ceedingly generous with his comforters. No sooner had he
secured the girl's consent to go than he wrote to Pratt asking him to
meet them in Boston. Receiving no answer (Pratt was afflicted with
such letters), he wrote again, detailing the experiments he had made,
laying great stress upon the fact that the psychic was the daughter of
a well-to-do Western mine-owner, that she was a cultured young girl,
and that her mother (a distinguished evangel in the cause) was devoted
even to the point of submitting her daughter to a series of absolutely
convincing tests. He made mention also of his book, which was nearly
ready for the press, and which he hoped would create a great stir
among scientists.

Simeon did not answer this letter, but sent a representative to
Colorow to investigate the writer's claims. The detective returned to
say that "the parties" had gone to Boston, but that they had a fine
reputation in the region, and that the father was a rich and
well-considered citizen. "No one knows anything out o' the way with
the girl," the spy added.

Simeon now flamed with eagerness and set out to find Viola and to test
her. It was not easy to locate her, for Clarke had proceeded with
caution in Boston. After consultation with the editor of _The
Spiritist_, and at his suggestion, he had given only a few very
private sittings to a few very discreet friends. These evenings,
however, had been very successful, and those who had been permitted to
attend them had jealously guarded the jewel they had found, selfishly
urging continued secrecy. Nevertheless, the circle had spread, and
Viola, apparently resigned to her singular function, was patiently
sitting night after night in stuffy, darkened rooms, while Clarke,
vivid as ever, sonorous as ever, declaimed in passionate rhythms the
promise of a new era for spiritism to be inaugurated by the message of
"this wonderful organism." He had, indeed, laid out an elaborate
programme for the capture of Boston, but this he instantly dropped
when Simeon Pratt sent up his card and asked to see what the girl
could do. He demanded a sitting much as a dealer in horses would ask
the hostler to drive the proffered animal before him in order that he
might judge of her paces. He did not intend to offend; on the
contrary, he was instantly consumed with anxiety lest this splendid
young creature should refuse to perform.

Viola was deeply offended by his first manner and coldly said: "I am
not sitting f