rofession, and soon became so successful in it that
he found no difficulty in establishing himself in one of the best-paying
quarters of the city. Indeed, his intuition seemed to have developed in
a remarkable degree after his loss of sight, and he seldom, if ever,
made a mistake in diagnosis. Considering this fact, and the personal
attractions which gave him distinction, it was no wonder that he soon
became a popular physician whose presence was a benefaction and whose
word a law.

He had been engaged to be married at the time of his illness, and, when
he learned what was likely to be its results, had offered to release the
young lady from all obligation to him. But she would not be released,
and they were married. This had taken place some five years previous to
Mr. Hasbrouck's death, three of which had been spent by them in
Lafayette Place.

So much for the beautiful woman next door.

There being absolutely no clue to the assailant of Mr. Hasbrouck, I
naturally looked forward to the inquest for some evidence upon which to
work. But there seemed to be no underlying facts to this tragedy. The
most careful study into the habits and conduct of the deceased brought
nothing to light save his general beneficence and rectitude, nor was
there in his history or in that of his wife any secret or hidden
obligation calculated to provoke any such act of revenge as murder. Mrs.
Hasbrouck's surmise that the intruder was simply a burglar, and that she
had rather imagined than heard the words that pointed to the shooting as
a deed of vengeance, soon gained general credence. But, though the
police worked long and arduously in this new direction, their efforts
were without fruit, and the case bade fair to remain an unsolvable
mystery.

But the deeper the mystery the more persistently does my mind cling to
it, and some five months after the matter had been delegated to
oblivion, I found myself starting suddenly from sleep, with these words
ringing in my ears:

"_Who uttered the scream that gave the first alarm of Mr. Hasbrouck's
violent death?_"

I was in such a state of excitement that the perspiration stood out on
my forehead. Mrs. Hasbrouck's story of the occurrence returned to me,
and I remembered as distinctly as if she were then speaking, that she
had expressly stated that she did not scream when confronted by the
sight of her husband's dead body. But some one had screamed, and that
very loudly. Who was it, then? One of the