so
incredible as any other explanation you may offer. You cannot think my
wife or I would misstate what happened, can you? You cannot assume that
Madame Parlato obtained this in any underhanded way, for you cannot
conceive of any way in which she _could_ do so. Then, what do you
suggest?"

"Anything, but that Peter brought it!" Thorpe cried.

"Ah, yes; anything but the truth. You glibly say 'anything,' but I ask
you to suggest what you mean in that 'anything,' and you fail to reply."

"There is nothing to suggest," Blair said; "I confess myself utterly at
a loss to suggest anything. To my certain knowledge Peter had that on
his person when he died! Why, that morning he had given me a pipeful out
of it, and had then returned it to his pocket! My explanation is that
Peter is alive!"

"I wish that were the true one," said Benjamin Crane, fervently, "but if
you'll think a minute, Gilbert, you'll realize that if Peter were alive
he would come to us in the flesh, and not send his tobacco pouch by a
medium."

"Indeed, he would!" agreed Carlotta, "much as I'd love to believe Peter
alive, this episode contradicts such a belief, not proves it!"

"That's right," said Shelby, thoughtfully; "I, too, can believe anything
rather than that the medium caused the materialization of this thing,
but----"

"The medium didn't cause it, exactly," broke in Mrs. Crane's gentle
voice; "you see, we had begged Peter so hard for a material proof that
he promised to try to give it to us. And at last he succeeded. It is
miraculous, of course, but no more miraculous than the strange things
recorded in the Bible. You see, I hold that the day of miracles is not
past."

Shelby said gravely, "You must be right, for there's surely no other
explanation. I, too, saw this in Peter's hand that last day we were
together. I can't believe he's alive----"

"Of course not!" interrupted Blair, "if he were, he'd have no use for
mediums! Whatever is the truth, it's not that Peter's alive! I only wish
it might be, but as Carlotta says, this thing contradicts such a theory.
I'm beaten. I see no light at all."

Benjamin Crane smiled. "You boys admit you see no explanation yet you
refuse to accept the obvious and only one possible. But I'm not going to
try to persuade you, I've no reason to do so. It all means little to
you, but it is as the breath of life to me and to Peter's mother. I
trust that some day Julie will be convinced of these truths, but that is