k and quite dead. It was evident that he had
been subjected to violence, for one of his eyes was blackened and there
were marks of bruises about his face and neck. A slight thickening and
swelling of his features appeared to suggest that the cause of his
death had been strangulation. He was dressed in his usual professional
clothes, but wore cloth slippers, the soles of which were perfectly
clean. The carpet was marked all over, especially on the side of the
door, with traces of dirty boots, which were presumably left by the
murderer. It was evident that someone had entered by the surgery door,
had killed the doctor, and had then made his escape unseen. That the
assailant was a man was certain, from the size of the footprints and
from the nature of the injuries. But beyond that point the police
found it very difficult to go.

There were no signs of robbery, and the doctor's gold watch was safe in
his pocket. He kept a heavy cash-box in the room, and this was
discovered to be locked but empty. Mrs. Woods had an impression that a
large sum was usually kept there, but the doctor had paid a heavy corn
bill in cash only that very day, and it was conjectured that it was to
this and not to a robber that the emptiness of the box was due. One
thing in the room was missing--but that one thing was suggestive. The
portrait of Miss Morton, which had always stood upon the side-table,
had been taken from its frame, and carried off. Mrs. Woods had
observed it there when she waited upon her employer that evening, and
now it was gone. On the other hand, there was picked up from the floor
a green eye-patch, which the housekeeper could not remember to have
seen before. Such a patch might, however, be in the possession of a
doctor, and there was nothing to indicate that it was in any way
connected with the crime.

Suspicion could only turn in one direction, and Arthur Morton, the
young squire, was immediately arrested. The evidence against him was
circumstantial, but damning. He was devoted to his sister, and it was
shown that since the rupture between her and Dr. Lana he had been heard
again and again to express himself in the most vindictive terms towards
her former lover. He had, as stated, been seen somewhere about eleven
o'clock entering the doctor's drive with a hunting-crop in his hand.
He had then, according to the theory of the police, broken in upon the
doctor, whose exclamation of fear or of anger had been loud