The Dutch Shoe Mystery

Mr. Queen shrewdly guessed that I had exceeded my legal authority on Monday when, instead of destroying the envelope without breaking its seals, as legal ethics demanded, I had opened it and read its contents.

Inspector Queen, I have been practicing law for a long time now and I have faithfully, I think, upheld the integrity of my father’s business reputation; especially in the case of Mrs. Doorn, a friend as well as a client, and always to her very best interests. If Mrs. Doorn had died a natural death I should never have breached my legal trust. But her murder, combined with the fact that I was — and am now — engaged to be married to Miss Doorn with the full consent of her deceased foster-mother, so that I am really a member of the Doorn family — forced me to open the envelope and investigate its contents. If I had turned it over to the police before opening it, personal facts absolutely unrelated to the murder would have come out. So I opened it myself, assuming the position of a member of the family rather than its attorney, with the mental reservation that if anything in the documents seemed to relate to the crime I would place them in your hands.

But when, on reading the diary, I discovered the awful facts surrounding Hulda’s birth... Inspector, can you blame me for withholding the information and destroying the diary? Not for myself — the shame means nothing to me — but think of what it would mean to such an untainted young girl as Hulda to have the world know that she is the illegitimate child of her own housekeeper.

There is only one other item in this connection... which may be verified by consulting the will now filed for probate. That is, that Hulda inherits the major portion of the Doorn estate with no reservations of birth or parentage, but rather as the legal daughter of Abigail Doorn, which she is. Her true parentage can in no way affect the bequest to her. Consequently, my reticence regarding the whole shameful story cannot be construed as having been animated by selfish motives, such as might be ascribed to me if Hulda’s inheritance hinged upon her being a blood relation of the deceased...

Mr. Queen was also correct in his surmise that Abigail and Sarah Fuller quarreled incessantly over the secret of Hulda’s birth. The diary stated specifically that Sarah had regretted her bargain, and that she was perpetually threatening to disclose her motherhood unless the girl were returned to her. With the passage of the years Abigail had grown to regard Hulda with genuine maternal love; and it was only her fear that Sarah would tell the story to the world that prevented her from discharging the middle-aged and by now fanatical woman in her employ.

Since the death of Mrs. Doorn I have confidentially spoken with Sarah Fuller and have received her positive assurance, now that Abigail — the object of her hate — is dead, and that I, whom for no reason that I can see she likes, am to marry Hulda — that she will not reveal the secret Dr. Dunning for selfish reasons may be depended upon to keep his mouth shut; his entire career and reputation depend upon his silence.