Another ring, and this time an insistent one;--and still no
response. The officer's hand was rising for the third time when
there came a sound of fluttering from behind the panels against
which he had laid his ear, and finally a choked voice uttering
unintelligible words. Then a hand began to struggle with the
lock, and the door, slowly opening, disclosed a woman clad in a
hastily donned wrapper and giving every evidence of extreme
fright.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, seeing only the compassionate faces of her
neighbours. "You heard it, too! a pistol-shot from there--there--
my husband's room. I have not dared to go--I--I--O, have mercy
and see if anything is wrong! It is so still--so still, and only
a moment ago the baby was crying. Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Saunders,
why is it so still?"

She had fallen into her neighbour's arms. The hand with which she
had pointed out a certain door had sunk to her side and she
appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

The officer eyed her sternly, while noting her appearance, which
was that of a woman hastily risen from bed.

"Where were you?" he asked. "Not with your husband and child, or
you would know what had happened there."

"I was sleeping down the hall," she managed to gasp out. "I'm
not well--I--Oh, why do you all stand still and do nothing? My
baby's in there. Go! go!" and, with sudden energy, she sprang
upright, her eyes wide open and burning, her small well featured