Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1904-04-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SYNOPSIS.  Sir John Godwin, a wealthy widower, has sent his daughter Alice to a foreign school, where she has remained for years. She has grown up to be a beautiful and accomplished girl of eighteen, but her father still seems to ignore her existence. Alice, however,. finds an admirer in an Englishman staying in the neighbourhood of the school, and to him. when he announces that he is called to return home, she entrusts the manuscript of a book she has written. The work is pub fished, and proves a great success. One effect of this is that Sir John, with natural pride in his daughter, is eager for her at last to take her proper place in the household. Sir John's housekeeper, however, dreads the effect of her coming, and devises a scheme for getting rid of the girl. The arrangements being left to her, she sends as maid to bring Alice Godwin home a woman named Grainger, with instructions upon which she is to act. Grainger induces Alice by a false tale to alight at a wayside station in France, on the way home, and, with an accomplice, lures her to a lonely house, where she is left to starve. Happily, Alice's lover has followed her unperceived, having seen her departure from the school. and having suspicicns of the character of her companion, and he now rescues her from the fate intended. They find preparations have been made for burning the house down, and at Alice's suggestion her lover, who now tells her his name is Arthur Devon, seta it on fire, so that the would-be murderers may suppose their end accomplished. Suddenly, at an upper window, appears the face of Grainger's- accomplice. Devon makes a desperate effort to rescue him, but fails. Alice reaches England. and Devon takes her to the house of a Mrs Cavendish. who receives her warmly. Alias hesitates ebout going to her father's not knowing whether he is concerned in the evident plot against her. At last she goes, in a make-up provided by Mrs Cavendish, as an applicant for a place as maid. On reaching the house she is told 'that Mrs Croft, the housekeeper, is absent, and is asked lo await her return. Mrs Croft engages her at once, Find on leaving the house Sir John noticed her in the hall, and with a cry falls forward upon her shoulders. Having discovered that her father is innocent of blame, Alice goes down to Bexmeade with Sir John's family to spy upon Mrs Croft. She finds Grainger established there secretly in the haunted tower, and supplied with food by the housekeeper. Determined to make the wretch suffer, Alice appears to Grainger as the ghost of herself, with the result that the woman is struck down with brain fever. Next day, :this Craft lures Sir John to propose to her, as she hopes, but Alias overhears their conversation, and discovers that her father ts not a widower aa was supposed When leaving her point of vantage, Alice finds het. 'elf face to face with .Melite Owen, her old 'wthooltiellow, who has come to call on Sir John. She is vowed to silence an the subject of Alice's reappearance, and they armle to meet; but Afelita's manner in the auhsequent interview arouses; Sir John's susP,icion. and what Miss Owen tells him oiliest.% es• the first time a doubt of Mrs Croft.