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


dent related to me by my friend. cannot
we'll be surpassed. Madame Pauline Luc-
CO usually resides in the Victoria Strasse,
Berlin. Last Spring. however. she occu-
pied. temporarily. a. come distance outside
tho city. eartenhaus. or country-housc.
consisting Of only 4 spacious. rambling
basemen. 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 wax taper on each side Of
the glass.
The two tapers were not sufficient to H..
Illuminate the rooms very brilliantly, and
the further end lay buried in sort OF semi
obscurity. Madame Lucca was busy read
Ing some letters concerning engagements
when suddenly she imagined she heard
noise. She looked around, but. seeing
nothing. concluded she had made mis-
take. and resumed the pcrusal Of the let
tcrs. She had forgotten all about the
noise when she heard it again. This time,
instead Of looking around, she happened,
without moving her head. merely to raise
her eyes TO the glass She bcheld refcc-
ted in il the face Of q man peering cauti-
ously from out n cupboard behind her
Al first she fanciec she was dreaming.
She quietly looked again. No il was no
dream. There was the man, whom she
now recognized as having been formerly
in her service. whence he had been dis
charged for general bad behavior. She
had also suspected him Of purloining sew
eral objects which she had missed from
lime TO 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 itnpusc was to start
up and give the alarm. But there was
not another habitation within q mile or
tao. aud she rccolleoted that the only per.
son beside herself in the house, was her
naid. who. though a very good girl. and
extremely attached to her mistress, was
BY no means celebrated for her nerve
The other servants. including the garden
ef 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
the man. who us she knew. had been loi-
tering about the ncighborhood for two or
three days. had learned that she would be
alone. aud meant TO rob the house, or,
perhaps. murder her, il his project Of rob-
berry could not be executed without the
Perpetration of the greater crime. What
was to be done? Again she glanced to-
wards the mirror. The eye was still there.
glaring on hei through the gloom. All
at once she remembered that q revolver
belonging TO her husband. the Baron Won
Rhaden. ougL: to be lying on shelf in
the dining room but she was not. quite
sure. III j. is there. and if could only
ret H. she thought. 4 should not mind
While she was rejecting q knock was
heard on the door Of the room. She saw
the man instantly draw back into the cup
board. and close il after him. She felt
relieved that those two horrible eyes we're
taken cH her they seemed to pierce her
like dsggcrs.
.Cemc in :" she said.
Her maid entered.
i thought you had gone to bed, my
good girl observed Madame Lucca. in a
zone OF urconeeru.
i was going. please your lady ship-bu.
I-I-thOught you might perhaps want
something. replied the maid.
4 told you would be my own fems,e
&c eaambre tonight. No: the only thing
want is to stretch my limbs little. for
they are cramped from long sitting
SPEAKING TINS, Madame Lucca arose
with an cir OF admirably acted indiffer-
rnce, and took q turn or two across the
room. passing close to the cupboard as
she did 90. She afscrward declared she
thought she could hear the man breathe
In his hiding place. He. on his part.
might have heard aer heart beat. she said
when. On looking 9, the key hole. she found
the key had been removed. She vas foil.
cd in her plan. which had been to lock
him in. Still her presence Of mind did
nos desert her.
.Ah. dear me!' she said. gaping. 1
sssl slsepy!
Sleepy. your ladyship wish I did.
eplisd her maid. i doa't feel sleepy.
n, too frightened.
Frightened wha, are you frightened
Q you foolish goose ! Nonsense 2 replied
AHsmc Lucca.
Oh ! begging your ladyship's pardon.
u ! not nonsense. aud that's just il -
Hcsean you be sure that scme bosericA
.(vilkp sous taasieaieh { eeod.for.
no'hAg.fellow). hearing you and | are al
alone ths hruse may s,rs sptf-,i~v u< =,