Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-08-22

| mafQ rO-nlgnr. NO, the OuAy lining
want Is to stretch my limbs little, for
they are cramped from long sitting"
Speaking thus, Madame Lueca arose
with an air of admirably acted indifference
and took q turn or two across the
| room. passing close to the cupboard as
she did SO. She afterward declared she
| thought she could hear the man breathe
in his place. He, on his part, might
have heard her heart beat when, on look
ing at the keyhole, she found that the
| key had been removed. She was foiled
in her plan, which had been to lock him
in. Still her presence of mind did not
desert her.
'Ah, dear met" she said, yawning.
al feel very sleepy"
"'Sleepy, your ladyship! I wish I
did," replied the maid. al don't feel
sleepy. I am too frightened"
Enlightened! What are you fright
ened of, you foolish girl7 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-for- nothing fellow, hearing 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 lady
ships permission, will sit up all night
in your ladyship's easy chair"
Madame Pauline Lucca glanced at the
cupboard.
Her blood ran cold. She dared not
give 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 re-
piled at random:
"Murder us2 What for9"
"What for, your ladyshipF Why, for
your money-for your jewels, to be sure;
nearly everybody knows you have plenty
of them" The girl must have been un-
consciously sharpening, so to speak, the
knife bv which she and her mistress were
doomed to die.
"What a5surditY!" said Madame Luc-
ca, with forced laugh. As she spoke
her eyes wandered from the keyhole OF
the dreaded cupboard to that of the adj
iourning room. In the latter there was
key. Her face flushed, and smile, as
it were, Of proud inspiration lighted up,
though only for a second.
"Jewels?" she replied. "Why, every
one with particle of sense must know
that I would not take them about with
me as rule. They, of course, are gen
orally safe under lock and key at Berlin.
1t is a strange thing, though, that to-day
is an exception expected the Countess
Yon Wartenstein to call, and I brought
down all the jewels presented to me at
my last visit to St. Petersburg, to show
her."
"Your ladyship did! Oh, but sup
posing thief
"Well, if a thief did know it he might
interrupting her companion.
"By numbering US, and running off
with the jewels"
Madame Lucca glanced at the cup
board; then raising her voice, she con-
tinued:
ooh! 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 merely
have to walk N from the garden, and
take my jewel-case from the table near
the window. He might make his escape
richer by 1000 or 10000 thalers, and
never be detected. That's better than
numbering people, is 1t not2'
"Oh, yes-your ladyship. And he
might get over to England or America"
"Nothing easier," replied Madame
Lucca. "However, that reminds me. I
may as we'll lock the door leading into
the garden. Run to the dining-roor,.
You'll find the key on the table. Do not
be long
"No, your ladyship, I will not. Trust
me for that"
"Editha Editha!' cried Madame
Lucca, an instant afterwards, 81 have
made mistake. The key is on the baron's
study table. Pshaw! she does not hear
me, she continued, speaking aloud. AZ
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 into the adj
joining chamber. The next instant the
door was shut and locked behind him.
But not by him. By Madame Lucca.
When she left the room she did not pro-
coed two PAGES; she stood outside listen
ing. AS she was in the darkness, she
could, without being visible herself, see
all that was passing in her bed chamber.
She beheld the stranger leave his hiding
place. and dart into the adjoining room.