With them came one or two policemen.
Seeing that it was only a drunken woman, they pushed back the crowd and raised her to her feet.

As they did so the blood streamed from the back of her head and stained her dress to the waist.

She was taken to the nearest station-house.
At eleven o'clock on the next morning, punctual to the minute, came Mrs.
Dinneford to the little third-story room in which she had met Mrs.Bray.
She repeated her rap at the door before it was opened, and noticed that a key was turned in the lock.
"You have seen the woman ?" she said as she took an offered seat, coming at once to the object of her visit.
"Yes." "Well ?" "I gave her the money." "Well ?" Mrs.Bray shook her head: "Afraid I can't do much with her." "Why ?" an anxious expression coming into Mrs.Dinneford's face.
"These people suspect everybody; there is no honor nor truth in them, and they judge every one by themselves.

She half accused me of getting a larger amount of money from you, and putting her off with the paltry sum of thirty dollars." Mrs.Bray looked exceedingly hurt and annoyed.
"Threatened," she went on, "to go to you herself--didn't want any go-betweens nor brokers.

I expected to hear you say that she'd been at your house this morning." "Good Gracious! no!" Mrs.Dinneford's face was almost distorted with alarm.
"It's the way with all these people," coolly remarked Mrs.Bray.