Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-02
q So be ;s . said Cvrilla with a little
'reme indifference.


Ten minutes past twelve ! Theo-
dore could not be long now. How
her ears strained, how her heart baat
at the slightest sound from wi'',ou'
If he were to come now, T." rrnh
hardly escape with life, un.r-~ -l..
Cyrilla, were to sacrifice her O@H i."
in the endeavor to save ms. She
was quite prepared to do that sht
said to herself.
"But pray, tell me, what plan you
intend to adopt for carrying out your
scheme of vengeance" she asked.
Gas soon as hear his footsteps,
shall hide behind those curtains
said the madman. g As he steps
across the theshold, | shall make a
rush for him, and strike hn dead
with my poniard."
ga pretty schcmc-a very pretty
scheme !" said CyriIIa encouragingly.
"But | think know one still better
one that will avoid all bloodshco,
which iso Objectionable in lady's room
"Tell il to me, saik the Italian,
quite eagerly"
"When he comes ID, said Cyrilla.
"he will ask for cup Of cofee-he
always does. Into his coffee | will
put few drops out Of a certain vial
which | have in my dressing-room.
He drink the coffee, and five min
utes later he is dead man
"Good, good !" said the mailman,
| rubbing his hands gleefully. And
then, when he is dead, will cut of
his head, and carry it to my friend
the nandarian, and he will give me
his magic ring-his cats-eye-ring,
that is worth kings ransom and
we will sail across the seas, you aud
together and you will be mine.
my own, for ever Say, shall it not
be so 2"
at shall, my Pietro p answered
Cyrilla boldly. "Ah you don't
know how much | shall love You
But we have no time to lose Thorn
hurst will be here presently, and /
must hide you at once"
"Yes-yes behind the curtains !"
| said Fastini eagerly.
I" No, not behind the curtains,
said Cyrilla, because the first thing
Thornhurst will do after coming in
will be to draw back the curtains,
and fasten the windows. Let me
consider where will be the best
place to hide you? ?"
She paused, and, with her finger to
her lips, looked round the room, a II
in search of a hiding-place. Fastini
was holding her other hand, and
pressing it now and again to his lips.
L have it 2" she said. Nothing
could be better. You shall hide
yourself in this old chest p and she
ran across the room, laughing gaiIy,
and dragging the Italian after her
and flung open the lid of the carved
chest 1t might have been put here
on purpose" she said, still laughing.
See-you will have plenty of room;
and there will be this advantage in
hiding here, you will be able, your
self unseen, to witness the whole #
my little drama from beginning t.
end-from your private box, you
know. "a little pun that, is it no;
really won't let you kiss my hand
any more. You must keep the lid
open about quarter Of an inch-ng.
more and presently you will sec
Thornhurst come stepping in through
one of these windows. You will
see him kiss me--for the last time
you know, SO you must not be an
cry. Then he will go round and fa5,
ten the windows then he will yawu
and stretch himself and then he
will seat himself in his easy chair,
and ask for his meerschaum and
cup of coffee. But you must not
stir till you see his eyes close, and
his head drop back on the chair
And now, sir. to your hiding place.
II you love me, don't delay, for Thorn
hurst may be here any moment NJ,
not single kiss now, but as many
as you like afterwards Why can't
you tie those lanky limbs of yours
into a knot? A little lower, please
So-that is better"
She was just lowering the lid ol
the chest gently over him when he
struck it up suddenly with his arm
"Cyrilta, he said," something whis
pers to me that my friend, the man
darian would like me to do this deei
myself Perhaps the Dog star
Hush p exclaimed Cyrilla with a
start. THE king of the pelicans is
coming this way. | hear his foot
steps. Hide-hide p She tried L.
press the lid down ON him as she
spoke; but his suspicious, even Oh
the alert, were reused in an instant,
and with all his strength ne strovc
to keep himself from being shut in
but his strength was Of little avail
in the position in which he then was.
Cyrilla flung herself bodily on to the
chest, and in spite Of all the mad
mans efforts, little by little, inch by
inch, the lid came down upon him,
his power to struggle against it is
decreasing in proportion the closer il
shut him in. Suddenly he changed
his position, and before he could re
cover himself, the lid had shut him
in completely, and the same instant
the iron staple in the body Of the
chest shot up through a slit in the
lid. The moment she saw it, Cyrilla's
instinct pointed out to her the only
method by which Fastini could b.
retained a prisoner, for her bodily
strength was all but exhausted.
The iron bar should have passed
through the hole in the staple, and
have kept the chest fast shut, was
broken away, and all that Cyr!.!a