lling to admit that the
spirits, not you, smelled the iodoform--"

"An' noticed that you was scrubbed clean as a whistle and that when we
held hands to unite our magnetism, you was pawing for my pulse,"
pursued Rosalie, dropping her defences all at once. Thereupon, Roman
haruspex looked into the eyes of Roman haruspex, and they both laughed.
But Rosalie was serious enough a moment later.

"Now when you come to talk about exposing Mrs. Markham, you've got to
show me first why you want her exposed, and you've got to let me tell
you that you're wastin' your money. There's enough that's fake about
this profession, but I know two mediums I'd stake my life on; barring
of course myself"--here Rosalie smiled a smile which might have meant a
confession or a boast, so balanced was it between irony and
sweetness--"Mrs. Markham and Mrs. Anna Fife. They're _real_."

She peered into the face of her investigator. His expression showed
skeptical amusement. She knew that her passion for talking too much was
her greatest professional flaw; though had she thought it over
maturely, she would have realized that she had never got into trouble
through her tongue. Her trained instinct for human values led her
inevitably to those who would appreciate her confidences and keep them.
So the sudden retreat within her defences, which followed, proved
irritation rather than suspicion.

"See here," she pursued, "are you a psychic researcher?"

"Cross my heart," answered the young man, "I never associated with
spooks in my life until this week. I did it then because I wanted a
first-class professional medium to take a good job."

"Investigating Mrs. Markham? What for? Has she got a cinch on a
relative of yours?"

"Well, I'd like her for a relative," started the young man. Then he
hesitated and for the first time faltered. A light blush began at the
roots of his hair and overspread his face.

"I got that you were a physician," said Rosalie, "but there's one place
I got you plumb wrong. I thought it was business troubles. So the
trouble's your heart and affections! It's that big-eyed blonde niece of
Markham's, of course. Well, you ain't the first. The best way to bring
the young men like a flock of blackbirds is to shut a girl away from
'em."

Now the young man showed real surprise.

"How did you know?" he enquired.

"My controls an' guides, of course," responded Rosalie. "They couldn't
find anybody else to fall in love with around the Mark