The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-27

cautiously from out a cupboard behind her.
At first she fancled she was dreaming.
She quietly looked again. No. it W. was mo no
recognized as having been formerly in her
service, whence he had been discharged for
bad behavior, She had also suspected him
of purloining several objects which she had
missed from time to time, but not being
picion to herself. Yes, there ne was, there
could be no mistake.
Madame Lucca's first impulse was to
start up and give the alarm. But there Was
not another habitation within mile or
two and she recollected that the only per-
son besides herself in the house was her
maid, who. though very good girl and ex-
tremely attached to her MISTRESS was by no
means celebrated for her nerve. The other
servants, including the gardener and coach
man, had been granted permission to at
tend friends wedding, some few miles
off, and were not to return until the next
It flashed across her mind that the man
Who as she knew, had been lettering about
the neighborhood for two or three days,
had learned that she would be alone and
meant to rob the house and perhaps murder or
executed without the preparation of the
" what was to be done7 Again she glanced
toward the mirror. The eyes were still
there. glaring on her through the gloom.
belonging to her husband, the Baron Won
Rhaden, ought to be lying on shelf in
the dining room, but she was not quite
sure. "Jf it is there, and could only get
it, she thought. II should not mindW
While she was reaeoting, knock vas
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 daRgers.
"Come in" she said. Her maid entered.
81 thought you had gone to bed" OBJ
served Madame Lucca, in a tone of uncon-
Germ.
-Lthoueh9.t you might perhaps want
Il told You would be my own lady's
maid Tonight. No, the only thing want
is to stretch my limbs little, for they are
cramped from long sitting"
| Speaking thus, Madame Lucca arose with
an air of admirably acted indifference and
took turn or two across the room, passing
afterwards declared she thought she could
hear the man breathe in his place. He, on
his part, might have heard her heart beat,
she said, when on looking at the keyhole
she found that the key had been removed.
She was foiled in her plan, which had been
"Ah, dear me!' ahe said, yawning, II feel
very sleepy"
'Sleepy. your ladyship! I wish ! did,"
replied the maid. II don't feel sleepy. I
am too frightened
Enlightened! What are you frightened
of, you foolish girl2 Nonsense!'' replied
Madame Lucca.
"Oh! begging your ladyship's pardon, it
is not nonsense, and that's just it. How
can you be sure that some villain, some
good nothing fellow, hearing that you
der US in our beds2 But he shan't murder
me in mine; for, with your ladyship's per-
mission. will pit up all night in your lady
Madame Pauline Lucca glanced at the
cupboard. s.
her maid the slightest hint of the real
state of matters; she felt the girl would go
into fit then and there, and thus bring on
| crisis. Scarcely knowing what she was
doing Madame Lucca replied at random:
| Murder us2 What for2''
"What for. your ladyship? Why, for
your money-for your jewels, to be sure;
them" The girl must have been uncon-
sciously sharpening, SO to speak, the knife
| by which she and her mistress were doomed
to die. -.
w nat aOSufOlGy! 6Alo MaQame LucCa,
with a forced laugh. As she spoke her eyes
wandered from the keyhole Of the dreaded
cupboard to that of the adjoining room. In
| the latter there was q key. Her face
flushed, and q smile, as it were, of proud in
SEPARATION lighted up. though only for a
| second.
! "Jewels?" she replied. "Why, every one
with a particle of sense must know that
| would not take them about with me as a
rule. They, of course, are generally safe
under lock and key at Berlin. It is q
strange thing, though, that to-day is an ex-
tenstein to call, and brought down all the
jewels presented to me at my last visit to st.
Petersburg. to show her.
Your la.d1yship did! Oh. but supposing
"Well, If thief did know it he might
terrupting her companion.
by numbering rs. and running of with
the jewels.''
Madame Lucca glanced at the cupboard;
then raising her voice, she continued:
"Oh! 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 10000 to 10000
thalers, and never be detected. That's bet
ter than numbering people, is it not?"
"Oh, yes-yOur ladyship. And he might
get over to England or America"
Nothing easier" replied Madame Lucca.
However, that reminds me. may as we'll
lock the door leading into the garden. Run
to the dining room. You'll find the key on
the table. Do not be long"
mo, your ladyship, will not. Trust me
for that
"Editha! Edithsr' cried Madame Lucca,
an instant afterwards. II have made mis-
take. The key is on the baron's study
table. Pshaw! she does not hear me-" she
continued, speaking aloud. II mus 90 and
get it myself"
With these words she left the room. No
sooaer had she done Go than The dor Of the