“The facts are these,” said the journal, after a preliminary introduction.  “A quiet maiden lady living at Rose Cottage, Rexton, received three friends to a card-party.  Difference arising—­and such things will arise amongst the best when cards are in question—­two of the friends, Mrs. Herne, an old lady and life-long friend of the deceased, and Mr. Hale, a lawyer of repute and the legal adviser of Miss Loach, depart before ten o’clock.  In her evidence Mrs. Herne stated that she and Mr. Hale left at half-past nine, and her assertion was corroborated by Mr. Hale himself.  Mr. Clancy, the third friend, left at ten, being shown out by the maid Susan Grant, who then returned to the kitchen.  She left Miss Loach seated in her usual chair near the fire, and with a pack of cards on her lap.  Probably the deceased lady intended to play a game of ‘Patience’!

“The four servants, three women and a man, had their supper.  During the supper the man asserted that he heard the front door open, but as Miss Loach was in the habit of walking in the garden before retiring, it was thought that she had gone out to take her usual stroll.  Whether the man heard the door open or shut he was not quite sure.  However, thinking his mistress was walking in the garden as usual, the man paid no further attention to the incident.  At eleven (precisely at eleven, for the kitchen clock struck), the sitting-room bell rang.  Susan Grant entered the room, and found Miss Loach seated in her chair exactly as she had left her, even to the fact that the cards were in her lap.  But she had been stabbed to the heart with some sharp instrument and was quite dead.  The front door was closed and the windows barred.

“Now it is certain that Miss Loach met her death between the hours of ten and eleven.  Susan Grant saw her alive at ten, seated in her usual chair with the cards on her lap, and at eleven, she there found her dead, still with the cards.  It would seem as though immediately after the servants left the room someone had stabbed the deceased to the heart, before she had time to rise or even alter her position.  But Susan Grant asserts that no one was in the room.  There was only one door, out of which she departed.  The bedroom of Miss Loach on the basement floor had a door which opened into the passage, as did the sitting-room door.  No one could have entered until the servant departed.  The passage was lighted with electricity, but she did not observe anyone about, nor did she hear a sound.  She showed out Mr. Clancy and then returned to the kitchen.  Certainly the assassin may have been concealed in the bedroom and have stolen into the sitting-room when Susan Grant was showing out Mr. Clancy.  Perhaps then he killed the deceased suddenly, as we said before.  He could have then come up the stairs and have escaped while the servants were at supper.  It might have been the murderer who opened the door, and was overheard by Thomas.