The diamond drill., 1921-07-16

II
sister went TO live at Blackwater park
her husbands country estate. Coun,
Fosco. an audacious and dou4neerins
Italian. and his wife were guests Of
the household. But all was not as
harmonious as an English country par
ty should be. Lady Clyde and her sis.
ter. as inseparable and confiding rs
ever. felt perceptIble coolness rising
between them and the two gentlemen.
Coolness turned to suspicion and soon
20 fear
Then II was that Lady Clyde met
the Woman In White. The mysterious
person stole noiselsssfy up to her In
the twilight one evening and whis-
pered: IF you knew your husbands
secret. he would be afraid OF you. He
would not dare use you as he has used
me. 1 ought to have saved you before
Il was too late" But before the Sc
cret was told there were footsteps IN
the distance and the woman moved
steaithify away.
Sir Percivaf learned of the brief In
terview. and was afraid OF his wife
He demanded. begged. threatened her
TO tell him all she knew. What had
been'a battle OF wits between the two
sisters and the two men became a
struggle or strategy. and the women
lost the fight Lady Clyde was de
coyed into leaving Blackwater park
for Count Fosco's London home. Less
than two weeks later a tombstone In
Cumberland bore this inscription: "Sa-
cred to the memory OF Laura. Lady
Clyde"
On my return from Central America
the same year, I heard OF the death.
and Immediately visited the grave. AS
| approached IL, 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
our feet WIS her mysterious double.
Sir Percivals boldness and Count I
FoSco's cleverness had succeeded I'm |
exchanging the destlnIes of the Two
women. Tee 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
tombstone, and the lncredulity OF her
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.
II soon was apparent that Sir Per
civai and Count Fosco were the per-
sons must fight. I worked secretly.
but directly, for l had no funds with
which TO carry on fight through the
courts. The secret with which the
Woman In White had threatened Sir
Perclyal seemed 10 me To be the key 10
the whole situation. Through n Sc
ries Of inquiries. working always un-
der the watch OF spies, found Il op-
perfume TO look up the marriage regis
tration Of Sir Percivafs parents. 7 !.
found II IN a little country church.
and II was forged. I was no sooner
IN possession OF the knowledge OF his
llegitimate birth than Sir Percival, In
furious desperation 10 destroy the ev
dence, entered the little church by
light. set fire 60 the structure, and
through the agency Of his own stupid
ty and an old-fashIoned wooden lock.
rapped himself into an awful death.
Laura wns free OF her husband, but
he remained an outcast--a woman
lead 10 her friends and relatives
yns still determined this should not !,
'e. My only hope OF success lay In
Count Fosco. who alone had the evi.
lence which could establish her legal :
existence. But TO acknowledge Lady
ilyde's Identity would be to admit his : :
,uilt Of one Of the greatest OF crimes :
nv task looked difficult but an un- :
Inown agency came TO my aid :,
Count Fosco wns a traitor 10 one of
he worldwide Italian secret societies. \.
The knowledge came 20 me by chance. :
ut II served me In good stead. Invent : :
o his house one night and bartered =
~ silence for the evidence Of Laura's = :
xistence. Count Fosco, In long ex. :
osition, gave the details Of his own =
nd Sir Percival's cunning. Then he =
sft England forever. To clear up the =
lst shred Of mystery surrounding the : :.
Voman In White. sought out her =
hildhood homa pieced together her !,
tory from her old friends and reia- =, :,
YES. Fate had made her the illegit- - -
nate half-eister Of her counterpart -
I'd the chance possessor Of Sir Per- - :,
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