tterly unable to omit the personal characteristics that are in
every one's hand."

"And you can deduce character even from a forged hand?"

"Absolutely. It is those inevitable and unmistakable signs that make the
individual writing a true mirror of character."

"But it is often impossible to determine the sex of a writer," Zizi
informed them. "Frequently, to be sure, penmanship is undoubtedly that
of a man or a woman, but sometimes it is not definitely evident. In
this case, I think we have the work of a man, but I can't be sure."

"Who would do it, anyway?" queried Mrs. Crane.

"Any one interested in concealing the identity of the murderer and
desiring to have Mr. Thorpe suspected. A clever person, because, knowing
of Miss Crane's love of her brother and also knowing of your interest in
the occult, it would doubtless seem to you a strong bit of evidence."

"It did," Benjamin Crane admitted, "at least, until you proved to us
that it is not a note from my son at all. But you must remember, Mr.
Wise, that we are in no way doubting my son's communications with us in
other ways. If this is not from him, that does not cast doubt on other
communications we have had from him. And, as he has repeatedly told us
that Mr. Thorpe is responsible for Blair's death, I can only say that my
boy may be mistaken, and I sincerely hope he is."

"Of course, he is," Julie cried. "Peter has sent us other messages that
turned out to be untrue, but he was mistaken."

"You believe in the mediums, then?" asked Zizi, flashing her big dark
eyes at the girl.

"Oh, I don't know. I didn't at first, and I was unwilling to, but I've
heard so much and seen so much, and, of course, I can't help being
influenced by Dad and Mother."

"Of course not," agreed Zizi. "It's all so interesting to me. I'm only
afraid I'll become so absorbed in the spirits that I'll neglect the
detective work."

"It may be they're interdependent," Wise observed.

"They are, I'm sure," said Julie. "You see, Mr. Wise, it's not only
father and the medium that have told us things against Mr. Thorpe, but
we have a friend who is an expert on the Ouija Board----"

Zizi rolled her eyes skyward.

"Oh," she groaned, "I thought you people were real honest-to-goodness
Spiritists!"

"We are," defended Crane.

"Not if you fool with an Ouija Board!"

"But Carly, Miss Harper, can make it tell wonderful things," Julie went
on, "things of which she really knows nothing."

"But