A fresh chorus of shrieks told of the finding of Caroline and mingling with them sounded a deeper masculine note. Who could it be? The only male members of the household were there before her.
"Betty, where are you? What has happened?" Mrs. Atterbury rushed down the stairs with Madame Cimmino clinging to her gown and behind them appeared two pajama-clad forms which the girl did not at first recognize.
Someone turned the wall-switch, flooding the room with light and Welch lurched dazedly to Wolvert's recumbent figure, toppling down to his knees beside him.
Although every nerve in her body recoiled from the contact, Betty nevertheless precipitated herself upon her employer's unresponsive form, sobbing as if in genuine hysteria. Mrs. Atterbury, after one swift comprehensive glance about the wrecked room stood as if turned to stone, her eyes fixed immovably upon the yawning safe, a bluish tinge slowly overspreading her waxen pallor.
Madame Cimmino, however, passed her like a white flame and cast herself shrieking upon Wolvert's unconscious breast. One of the pajamaed figures halted aghast in the doorway, but the other stepped forward and with an added shock Betty recognized Doctor Bayard's venerable head even before his commanding tones dominated the tumult.
"What does this mean? Who first discovered this affair? Welch! Young woman!"
"I found her here!" Welch pointed an accusing finger at Betty but his head lolled drunkenly upon his short bull neck. "She was kneelin' beside him. He ain't dead, only put to sleep. Ask her how it happened!"
"We're sold out!" A high-pitched male voice squeaked like that of a cornered rat from the doorway and Ide's glassy eyes fastened venomously on the girl. She became conscious, too, that Madame Cimmino's cries were stilled, the tumult had subsided and she herself was the cynosure of all eyes.
Straightening, her hands fell to her sides and she stepped forward.
"Something woke me," she began unsteadily. "I didn't know what it was at first, then I heard a thumping, banging noise down here as if furniture was being moved around. I got up and opened my door just as there came a heavy thud like the sound of a body falling and terrible groans that died slowly away.