The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-14
LIVING TAPESTRY.
The Thrilling Adventure Of an English
Society Queen.

The Thrilling Adventure Of an English
Society Queen.
The following adventure happened in
Bath in the year 40. 1t wasin the palmy
DAYS OF Bath, when that now fallen city
rivalled London in brilliancy and dissipa-
ton, and when all the rich, the gay and
the highborn Of England congregated
there in the season and graced the balls
and assemblies.
Mrs. R, once the belle Of the court
OF George Ill, but at this period gradu-
ally retiring from general society, possessed
one OF the largest of the houses, and gave
in il entertainments which were the most
popular of the day. She was celebrated
for three things (once foi four, but the
fourth-her beauty-was Of the days gone
by); these things were, her fascination,
her benevolence and-a set of the most
perfect aud matchless amethysts.
Her house contained tapestried cham
bers. The walls Of the one in which she
slept were hing with designs from heather
mythology, and the finest piece in the
room was that which hung over her dress
ing table. 1t represented PhGbus driving
the chariot Of the sun. The figures were
life-sized it filed up the whole space be-
tween the two windows, and the horses
were concealed behind the high old, fash
iyned Venetian looking-glass, while Php-
bus himself six feet high. looked down by
day and by night at his mistress at her
toilet
One evening Mrs. R had an unus-
ually large party at home. She wore all
her ame,hys,s. On retiring TO her room
l. a l.... ln ooh
off all her Jewels laid them on the table,
and dismissed the weary maid, intending
to put them away herself, but, before
doing so knelt down, as usual, TO say her
prayers.
While engaged in her devotions, il was
habit with her to look upward, and the
face OF Phebus was generally theobject on
which her eyes most easily rested On
this particular night, MS usual she raised
her ewes TO Phpbus. What does she sect
Has Pygmalion been at work? Has he
filed those dull eyes with vital fire? Or,
is she dreaming? No. Possessed naturally
OF wonderful courage and calmness, she
continued to move her lips as ii in silent
prayer, and never once Withdrew her gaze,
and still the eyes looked down on hers.
The light OF her candles shone on living
orbs, and her good keen sight enabled
her, after a cleverly managed scrutiny, to
see that the tapestry eyes OF PhWbus had
been cut out, and that, with her door
locked and every servant in bed in dis
tant apartments, and all her jewels spread
out before her, she was not alone in the
room. She concluded her prayers with her
face sunk in her hands
We can well imagine what those prayers
must have been. She knew there was
some one behind the tapestry; she knew
that bells and screams were equally use
less. and she lay down in bed n usual and
waited the issue, her only omission being
that she did not put away her jewels.
"They must save my liie," she said TO
herself, and she closed her eyes. The
clock struck before a sound was heard,
and then the moment arrived. She heard
rustic Il descent from behind the tapes
try, and man stood at her dressing table.
He took OF his coat, and one by one he
secured the Jewels beneath his waistcoat.
What would De his next move? Would IL
DO 10 tho bedside or to the window lie
turned and approached her bedside but
by that time she had seen enough, and,
again closing her eyes, she commended
herself to the Providence she had just
been craving.
This man was her own coachman. APP
parenty satisfied by brief glance under
his dark lantern that be had not disturbed
her, he quietly Unlocked the door and left
her. For two houn-they must hove
seemed two days-she allowed the house
TO remain unbalanced, her only movement
having been TO rclock the door which hoI
living Phubus had left ajar.
At o'clock In the morning she rang hei
bell and ordered the carriage around i'm
mediatcly after breakfast. All this wa;
according to her usual habits. On the hos
was the man who had cost her q night
rest and most probably all her jewels
However, she drove oil; she went straigh
10 the house Of a magistrate.
"Seizc ms coachman," said she, "sccur,
him and search him. | have been robbed
aud | hardly think be had time to olsen
cumbor himrli or the jewels he has takcI
from me" She was obcyed, and she wa
right. The amclhysis were still abou
him, and he gave himself up without
struggle