The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-05-08
Besides, she could not bear the thought Of
leaving her child. even il it was to purchase

Besides, she could not bear the thought Of
leaving her child. even il it was to purchase
her own safety.
IN The clock pointed to seven-an hour yet.
a whole hour before her husband would
come Her eyes were fixed on those feet.
which threaten her with death at any mo-
ment, with . sort of fascination. The deep
est silence reigned in the room. The infant
slept quietly. We do not know whether
even an Amazon. in her place, would have
been bold enough to try struggle with
robber. Madame Aubry had no weapons.
Y Besides, she made no claims to vaIor. but
( only to that passive courage. founded on
reflection, which is far the rarer of the two.
Every few minutes she would hear
noise in the garden. In that noise ray OF
hope shoue on her for a moment-it was
her husbands was deliyerance But no
lit was only the wind and rain, or the
shutter creaking. What an age every
minute seemed to be /! Oh, heavens the
feet moved Does the thief mean to leave
his hiding place No. 1t was only
slight, probably involuntary movement, to
ease himself by changing bis position.
The clock strikes only once. 1t is the
hslfhour only-and the clock is fast, be-
sides How much anguish-how many
silent prayers in these trying minutes =
She took up book of devotion and tried to
read, but her eyes would wander from the
page to fix on those heavy shoes. All at
once q thought arose that chilled her to the
very heart Suppose her husband should
not come The weather is stormy. and he
has relatives in the village he went to-
Perhaps they have persuded him it was
unsafe to travel 1t night with SO large
sum Of money about him; perhaps they
havo tn
yield to their urgent invitations to wait till
morning.
It is striking eight. and nobody comes.
The idea we have alluded to appears to her
more aud more probable After two hours
of such agony. the unhappy lady. whose
had been kept up by the hope of
final rescue, feels her strength and hope
fail her.
Soon she hears q noise under the window,
aud listens doubtfully. The heavy outer
door cresks on its hinges, and shuts with
slAmor a we'll known step is heard on the
stairs, and q man enters-a tall, stout man.
Il is he. it is he At that moment. If he i
lad been the worst OF all husbands, he i
would have been perfection in his wfe's a
yes. He had only taken off his wet cloak e
nd put away his pistols, and, delighted at /
gain seeing what he loves most on earth, i
pens MS arms 10 emOraco MS Wue one Q
laspes him convulsively-but in moment. a
her self possession. puts her fin- I
er on his lips. and points to the two feet f
eeping out under the curtain. Il
II M. Aubry had been wanting in pres I
nee Of mind. he would not have deserved
, be the husband of such woman. He 1
,ade slight gesture to show he understood
er, and said aloud, :" Excuse me, my dear. s
left the money down stairs. III be back
n two minutes." 1
Withi, that tune he returned. pistol in
,and. He looks at the priming. walks to
he alcove. stoops, and while the forefnger
# his right hand is on the trigger, with the
ther hand he ssisss one of the feet, and
ries in voice of thunder, " Surrender, or u
Iou are q dead man y He drsgs by the q
sst into the middle of the room a man of C
most ill-fsvored aspect, crouching low to C
void the pistol which is held close to his st
'ead. He is searched. and a sharp dagger o
found upon him. He confesses that the v
irl was his accomplice, and had told him b
]. Aubry would bring q large sum of money
ome that night.
Madame Aubry asked her husband to :
ardon them, but the voice of duty is louder c
han that of pity. When NJ. Aubry heard v
'om his wife all she had gone through, he q
ould only say, /" who would have thought Q
on so courageous - but, in spite of her 5
ourage. she was attacked that night with q G
iolent nervous fever, and did not &c: over I
er heroism for several days. n