The Mystery of St. Agnes Hospital | Page 8

about his brother. I take it for granted that the

doctor was burying him."
"Did you tell anybody about this occurrence?"
"No."
"Why not? It was strange enough."
"I didn't think it was strange for him. Everybody knows that the doctor
is a sort of crank. When I saw who it was, I just slid down off the wall
and went home. I never would have thought of it again if Mr. Deever
hadn't spoken to me about his brother."
"You can point out the spot where the doctor was digging?"
"Sure."
"We will make an examination at once."
"I thought you'd find out that murder had been done," said Deever.
"You'll find out, if you stick to me, that I pretty generally know what
I'm talking about."
"That's right," said Haskell.
"Here come your friends," said Chick, who had not spoken up to that
time.
Two men were seen coming from St. Nicholas avenue. They carried
spades and pickaxes.
Thus reinforced, the party proceeded to scale the wall. Just as they did
so, the moon, which had been very bright, was obscured by a heavy
cloud.
It was in darkness, then, that they descended into the garden.
But Haskell seemed to be in doubt about the direction to be followed.
He started off at once.

They had gone less than a hundred feet when suddenly Haskell shrank
back. Deever, who was next to him, ran against him violently.
"What's the matter?" whispered Deever, in an anxious tone.
"There's somebody here ahead of us."
All looked where Haskell pointed, and they were able to make out the
figure of a man standing in one of the numerous paths which wound
through the garden. He appeared not to have noticed the advancing
party.
"He isn't ten feet from the grave," whispered Haskell. "It's under that
tree right beside him."
At this moment the moon broke through the cloud. Its light fell round
the figure in the path.
It was Dr. Jarvis.
Nick's first thought was that this was another sleep-walking wonder,
but in a second this idea was dispelled.
The doctor saw the intruders. He uttered an exclamation, and seemed
about to retreat in the direction of the hospital. Then summoning up his
courage, he paused, and confronted them as they came forward.
"Who are you?" he asked, in a trembling voice.
"I'll soon show you who I am?" cried Deever, angrily, "and I'll show
these gentlemen what you are, in a few minutes."
"Lawrence Deever!" cried the doctor.
"Yes; I'm Lawrence Deever," was the reply, "and I've come to find my
brother."
"You are a fool and a knave," the doctor exclaimed. "Your brother is
not here."

"We'll see about that."
"I order you to leave this garden."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Nick, stepping forward. "I have
the proper authority, and what we shall do here will not harm you."
In a few words he showed Dr. Jarvis the futility of resistance. Nick
explained in a few words the evidence of Haskell, and made no attempt
to conceal its true bearing upon the case.
He spoke with his customary calm and steady tone, and his words
seemed to reassure the doctor.
"The fellow is a liar and the tool of a liar," said the doctor, glaring at
Deever. "I shall challenge you to find that body in this garden."
"It's here, unless you've taken it away," said Deever, roughly. "Now,
Haskell, show us the spot, and we'll go to work."
Thus urged, Haskell, who had hung back, as if afraid, stepped forward
with no sign of hesitation, and pointed to the ground under one of the
trees.
"He was at work just under this long limb," said Haskell.
Nick bent down to examine the ground. It was a flower-bed which
looked as if it had recently been sown.
The spot was excellently chosen for concealment. It was impossible to
tell whether the earth there had recently been disturbed.
Deever seized a spade and began to dig. He was a man of enormous
strength, and he worked furiously.
The two men who had brought the tools joined in the work, but they
did less than half as much as Deever alone.
In an incredibly short time the hole was four feet deep. Then Nick

suggested that they proceed with greater caution.
"The body," he said, "was probably buried without protection. If you
strike it with your spades you may increase the difficulty of
identification."
Thus warned, Deever's two assistants worked with care, but Deever
himself continued to ply his spade like a madman.
Not knowing the exact spot, they dug a hole much larger than a grave,
and thus the three men were able to work at the same time with
advantage.
Suddenly Deever cried:
"Here it is!"
His spade