Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-01-28

and if L could only get it," She
thought, 81 should not mind
While she was rejecting knock
was heard on the door Of the room.
She saw the man draw back in
stantly into the cupboard and close
it after him. She felt relieved that
those two horrible eyes were taken
off her; they seemed to pierce her
like daggcrs.
"Comc in ~ she said. Her maid
entered.
81 thought you had gone to bed,
my good girl" observed Madame
Lucca, in tone Of unconcern.
II was going, please your lady
ship; but I-I-thought you might
perhaps want something" replied
the maid.
81 told you I would he my own
famine de chdDbre tonight. No;
the only thing | want is to stretch
my limbs q little, for they are
crampcd from long sitting"
Speaking thus, Madame Lucca
arose with an air of admirably in
difference, and took a turn or two
across the room, passing close to
the cupboard as she did so. She
afterward 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-holc, she found the key had
been removed. She was foilcd III
her plan, which had been to lock
him in. Still her presence Of mind
did not desert her.
"Ah, dear me - she said gasping,
II feel very sleepy !"
"Slecpy, your ladyship! l wish
I did" replied her maid. 81 don't
feel sleepy. I'm too frightened.' -
enlightened What are you
frightened of you foolish goose
Nonsense y replied Madame
Lucca.
"Oh! begging your ladyslip's
pardon, it is not nonsense, and That's
Just it! How can you be sure tia
some 50secicM William some
tengenicM (god for nothing follow,
hearing you and I are all alone il
the house, may not murder us in
our beds But he shan't murder
me in mine for, with your lady
ships permission, will sit up al
night i'll your ladyship's easy chair .
Madame Pauline Lucca glanced
at the cupboard. Her blood ran
cold she thought she heard the
! handle turn. What course was she
to adopt! She dared not give hel
maid the slightest hint Of the real
state Of matters; she felt she would
90 into fit then and there, and
thus bring on y crisis. Scarcely
knowing what she was doing
Madame Lucca replied at random
"Mlurder us! What for!'
"What for, your ladyship! Why,
for your money-for your jewels, to
be sure; everybody knows you
have plenty of them.''
The girl might have been uncon-
sciously sharpening, so to speak,
the knife by which she and her mis-
tress were doomed to perish.
"What absurdity ~ said Madame
Lucea, with a forced laugh. AS
she spoke her eye wandered from
The lIey-hole of the dreaded cup
board to that of an adjoining room.
In the latter there was key. Her
face was flushed and smile, as il
were, of proud inspiration lighted
it up, though only for second.
"Jewels," she replied. "Why
everyone with grain of sense
must know that | should not bring
them about me as a rule. They of
course are generally safe under lock
and key at Berlin. 1t is a strange
thing, Editha, that to-day is an cx-
ception. / expected the Countess
Won Wartenstein to call, and /
brought all the jewels presented to
me at my last visit to st. Peters
burg to show her.
"Your ladyship did! Oh but
supposing a thief"
"Wcll, if q thief did know it, he
might easily make his fortune !" she
observed interrupting her compan-
ion.
Madame Lucca glanced at the
cupboard tlen raising her voice
she continued:
ooh ! there would be no necessi-
ty for murder. The door which