said,
"that the man doesn't admit any one without Dr. Rainey's permission."

Indignantly, as though to intercept him, Judge Gaylor stepped forward.
Both Rainey and himself spoke together.

"What do you mean by that?" Rainey demanded.

"Are you trying to be insolent, sir?" cried the Judge.

Lee smiled pleasantly. "I had no intention of being insolent," he said.
"We have the facts--I only came to give you a chance to explain them."

Gaylor lost all patience.

"What facts?" he shouted. "What facts? That mediums come here?"

"Yes," said Lee.

"When?" Gaylor cried. "Tell me that! When?"

Lee regarded the older man thoughtfully.

"Well, today is Thursday," he said. "They were here Monday morning, and
Tuesday morning--and--the one they call Vera--will be here in half an
hour."

Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining hands.

"See here!" he begged. "We can fix this!"

"Fix it?" said the reporter. "Not with me, you can't." He turned to the
door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his
heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how
tall he was.

"Get out of my way," he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee
walked into the hall.

"I'll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you," he said. "It's a
better story than I thought."

As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The
face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front
door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of each of his
companions. The butler had dropped into a chair muttering and beating
his fist into his open palm.

Gaylor's voice was hardly louder than a whisper. "Is this true?" he
asked.

Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at
him evilly. "Of course it's true," he said.

"You've let these people see him!" cried Gaylor. "After I forbade it?
After I told you what would happen?"

"He would see them," Rainey answered hotly. "Twas better I chose them
than--"

Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The
Doctor backed hastily against the library table. "Don't you come near
me!" he stammered. "Don't you touch me."

"And you've lied to me!" cried Gaylor. "You've deceived me. You--you
jailbirds--you idiots." His voice rose hysterically. "And do you think,"
he demanded fiercely, "I'll help you now?"

"No!" said the butler.

The word caught the Judge in the full rush o