."

"When will it be put on?"

"Soon, now, I hope. Well, I mean in a month or so. I'd like to say the
middle of May, and think perhaps I can. It will run all summer and
doubtless longer."

"And you don't want me to tell of this?"

"Not quite yet, Carly. I'll let you know when you may."

* * * * *

And so, when, after Shelby had gone, and Julie and Thorpe came, Carly
said nothing of the plans for the great Moving Picture.

Nor did she tell of the Ouija Board experiences she and Shelby had had.
In fact, Carly said little, preferring to let her guests talk.

And they did.

"We're detecting," Julie began, and Thorpe, his eyes harassed and
gloomy, had to smile at Julie's enthusiasm.

"Can I help?" Carly asked, with a loving glance at her friend.

"I hope so,--but not with your old Ouija Board. I hate it!"

"Wait till I suggest it," Carly smiled, for she saw Julie was in no mood
for argument. "What can I do?"

"Only advise. I don't think you're a medium, Carly, but I do think you
have sort of queer powers. Now a queer thing has happened to me. This
morning, on my bureau, there lay a note,--here it is." She handed a
folded paper to Carlotta.

It read: "Dear little sister. You _must_ give up old Mac. He did for
Gilbert. Peter Boots."

Carly stared at the note.

"It's in Peter's own writing!" she said; "what can it mean?"

"It means fraud!" Julie exclaimed. "I know that's no note from Peter! It
is in his writing----"

"But so exactly his writing!" Carly said, "nobody could have written
that but Peter himself. Oh, Julie!"

"Now, stop, Carly! Don't you say it's really a materialization of a note
from Peter! It can't be! I'm afraid to show it to mother or Dad, for I
know they'll say it's really from him,--and I won't believe it."

"You won't believe it's from Peter, because you don't want to believe
what it says,--isn't that it?"

Carly looked at Thorpe, though she spoke to Julie.

"Partly," Julie admitted; "but anyway, I can't believe that Peter,--my
dead brother,--put that real, paper note on my dresser!"

"If it had said Mac didn't kill Gilbert, would you believe it then?"
Carly asked.

Julie stared at her, as she took in the question.

"Yes," she said at last, "in that case, I'd want to believe,--but I
don't see how I could----"

"Oh, you could, all right," Carly said, "if it meant Mac's innocence was
thereby established."

"I'm out for justice," Thorpe said; "I