The Colfax chronicle., 1890-11-15

band, the Baron Won Rhaden. ought to
be lying on shelf in the dining-room,
but she was not quite sure.
IF it is there, and could only gel
it." she thought, II should not mind. y
While she was rejecting knock was
heard on the door of the room. She saw
the dark man instantly draw back into
the cupboard and close it after him.
She felt relieved that those two horri.
BILE eyes were taken off her; they seemed
to pierce her like daggers.
| Come in" she said. The maid en-.
| tered.
81 thought you had gone to bed" OBJ
served Nine. Lucca, in tone OF un.
concern.
II was going, please your ladyship;
but I--I-thought you might perhaps
want something"
II told you would be my own lady's
maid tonight. No, the only thing l
want is to stretch my limbs a little,
for they are cramped from long sitting"
Speaking thus, Mme Lucca arose with
an air of admirably acted Indifference
and took turn or two across the room,
passing close to the cupboard as she did
so. She 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 re-
An al l.
which had been to lock him in. Still,
her presence OF mind did not desert
her.
''Ah, dear mer' she said, yawning, 81
feel very sleepy"
SLEEPY, your ladyship! Iwish did,"
replied the maid. Il don't feel sleepy.
l am too frightened"
''Frightenedi What are you frightened
of, you foolish girl? Nonsenser' replied
Nine. 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-for-nothing fellow, hearing
that you and are alone in the house,
may not murder US In OR beds? But he
shan't murder me in mine; for, with
your ladyship's permission, I 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
a fit then and there. aud thus bring on
a 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
y sharpening. SO to speak, the knife by |
which she and her mistress were doomed |
10 die.
"What absurdity!" said Nine. Lucca,
NTH forced laugh.
As she spoke her eyes wandered from |
,he keyhole of the dreaded cupboard to |
hat of the adjoining room. In the lat
Ter there was a key. Her face flushed,
and smile, as it were, Of proud in
'piration lighted up. though only for
,econd.
"Jewels?" she replied. "Why, every
me with particle of sense must know
hat | would not take them about with
ne as a rule. They, of course, are safe
inder lock and key at Berlin. 1t is a
strange thing, though, that to-day is
IN exception. expected the Countess
Von Wartenstein to call, and brought
lown all the jewels presented to me at
ny last visit to St Petersburg to show
ler."
Your ladyship didl Oh, but suppos-
ng thief"
We'll, If thief did know It he might
asily make his fortune" she observed,
nterrupting her companion.
by numbering US, and running off
gith the jewels
Mime. Lucca glanced at the cupboard:
hen raising her voice, she continued:
''Oh! there would be no necessity for
murder. The door which leads from
hat room to the garden is unlocked;
orgot to lock it A thief would mere
Y have to walk in from the garden, and
AXE my jewel case from the table near
be window. He might make his es-
ape richer by go, 600 or 10000 thalers,
nd never be detected. That's better
han numbering people, is it not?"
''Oh, yes-yonr ladyship And he
light get over to England or Amer :
az
Nothing easier, replied Nine. Lucca.
However. that reminds me. may as
ell lock the door leading into the gar
en-. Run to the dining-room. You'll
nd the key on the table Do not be I
ng."
mo your ladyship, will not Trust !,
e for that"
"Editba! Edithar' cried Nine. Lucca,
instant afterwards. II have made a
istake. The key is on the baron's =
udy table. Pshaw! she does not hear q
e." she continued, speaking aloud. II
a,.l "a "