Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-03

ence, 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 foiled in her plan, which had been TO
lock him in. Still her presence of mind
did not desert her.
"Ah, dear me 2" she said, gaping, 81
feel sleepy %
"sleepy, your ladyship l wish did,"
replied her maid. a. don't feel sleepy.
Pm too frightened"
''Frightenedl' What are you frightened
Of, you foolish goose Nonsense 7" re-
piled Madame Lucca.
"Oh ! begging your ladyship's pardon,
II is not nonsense, and that's Just IL
How can you be sure that some bosetcieh
(yillian), some tdughenich good for
nothing. fellow, hearing you and are
all alone in the house, may not murder
us in our beds But he shan't murder
me 10 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 adoptl She dared not
give her maid the slightest hint of the
real state of matters she felt that the
girl would 90 Into tit then and there,
and thus bring on a crisis. Scarcely
knowing what she was doing, Madame
Lucca replied a. random.
/ " Murder us What for ?"
"What for, your ladyshipl Why, for
your money-for your jewels, to be sure.
Everybody knows you have plenty oil
them"
The girl might have been unconseiously
sharpening, so TO speak, the knife by
| which she and her mistress were doomed
dWhat absurdIiyl'' 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 a key. Her face flushed, and a
smile, as 1t were, of proud inspiration
lighted it up, though only for second
- jewels - she replied. why, every
one with 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. 1t is
a strange thing, though, Editha, that to-
day is an exception. ! expected the
Countess Won Wartenstean to call, and l
brought down all the jewels presented TO
me at my last visit to 81. Petersburg, to
/" Your ladyshlp did Oh but suppos-
ing a thief,
:" We'll, If a thief did know it, he might
easily make his fortune " she observed,
interrnptiug her COMPANION.
"By numbering us, and running OH
with the jewels "
Madame Lucca glanced at the cup
board then raising her voice, she con-
tinued
"Ohl there would be no necessity for
murder. The door which leads from that
room TO the garden is unlocked | for
got TO lock it. A thief would merely
have to walk in from the garden, and
take nv level case from the table neai
the window. He might make his escape
, richer by 6O,OO0 or 10000 thalers, and
meyer be detected. That's better thar
numbering people, is It not
"Ohl yes-your ladyship. And h'
might get over to England or America
Nothing easier" replied Madam'
Lucca. "However, that reminds me
1 may as well lock the door leading to th
garden. Run into the dining room
You'l find the key on the table. DO no
o be long
t T.ucca. an instant afterward, "I hav
made n mistake. The key is In tn
Baron's study. Pshaw she does not hea
me" she continued, speaking aloud
81 must 70 and fetch it myself"
a With these words she left tue room
No sooner had she done so than the deo
of the cupboard cautiously opened.
5 man put his head out and glanced around
Pereeiying no one he darted into the ad
|. inning chamber. The next instant tn
door was shut to and locked behind him
But not by him BY Madame Lucca
When she left the room she did not pre-
It coed two PAGES she stood outside, listen
ing. As She was in darkness, she could
+ without being visible herself, see all tina
10 was passing in her bed-chamber. Sh
beheld the stranger leave his hiding plac
}, and dart into the adjoining room. sh
glided after him with the steadiness of
y tigress and the courage of heroln'
The readers know what followed.
'r " Al Rappirt!" (caught) she crie!t
. rushing across the room with the key
IF II can't find any" began Edithi
entering the btdehamber. But Madam
ps Lucca, pushing her TO one side,dlsal
!, peared. Editha looked after her in mu
astonishment, and remained as thoug
rooted to the spot till her mistress re-e'
, tered, with Il revolver IN her hana' -,
&. "Oh! your ladyship Wh-a-t'at's thati
inquired the maid, with stroug present
ment that all was not right.
IT, "The Baron's revolver, thank goo
... ~ ,av1fad Madame I.upca.
VI "Why thank goodness, yourladyshipi
" INQUIRED the maid.
Hie Madame LuccS pointed to the doc
10 Ia Some one on the other side was turnlI
~ the handle. Editha turned deadly pal
20 and dropped the lamp she was carryin
VI Presently there was knocking, and
a. voice exclaimed
~, II, "Open this door directly, Or
'ut The rest was inaudible. Editha
ler screams drowned aught else. Madau
nc Lucea waited until the gir's first sto
of breath was exhausted and her secol
%. not vet arrived she then said, wi
70 comic severity, "Editha if you are
nS ~ quiet, l will begin by shooting you u
81 Ediths thought, apparently, that n
~ mistress was in earnest, for the poor
iie Immediately rammed a large portion
.ue W the nearest towel in her mouth, and
u', strieted herself TO swaying to and Il
and sobbing violently. The knock
,''t grew more and more Violent out |
~ door was massive oak aud llnmoVaole
mhls m s.My friend" cried Madame Lucea,
a loud voice; S'you are caged. The g
ey den door is as tightly fastened as d
one. and the window is secured. Do
.an ATTEMPT to open the latter, for | am gol
" Hii9 into The garden, and the instant tina
Ss W see you try 10 escape, you are dc
IN m Flinging open the eor which led
9e9 the veranda she went out. followed
iau Editha, who ia her despair had succeed
& &ol, in pushing more of the towel in
~ mouth. The noise of a bolt being dra
- was heard.
am "sland aside, my friend, " said NADIA
'ne ' I,uccu, 'sor you are dead man ~
ele A sharp report followed, accompan
W. 81, by the sound of crashing wood and spl
ore tered glass.
ere "There that is one barrel out of S
LILY LILY That is merely to show that am arm
niy You had better remain quiet"
H., The visitor also was seemingly OF
~ same opinion, for he did not renew
~, attempt. When the servants returl
~, next morning they found Madame Lu.
"a quietly reading under the yeranda Del
inD t the window. They were rather surprl
inKg however, at perceiYing that she had a
~ ~ barreled revolver in her hand, &
anu a that Editha had what appea
ecu to be the end Of a towel stick
W. W. out of her mouth. A few words exp =
'uiu . ed the whole affair, and in about an b
VI, aiterward the would-be-thief, who, a
out was proved, would have been ready
ou' @ tnrn assassin as well, was safe at
10 nearest DOlizeiburedu.