The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-14

changed q quiet goodnight, anu pOtn went
to their respective rooms.
Lady Lesson did not feel much inclined to
Sleep and put her seignoir and sat by
the oren window, drinking in the perfumed
sweetness of the right air that came over
the mgnonette beds to greet her.
She had extinguiShed her lamp, and sitting
there so silent and immovable, was quite i'm
perccptible from outside. She heard the
clock strike twelve, half-past, one, and then
she fancied she must have dozed little, for
she awoke with start, as people do from
restless and fftful sleep.
She sat upright, rubbed her eyes, and was
just making up her mind she would go to bed,
Wher she heard a stealthy step passing I'M
der her window, and, rising cautiously peeped
out She took care to keep within the shadow
of the curtain in order that she might not be
seen, and advanced her head inch by inch
with infinite care and precaution. She saw
at once that her little ruse had succeeded for
the man stepped out fearleSSly from the shell
ter of the house and then stood motionleSs
as if waiting for something. She decided that
it must be signal, when she saw him sud
denly spring forward and disappear, and she
crept softly to her door, put her ear to the
keyhole, and listened
Lady Lesson had plenty of physical cour
age, to do her justice, and though she dis
tinctly heard a step in the hall below, muffled
and cautious thought it was, she did not
quail.
But she took her precautions. Ever since
she had come to the Dover House she had
kept a loaded revolver in her drawer. In
her early married life Sir Charles had taught
her how to shoot, and to shoot straight, think
ing it a good thing for a woman to know In
case she had to protect herself one day; and
though she had not practiced since his death,
she thought she knew how to defend herself
if the necessity arose.
And now it seemed that the necessity
might arise, and she stole to the drawer, un-
locked it cautiously, and possessed herself of
the weapon. It struck chill against her deli
cate palm, and gave her little shiver, which
was purely physical for She had never felt
softly back to the door again, and listened
once more.
The step was mounting the stairs now, very
stealthily; but the boards were old and
creak and call out so that they advertised
his progress, and she knew when he had
reached the top of the landing.
He1 room was the first and presently she
knew rather than heard that he was cropping
for the handle.
She had turned the key; but she had Of
ten heard that burglars made very light of
such a small impeachment Of this sort, and
presently there was a soft, grating sound,
which she would not certainly have noticed
if she had not been so near, and then the
door opened noiselessly, and she was con-
seicus Of someone breathing close beside her.
Arnold thrill went through her when she
thought that she was alone with desperate
anyone; and if it could they were all women
and she could not count upon the courage
of her maids, who had slept in one room ever
since the robbery of the Rothbury. diamonds
being so tinlid. She must rely. upon herself
alone, and her grasp frightened on her re-
volVer.
Lady Lesson had a few valuable jewels
presents to her on her marriage-also a pend
ant and single row necklace of very fine
diamonds which had been left to her by her
n 1of 90
if she could help it. Otherwise she might
have slipped away perhaps, the door being
ajar, and hidden somewhere safely until the
man had taken himself off with his spoils;
and II she had been unarmed she would have
had to think of her safety before her jewels
But being armed, and of good courage, she
hoped to save herself and them.
There was just enough light from the un-
curtained window for her to be able to trace
the mans shadoWy figure, as he moved to
and fro.
He went first of all to the bed by the side
of which he stood perfectly still for nearly a
minute, listening, evidently, for her breath
ing When he heard nothing he stretched
out his hands to feel for her, and his shadow
then was like bird of prey, swooping down
upon it's victim.
Lady Lesson found herself wondering what
would have been her fate supposing she had
been in bed, and had given any sign
1t seemed to her he ought to have known
she was in the room, since the door was
locked, and searched for her but this little
detail had escaped his notice evidently, and
he made for the cabinet where the jewels
were kept and began to pick the lock.
She heard the door CRATE on its hinges, in
another minute her most treasured possess
.sions would have been in his possession; but
she set her teeth resolutely, raised her re-
volver, and, aiming low so as to disable and
not to kill him, fired.
A certain horror of her own deed-natural