DR. EARL IS INDICTED FOR MURDER
The grand jury returned an indictment against Dr. John Earl for the
murder of Mrs. Emma Bell. There could be but one grade of homicide in
this kind of a case, and he was accordingly charged with murder in the
first degree and his trial was set for Tuesday of the following week.
Frank came to see him early Saturday morning. "The neighbors of Mrs.
Bell will be at the trial in full force to tell of your daily visits
there at all sorts of ungodly hours. Their gossip indicates that they
believe you had a very serious affair on with her, and this, together
with the claim of the surgeons that you botched the operation on the
child's leg, furnishes a fairly powerful motive for the crime, at least
in the public mind. Jack," he asked, with a mixture of doubt and
anxiety, "did you really have an affair with her?"
"Nonsense, Frank, nonsense," answered his brother. "It is true that I
went there at rather unusual hours; I was pretty busy, and when I found
she was in the habit of sitting up until after midnight I used to drop
in there when I was through for the day. I don't think I ever went there
later than nine-thirty or ten, and I seldom stayed more than fifteen or
twenty minutes. Later on I was, and I still am, greatly worried about
the child. Of course my operation didn't produce tuberculosis; that is
silly, but it serves the purposes of jealous rivals. When I found this
tubercular condition developing I asked her mother a great many
questions; it seemed to me so improbable that it should have occurred
when the child was really having better care than usual, judging from
their surroundings, that I sought to learn whether it was not a
recurrence of some trouble she had apparently outgrown, and from her
mother's answers I think there is absolutely no doubt that this is true.
You will readily see, under the circumstances, that I did not time my
visits watch in hand, but the charge of a _liaison_ there would be
ridiculous were it not so vulgar and malicious. There was some sort of
a tragedy in the woman's life, but I have no idea whatever as to its
nature."
"With your handwriting on both the outside and inside of the package,
your intimate relations with the family, the complications of this
surgical case, the fact that you were practically in Boston at the time
the package was mailed, and the total lack of suspicion of any one
else," said Frank, checking the indictments off on his fingers, "they
have a fairly convincing case against you, old man, and if you know
anything that can break these theories down now is the time to divulge
it."
"Naturally, if there were anything of the kind you imply, it would be
easier for me to discuss it with you than with my leading counsel," his
brother replied, "but equally, of course, in such a case, I should not
have employed a woman to defend me; certainly not such a rabid feminist
as Miss Holland. I have told her all I know, all I can conjecture, but
candidly, Frank, I fear she is greatly worried over the outcome. I know
the difficulty in overcoming gossip and prejudice and jealousy, and if
that cannot be done I fear I must pay the penalty of being the target of
their shafts. Crushing as that is, there is one haunting thought that
is even more intolerable," he concluded.
"And that is?"
"That the last thought of that unhappy woman was that I sent the candied
fruit. She may have realized in that brief second of time that it caused
her death. I hope to prove my innocence to the world, but she has passed
beyond the reach of proof."
"She has also passed beyond the need of it," answered his brother
quickly. "Why don't you comfort yourself with the thought that, no
matter who else may be deceived, wherever she is, she knows the truth?"
There had been something akin to despair in his voice, and Frank noticed
how trouble had deepened the lines in his face. "Brace up, old fellow,"
he said huskily. "We'll get a line on something before we go to trial."
Dr. Earl did not see Leonora or hear from her directly again after their
interview, but the Sunday following the announcement that Miss Holland
had been employed to defend him, an item appeared in the society columns
of the New York papers stating that their engagement had been
terminated. He sighed when he read it, whether from sorrow or relief he
could scarcely have told himself. But he fully realized at this time
that the vital heart-beats of genuine love are not always inspired by
plighted troth, neither is the latter always a product of the former,
and he marveled at his own lack of understanding in so readily accepting
a superficial substitute for the real article. The Ramseys gave every
evidence of their devotion, seeing him daily, and there were not wanting
a few staunch friends, and numerous former patients showed their
loyalty, but as the day of his trial approached he found himself
thinking more and more of the four devoted souls who had done and would
do all for him that was humanly possible.