e."

"Mrs. Packard?" His tone betrayed a complete incredulity. "Mrs. Packard?
a woman of such strong good sense! I think you must have been misled by
some foolish attempt at humor on her part. Does she know that you have
come to me with this complaint?"

"She does not. She is not in a condition to be consulted on the subject.
I am Mayor Packard's emissary. He is very anxious about his wife." Then
as Mr. Searles continued unmoved, I added in a straightforward manner,
and with all the earnestness I felt: "Mrs. Packard believes herself to
have come face to face with an undoubted specter in the library of the
house they have rented from you. She related the circumstances to her
husband and to myself this very morning. It occurred, according to her
story, several days ago; meantime her manner and appearance have shown a
great change. Mayor Packard is not the only one who has noticed it. The
whole household has been struck by her condition, though no one knew its
cause until to-day. Of course, we do not believe in the specter; that
was pure hallucination on her part. This we no more doubt than you do."

"Then what do you want here?" he asked, after a moment of harsh
scrutiny.

"Proof which will convince her that it was an hallucination and without
the least basis in any spiritual fact," I returned. "If you will give
me a few minutes of your time, I will explain just what I mean and also
make known to you my wishes. I can wait till you have finished your
business with the gentlemen I see over there."

He honored me with a look, which for the first time showed any
appreciation of my feelings, and pushing open a door near by, called out
to some one within:

"Here, Robinson, talk with this lady. Her business is not in my line."
Then, turning to me with a quick, "Step in, Madam," he left me with the
greatest abruptness and hurried back to the gentlemen awaiting him on
the other side of the room.

I was considerably taken aback by this move, but knew no other course
than to enter the room he had pointed out and pursue my conversation
with whomever I should find there.

Alas! the gentleman who rose at my entrance was also one of the tall,
thin and nervous type. But he was not without heart, like the other, as
was soon made apparent to me. Very few human faces are plainer than the
one I now searched for the encouragement of which I stood in such
sore need, but also very few faces, handsome or otherwise, have the
attraction