All of which closed inquiry in this direction, but left the maw of
curiosity unsatisfied.
And unsatisfied it had remained up to this hour, when through
accident--or was it treachery--the barrier to knowledge was down
and the question of years seemed at last upon the point of being
answered.
II
WAS HE LIVING?--WAS HE DEAD?
Meantime, a fussy, talkative man was endeavouring to impress the
rapidly collecting crowd with the advisability of their entering
all together and approaching the judge in a body.
"We can say that we felt it to be our dooty to follow this woman
in," he argued. "We don't know who she is, or what her errand is.
She may mean harm; I've heard of such things, and are we goin' to
see the judge in danger and do nothin'?"
"Oh, the woman's all right," spoke up another voice. "She has a
child with her. Didn't you say she had a child with her, Miss
Weeks?"
"Yes, and--"
"Tell us the whole story, Miss Weeks. Some of us haven't heard it.
Then if it seems our duty as his neighbours and well-wishers to go
in, we'll just go in."
The little woman towards whom this appeal--or shall I say command-
-was directed, flushed a fine colour under so many eyes, but
immediately began her ingenuous tale. She had already related it a
half dozen times into as many sympathising ears, but she was not
one to shirk publicity, for all her retiring manners and meekness
of disposition.
It was to this effect:
She was sitting in her front window sewing.
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