The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-05-09


rny limbs a little, for they are cra.np-
Ell from long sitti g."
Speaking thus Madame Lucca
arose with ali air Of admirably acted
indifference, and took a turn or two
across tie room, passing close to the
cupboard as shedid 81, she after
wards declared she thought she
could hea. the man breathe in his
hiding-place. He, on his part,
might have heard her heart beat,
she said, when, on looking at the
keyhule, she found the KEY had been
removed. She was toiled in her
plan, which had been to lock him
in. Still her presence Of mind did
not desert her.
"Ah, dear mel" she said, gasping,
u feel very sleepyr'
"Sleepy, your ladyship! ! wish |
did," rep led her maid. II don't
feel sleepy. I'm too frightened. ,
Enlightened! What are you
frightened of, you foolish goose?
Nonsense" replied Madame I.ucca.
"Oh begging your ladyship's par
/ don, it is not nonsense, and that's
just it! How can you be sure that
some villi1n, hearing you and | are
all alone in the house, may not
murder us in our beds? But he
shant't murder me IN mine, for, with
your ladyship's permission, ! will
sit up all night III your ladyship's
easy chair"
Madame Pauline Lucca glanced
at the cupboard. Her blood ran
cold; she thought she saw the han.
| die turn. What course was she to
adopt9 She dared not give her maid
the slightest hint of the real state
Of matters; she felt that girl would
go into q tit then and there, and
thus bring on a crisis. Scarcely
knowing what she was doing,
Madame Lucca replied at random;
"biurder us!. What for2"
"What for. YOUR ladyshlp! Why.
for your money for your jewels to
be sure. Everybody knows You
have plenty of Them
The girl might have been nncon-
scionsly sharpening, so to speak,
the knife by which she and her mis-
tress were doomed to perish.
"What absardity!" said Madame
Lucca, with a forced laugh. AS
she spoke her eyes wandered from
the keyhole ofthe dreaded cupboard
to that Of an adjoining room. In
the latter there was key. Her
face flushed, and a smile, as it we're,
OF proud inspiration lighted it up
though only for a second
".Iewels!" she replied. "Why,
every one with a grain Of sense
must know that | should not have
them about me as a rule. They,
Of course, are generally safe under
lock and key at Berlin It is a
strange thing though, Editha, that
to-day is an exception. Iexpected
the Countess Won Wartenstein to
call, and / brought down all the
Jewels presented to me at my last
visit toSt Petersburg to show her."
"Your ladyship did! OH but
suppoSiDg a. thief"
"WeIl, ifa thief did know it he
might easily make his fortune!" she
observed, interuptiug her compan-
ion.
"By numbering US and running
Of with the jewels!''
Madame Lacca glanced at the
cupboard; then, raising her voice,
she continued: "Oh! there would |
be no necessity for murder. The
door which leads from that room
to the gardel.is unlocked; | forgot
to lock it. Athief would merely |
havesto walk in from the garden
and take my, jewelscasc from the
table near the window. He might |
make his escape richer BY 60s0O0Ur
10000 thalers, and never bedete0t-
cd. That's batter than numbering |
people, is it not?z u
"Oh, yes, 'sxo,a ladyshipS And |
he might get over toEngland vr |
America" kxI s
Nothing lie" "rehllea Madame
Lucca. "Iluweyer, that reminds
nle- n'sy '. st4i LEX tho ! ~