Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-01

Tom was profuse in his apologies, and made
 1t quite clear that his intentions at least haC
 been most excellent beside, he kissed Lucre
 tia with so much brotherly tenderness that
 relented of my desire to knock him down
 Then brother and sister retired for while
 apparently to see after my bedroom, and wal left alone in the bar.
 Icannot say liked the look of it. The
 men were drinking whisky and playing ecart.
 two bad things, 1 thought in my twenty year old propriety. My dear mother hated
 gambling, which hatred she had installed into
 my youthful mlnd, and this was evidently 6
 backwoods gambling house. Moreover,
 carried bag of silver coin, quite large enough
 to make it well worth while to rob me. The
 appearances were clearly agalnst Lucretia's home; but surely Lucretia herself was a
 guaranty for anything.
 | Presently Tom returned, and told me my
 room was ready. followed him up the stairs
 with beating heart and a heavy reticule. At the top of the landing Lucretia stood smiling, I my candle in her hand, and showed me into | the room. Tom and she looked around to see
 that all was comfortable, and then they both
 shook hands with me, which certainly seemed I q curious thing for an inn-keeper and bis sis ter. As soon as they were gone, began to I look about me and consider the situation.
 The room had two doors, but the key was gone from both. Iopened one toward the I passage, but found no key outside; the other, l which probably communicated with a neigh l boring bedroom, was locked from the oppo. site side. Moreover, there had once been a common bolt on thls seconl door, but it had l been removed. looked close at the screw
 holes, and was sure they were quite fresh 1 Could the bolt have been taken of while was l waiting in the bar? All at once it flashed
 across my mind that I had been imprudently
 confiding in my disclosures to Lucretia. I had told her that carried f150 in coin an I easy thing to rob and difficult thing tosiden- l tify. She had heard that nobody was aware of my presence in Richmond, except herself l and her brother. I had not written to tell the Pritchards was coming, and she knew that I had not told any one of my whereabouts, be- cause did not decide where should go un- l til talked with her about the matter. No l one in Canada would miss me. If these peo- pie chose to murder me for my money (and | inn keepers often murder their guests, l thought, nobody would think of lnquiring or know where to inquire for me. Weeks would elapse before my mother wrote from England l to ask my whereabouts and by that time all traces might we'll be lost. left Quebec only telling the people at my hotel that was going to Montreal. Then l thought of Lucretia's eagerness to get into conversation, her obser- vation about my money, her suggestion that l should come to the Richmond Hotel And how could she. a small inn-keeper's daughter, afford to get all those fine furs and lockets by fair means ? Did she really know the Pritch- ards, or was it likely. considering her posit- ion? ? All these things came across me in a moment. What a fool 1 had been ever to think of trusting such girl
 got up and walked about the room. It was evidently Lncretia's own bedroom; part of the decoy,' said l to myself sapiently But could so beautifula girl really hurt one? A piece of music was lying on the dressing table. I took it up and looked at it casually. Ora clons heavens! it was 8 song from 'Lucrezia Borgia! ]! Her very name betrayed heri She too was a Lncretia. walked overto the nlantlepiece. A little ivory miniature hung above the centre: gave it a glance as pas sed. Incrediblel It was Beatrice Cencii Talk of beautiful women Why, they poison one, they stab one. they burn one alive, with smile on their lips. Lucretia must have a taste for murderesses. Eyldentlyshe IS con- noisseur.
 At least, thought I, shall sell my life dear | ly. could not go to bed but pulled the bedstead over against one of the doors the locked one-and laid the mattress down in front of the other. Then lay down on the mattress, my money bag under my head, and p1t the poker conveniently by my side. If they came to rob and murder me, they should at least have broken head to account for next day But I soon got tired of thls defen- sive attitude and reflected that, if must lie awake all night, 1 might as well have some thing to read So went over to the little bookcase and took down the first book that came to hand. It bore on the outside the little
 "Euvres de Victor Hugo. Tome 1, Theatre" ''This, at any rate," said to myself, twill be light and interesting" I returned to my mattress, opened the volume, and began to read Le R0l s. GnastSe
 had never before dipped into that terrible drama, and devoured it with horrid avidi- ty. read how Triboulet bribed the gypsy to murder the king; how the gypsys sister be- guiled him into the hut how the plot was matured how the sack containing the corpse was delivered over to Triboulet. It was an awful play to read on such anight and in such place, with the wind bowling round the corners and the snow gathering deeply upon the window -panes. 1 was in a considerable state of fright when began it. I was in an agony of terror before l had got halfway through Now and then heard footsteps on the stairs; again could distinguish two voices, one a womans, whispering outside the door; a little later, the other door was very slightly opened and then pushed back again stealthily by a mans hand. Still, read on. At last, just as reached the point where Tribonlet is about to throw the corpse into the river, my candle a mere end, began to sputter in it's socket, and after few intellectual hickers suddenly went out, leaving me in the dark till morning s... .....
 I lay down once more, trembling but wear jed out. A few minutes later the voices came again. The further door was opened second time, and saw dimly pair of eyes (not, felt sure, Lucretia's) peering into the gloom, and refecting the light from the snow on the window. A mans voice said huskily in an undertone, ''It's all right now;" and then there was a silence. knew they were com ing to murder me. 1 clutched the poker, firmly, stood on guard over. the dollars, and waited the assault. The moment that inter- vened seemed like a lifetime.
 minute Five minutes A quarter of an hour. They are evidently trying to take me off my guard. Perhaps they saw tue poker; .n any case, they must have felt the bedstead against the door. That would show them that expected them. I held my watch to my ear and counted the seconds, then the min utes. then the hours. When the candle went out it was three o'clock. counted up till about half past five. t-
 After that must have fallen asleep from very weariness. My head glided back upon tHc EctlCulc3 duu uOLcQ uuCdSlly uubtI tllOIu- ing. Every now and then 1 started in my sleep, but the murderers hung back. When I awoke it was eight o'clock, and the dollars were still safe under my head. I rose weari- ly, washed myself, and arranged the tumbled clothes in which had slept, for my portman- teau had not yet arrived from the Depot. Next put back; the bed and mattress, and then 1 took the dollars and went down stairs to the bar, hardly knowing whether to laugh at my,l last nights terror, or to congratulate myself on my lucky escape from den ot rob- bers. At the foot of the stairs whom should come across but Lucretia herself
 In moment the doubt was gone. She was enchanting. Quite different style of dress, but equally lovely and suitable. A long fig ured gown of some fine woollen material, giv- ing very nearly the effect of a plain neat print and made quite simply to fit her perfect little figure. A plain linen collar, and quiet sil- yer brooch. Hair tied in 8 single broad knot