Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-03-28

" Wen, II thief did know 1t, he might
easily make his fortune" she observed,
interrupting her companion.
Madame Lucca glanced at the cup
board; then raising her voice, she con-
tnued:
"Ohi there would be no necessity for
murder. The door which leads from that
room to the garden is unlocked. | forgot
to lock it. A thief would merely have to
walk in from the garden, and take my
Jewel case from the table near the window.
He might make his escape richer by sixty
thousand or seventy thousand thaers, anL
never be detected. That's better than
numbering people, is it not?"
"Oh! yes-your ladyship. And he
might get over to England Or America"
Nothing easier" replied Madame
l-ucca. However, that reminds me. |
may rs well lock the door leading into the
garden. Run into the dining room.
You'll find the key on the table. Do not
be long"
No, your ladyship, will not; trust
me for that" said the girl.
"Editha! Editha!" " cried Madame Luc-
ca an instant afterward. Il have made
mistake The key is in the Baron's
study. Pshawl she does not hear me-"
she continued, speaking aloud "I must
90 and fetch it myself
With these words she left the room. No
sooner had she done so than The door of
the cupboard cautiously opened. 4 man
put his head out and glanced around Per-
ceiving no one, he darted into the adjon-
intr f.ha bor Tho pavt tbo ,loD,
was shut and locked behind him! But not
by him! BY Madame Lucca! When she
left The room she did not proceed two
PAGES; she stood outside, listening. As
she was in darkness, she could, without
being visible herself, see all that WAS pas
sing in her bed chamber. She beheld the
stranger leave his hiding place and dart
into the adjoining 70 m. She glidcd after
him with The steadness of a tiSress and
the courage of a heroine. The reader
knows what followed.
" AHrapirt!" (caughD she cried, rush
ing across the room with the key in her
band.
1" | can't find any" began Ediha en-
terng the bed chamber. But Madame
Lucca, pushing her one side, disappeared.
Edtha looked after her in mute astonish-
ment, and remained as though rooted to
the spot till her mistress re-entered with
revolver in her hand.
"Oh! your ladyship; wha-a-a-at's
that? inquired the maid, with strong
presentiment that all was not right.
" The Baron's revolver, thank good
ness! " replied Madame Lucca.
Il, 1
ship?" inquired the maid.
Madame Lucca pointed to the door.
Some one Oh the other side was turning
the handle. Editba turned deadly pale
and dropped the lamp she was carrying.
Presently there was a knocking, and a
voice exclaimed: open this door direct
ly, Or"
The rest was inaudibe. Editha's
screams drowned aught else. Madame
Lucca waited until the girls first stock of
breath was exhausted, and her second moi
yet arrived; she then said with comic Sc
verify, "Editha! if you are not quiet
will begin by shooting you"
Editha thought, apparently, that her
mistress was in earnest, for the poor girl
Immediately rammed large portion of
the nearest towel into her mouth. and re-
stricted herself to swaying to and fro and
sobbing violently. The knocking grew
more and more violent, but the door was
massive oak and immovable.
My friend" cried Madame Lucca, in
loud voice, you are Gagged. The gar
den door is rs tightly fastened as this one,
and the window is secured. Do not at
tempt to open the latter, for l am going
into the garden, and the instant that | see
you try to escape you are dead man"
Flinging open the door which led to the
ycranda she went out, followed by Edtha,
who in her despair, had succeeded in
pushing more Of the towel in her mouth.
The noise of the bolt being drawn was
heard
" Stand aside, my friendn said Madame
Lucca, or you are dead man." A
sharp report followed. accompanied by the
sound OF crashing wood and spliniered
glass.
There. that is one barrel out of six.
That is merely to show that am armed.
You had better remain quiet"
The visitor also was seemingly of this
opinion for he did not renew the attempt.
When the servants returned next morning
they found Madame Lucca quietly reading
under the vcranda before the window.
They were rather surprised, however, at
perceiving she had six-barrelled revolver
in her hand, and Edith what appeared to
be the end Of a towel sticking out of her
mouth. A few words explained the whole
affair, and in about an hour afterward the
would-be thief who, us it was proved,
would have been ready to turn assassin us
well. WAS safely at the nearest Rolizeibu-
! rcdu
Talk of gcncralship," said my friend,
as he concluded his story, was not the
stratagcm of the jewels, by which Madame
Lucca lured the thief into the room des-
tined to be his dungeon. magnificent
idea! Moltke himself never did anything
to beat it,