Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-04-25


peering cautiously from out cupboard
behind her. At first she fancied she was
dreaming. She quietly looked again.
No, it was no dream. There was the
man, whom she now recognized as hav-
ing been formerly In her service, whence
he had been discharged for bad behav-
ior. She had also suspected him of pur-
loining several objecls, which she had
missed from time to time, but not
beng certain on this point, she had kept
her suspicious to herself. Yes, there he
was there could be no mistake about The
matter. Madame Lucca's first impulse
was to start up and give the alarm. But
there was not another habitation within
a mile or two, and she recollected that
the only person besides herself in the
house was her maid, who, though very
good girl and extremely attached TO her
mistress, was by no means celebrated for
ner nerve. The other servants, includ-
ing the gardener and coachman, had
been granted permission to attend a
friends wedding some miles off, and
we're not to return till the next day. 1t
flashed across her mind that the man,
who, as she knew, had been lettering
about the neighborhood for two or three
days, had learned that she would be
alone, and meant to rob the house, or
perhaps murder her, if his project Of
robbery could no. be executed without
the preparation of the greater crime.
What was TO be done? Again she
glanced toward the mirror. The eyes
were still there, glariDg on her through
the gloom. All at once she remembered
that revolver belonging to her hus-
band, the Baron Won Rhaden, ought to
be lying on shelf in the dining room ;
but she was not sure. " If it is there,
and if | could only get it," she thought,
:" | should not mind. While she was
rejecting knock was heard on the door
of the room. She saw the man instant
ly draw back into the cupboard, and
close it after him. She felt relieved that
those two horrible eyes were taken off
her; trey seemed to pierce her like
daggers.
Come in p she said.
Her maid entered.
:" / thought you had gone to bed, my
good girl" observed Madame LuSca, in
a tone of unconcern.
" l was going, please your ladyship-
but | thought perhaps YOU might want
something, replied the maid.
- | told you | would be my own fem
me de chambre tonight. No; the only
thing | want is to stretch my limbs a
little, for they are cramped from long
sitting"
Speaking thus, Madame Lucca arose
with an air of admirably acted indiffer-
enoe, and took a turn or two across the
room, passing close TO the cupboard as
she did so. She afterwards declared she
thought she could hear the man breathe
in his hiding-place. He, on his part,
might have heard her heart beat, she
said, when, on looking at the key hole,
she found the key had been removed.
She was foiIed in her plan, which had
been to lock him in. Still her presence
of mind did not desert her.
:" All, dear ME y she said, gasping, /
feel very sleepy"
"Sleepy, your ladyship! wish l aid,
replied her maid. Il don't feel sleepy.
I'm too frightened"
" Frightened What are you fright
ened of, you foolish goose? Nonsense !"
replied Madame Lucca.
"Oh begging your ladyship's par
don, 1t is not nonsense, and that's Just
it. How can you be sure that some vii
lain, hearing you and are alone in the
house, may not murder US in our beds ?
But he shan't murder me in mine, for,
with your ladyship's permission, will
sit up all night in your ladyship's easy
chair"
Madame Pauline Lucca glanced at
the cupboard. Her blood ran cold
she thought she saw the handle turn.
What course was she to adopt? She
dared not give her maid the slightest
hint of the real state of matters; she
felt that the girl would 60 into fit then
and there, and thus bring on crisis.
Scarcely knowing what she was doing,
Madame Lucca replied at random
Murder US! What for
What for, your ladyship! Why, for
your money-for your jewels, to be sure.
Everybody knows that you have plenty
of them"
The girlmight have been unconscious
ly sharpening, so to speak, the knife by
which she and her mistress were doomed
to perish.
What absurdity!" said Madame
Lucca, with a forced laugh As she
spoke her eye wandered from the key
hole of the dreaded cupboard to that of
an adjoining room. In the latter there
was key. Her face flushed, and
smile, as it were, of proud inspiration
lighted it up, though only for second
Jewels p she replied. why, every
one with grain of sense must know
that should not have them about me as
rule. They, of course, are generally
under lock aud key at Berlin. 1t is a
strange thing, though, Editha, that to-
day is an exception. | expected the
Countess Won Wartensteau to call, and
| brought down all the jewels presented
to me at my last visit to st. Petersburg,
to show her."
Your ladyship did 4! Oh bat sup
posing thief"
"Well, if a thief did know it he might
easily make his fortunep' she observed,
interrupting her companion.
By numbering us aud running off