hich I have shown you could be duplicated
with specimens of human organs preserved for years in alcohol in
museums. They would burn just as this sponge--the specimen itself would
be very nearly uninjured by the burning of the alcohol."

"Then, Professor Kennedy, you maintain that my brother did not meet his
death by such an accident" asked James Langley.

"Exactly that, sir," replied Craig. "One of the most important aspects
of the historic faith in this phenomenon is that of its skilful
employment in explaining away what would otherwise appear to be
convincing circumstantial evidence in cases of accusations of murder."

"Then how do you explain Mr. Langley's death?" demanded Harrington. "My
theory of a spark from a cigar may be true, after all."

"I am coming to that in a moment," answered Kennedy quietly. "My first
suspicion was aroused by what not even Doctor Putnam seems to have
noticed. The skull of Mr. Langley, charred and consumed as it was,
seemed to show marks of violence. It might have been from a fracture of
the skull or it might have been an accident to his remains as they were
being removed to the anteroom. Again, his tongue seemed as though it was
protruding. That might have been natural suffocation, or it might have
been from forcible strangulation. So far I had nothing but conjecture to
work on. But in looking over the living-room I found near the table, on
the hardwood floor, a spot--just one little round spot. Now, deductions
from spots, even if we know them to be blood, must be made very
carefully. I did not know this to be a blood-spot, and so was very
careful at first.

"Let us assume it was a blood-spot, however. What did it show? It was
just a little regular round spot, quite thick. Now, drops of blood
falling only a few inches usually make a round spot with a smooth
border. Still the surface on which the drop falls is quite as much a
factor as the height from which it falls. If the surface is rough
the border may be irregular. But this was a smooth surface and not
absorbent. The thickness of a dried blood-spot on a non-absorbent
surface is less the greater the height from which it has fallen. This
was a thick spot. Now if it had fallen, say, six feet, the height of Mr.
Langley, the spot would have been thin--some secondary spatters
might have been seen, or at least an irregular edge around the spot.
Therefore, if it was a blood-spot, it had fallen only one or two feet.
I ascertained next tha