nly to be answered by rappings from the
table and thumpings from the chairs. "How absurd, how childish it all
is!" she thought.

Even as this thought passed through her mind, the room seemed to
darken, the air to thicken. The girl's proud young body sank, doubled
till she seemed a crone, old and withered and jocose; a sneering laugh
came from her drawn lips; her hands, trembling together, hookedly
reached towards Kate; the eyes were sunk lidless and gleaming with
malice; a voice that was like the croak of a raven sounded forth: "You
got my money, Kit--but you didn't get it all." And from the young,
distorted lips a disgusting laugh issued, a laugh that froze Kate's
blood and stiffened her tongue so that she could not cry out. She
gasped and sank back into her chair, while the voice went on: "You
know me. I always hated you--you wasted my money--you poisoned my
pets--I hated your husband--he cheated me once--you'll get no joy of
my money till you pay that debt."

Kate, inert, aghast, sat blindly staring while this vindictive,
remorseless voice went on; only when it stopped was she aware of the
mother's serene attitude of waiting, of polite regret at being present
at a disagreeable scene; then the girl's lips resumed their sweetness,
the beautiful hands fell slack upon her knees, the head lifted and,
turning, rested peacefully against the cushion of her chair. The table
was violently shaken. A small ornament upon it leaped into the air and
fell in Kate's lap. She sprang to her feet with a cry of alarm,
shaking the thing away as if it were a toad, and was about to flee
when Mrs. Lambert's voice struck her into immobility, so unconcerned
was it, so utterly matter of fact.

"Did you know the spirit visitor?" she asked.

With the question Kate's panic ceased. Her awe, her fright, passed
into wonder and amazement.

"It was exactly like my great-aunt," she gaspingly admitted. "But, oh,
it was terrible! Why _do_ you let her go into such states?"

"We cannot control these manifestations. Hush! They are not yet
finished. They are about to write for you."

Still lying in languid ease, the girl lifted one hand to the table--to
Kate it seemed that the hand was raised by some outside invisible
power--and there it rested, as though weary and meditating. As it
paused thus the girl's eyes opened, and she sat regarding it as though
it belonged to some other intruding self. Mrs. Lambert brought a
pencil and a pad of paper, and lai