But who
rang the bell? That is the question we ask. The deceased
could not have done so, as, according to the doctor, the poor
lady must have died immediately. Again, the assassin would
not have been so foolish as to ring and thus draw attention to
his crime, letting alone the question that he could not have
escaped at that late hour. We can only offer this solution.
"The assassin must have been concealed in the bedroom, and
after Susan ascended the stairs to let Mr. Clancy out, he must
have stolen into the sitting-room and have killed the old lady
before she could even rise. She might have touched the bell,
and the button (the bell is an electric one) may have got
fixed. Later on, the heat of the room, warping the wood round
the ivory button, may have caused it to slip out, and thus the
bell would have rung. Of course our readers may say that when
pressed down the bell would have rung continuously, but an
examination has revealed that the wires were out of order. It
is not improbable that the sudden release of the button may
have touched the wires and have set them ringing. The peal is
described as being short and sharp. This theory is a weak
one, we are aware, but the whole case is so mysterious that,
weak as it is, we can offer no other solution.
"Mrs. Herne, the servants, and Messrs. Hale and Clancy were
examined. All insist that Miss Loach was in her usual health
and spirits, and had no idea of committing suicide, or of
being in any danger of sudden death.
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