Could she have meant to call attention to this fact; and were her
words expressive of another idea than the obvious one of suicide?

If so, to what lengths a woman's imagination can go! Or so their
combined looks seemed to proclaim, when to their utter
astonishment they saw the officer, who had presented a calm
appearance up till now, shift his position and with a surprised
grunt direct their eyes to a portion of the wall just visible
beyond the half-drawn curtains of the bed. The mirror hanging
there showed a star-shaped breakage, such as follows the sharp
impact of a bullet or a fiercely projected stone.

"He fired two shots. One went wild; the other straight home."

It was the officer delivering his opinion.

Mr. Saunders, returning from the distant room where he had
assisted in carrying Mrs. Hammond, cast a look at the shattered
glass, and remarked forcibly:

"I heard but one; and I was sitting up, disturbed by that poor
infant. Jennie, did you hear more than one shot?" he asked,
turning toward his wife.

"No," she answered, but not with the readiness he had evidently
expected. "I heard only one, but that was not quite usual in its
tone. I'm used to guns," she explained, turning to the officer.
"My father was an army man, and he taught me very early to load
and fire a pistol. There was a prolonged sound to this shot;