Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Black Doctor
Aslightthickeningandswellingofhisfeaturesappearedtosuggestthatthecauseofhisdeathhadbeenstrangulation.Hewasdressedinhisusualprofessionalclothes,butworeclothslippers,thesolesofwhichwereperfectlyclean.Thecarpetwasmarkedallover,especiallyonthesideofthedoor,withtracesofdirtyboots,whichwerepresumablyleftbythemurderer.Itwasevidentthatsomeonehadenteredbythesurgerydoor,hadkilledthedoctor,andhadthenmadehisescapeunseen.Thattheassailantwasamanwascertain,fromthesizeofthefootprintsandfromthenatureoftheinjuries.Butbeyondthatpointthepolicefounditverydifficulttogo.
Therewerenosignsofrobbery,andthedoctor’sgoldwatchwassafeinhispocket.Hekeptaheavycash-boxintheroom,andthiswasdiscoveredtobelockedbutempty.Mrs.Woodshadanimpressionthatalargesumwasusuallykeptthere,butthedoctorhadpaidaheavycornbillincashonlythatveryday,anditwasconjecturedthatitwastothisandnottoarobberthattheemptinessoftheboxwasdue.Onethingintheroomwasmissing—butthatonethingwassuggestive.TheportraitofMissMorton,whichhadalwaysstoodupontheside-table,hadbeentakenfromitsframe,andcarriedoff.Mrs.Woodshadobservedittherewhenshewaiteduponheremployerthatevening,andnowitwasgone.Ontheotherhand,therewaspickedupfromtheflooragreeneye-patch,whichthehousekeepercouldnotremembertohaveseenbefore.
