The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-06-23

the same year, heard of the death,
and Immediately visited the grave. As
approached II, two women came to-
wards me. One was Marian Halcombe,
the other was yelled, but when she
raised this covering from her face,
there looking at me- was Laura, Lady
Clyde. She was pale, nervous and de-
pressed-more perfect than ever I'm
her resemblance to the Woman In
White.
Marian Halcombe told me what she
knew. She had found her sister in
an ayslum, and In the grave AT
our feet was her mysterious double.
Sir Percival's holiness and Count
Fosco's cleverness had succeeded IT.
exchanging the destinies of the two
women. The circumstance had netted
these two gentlemen some 10000
pounds. derived from the estate OF
Lady Clyde.
The fortune was gone beyond recall
hut Lady Glyde's true identity might
yet be established in the face of such
evidence as her death certificate and
friends and relatives. This l deter
mined to do. Cast upon the world
alone, the sisters readily agreed TO al
low me TO take up their fight and /
determined that Laura should one day
re-enter her fathers estate recognized
by all.
1t soon was apparent that Sir Per-
cival and Count Fosco were the per-
sons | must fight / worked secretly,
but directly, for / had no funds with
which to carry on fight through the
courts The secret with which the
Woman in White had threatened Sir
Percival seemed to me to be the key to
the whole situation. Through a Sc
ries of inquiries, working always I'M
der the watch of spies, found ii OPP
perfume TO look up the marriage regis
tration of Sir Percivars parents. l
found it in a little country church.
and 1t was forged. / was no sooner
In possession Of the knowledge of his
illegitimate birth than Sir Percival. in
furious desperation to destroy the ev
idence. entered the little church by
night, set fire to the structure, and
through the agency Of his own stupid
ity and an old-fashioned wooden lock,
trapped himself into an awful death.
Laura was free of her husband, but
she remained an outcast-a woman
dead to her friends and relatives. /
was still determined this should not
be. My only hope of success lay in
Count Fosco. who alone had the evil
dence which could establish her legal
existence. But to acknowledge Lady
Glyde's identity would be to admit his
guilt Of one of the greatest Of crimes.
My task looked difficult, but an I'M
known agency came to my aid.
Count Fosco was traitor to one Of
the worldwide italian secret societies.
The knowledge came to me by chance,
but 1t served me in good stead. Invent
to his house one night and bartered
my silence for the evidence Of Laura's
existence. Count Fosco, In long ex-
position, gave the details Of his own
and Sir Percival's cunning Then he
left England forever. To clear up the
last shred Of mystery surrounding the
Woman in White sought out her
childhood home, pieced together her
story from her old friends and rela-
tives. Fate had made her the illegit-
innate half-sister Of her counterpart
and the chance possessor Of Sir Per-
cival's secret.
MY labors ended, Marian Halcombe
and her sister. who was now my wife,
returned to the happy companionship
Of those days at Limmeridge house
before Sir Percival's cunning had
usurped the contamination Of our love.
On the death Of Laura's uncle some
months later, her son and mine became
the heir Of the estate and fortune Of
the house of Limmeridgc.
Copyright. 1919, by the Post Publishing
Co. (The Boston PosD. Copyright in the
United Kingdom. the Dominions. its Col
onies and dependencies. under the copy
right act. by the Post Publishing Co.
Boston. Mass, u. s. A. All rights re-
served. Houghton. Mlffin e. Co., au-
thorized publishers.