Finally, one day Mrs. Perry was taken unusually bad, and the doctor had to be sent for in a hurry. We were in her room--the doctor and Mrs. Perry and I--I was endeavoring to comfort and strengthen the poor thing, when the servant knocked, and said a lady and gentleman had come to look at rooms. I didn't _dare_ to lose boarders, for I'd had three empty rooms for a month, so I hurried into the parlor. I was almost knocked down for a second, for the gentleman was George Perry, and no mistake, if the picture his wife had was to be trusted. In a second more I was cooler and clearer-headed than I ever was in my life before. I felt more like an angel of the Lord than a boarding-house keeper. "Kate," said I, to the servant "show the lady all the rooms." Kate stared, for I'd never trusted her, or any other girl, with such important work, and she knew it. She went though, followed by the lady, who, though she seemed a weak, silly sort of thing, I _hated_ with all my might. Then I turned quickly, and said: "Don't you want a room for your wife, too, George Perry?" He stared at me a moment, and then turned pale and looked confused. Then he tried to rally himself, and he said: "You seem to know me, ma'am." "Yes," said I; "and I know Mrs. Perry, too; and if ever a woman needed her husband she does _now_, even if her husband _is_ a rascal." He tried to be angry, but he couldn't. He walked up and down the room once or twice, his face twitching all the time, and then he said, a word or two at a time: "I wish I could--poor girl!--God forgive me!--what _can_ I do?--I wish I was dead!" "You wouldn't be any use to _any_body then but the Evil One, George Perry, and you're not ready to see _him_ just yet," said I. Just then there came a low, long groan from the backroom, and at the same time some one came into the parlor. I was too excited to notice who it was; and George Perry, when he heard the groan, stopped short and exclaimed: "Good God! who's that?" "Your wife," said I, almost ready to scream, I was so wrought up. He hid his face in his hands, and trembled all over. There was half a minute's silence--it seemed half an hour--and then we heard a long, thin wail from a voice that hadn't ever been heard on earth before. "What's that?" said Perry, in a hoarse whisper, his eyes starting out of his head, and hands thrown up. "Your baby--just born," said I. "Will you take rooms for your family _now_, George Perry?" I asked. "_I_ sha'n't stand in the way," said a voice behind me. I turned around quickly, just in time to see, with her eyes full of tears, the woman who had come with George go out the door and shut the hall-door behind her. "Thank God!" said George, dropping on his knees. "Amen!" said I, hurrying out of the parlor and locking the door behind me.