four o'clock in the afternoon of the 24th of December
In the corner of the room farthest from the door was a little closet , seldom opened , secured by a patent lock , whose contents no one was acquainted with save the doctor himself . The housemaid , whose duties in this room were confined to an occasional wary sweeping and dusting , and fire-lighting in the winter season , would keep at a respectful distance from this closet , or pass it with a creeping dread ; for the boy-in - buttons had thrown out dark suggestions that it probably contained the skulls of murderers , or , at the least , snakes and scorpions preserved in spirits , or even possibly alive , and ready to attack any daring intruder on their privacy . Such were Dr John Prosser 's home and study . It was just four o'clock in the afternoon of the 24th of December when the doctor returned to his house from the city . `` Is your mistress at home ? '' he asked of the boy . `` No , sir ; she told me to tell you that she was gone to a meeting of the school board . ''