th the several corroborative
accounts of a special sitting with Paladino which Professor
Bottazzi kindly arranged for them. My correspondent is a New York
editor, and in his party of six was the associate professor of
chemistry in a big Eastern college. After detailing the many
marvellous phenomena which took place in his presence, Professor
M---- says: "In view of the phenomena with which I am habitually
concerned, I did not _want_ to believe in Paladino's supernormal
powers, but I had to accept what I saw." These reports bring
Bottazzi's experiments closer to the dead. I hope they will bring
them a little nearer to my readers. "Bottazzi has no slightest
doubt of the phenomena," is the concluding line of my friend's
letter.]

VIII

Cameron's society never came together again in formal session, and I was
not able to carry out my plan for developing a psychic along the line of
proving the identity of the spirits manifesting. However, between the
final sitting of the club and my next meeting with Fowler and Miller, I
passed through a series of very interesting experiences more or less
corroborative of the phenomena which the members had witnessed either
individually or as a body. These additional experiments I proceeded at
once to lay before my friends as we met at the club one quiet afternoon
a couple of weeks later.

"We haven't heard of any new psychic," Miller began at once, as we
settled into easy-chairs in a retired corner.

"No," I replied. "I've been unable to get the consent of any other
psychic to undergo just the inquisition I know you'd like to give, but
I've had some extremely suggestive sittings recently with a young
professional man who does a little mediumistic 'work' on the side."

"A male psychic? That's amusing. I thought they were all female."

"No. There are men psychics," replied Fowler, "but they're scarce. One
of the most wonderful I have ever known is a big, burly fellow of most
aggressive manner. The reason why there are so few men in the business I
take to be this: men are less subjective, less passive, than women, and
the psychic's role seems to be a negative one. Men are aggressive and
impatient, engaged in some kind of struggle with material things, or
they are intolerant of the process of developing their psychic gifts. If
Garland has found a male psychic, he is in luck."

"So I thought. The young fellow, whom we wil