The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-28
THE WOMAN IN WHITE
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.

me with fixed. vacant eyes Shall undo
the harm? she said 10 herself. doubtful
ly You have friends TO take your part. lf
you know his secret, he will be afraid of
you; he won't dare use you as he used
me- He must treat you mercifully for his
own sake. IL he is afraid OF you and your
friends. And IL he treats you mercifully,
and II can say IL was my doing lis
tened eagerly for more; but she stopped
at those words
You tried TO make her go on?'
II tried. but she only drew herself away
from me again. and leaned her face and
arms against the side OF the boathouse.
OH! | heard her say. with a dreadful,
distracted tenderness in her voice, oh! II
| could only be buried with your mother!
II could only wake at her side when the
angels trumpet sounds, and the graves
give up their dead at the resurrection
Marian, / trembled from head TO foot
II was horrible to hear her. But there
is no hope OF that she said, moving
little. so as TO look at me again no hope
for a poor stranger like me. i shall not
rest under the marble cross that ! washed
with my own hands, and made so white
and pure for her sake Oh. no! oh, no.
Gods mercy. not mans will take me 10
her. where the wicked cease from troub-
ling, and the weary are at rest She
spoke those words quietly and sorrow
fully, with a heavy, hopeless sigh; and
then waited little. Her face was con-
fused and troubled: she seemed TO be
thinking. or trying TO think. What was
IL ] said just now? she asked. after
while. When your mother is in my mind
everything else goes out OF II. What was
I saying? what was | sayingT l re-
minded the poor creature as kindly and
delcately as could. All! yes. yes she
said, still in a vacant. perplexed manner.
You are helpless with your wicked hus-
band. Yes. And | must do what | have
come 10 do here-I must make II up TO
YOU for having been afraid 10 speak out
az better time What is II YOU have
to tell me?' asked. The secret that your
cruel husband is afraid Of she answered.
L once threatened him with the secret.
and frightened him You shall threaten
him with the secret, and frighten him
too Her face darkened and a hard.
angry stare fixed itself in her eyes. She
began waving her hand at me in a va
cant. unmeaning manner. My mother
knows the secret, she said. My mother
has wasted under the secret half her life
time one day. when ! was grown up.
she said something to me. And the next
day your husband"
Yes. yes! Go on. What did she tell
you about your husband?'
She stopped ageIr. Marian, at that
point"
And said nc norc?'
And listened eagerly Hush" she
Whispered still waving her hand at me.
Hush She moved aside out Of the door
way, moved slowly and stealthily. step
by step. I'll i lost her past the edge OF the
boathouse.
Surely you followed her?'
Yes: my anxiety made me bold enough
10 rse and follow her Just az l reached
the entrance she appeared again. sudden
ly. round the side Of the boathouse. The
secret | whispered to her-'wait and tell
me the secret" She caught hold of my
arm. and looked at me with wild. fright
ened eyes. Not now she said we are
not elone-wc are watched Come here
tomorrow. at this time-by yourself
mlnd--by yourself She pushed me
roughly into the boathouse again, and
saw her no more"
"Oh. Laura. Laura. another chance
lost II I had only oeen near you. she
should not have escaped us. ON which
side did you lose sight Of herr"
'On the left side, where the ground
sinks and the wood Is thlckest"
Did YOU run out again? dld you call
after herr
How could ~ was too terrified to
move or speak"
But when you did move-when YOU
came OUT"
II ran hack here. 10 tell you what had
happened"
Did you SEE any one. or hear any one
In the plantatlon7"
mo: IL seemed to be all still and quiet
when | passed through g."
waited for a moment 20 consider. Was
this third person. supposed 10 have been