The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-09-13

1
that you and are alone in the house,
may not murder us in our beds? But he
shan't murder me in mine; for, with
your ladyship's permission, will sit up
all night in your ladyship's easy chair" :"
Nine. Pauline Lucca glanced at the
cupboard.
Her blood ran cold.
She dared not give her maid the
slightest hint of the real state of mat
ters: she felt that the girl would go into
fit then and there, and thus bring on
crisis.
Scarcely knowing what she was doing,
| Nine. Lucca replied at random:
Murder us? What for?"
"What for, your ladyship? Why. for
your money-for your jewels, to be sure;
nearly everybody knows that you have
plenty of them"
The girl must have been unconscious
| ly sharpening, so to speak, the knife by
which she and her mistress were doomed
| to die.
"What absurdity!" said Nine. Lucca
with forced laugh.
AS she spoke her eyes wandered from
the keyhole of the dreaded cupboard to
that of the adjoining room. In the lat
ter there was a key. Her face flushed,
and smile, as it were, of proud in
spiration lighted up, though only for a
second.
"Jewels?" she replied. "Why, every
one with particle of sense must know
that would not take them about with
me as a rule. They, of course, are safe
IT,. 1Anly 1yn, at in ic N
strange thing, though, that to-day is
an exception. 1 expected the Countess
Won Wartenstein to call, and brought
down all the jewels presented to me at
my last visit to st. Petersburg to show
her."
"Your ladyship did! Oh, but suppos-
ing thief"
well, if a thief did know it he might
easily make his fortune" she observed,
interrupting her companion.
"By numbering us, and running off
with the jewels"
Nine. 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; i
forgot to lock it. A thief would mere
ly have to walk in from the garden, and
take my jewel case from the table near
the window. He might make his es-
cape richer by 10000 or 10000 thalers,
and never be detected. That's better
than numbering people, is it notP"
"Oh, yes-your ladyship. And he
might get over to England or Amer
ica.'
Nothing easier" replied NINE. Lucca.
However, that reminds me. / may as
well lock the door leading into the gar
find the key on the table. Do not be
long"
mo your ladyship, will not Trust
me for that"
"Editha! Edithav' cried Nine. Lucca,
an instant afterwards. 81 have made
mistake. The key is on the barons
study table. Pshaw! she does not hear
me.' she continued, speaking aloud. 81
must go and get it myself" -
With these words she left the room.
No sooner had she done so than the door
of the cupboard cautiously opened. A
man put his head out, and glanced
round. Perceiving no one he darted in
to the adjoining chamber.
The next instant the door was shut
and locked behind him. But not by
him. By Nine. Lucca, When she left
the room she did not proceed two PAGES;
she stood outside listening. AS she
was in the darkness, she could without
being visible herself, see all that was
passing in her bed-chamber. She be-
held the stranger leave his hiding-place
and dart into the adjoining room. She
glided after him with the stealthiness
of tigress and the courage of hero
inc. The reader knows what follows.
Caught" she cried, rushing across
the room with the key in her hand.
81 can't find any" began Editha, en-
tering the chamber. But Nine. Lucca,
pushing her to one side, disappeared.
Editha looked after her with mute as
tonishment, and remained as though
rooted to the spot till her mistress re-
entered, revolver in hand.
''Oh, your ladyship, what's that?" in
quired her maid, with strong PRESENT.
ment that all was not right.
''The baron's revolver, thank good
nessw replied Nine. Lucca.
why thank goodness your lady
ship?" inquired the maid.
Nine. Lucca pointed to the door. Some
one on the ether side was turning tho
handle. Editha turned deadly pale, and
dropped the lamp she was carrying.
Presently there was knocking, and a
voice exclaimed:
''Open the door directly, Or"
The rest was inaudible. Editha's
screams drowned all else. Nine. Lucca
waited until the girls first stock of
breath was exhausted, and her second
not yet arrived; she then said, with
comic severity:
"Editha, if you are not quiet, will
begin by shooting you"
Editha thought, apparently, that her
mistress was il earnest for the poor
girl Immediately rammed large por-
tion Of the nearest towel in to her
mouth, and restricted herself to sway.
ing to and fro and sobbiDg violently.
The knocking recommended, but the
door was massive oak and immovable.
my friend" cried Nine. Lucca, in
loud voice, ''you are Gagged. The garden
door is fastened as tightly as this one,
and the window is secured. DO not at
tempt to open the latter, for am going
into the garden, and the instant that |