ves so thoroughly in
rappings and materialisations that he constantly keeps a notebook in his
pocket in which he records all the materialisations he thinks he sees
and the rappings he hears, along with the time and place. Now it so
happened that on the night Mrs. Vandam was taken ill, he had
retired--I believe in another part of the house, where he has a regular
seance-room. According to his story, he was awakened from a profound
sleep by a series of rappings. As was his custom, he noted the time
at which they occurred. Something made him uneasy, and he said to his
'control'--at least this is his story:

"'John, is it about Mary?'

"Three raps answered 'yes,' the usual code.

"'What is the matter? Is she ill?'

"The three answering raps were so vigorous that he sprang out of bed and
called for his wife's maid. The maid replied that Mrs. Vandam had not
gone to bed yet, but that there was a light in the library and she would
go to her mistress immediately. The next moment the house was awakened
by the screams of the maid calling for help, that Mrs. Vandam was dying.

"That was three nights ago. On each of the two succeeding nights
Henry Vandam says he has been awakened at precisely the same hour by a
rapping, and on each night his 'control' has given him a message from
his dead wife. As a man of science, I attribute the whole thing to an
overwrought imagination. The original rappings may have been a mere
coincidence with the fact of the condition of Mrs. Vandam. However, I
give this to you for what it is worth."

Craig said nothing, but, as was his habit, shaded his eyes with the
tips of his fingers, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair: "I
suppose," he said, "you can give me the necessary authority to enter the
Vandam house and look at the scene of these happenings?"

"Certainly," assented the physician, "but you will find it a queer
place. There are spirit paintings and spirit photographs in every room,
and Vandam's own part of the house--well, it's creepy, that's all I can
say."

"And also I suppose you have performed an autopsy on the body and will
allow me to drop into your laboratory to-morrow morning and satisfy
myself on this morphine point?"

"Certainly," replied the coroner's physician, "at any time you say."

"At ten sharp, then, to-morrow I shall be there," said Craig. "It is now
eight-thirty. Do you think I can see Vandam to-night? What time do these
rappings occur?"

"Why, yes, you surel