n with
sandy-gray hair. Along with him was a stout young man, with a decided
red head, and mustache and whiskers to match. Probably the son, thought
I,--ardent temperament, remorse,--come to confess, etc. Except as to the
temper, I was never more mistaken in my life. I was about to go
regularly through my patients, when the old gentleman began to speak.

"I called, Doctor," said he, "to explain the little matter about which
I--about which I--"

"Troubled your spirits yesterday," added the youth jocosely, pulling his
mustache.

"Beg pardon," I returned. "Had we not better talk this over in private?
Come into my office," I added, touching the lad on the arm.

Would you believe it?--he took out his handkerchief, and dusted the
place I had touched. "Better not," he said. "Go on, father; let us get
done with this den."

"Gentlemen," said the elder person, addressing the patients, "I called
here yesterday, like a fool, to ask who had stolen from me a sum of
money, which I believed I left in my room on going out in the morning.
This doctor here and his spirits contrived to make me suspect my only
son. Well, I charged him at once with the crime, as soon as I got back
home; and what do you think he did. He said, 'Father, let us go up
stairs and look for it, and--'"

Here the young man broke in with "Come, father, don't worry yourself for
nothing"; and then, turning, added, "To cut the thing short, he found
the notes under his candlestick, where he had left them on going to bed.
This is all of it. We came here to stop this fellow" (by which he meant
me) "from carrying a slander further. I advise you, good people, to
profit by the matter, and to look up a more honest doctor, if doctoring
be what you want."

As soon as he had ended, I remarked solemnly: "The words of the spirits
are not my words. Who shall hold them accountable?"

"Nonsense," said the young man. "Come, father," and they left the room.

Now was the time to retrieve my character. "Gentlemen," said I, "you
have heard this very singular account. Trusting the spirits utterly and
entirely as I do, it occurs to me that there is no reason why they may
not after all have been right in their suspicions of this young person.
Who can say that, overcome by remorse, he may not have seized the time
of his father's absence to replace the money?"

To my amazement up gets a little old man from the corner. "Well, you are
a low cuss," said he; and, taking up a basket besid