The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-18


presence by Mrs. Clements. had thought
il the strangest and most unaccountable
OF all places for Sir Percival 10 select
for a clandcstine meeting with the clerk
wife Influenced by this impression, ana
by no other, / had mentioned the ves-
try OF the church." before Mrs. Catherick,
on pure speculation-it represented one
OF the minor peculiarties OF the story
which occurred TO me while / was speak
ing / was prepared for her answering
me confusedy, or angrily; but the blank
terror that seized her when l said the
words took me completely by surprise.
had long before. associated Sir Per-
cival's Secret with the concealment OF
serious crime. which Mrs. Catherick
knew of-but / had gone no further than
this. Now, the woman's paroxysm Of ter
ror associated the crime. either directly
or Indirectly. with the vestry, and con-
vinced me that she had been more than
the mere witness OF it-she was also the
accomplce. beyond a doubt.
What had been the nature OF the crime?
Surely there was a contemplate side 10
It. a 8 we'll as a dangerous side, or Mrs.
Catherick would not have repeated my
own words, referring 10 Sir PercivaIs
rank and power. with such marked dis
dain as she had certainly displayed 1t
was a contemplate crime. then and
dangerous crime and she had shared in
OF the church
The next consideration TO be disposed of
led me a step further from this point.
Mrs. Catherick's undisguised contempt
for Sir Percival plainly extended TO his
mother as well. She had referred. with
the btterest sarcasm 70 the great fam
fly he had descended especially
by the mothers side" What did this
mean? There appeared TO be only two
explanations OF It. Either his mothers
birth had been low or his mothers repu-
tation was damaged by some hidden flaw
with which Mrs. Catherick and Sir Per
cival were both privately acquainted.
could only put the first explanation 10 the
test by looking at the register OF her
marriage, and 30 ascertaining her maiden
name and her parentage. as prelim-
mary 10 further inquiries.
on the other hand, IL the second case
supposed were the true one, what had
been the flaw In her reputation? Remenl-
bering the account which Marian had
given me OF Sir Percival's iather and
mother. and OF the suspiclously unsocial.
secluded life they had both LED. / now
asked myself whether Vt might not be
possible that his mother had never boen
rnarried- all Here--agaln-- register
IT. n'ght ty offering written eviderce OF The
n1atriage, prove to me, az any rae, that
;hls count mad no foundation In truth.
But where was the register TO be found?
AT this point / took up the conclusions
which had previously formed and the
same mental process which had discov-
cred the locality OF the concealed crime,
now lodged the register, also, In the. ves-
try OF Old Welmlngham church.
These were the results OF my inter-
view with Mrs. Catherick--these We're the
various considerations, all steadily con-
verging TO one point. which decided the
course OF my proceedings on the next day.
The morning was cloudy and lowering.
but no rain fell. ! left my bag at the
hotel To wait there till | called for IL.
and. after inquiring the way, set forth
on foot for Old Welmlngham church.
II was a walk OF rather more than
two miles, the ground rising slowly all
the way
on the highest point stood the church =
an ancient. weather-be beaten building. W IN
heavy buttresses at it's sides, and olum-
sy square tower In front. The vestry
at the back, was built from the church,
and seemed to be OF the same age. Round
the building at intervals. appeared the re.
mains of the village which Mrs. Clements
had described to me as her husband y
place Of abode in former years, and which
the principal inhabitants had long since
deserted for the new town. Some OF the
empty houses had been dismantled to
their outer walls; some had been left TO
decay with time: and some were still in.
habited by persons evidently of the poor"
est class. Ii was a dreary scene--and yet
i'm the worst aspect of it's ruin, not so
dreary as the modern town that l had
lust left Here there was the brown,
breezy sweep of surrounding fields for the
eye TO repose on: here the trees, leaflsss
as thy were. stu varied the monotony
OF the prospect, and helped the mind to
look forward TO summer time and shade.
AS I moved away from the back OF the
church and passed sorle OF the disman-
tied cottages in search of person who
might direct me 10 the clerk. I saw two
men saunter out after me, from behind
a walt The taller OF the two-a stout,
muscular man. In The dress OF game
keeper was a stranger 20 me. The other
was one OF the men who had followed me
in London on the day when l left Mr..
Kyrle's office. had taken particular no.
tice OF him at that time; and felt sure
that / was not mistaken In identifying
the fellow on this occasion.
Neither he nor his companion attempt
ed 10 speak 10 me, and both kept them
selves at respectable distance; but the
motive OF their presence In the neigh
borhood OF the church was plainly APP
perent IL was exactly as | had supposed
Sir Percval was already prepared for
me My visit TO Mrs. Catherick had been
reported 10 nlfn the evening p'loIts anu
those two men had been placed on the
lookout. near the church. In anticipation
OF my appearance at old Welmingham. III
| had wanted any further prom that my
Investigations had taken the right direc-
ton at last, the plan now adopted for
watching me would have supplied Il.
I walked on, away from the church.
TIL reached one OF the inhabited houses
with a patch Of kitchen garden attached
to 10. at which a laborer was at work.
He directed me 20 the clerks abode a
cottage. at some little distance on. stand
ing by itself. on the outskirts OF the for
saken village. The clerk was indoors.
and was just putting on his grey-coat
He was a cheerful. familiar. loudly talk
atve old man. with very poor opinion
CAS- 1 soon discovered OF the place In
which she lived and a happy sense Of
superiority TO his neighbors In virtue Of
the great personal distinction OF having
once been IN London.
Its well you came so early, sir" said
the old man. when I had mentioned the
object Of my visit. Il should have been
away in ten minutes more Parish bus