cious,
Wilbur.' It seems to indicate that Mrs. Smiley is only a wonderful
ventriloquist, after all. Can't you prove that she is independent of
your voice? Can't you do something decisive at this moment?"

No reply came to this; but while my hand was firmly pressed upon her
wrist (both sleeves being nailed to the chair), the loose leaves of the
paper in the centre of the table were whisked away to the left. I could
follow their flight, and we all heard their deposition on a couch in a
corner of the room.

"Fowler," I said, "are you controlling your wife's hands?"

"Yes; we had nothing to do with that noise."

This was another tense moment, for the movement of those papers was very
ghostly indeed. We had demonstrated clearly that their movement was
supernormal.

"May I come forward?" asked Fowler.

Tap--"_No_," was the decided answer.

I then asked: "'Wilbur,' do you want me to change with Fowler and
control Mrs. Fowler's hands?"

An emphatic "_Yes_" was rapped in reply.

"They seem as anxious for a conclusive test as we are," remarked Fowler.
"Did you mean you didn't want Mrs. Fowler unaccounted for?"

A perfect fusillade of raps followed: "_Yes, yes, yes._"

Fowler then came forward to Mrs. Smiley's left, while I returned to the
table. Taking both of Mrs. Fowler's hands in mine, and setting the toes
of my shoes upon hers, I awaited developments. At this moment, while
Fowler was pressing the psychic's imprisoned wrists, the cone banged
about most furiously, describing wide circles entirely out of Mrs.
Smiley's reach. This action was another perfectly convincing test of the
psychic's supernormal powers. As the same movement had taken place with
_each_ of us in control of the psychic, each was absolved from any
complicity in the matter; but I did not forget my further test. "Mrs.
Smiley," I said, "I want Mr. Fowler to return to his seat, and I want to
place my hand over your lips--or to muffle you in some way. _I must_
prove that you have nothing to do with the production of those voices.
Will you permit this test?"

"Certainly," she answered, with patient sweetness. "You may gag me in
any way you please. I am perfectly sure you can secure the proof you
want." Upon this hint I acted. Taking a large kerchief from my pocket, I
tied it tightly around her mouth, knotting it at the back, and then, in
growing excitement, challenged the ghostly voice: "Now, 'Wilbur,' let's
hear from you."

A moment later the voic