nothing of the presence of Dr. Loeb in the house
under arrest, had all but broken her down. She greeted Kennedy almost as
though he had been a life-long friend.

"I want you to look after Miss Moreton, Walter," he said in a low tone
as we three stood in the hall. "And you, Miss Moreton, I want to trust
me when I tell you I am going to bring you safely out of this thing. Be
a brave girl," he encouraged, taking her hand. "Remember that Mr.
Jameson and I are here solely in your interest."

"I know it," she murmured, her lip trembling. "I will try."

A moment later we entered the Moreton library. Dr. Loeb was glaring
impartially at everybody. I am sure that if he had been able to get at
any of his formidable electrical apparatus he would have made short work
of us "without cautery or knife." Darius Moreton was indignant, Lionel
supercilious, Dr. Goode silent.

Kennedy lost no time in getting down to the business that had brought
him out to Norwood, for this was not exactly a sociable gathering.

"Of course," he began, laying his leather case on the table and
unlocking, but not opening it, "references to cancer houses abound in
medical literature, but I think I am safe in saying that nothing has
been conclusively proved in favor either of the believers or the
skeptics. At least, it may be said to be an open question, with the
weight of opinion against it. Such physicians as Sir Thomas Oliver have
said that the evidence in favor is too strong to be ignored. Others,
equally brilliant, have shown why it should be ignored.

"In the absence of better proof--or rather in the presence of other
facts--perhaps, in this case, it would be better to see whether there is
not some other theory that may fit the facts better."

"Dr. Goode thought that the cancers might have been caused artificially
by X-rays or radium," I ventured.

Craig shook his head. "I have taken a piece of filter paper saturated
with a solution of potassium iodide, starch paste, and ferrosulphate and
laid it over a sample of blood, not four millimeters away. The whole I
have kept in the dark.

"Now, we know that blood gives off peroxide of hydrogen. Peroxide of
hydrogen is capable of attacking photographic plates. The paper can be
permeated by a gas. No, that was not a case of photo-activity observed
by Dr. Goode. It was the emission of gas from the blood that affected
the plates."

"But suppose that is the case," objected Dr. Goode hastily. "There are
th