' he went on--I suppose
he was going to say, 'tied to her wrist,' but he never got it out,
for Miss Tuttle, at the word 'pistol' clapped her hands to her ears
and for a moment looked quite distracted, so that he thought better
of worrying her any more and only demanded to know if Mr. Jeffrey
kept any such weapon. Miss Tuttle's face grew very strange at this.
'Mr. Jeffrey! was he there?' she asked. The man looked surprised.
'They are searching for Mr. Jeffrey,' he replied. 'Isn't he here?
'No,' came both from her lips and mine. The man acted very
impertinently. 'You haven't told me whether a pistol was kept here
or not,' said he. Miss Tuttle tried to compose herself, but I saw
that I should have to speak if any one did, so I told him that Mr.
Jeffrey did have a pistol, which he kept in one of his bureau
drawers. But when the officer wanted Miss Tuttle to go up and see
if it was there, she shook her head and made for the front door,
saying that she must be taken directly to her sister."

"And did no one go up? Was no attempt made to see if the pistol
was or was not in the drawer?"

"Yes; the officer went up with me. I pointed out the place where
it was kept, and he rummaged all through it, but found no pistol.
I didn't expect him to--" Here the witness paused and bit her lip,
adding confusedly: "Mrs. Jeffrey had taken it, you see."

The jurors, who sat very much in the shadow, had up to this point
attracted but little attention. But now they began to make their
presence felt, perhaps because the break in the witness' words had
been accompanied by a sly look at Jinny. Possibly warned by this
that something lay back of this hitherto timid witness' sudden
volubility, one of them now spoke up.

"In what room did you say this pistol was kept?"

"In Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey's bed-room, sir; the room opening out of
the sitting-room where Mrs. Jeffrey had kept herself shut up all
day."

"Does this bed-room of which you speak communicate with the hall as
well as with the sitting room?"

"No, sir; it is the defect of the house. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey often
spoke of it as a great annoyance. You had to pass through the little
boudoir in order to reach it."

The juryman sank back, evidently satisfied with her replies, but we
who marked the visible excitement with which the witness had answered
this seemingly unimportant question, wondered what special interest
surrounded that room and the pistol to warrant the heig