this room
through a rent in the curtain, I went down-stairs, and out into the
street. A short distance beyond the house, I saw, dimly, the woman's
form. She had only just passed in her movement to and fro. Glancing up
at the window, which I now knew to be the one in Green's room, light
through the torn curtain was plainly visible. Back into the house I
went, and up to No. 11. This time I knocked imperatively; and this time
made myself heard.

"What's wanted?" came from within. I knew the voice to be that of
Harvey Green.

I only knocked louder. A hurried movement and the low murmur of voices
was heard for some moments; then the door was unlocked and held partly
open by Green, whose body so filled the narrow aperture that I could
not look into the room. Seeing me, a dark scowl fell upon his
countenance.

"What d'ye want?" he inquired, sharply.

"Is Mr. Hammond here? If so, he is wanted downstairs."

"No, he's not," was the quick answer. "What sent you here for him, hey?"

"The fact that I expected to find him in your room," was my firm answer.

Green was about shutting the door in my face, when some one placed a
hand on his shoulder, and said something to him that I could not hear.

"Who wants to see him?" he inquired of me.

Satisfied, now, that Hammond was in the room, I said, slightly
elevating my voice:

"His mother."

The words were an "open sesame" to the room. The door was suddenly
jerked open, and with a blanching face, the young man confronted me.

"Who says my mother is down-stairs?" he demanded.

"I come from her in search of you," I said. "You will find her in the
road, walking up and down in front of the tavern."

Almost with a bound he swept by me, and descended the stairway at two
or three long strides. As the door swung open, I saw besides Green and
Hammond, the landlord and Judge Lyman. It needed not the loose cards on
the table near which the latter were sitting to tell me of their
business in that room.

As quickly as seemed decorous, I followed Hammond. On the porch I met
him, coming in from the road.

"You have deceived me, sir," said he, sternly--almost menacingly.

"No, sir!" I replied. "What I told you was but too true. Look! There
she is now."

The young man sprung around, and stood before the woman, a few paces
distant.

"Mother! oh, mother! what HAS brought you here?" he exclaimed, in an
under tone, as he caught her arm, and moved away. He spoke--not
roughly, nor angr