face white as the linen she sought to hide.

The officer demurred no longer. In another instant he was trying
the door at which she was again pointing.

It was locked.

Glancing back at the woman, now cowering almost to the floor, he
pounded at the door and asked the man inside to open.

No answer came back.

With a sharp turn he glanced again at the wife.

"You say that your husband is in this room?"

She nodded, gasping faintly, "And the child!"

He turned back, listened, then beckoned to Mr. Saunders. "We
shall have to break our way in," said he. "Put your shoulder well
to the door. Now!"

The hinges of the door creaked; the lock gave way (this special
officer weighed two hundred and seventy-five, as he found out,
next day), and a prolonged and sweeping crash told the rest.

Mrs. Hammond gave a low cry; and, straining forward from where
she crouched in terror on the floor, searched the faces of the
two men for some hint of what they saw in the dimly-lighted
space beyond. Something dreadful, something which made Mr.