
service In clearing up the last mystery
that still remained TO bafie me-the par
| entage OF Anne Catherick. on the faith
er's side There were one or two SEN
tences dropped in her mothers narra-
tive. which II might be useful to refer
to again. when matters Of more imme-
/ diate Importance allowed me leisure TO
search foS the missing evidence. 1 did
not despair OF still finding that evidence;
| and had lost none Of my anxiety TO dis
ocver IT, for had lost none Of my inter
est In tracing the father of the poor crea-
ture who now lay at rest in Mrs. Fair
| lies grave,
Accordingly sealed up the letter, and
put II away carefully In my pocketbook
TO he referred TO again when the time
! came.
The next day was my last In Hamp-
shire When had appeared again be-
| fore the magistrate at Knowlesbury. and
I had attended at the adjourned inquest
should be free to return TO London by
the afternoon or evening train.
NV frst errand in the morning was. as
usual 10 the postofrice The letter from
| Marian was there, but thought. when II
was handed to me. that IL felt unusually
light. / snxiously opened the envelope