t these have had upon others has been of the most
decided nature. They have called here after the departure of every
fresh tenant, and it was all that I could do to answer their persistent
inquiries. It is to them and not to Mr. Searles I feel bound to report
the apparition seen by Mrs. Packard."

"To them!" I ejaculated in amazement. "Why to them? They no longer have
a proprietary interest in the house."

"Very true, but they long ago exacted a promise from me to keep a strict
account of such complaints as were raised against the house. They, in
short, paid me to do so. From time to time they have come here to
read this account. It annoys Mr. Searles, but I have had considerable
patience with them for reasons which your kind heart will instantly
suggest."

I thought of the real pathos of the situation, and how much I might
increase his interest by giving him the full details of their pitiful
history, and the maddening hopes it engendered of a possible discovery
of the treasure they still believed to be hidden in the house. What I
said, however, was this:

"You have kept an account, you say, of the varied phenomena seen in this
house? You have that account now?"

"Yes, Miss Saunders."

"Let us look it over together. Let us see if it does not give us some
clue to the mystery puzzling us."

He eyed me doubtfully, or as much so as his great nature would allow.
Meantime, I gauged my man. Was he to be thoroughly and unequivocally
trusted? His very hesitation in face of his undoubted sympathy with me
seemed to insure that he was. At all events, the occasion warranted some
risk on my part. At least I persuaded myself that it did; so without
waiting for his reply, I earnestly remarked:

"The matter is more serious than you suppose. If the mayor were not
unavoidably called away by his political obligations, he would add his
entreaties to mine for a complete sifting of this whole affair.
The Misses Quinlan may very well be innocent of inciting these
manifestations; if so, we can do them no harm by a little confidential
consideration of the affair from the standpoint I have given you. If
they are not, then Mr. Searles and Mayor Packard should know it."

It appeared to convince him. His homely face shone with the fire of
sudden interest and resolve, and, reaching for a small drawer at the
right of his desk, he opened it and drew forth a folded paper which he
proceeded to open before me with the remark:

"Here is a repo