orced to consider it.

"Dr. Zabriskie," remarked the Inspector who was most friendly to him,
"such old servants as those kept by Mr. Hasbrouck do not leave the front
door ajar at twelve o'clock at night."

"Yet ajar it was," repeated the blind doctor, with quiet emphasis; "and
finding it so, I went in. When I came out again, I closed it. Do you
wish me to swear to what I say? If so, I am ready."

What could we reply? To see this splendid-looking man, hallowed by an
affliction so great that in itself it called forth the compassion of the
most indifferent, accusing himself of a cold-blooded crime, in tones
that sounded dispassionate because of the will that forced their
utterance, was too painful in itself for us to indulge in any
unnecessary words. Compassion took the place of curiosity, and each and
all of us turned involuntary looks of pity upon the young wife pressing
so eagerly to his side.

"For a blind man," ventured one, "the assault was both deft and certain.
Are you accustomed to Mr. Hasbrouck's house, that you found your way
with so little difficulty to his bedroom?"

"I am accustomed----" he began.

But here his wife broke in with irrepressible passion:

"He is not accustomed to that house. He has never been beyond the
first-floor. Why, why do you question him? Do you not see----"

His hand was on her lips.

"Hush!" he commanded. "You know my skill in moving about a house; how I
sometimes deceive those who do not know me into believing that I can
see, by the readiness with which I avoid obstacles and find my way even
in strange and untried scenes. Do not try to make them think I am not in
my right mind, or you will drive me into the very condition you
deprecate."

His face, rigid, cold, and set, looked like that of a mask. Hers, drawn
with horror and filled with question that was fast taking the form of
doubt, bespoke an awful tragedy from which more that one of us recoiled.

"Can you shoot a man dead without seeing him?" asked the Superintendent,
with painful effort.

"Give me a pistol and I will show you," was the quick reply.

A low cry came from the wife. In a drawer near to every one of us there
lay a pistol, but no one moved to take it out. There was a look in the
Doctor's eye which made us fear to trust him with a pistol just then.

"We will accept your assurance that you possess a skill beyond that of
most men," returned the Superintendent. And beckoning me forward, he
whispered: "This