"You didn't have any reason to believe that the
situation was even as serious as it has proved to be?"
"I did the perfectly obvious thing when I warned you," said the
Doctor easily. "Those letters made a distinct threat."
Miss Cornelia could not deny the truth in his words. And yet she
felt decidedly unsatisfied with the way things were progressing.
"You said Fleming had probably been shot from above?" she queried,
thinking hard.
The Doctor nodded. "Yes."
"Have you a pocket-flash, Doctor?" she asked him suddenly.
"Why--yes--" The Doctor did not seem to perceive the significance
of the query. "A flashlight is more important to a country Doctor
than--castor oil," he added, with a little smile.
Miss Cornelia decided upon an experiment. She turned to Dale.
"Dale, you said you saw a white light shining down from above?"
"Yes," said Dale in a minor voice.
Miss Cornelia rose.
"May I borrow your flashlight, Doctor? Now that fool detective is
out of the way," she continued some what acidly, "I want to do
something."
The Doctor gave her his flashlight with a stare of bewilderment.
She took it and moved into the alcove.
"Doctor, I shall ask you to stand at the foot of the small staircase,
facing up."
"Now?" queried the Doctor with some reluctance.
"Now, please."
The Doctor slowly followed her into the alcove and took up the
position she assigned him at the foot of the stairs.
"Now, Dale," said Miss Cornelia briskly, "when I give the word,
you put out the lights here--and then tell me when I have reached
the point on the staircase from which the flashlight seemed to come.
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