fected that of the surgery, and
made it swing slightly and creak, the girl ran to it.

"Here, Hendon! quick!"

There was a heavy step in the passage, and a young man, who looked
flushed, hurried into the surgery, hat in hand, his ulster over his arm.

"What's the matter?" he said thickly. The constable directed at him a
sharp glance.

"I don't know. Look! My father attacked, and--Oh? Hendon, pray, pray
see!"

The young man had evidently been drinking; and the suddenness of this
encounter seemed for a moment to confuse him; but as he caught sight of
the injured doctor, the policeman peering at him with a sternly
inquiring look, and the tall, handsome girl, with wild eyes and parted
lips, pointing towards the consulting-room door, he threw back his head,
gave it a shake as if to clear it, and spoke more clearly.

"Accident?" he said. "Look?"

"Yes, for pity's sake, look."

He strode to the consulting-room door, stepped in and was turning to
come back, but the policeman was following.

"What is it?" he said. "Here! a light."

He snatched the lantern from the constable's hand, and the light fell
directly upon the face of the prostrate figure beyond the table.

"Who's this?" he said, going down on one knee. "Why, constable, what's
up? This man is dead!"

"Yes, sir, I see that."

"Yes, quite dead. But what does it mean? Has my sister--"

"Seen him? No, sir, I wouldn't let her come. Now, then, as you're
here, I'll go for a doctor and some of our men."

"One minute. I'm a medical student--bit thick, constable--been at a
party--but I know what I'm doing. Yes, this man's dead--shot, I think.
But my father? Here, come back. That poor girl must be half wild."

He ran back into the surgery.

"Here, Rich, my girl, this is a terrible business. Yes, yes," he added,
slowly examining what his sister had done, and then drawing in his
breath, as he passed his hand over the smooth bald head. "How did it
happen?"

"I--I don't know," gasped the girl, wildly; and now that the burden was
partly shifted from her shoulders, her feminine nature began to reassert
itself, and she uttered a low wail.

"But--here, constable, how did this come about?"

The man explained in a few words, all the time gazing searchingly at the
inquirer, but shaking his head to himself, as if feeling that the
suspicions he harboured were wrong.

"And now, sir, I must have some one in," said the man in conclusion.

"Yes; of cou