Tales of Terror and Mystery

           Maddingmadeherfirstcallandfounditimpossibletoattracthisattention.Butifthiswerethetimeofhisdeath,thenitwascertainthatMr.ArthurMortoncouldnotbeguilty,asitwasAFTERthisthatshehadmettheyoungsquireatthegate.

           Ifthishypothesiswerecorrect,andsomeonewaswithDr.LanabeforeMrs.MaddingmetMr.ArthurMorton,thenwhowasthissomeone,andwhatmotiveshadheforwishingeviltothedoctor?Itwasuniversallyadmittedthatifthefriendsoftheaccusedcouldthrowlightuponthis,theywouldhavegonealongwaytowardsestablishinghisinnocence.Butinthemeanwhileitwasopentothepublictosay—astheydidsay—thattherewasnoproofthatanyonehadbeenthereatallexcepttheyoungsquire;while,ontheotherhand,therewasampleproofthathismotivesingoingwereofasinisterkind.WhenMrs.Maddingcalled,thedoctormighthaveretiredtohisroom,orhemight,asshethoughtatthetime,havegoneoutandreturnedafterwardstofindMr.ArthurMortonwaitingforhim.SomeofthesupportersoftheaccusedlaidstressuponthefactthatthephotographofhissisterFrances,whichhadbeenremovedfromthedoctor’sroom,hadnotbeenfoundinherbrother’spossession.Thisargument,however,didnotcountformuch,ashehadampletimebeforehisarresttoburnitortodestroyit.Astotheonlypositiveevidenceinthecase—themuddyfootmarksuponthefloor—theyweresoblurredbythesoftnessofthecarpetthatitwasimpossibletomakeanytrustworthydeductionfromthem.