Year: 1874

an OLD monk VINO went lately 10 the conVen
of St. Cecilia ?"


eyes, he received such one," replied the
maiden, "and it is even now locked up in his
strong room."


"That box contains the massive silver plate
and ornaments of his convent The monk
left it till his return"


"Wel, 'ts not likely that these men car
have heard of that" Marcelline replied, be
traying slight surprise at the knowledge she
had just received "and if they had, they
would not surely dare to rob the house."


Il don't know about that" returned the
hunter. "Even in large cities these robberes
take place. You had better let either Justin
or Roland remain in the house tonight"


90! no, had rather not-folks would talk,
uttered the maiden, as she looked with deer
blush upon two fair youths among the hunt
ers, who had thus been designated to her.


Marcelline remained firm in her determine
ton to accept of no assistance, or rather guard
from the hunters, and ere long they departed
to their severalhomes. The maiden was left
alone in the bar-room; and as she found her
self thus solitary, she could not repress the
feeling of fear that came over her.


Half an hour passed away, and Lublr
came in from the stable. Marcelline, howev
er, said nothing to him of what had transpir
ed, but only requested him to be in READINGS:
to respond to her summons in case he should
have occasion to call him during the night
The boy then went up to his bed, and once
more the maiden was left alone Nothing
broke the stiffness of the night save the blasts
that howled among the Alps, and for half ar
hour longer she sat by the fast-decaying EN-
bers in the fireplace The maiden thought
surely that if the strangers meditated harm
they would have been ere this on the move
and, with the throbbing of her fear.lader
bosom somewhat quieted, she raked up the
embers upon the hearth, extinguished the
lamp that hung above the bar and then, ia
king her candle, she started for her room.


MarcelIine had passed through the marrow
entry, ascended the stairs, and had her hand
upon the latch of her own door, when she was
confronted by one of her stranger guests:


"Do you want anything, sir ?" asked Mar
celline, hardly conscious of what she uttered
but using the phrase merely from the force OF
habit.


"Yes, pretty one, I do" the man returned
II want Altzorf's strong box"


"Mercy, sir! You wouldn't rob US ?"


go, no-not you. It's only those baubles
which belong to the convent that we want
so bestir yourself, and show us where they
are"


81 shall shrek, sir! 1 shall cry out for
help" exclaimed Marcelline, as she essayed
to start for the stairs.


20, no, sweet one," the villain returned
significantly pointing his pistol at the girls
head, and at that moment he was joined by
his companion, who had just come from Lu.
bins room. Marcelline, at first, thought OF
resistance, but she soon found that she could
gain nothing by that; and besides the robbers
not only threatened her life, but they vowed
that they would break in every door and par
tition in the house till they found the box.
Under these circumstances, the girl thought
it best to reveal the hiding place Of the box,
trusting, however, that something might turn
up to assist her, and accordingly she led the
way to the bar-room, at the back of which
was small apartment. Taking key from
the money drawer she unlocked the door of
the back room, and pointing to small closet
IN the 1urtner corner, Sne salu :


"There, sirs, in that closet is the monks
box, but my master has the key in his own
possession, and so, if you would open it, you
needs must force the lock-"


"You are ready with your wit, pretty one, u
said one of the robbers, as he cast scrutinz'
ing glance into Marcellines face. 81 fear to
trust you too far, so you must excuse me if we
Just secure you till after our job is completed u


AS the man spoke he led the girl back to
the bar.room, and taking from his pocket a
piece of stout cord, proceeded to lash her tc
the chair. After this, the robbers took a few
tools from one Of their sacks, and proceeded
at once to force the stout closet door.


For a moment after Marcelline had been
left alone, she almost gave up in despair; but
her woman's wit soon came to her aid, and a
CLEAN of hope lighted up her countenance.
From where the villains were at work they
could not look into the bar-room, and, after
listening for moment or two to assure her
self that they were fairly busy, she moved her
chair noiselessly toward the table on which a
candle had been left burning. By considera.
BILE exertion she managed to get hold of the
candlestick with her teeth, and then carefully
set it upon chair. A moment more she lis.
tened, and then she turned her back to the
candle in such manner as to bring the outer
cord into the blaze. 1t required not a half a
minute to burn off the cord that had secured
her to her seat, and then bending over she
toook the back of the chair in her teeth, and
carefully moved it out of the way. Then she
turned again and placed in the blaze the cord
that bound her wrists. The lashings burned
and so did her flesh, but, with a perfect self:
devotion, she heroically withstood the pain
and in few moments she was free


Marcelline now breathed more freely. The
key was still in the lock of the door that OPEN
ed the back room, and quick as thought, the
heroic girl sprang forward and closed it upon
those beyond. The key was turned, and
Marcelline then ran to the front door, un-
locked it, threw it open, and sprang into the
highway. 1t was but the work of few mo.
ments to rouse some of the hunters, and ere
long the two robber travellers were in safe
custody.


They not only lost their booty, but also
their liberty, and on the next day we're safely
conveyed to Trieste and delivered up to JUS
tice Lubin was found in the room, with his
mouth bound up, and his arms pinioned to his
chair but the satisfaction of being released
from his unpleasant situation made him for
get the indignities he had received.


That little inn is still open to travellers,
but old Altzorf keeps it no longer. Justin
the hunter is its host, and the fair Marcelline
is its hostess.


Ny GRANDFATHER's SToRY.-My grand
father tells tie following story: In the course
of a journey through the West, he came to a
remarkably healthy locality, where people
lived to a wonderful old age. As he ap.