Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-07-03
THRILLING ADVENTURE.

For cool resolution, the following Incl.
dent related to me by my friend. canno,
we'll be surpassed. Madame Pauline Luc.
ca usually resides in the Victoria Strasse
Berlin. Last Spring. however. she occu.
pied. temporarily. at some distance outside
the city, n gartenhaus, or country house,
consisting Of only a spacious. rambling
basement story. surrounded by veranda
One night, about ten o'clock. she was sit.
ting there in her bedroom. Her chair
was placed before her toilet table, which
was lighted BY a wax taper on each side Of
the glass.
The two tapers we're not sufficient to H.
illuminate the rooms very brilliantly. and
the further end lay buried in o sort of semi
obscurity. Madame Lucca was busy read
ing some letters concerning engagements
when suddenly she imagined she heard a
noise. She looked around, but. seeing
nothing. concluded she had made q mis-.
take. and resumed the perusal Of the let
ters. She had forgotten oil about the
noise when she heard it again. This time.
instead Of looking around. she happened.
withou. moving her head. merely to raise
her eyes TO the glass She beheld refcc-
ted in il the face Of man pccring cauti.
ously from ont cupboard behind her.
AT frss she fanciec she was dreaming.
q .auis,tly looked again. No il was no
There was the man. whom she
rr& o having been formerly
henes -ho had been dis
MI bad behavior. She
1Iso suspe6ted him Of purloining sew.
1 objects which she had missed from
Vine 10 time. but not being certain on this
point. she had kept her suspicious to her
self. Yes. there he was there could be
no mistake about the matter.
Madame Lucca's first impuse was to start
up and give the alarm. But there was
not another habitation within mile or
two. and she rccollested that the only per.
son beside herself in the house. was her
maid. who, though very good girl, and
extremely attached to her mistress. was
BY no means celebrated for her nerve.
The other servants. including the garden.
er and coachman. had been granted per.
mission to attend friends wedding some
miles of, and were not to return till the
next day. II flashed across her mind that
thc man. who as she knew, had been loi.
tering about the ncighborhood for two o,
three days. had learned that she would be
alone, and meant to rob the house, or,
perhaps. murder her. II his project Of rob.
berry could not bc execaecd without the
perrctration Of the greater crime. What
was to be done? Again she glanced 10.
wards the mirror. The eye vas still there,
glaring on her through the gloom. All
at once she remembered that q revolver
belonging to her husband, the Baron vou
Rhadcn. ought to be lying on shelf in
the dining-room but she was not quite
sure. III: is there. and IL l could only
get it. she thought, i should not mind.
While she was rejecting q knock was
heard on The door Of the room. She saw
tha man Instantly draw back into the cup.
board. aud close it after him. She felt
relieved that those two horrible eyes were
taken of her; they seemed to pierce her
like daggers.
Come in y she said.
Her maid entered.
4 thought you had gone 10 bed, my
good girl. observed Madame Lucca, in q
tone Of unccncern.
i was going. please your lsdyship-but
I--I-thoaght yoa might perhsps want
something. replied the maid.
Il told yoai would hs say ewn femne
dc ekamtrs tonight. No; the only thing
I want is to stretch my limbs little. for
they ara eramped from long sitting
Speaking thus, Madame Lacca arose
With IN air Of sdmirably acted indiffer.
rnce. and took tarn or tse across the
room. passing close to the cupboard a
/ che did 10. She aftcrward declared she
thought she could hear the man breathe
in bis hiding place. He. on his part,
might have heard her heart beat. she said
: when. on locking Al the eyhols. she found
the hey had Keen removed. She was foil.
ed in her plan. which had been TO loci
him in. Stili her presence Of mind did
noa desert her.
All. dear msr she said. gaping. I
= Sleepy. yosr isayship, I ~ish I ana.
replied hr maid. I don't feel sleepy,
I'm TOO Fdeh,eaed.e - y NsSNkOCA
Frightened What are zou frightened
ei. yea foolish goose I Nonscnss r replied
Madame Luees.
oh bsgging yos- ladyship's pardon.
y y nos aonssnse. aad that's Just 10 -
How can yoa b sufs that scms 6ose~;rA
(vail.sn). so@s ts~3keHicAe { good for.
sn"shisg- -selle~) hearing you aud / are an
alone in the house. MY sot murder I. h