The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-15
THE WOMAN IN WHITE
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.

1 as thouRht IL time 20 speak again
Cant you talk 10 me without feelins
| frightened and without forgetting thai
l am a friend?"
How did you come here7" she asked
without noticing what / had just said
| 10 her.
Don't you remember my telling you
when we last met, that / was going "a
Cumberland? l have been In Cumber-
land ever since: I have been staying al
the time at Limmeridge House"
AT Limmeridge House!" Her pale
face frightened as she repeated the
words: her wandering eyes fixed on me
with a sudden interest. 'Ah. how hap
py you must have been" she said, look
ing al me eagerly, without a shadow OF
its former distrust left In her expression.
I took advantage OF her newly aroused
confidence in me. 10 observe her face.
with an attention and n curiosity which
l had hitherto restrained myself from
showing for cautions sake looked
at her. with my mind full OF that other
lovely face which had so ominously re-
called her 10 my memory on the terrace
by moonlight. ] had seen Anne Cath
erlcks likeness In Miss FairUe. / now
saw Miss Fairles likeness I'm Anne Cath
erick-saw IL all the more clearly because
the points OF dissimilarlty between the
two were presented 10 me as well as the
DOlntS Oh TeSemDId nee. In the Keilefdi
outline OF the countenance, the general
proportion OF the features: in the color
OF the hair and I'm the little nervous un-
certainty about the lips; In the height and
size of the figure, and the carriage OF
the head and body, the likeness appeared
even more startling than ! had ever felt
II to be yet. But there the resemblance
ended. and the dlssimilarity in details
began. The delicate beauty OF Miss
Fairlles complexion. the transparent
clearness OF her eyes the smooth purity
of her skin, the tender bloom of color
on her lips, were all missing from the
worn. weary face that was now turned
toward mine. Although / hated myself
even for thinking such a thing, still. while
looked at the woman before me. the
idea would force Itself into my mind that
one sad change. In the future. was all
that was wanting 10 make the likeness
complete. which now saw 10 be so Inn
perfect In detail. II ever sorrow and
suffering set their profaning marks on
the youth and beauty Of Miss Fairlie's
face. then. and then only. Anne Cath
erick and she would be the twin sisters
OF chance resemblance, the living refiec-
tions OF each other.
/ shuddered at the thought There was
something horrible I'm the blind unreason-
Ing dstrust OF the future which the mere
passage OF 1t through my mind seemed to
imply 1t was a welcome interruption to
be reused by feeling Anne Cathericks
hand laid on my shoulder. The touch
was as stealthy and as sudden as that
other touch. which had petrihed me from
head 10 foot on the night when We first
met.
"You are looking NJ me: and you are
OF something. she said, with
her strange. breathless rapidity of utter
ance. What is it?"
Nothing extraordinary" I answered.
81 was only wondering how you came
here"
II came here with friend who Is very
good TO me- | have only been here two
days"
And you found your way to this place
yesterday
How do you know that?''
81 only guessed II"
She turned from me. and knelt down
before the inscription once more.
Where should l go, II not here?'
she said. THE friend who was better
han a mother to me- IL the only friend /
nave to visit to Limmcrldge oh. IL
makes my heart ache 10 see a stain on
Ter tomb, Ii ought to be kept white
Is snow for her sake. | was tempted to
'egin cleaning IT yesterday? and 1 can't
lelp coming back To go on with IL today.
s there anything wrong in that7 i hope |
lot Surely nothing can be wrong that
do for Mrs Fairles sake?''
The old grateful sense OF her benefao- |
ress' kindness was evidently the ruling |
dea stil in the poor creatures mind |
he narrow mind which had but too plain |
y opened to no other lasting impression |
ince that first impression OF her younger |
nd happier days l saw that my best
nance of winning her confidence lay In
her 10 proceed with the art
ess employment which she had come IN
o the battle-ground to pursue. She re-
umed II at once, on my telling her that
he might do so; touching the hard mar
lie as tenderly as II IL had been n senti-
nent thing. and whispering the words OF
he inscription TO herself. over and over
gain. so If tho lost days or her girlhood
ad returned and she was patiently learn
1g her lesson once more at Mrs. Fairlies
nees.