he waste-basket, and I can copy
them. I've a good chance at it, I think."

"Now that Blair's out of the running?"

Thorpe looked up angrily, but as suddenly he became calm. "No, Mr.
Crane," he said, "not because of that. But because Gilbert can't steal
my plans."

"Unpleasant talk, Mac. I don't like that."

"But it's true. Blair did take my ideas----"

"Consciously?"

"I think so. Why, he incorporated in his design, a particular bit of
drawing that I had invented and shown to him only a day or two before."

"You must see, McClellan, that your saying that puts a bad face on the
whole affair?"

"I suppose it does," and the man again relapsed into moody silence. "Oh,
well,--it's all in a lifetime."

"A lifetime that has just ended,--or one still being lived?" Benjamin
Crane spoke like an avenging justice, and there was no mistaking his
meaning.

But beyond a startled glance, Thorpe made no reply.

CHAPTER XI

Carlotta and the Board

Much as Benjamin Crane desired to believe in Thorpe's innocence it was
difficult for him to do so, after the disclosure of the medium, Madame
Parlato. In her powers he had absolute faith, of her honesty and
sincerity he was entirely confident, and it was largely the accounts of
her _seances_ that made the bulk of his book about his son's
communications with him. The _seances_ were frequent, still, and at each
one he gained more material for use in a second book.

The book, the one already published, was in its fourth edition and was
still having large sales. It was called "A Prophecy Fulfilled," and
dealt with the old prophecy of the gypsy,--that Peter should be lost
while on a distant journey, should die a terrible death there, but
should mysteriously return to his family.

This, Benjamin Crane held, had been accomplished in full. The long
journey, the terrible death, were matters of fact, and Mr. and Mrs.
Crane believed that the return of their son was equally a matter of
fact.

Wherefore, the book was written in a simple, straightforward style,
without excitement or exaggeration, and it gave detailed recitals of the
happenings at the _seances_.

Needless to say that the medium was besieged with would-be clients, but
she accepted very few, for the Cranes claimed most of her time. Not that
they were continually in her presence, but the exhaustive nature of her
trances made it impossible for her to devote many hours a day to their
practice. And Benjamin Crane mad