The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1873-09-11
A THRILLINa ADVENTURE.
Madam Luoa as Thief Catcher.

For coil resolution. the following Incl
dent, related to me by my friend, cannot
be- surpassed. Madame Pauline IIucCa
usually resides 10 he Victoria StrausSe,
Berlin. Last Spring, however, she occu-
pied, temporarily, at sowo distance outside
the city, a garden house, Or country house
consisting Of only a spacious, rambling
basement st%y. suroundedby a vcrandah
One night, about ten o'clock sue was set
ting therein her bed room, her chair was
placed before her toilet table. which was
iigbtedby a wax taper on each side Of the
glass, The two tapers we're not sufficient
to illuminate the room very brilliantly,
and the further end lay buried in sort Of
seni.obscurity Madame IIucca was busy
reading some letters concerning engage.
ments, when suddenly she imagined she
heard noise. She looked, but seeing
Dothine, concluded she had made mis-
take. and resumed the peru5al Of The let
tiers. She had forgotten all about bo noise
wheu she heard it again. This time, in
stead of looking around, she happened to
raise ber eyes to tho glass She bcbold,
reflected 10 it, the face ola man pecring
cautiously from out cupboard behind
her, at 6rst she fanCied she was dreaming
She looked again. NJ was no dream
There was the man whom she now rec.
Ognized as having been formerly in her
service, whence be had been discharged for
bad behavior Sh9 had also suspected him
of purIoiniug several objects, which she
had missed from time to time, but not
being certain on tbi, point she had kept
her suspicious to herself Yes there he
was; there could be no mistake about the
mutter. Madame Lucca's first impulse
was to start up und give the alarm But
there was not another babiatiOn within a
mile or two, aud she rccoIlcctcd that the
only person beside herselfn the house, was
her maid, who. though a very good girl,
aud extremely attached to her mistress,
was by no means celebrated for her nerve,
The other servants, including the gardner
and Coachman, bad been granted permiSs.
ion to attend friends wedding some miles
of, and we're not to return until next day
Il flashed across her mind that the man,
who, us 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, il bis projectof robbery could
not be executed without the porpot;ation
ofthe greater crime. What was to be
be done? Again she glanced toward the
mirror. the eye was still there, gluring
on her through the gloon. All at once
she remembered that a revolver belonging
to her husband, the Baron Won Rhaden
ought to DO lying on a shelf in the dining
room; but she was not sure "Tf It was
but there, and | could only get it, she
thought, Il should not mind" While
she was rejecting, knock was heared on
the door ofhcr room, She saw the man
instantly draw .. back into the cupboard, aud
those two horrid eyes were taken off; they
seemed to be burning her like daggers.
Come in, she said.
Her maid entered
| Thought you bad gone to bed'my good
girl" observed Madame Lucca, ID a tone
Of unconCern
IL was going please your ladyship'-but
l thought you might, perhaps want some,
thing"
II told you I would be my osu femme
de chamJrc tonight No; tho only thing
| want is to stretch my limbs little, for
they are cramped from long sitting"
Speaking thus, Madame Lucca arose
with an air of admirably acted Indifference,
aud 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 hid.
Jog place. lie, on his part might have
heard her heart beat, she said, when, on
looking at the keyhole, she found the key
had been removed She was foiled in her
plan, which had been to lock him in,
Still, her presence Of mind did not desert
her.
"Ah, dear me-" she said, gasping, I
feel very sleepy" y,
SLEEPY, your ladyship! wish | did, y
replied her maid, Il don't feel sleepy
I am too frightened!
Frightened! What are you brighten,
cd at, you foolish goose? NONSENSE" re.
piled Madame Lucca,
"0h! begging your ladyship's pardon
tisnot nonsense, aud that is justit How
can you be sure that some villain, hearing
that you and are in the house. may moi
murder US in our beds? But he sham
murder me 10 mine, for, with your lady,
ships permission, | will sit up oil night in
your ladyship's easy chair.
Madame Pauline Luoca glanced at the
cupboard. Her blood ran cold; she
thought she saw the handle turn What
course was she to adopt? She dared moi
give her maid the slightest hint Of the roa
state Of matters; she felt that the girl would
20 into Ct then and there and thus bring
on a crisis. Scarcely knowing what she