The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-09-01
CHAPTER vII-Continued

=
Heale had no more than finished
giving instructions when Doctor
Cabler arrived. The physician was
a small man, grizzled, little bent,
his shoulders surprisingly heavy,
with steady, severe eye. After the
introductions, Inspector Heale put
the case to him.
Tope, watching the Doctor, thought
his lips stiffened and grew pale as
he listened; and after Inspector
Heale had finished, the physician
was silent for while.
'Her heart was not strong" he
said at last refectively. No one
commented on this; and in the end
he nodded, strrendering.
81 had overlooked that point" ne
confessed. eyes, gentlemen, it must
be true!"
"You mean she must have had
more than four tablets?" Heale
asked.
"Unquestionably," Doctor Cabler
agreed. ''To die so quickly"
Inspector Heale said seriously:
"You understand, Doctor Cabler,
this gives her death the look of muir
der"
Doctor Cabler nodded slowly. 1T
seems Incredible" he declared.
"And yet-there is something terri
BILE in those houses up there. Mrs.
Bowdon rules them all. She has
something massive in her, some
thing like crushing weight.
elbow about Mr.. Bowdon?" In
spector Tope asked; and Doctor Ca
bier said guardedly:
"He surrendered years ago. He
is not at all well. His heart plays
ugly tricks, and his blood-pressure
is very high. He has not long to
live" And he added: 81 have some
times thought it was his imminent
death which oppressed them ALL"
The Inspector nodded. 81 don't
want to come right out and say
murder Doctor Dabler," he ex-
planned. "But we want to look
around inside the house. Mrs. Tope
here suggested that they would all
go to the funeral. If they do, the
house would be empty them"
Suddenly, then, Tope asked:
doctor, can this drug be bought
by anyone, without prescription"
From a friendly pharmacist, per-
haps. BY some subterfuge."
''Mrs. Leaford had used it long?"
"Four or five years. I supplied it
to her myself. She did not even
know the name. I gave it to her in
plain bottles, without a label, so
that she would not know what it
was. This was for her own protec-
ton. She could not secure it except
through me-"
eff someone wished to poison
her." Tope suggested steadily,
''that person might have stolen tab
lets out of her bottle, one at time,
over a period of weeks, without the
theft being noticed. So he would
have them when the time came"
Readily" the Doctor agreed. 81
urged Mrs. Leaford to keep count
of the tablets she took; but she
was careless and impetuous. She
took an overdose once before. Three
tablets. It made her very ILL.,"
"I'm trying to understand" Tope
explained, s'how she was persuaded
or compelled to take the extra dose.
Were there any bruises on her lips,
Doctor?"
Doctor Cabler shook his head.
"No, nome"
''Was there any other medicine
she was accustomed to take? In
capsules, for instance? So that
someone could have crushed some
pills into powder and filled a cap
sule and put it with the others she
had?"
The Doctor said again: mo. I
know of nothing of the kind" He
rose, and he repeated: mo, moth
ing. / can't help you there" And
he asked in hushed voice: "In-
spector, what will you dor"
inspector Heale hesitated. 81
don't yet know" he confessed.
Inspector Heale went with him to
the door. And few moments after
ward Asa Tame was announced.
Tope watched Asa with a,deep at
tention, from the young mans first
appearance. This Asa Taine--he
may have been no more than thirty,
but he looked older, and there was
the shadow Of dissipation on his
countenance- acknowledged the in