pearance, and rang the basement bell. A young colored
girl came to the door, opening it about an inch, and gazing
at him suspiciously.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"Does Marija Berczynskas live here?" he inquired.

"I dunno," said the girl. "What you want wid her?"

"I want to see her," said he; "she's a relative of mine."

The girl hesitated a moment. Then she opened the door
and said, "Come in." Jurgis came and stood in the hall,
and she continued: "I'll go see. What's yo' name?"

"Tell her it's Jurgis," he answered, and the girl went
upstairs. She came back at the end of a minute or two,
and replied, "Dey ain't no sich person here."

Jurgis's heart went down into his boots. "I was told
this was where she lived!" he cried.

But the girl only shook her head. "De lady says dey
ain't no sich person here," she said.

And he stood for a moment, hesitating, helpless with
dismay. Then he turned to go to the door. At the same
instant, however, there came a knock upon it, and the girl
went to open it. Jurgis heard the shuffling of feet, and
then heard her give a cry; and the next moment she
sprang back, and past him, her eyes shining white with
terror, and bounded up the stairway, screaming at the top
of her lungs: _"Police!_Police!_We're_pinched!"_

Jurgis stood for a second, bewildered. Then, seeing
blue-coated forms rushing upon him, he sprang after the
Negress. Her cries had been the signal for a wild uproar
above; the house was full of people, and as he entered the
hallway he saw them rushing hither and thither, crying
and screaming with alarm. There were men and women,
the latter clad for the most part in wrappers, the former in
all stages of _deshabille._ At one side Jurgis caught a
glimpse of a big apartment with plush-covered chairs, and
tables covered with trays and glasses. There were play~
ing-cards scattered all over the floor -- one of the tables
had been upset, and bottles of wine were rolling about,
their contents running out upon the carpet. There was a

[[343]]

p342 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p343w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p344

v?