“‘“Of course—that is a small phial of strychnine; but what does that signify; will you please tell me?”
“‘“I found this in a little drawer of a bureau in Miss Bramlett’s room. Her brother died from the effects of poison, and she was ordered by you to administer quinine to her brother, but she administered something else. Do I speak sufficiently plain? Do you understand me? Shall I say anything more by way of explaining what I mean?”
“‘“Hush, hush! for Heaven’s sake, stop! give me time to think. How many papers of the quinine had been given to the child when you arrived?”
“‘“Miss Bramlett said that she administered three doses, and that the last one made her brother sick!”
“‘“Did you find the doses that had not been given to the patient?”
“‘“I found two papers on the table near the bed containing quinine, and have them here now.”
“‘“Have you examined them to see whether they contain quinine or something else?”
“‘“Yes, their contents is pure, unadulterated quinine.”
“‘“You don’t mean to say that you think Miss Bramlett has intentionally killed her brother!”
“‘“But I do mean to say that very thing; who else could have done it? How could it have been a mistake? Didn’t she administer the medicine? Hasn’t the boy died from poison? Doesn’t she make a large fortune by his death? Wasn’t she alone with him all the time? What was she doing with this bottle of strychnine in her bureau? All the lawyers in Tennessee can’t save her neck!”