South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-01
THE WOMAN IN WIHITE-By Wilkie Collins
Condensation

II was a close and sultry night
early IN August. And I. Walter
Hartright. master OF drawing. aged
IS. was walking from Hampstead 20
London. In one moment every
drop cf blood in my body was
brought 10 stop by the touch Of
a hand laid gently on my shoulder.
There. IN the middle OF the nigh
road. stood "a woman dressed from
head 20 foot IN white garments She
asked me the way 90 London.
told her; and we parted.
Ten minutes later a carriage
passed me and a few yards beyond
stopped near a policeman. A man
put his head from the window and
asked. Have you seen a woman
pass this vyay-a woman IN white?
she has escaped from my asylum.
At a shake Of the polieeman's head. |
the carriage drove rapidly on.
The next day I was az Limme-
ridge House. Cumberland. i'm the
service OF Frederick Pairlie, Es-
quire. 7 was there 20 instruct his
two young nieces in the art Of
painting. I found Marian Halcombe
TO be dark and ugly. but intelligent.
Laura Fairlie. her half-sister, was
light. pretty and dependent. They
were devoted 20 each other. and be-
fore my engagement was up, 1 adj
mired the one and loved the other.
Ny feelings were the cause OF my
leaving Limmeridge House. Mar
ian Halcombe brought 70 me a
realization or my own heart You
must leave" she said, mot because
YOU are only a teacher OF drawing,
but because Laura Fairlie IS en-
gagged 20 be married"
A few days before left Cumber-
land. while walking alone in the
evening. I was confronted by the
same face which had first looked
into mine on the London highroad
by night But I was startled less by
it's sudden temperance than by
fmu1 ediats recognition OF an omin-
Gus between this fugitive from the
asylum and my fair pupil at Lin
meridge House. Still greater was
my CONSERVATION when the woman
admitted having &C me TO the neigh
bOrhOod for the sole purpose Of
thvarting the proposed marriage Of
, Laura Fairlie.
left Lira5leridge House, and
soon after embarked on an expedi-
ton 10 Central America The same
year Laura Fairlie became the
bride OF Sir Percival Clyde, Bart,
and with her sister went 10 live at
BIackwater park. her husbands
country estate Count Fosco, an
audacious and domineerlng Italian.
and his wife were guests OF the
household. But all was not as har-
monious as an English country
party should be. Lady Clyde and
and her sister. as fnseparabie and
conhding as ever. felt a perceptible
GOODNESS rising between them and
the two gentlemen. Goodness turn
ed 20 suspicion and soon TO fear.
Then II was that Lady Clyde met
the Woman in White The mys-
terious person stole noiselessly up
10 her in the twilight one evening
and whispered: 'If you knew your
husbands secret. he would be
afraid or you. He would not dare
use you as he has used me.
ought TO have saved you before It
was too late" But before the Sc
cret was told there were footsteps
I'm the distance and the woman
moved steaithily away.
Sir Percival learned OF the brief
interview. and was afraid Of his
wife He demanded. begged,
threatened her 10 tell him all she
knew. What had been a battle Of
wits between the two sisters and
the two men became a struggle Of
strategy. and the women lost the
sight Lady CLYDE was Recoyed in
To leaving Blackwater park for
Count Fosco's London home. Less
than two weeks later a tombstone
in cum berIand bore this inscrip-
ton; Sacred TO the memory Of
Laura, Lady Clyde"
on my return from Central