our earlier that very night to fix a nail in the wall for
hanging a lamp. Mr. Jones took this up and waited for the spirit of
Smith at the head of the stairs.

The spirit passed through this closed door also. Though the staircase
was in total darkness still Mr. Jones could see Smith coming up step by
step.

Up and up came Smith and breathlessly Jones waited with the hammer in
his hand. Now only three steps divided them.

"I shall kill you" hissed Smith. Mr. Jones aimed a blow with the hammer
and hit Smith between the eyes. With a groan Smith fell down. Mr. Jones
fainted.

A couple of hours later there was a great commotion at the house of Mr.
Smith. The dead body had mysteriously disappeared.

The first thing they could think of was to go and inform Mr. Jones.

So one of the young sons of Smith came to Mr. Jones's house. The servant
admitted him and told him where to find the master.

Young Smith knocked at the door leading to the staircase but got no
reply. "After his watchful nights he is sleeping soundly" thought young
Smith.

But then Jones must be awakened.

The whole household woke up but not Mr. Jones. One of the servants then
procured a ladder and got upon the roof. Mr. Jones was not upon his bed
nor under it either. The servant thought he would open the door leading
to the staircase and admit the people who were standing outside beyond
the door at the bottom of the stairs. There was a number of persons now
at the door including Mrs. Jones, her children, servants and young
Smith.

The servant stumbled upon something. It was dark but he knew it was the
body of his master. He passed on but then he stumbled again. There was
another human being in the way. "Who is this other?--probably a thief"
thought the servant.

He opened the door and admitted the people who were outside. They had
lights with them. As they came in it was found that the second body on
the stairs two or three steps below the landing was the dead body of
Smith while the body on the landing was the unconscious form of Mr.
Jones.

Restoratives were applied and Jones came to his senses and then related
the story that has been recorded above. A doctor was summoned and he
found the wound caused by Jones's hammer on Smith's head. There was a
deep cut but no blood had come out, therefore, it appeared that the
wound must have been caused at least two or three hours after death.

The doctors never investigated whether death could have been