The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-31
THE WOMAN IN WHITE
(Continued.)

(Continued)
II ended as you probably guess. by this
time. In his insisting on securing his own
safety by, shutting her up.
tried TO set things right. told him
that she had merely repeated. like par
rot, the words she had heard me say. and
that she knew no particulars whatever
tecause / had mentioned none. explain
ed that she had affected out OF crazy
spite against him. to know what she real
ly did not know; that she only wanted to
threaten him and aggrsvate him. for
speaking 20 her as he had just spoken;
and that my unlucky words gave her tpst
the chance OF doing mischief OF which
she was IN. search. referred him 10 oth-
er queer ways Of hers. and TO his own ex-
reifence Of the vagaries OF half-wftted
pecple-it was all 90 no purpose-he
would not believe me on my oath--he was
absolutely certain had betrayed the
whole secret. In short. he would hear or
nothing but shutting her up.
Under these circumstances, / did my
duty as a mother. mo pauper asylum, j
said II won't have her put In pauper
asylum. A private establishment. II you
pclsse have my feelings as mother,
ana nv CUdTdtltI W PiNeti' - 80
town: and I will submit 10 nothing but a
private establishment. OF the sort which
my genteel neighbors would choose for
afflicted relatives OF their own" Those
uere my words II s gratifying 10 me 10
reflect that / did my duty. Though never
overfond OF my late daughter. ] had
proper pride about her. No pauper stain
thanks to my firmness and resolution
ever rested on my child!
.lxI ar1V
more easily. In consequence OF the facil-
tiles offered by private asyiums), could
not refuse 10 admit that there were GER
tain advantages gained by shutting her
up. In the nrst place. she was taken az
cellent care of-being treated tas / took
care TO mention in the town on the foot
ing Of a lady. In the second place. she
was kept away from Welmingham, where
she might have set people suspecting and
nauirins, by repeating my own incau-
tious words
The only drawback Of putting her un-
der restraint was a very slight one. We
merely turned her empty boast about
knowing the secret, into a fxed delusion.
Having first spoken In sheer crazy spite
fulneS. against the man who had offend
cd her. she was cunning enough TO see
that she had seriously frightened him.
and sharp enough afterward TO discover
no. The consequence was, she famed out
INTO q perfect frenzy OF passion against
him. going to the asylum: and the first
words she said to the nurses, after they
had quieted her. were. that she was put
In confinement for knowing his secret.
and that she meant 10 open her lips and
ruin him. when the right time came.
She may have said the same thing TO
YOU when you thoughtlessly assisted her
S-I.~ Ill a. Iaa n hsa "a
ast sunnmer> 10 the unfortunate woman
Who married our sweet-tempered. name
ess gentleman. lately deceased. II either
,ou or that unlucky lady had questioned
my daughter closely. and had insisted on
her explaining. what she really meant
you would have found her lose all her
self-importance suddenly. and get va
cant and restless, and confused-you
would have discovered that 7 am writing
nothing here but the plain truth She
knew that there was a secret--she knew
who was connected with it-ehe knew
who would suffer by it's being known
and. beyond that, whatever airs OF i'm
portance she may have given herself
whatever crazy boasting she may have
INDUCED In with strangers. she never TO
her dying day knew more.
Have satisfied your curiosity'
have taken pains enough 10 satisfy II AZ
have 10 tell YOU about myself. or my
daughter. MY worst responsibilities 80
far as she was concerned were all over
when she was secured I'm the asylum.
had form OF letter relating TO the CIR
cumstances under which she was shut
up. given to me to write. in answer "a
one Miss Halcombe, who was curious In
the matter. and who must have heard
plenty OF lies about me from a certain
tongue well accustomed 10 telling the
same. And did what 7 could afterward
10 trace my runaway daughter. and pre-
vent her from doing mischief by making
inquiries myself IN the neighborhood
whore she was falsely reported 10 have
been seen. But these. and other trines
like them. are OF little or no interest to
you after what you have heard already.
So far have written in the friendliest
possible spirit But 7 can not close this
letter. without adding a word here ot
serious remonstrance and reproof. ad-
dressed to yourself
In the course OF your personal Interview
with me. you audaciously referred 10 my
late daughters parentage. on the fathers
side. as IL that parentage was a matter OF