"

"Come along, then. No time like the present. Mr. Crane can arrange a
session for us."

To Madame Parlato's they went, and soon had the pleasure of seeing that
lady in one of her trances.

The room was dimly lighted but not in total darkness. After a silence a
faint, low-pitched voice said, "I am here."

"Are you Peter Crane?" asked Zizi, who chose to be spokesman.

"Yes."

"Will you talk to us?"

"Yes, for a short time only."

"Very well, then tell us who killed Gilbert Blair."

"His friend, McClellan Thorpe. Good-by."

"Wait a minute. I own up to being skeptical, is it too much to ask for
some proof of your identity, Peter Crane? Will you, can you give some
material proof?"

"It is not easy."

"I'm sorry for that, but, oh, I do so want to be convinced. And I
can't, unless I have something tangible to take away with me. Do give me
something."

There was a silence, and then, apparently from nowhere, a handkerchief
fluttered through the air and fell at Zizi's feet.

Amazed, the girl picked it up, and though she could not see it
distinctly, she discovered it was a large one, evidently a man's.

Suddenly the medium sat up straight, came out of her trance, and putting
on the lights, said, eagerly, "Did you get any message?"

"I should say I did!" Zizi returned, "and a material proof, too. Look!"

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Madame Parlato, as she looked at the white square
of linen. "Initialed, too."

"Yes, P. C.," and Zizi scrutinized the embroidery.

Pennington Wise expressed a polite admiration for the medium who could
bring about such marvelous results, and the _seance_ over, the two
departed, Zizi carrying the handkerchief in her bag.

"One of a set of Peter's," Wise said, confidently.

"Of course. Julie or Mrs. Crane will recognize it. Funny, how she
thought a crude performance like that would convince us!"

"Mighty well done though."

"Pooh, in a darkened room one can do anything."

"Well, where did she get the handkerchief?"

"Dunno, yet. Maybe the Cranes left it there by chance."

"Oh, no, that won't do. Guess again."

"I think I could if I tried. But we'll see what the family say about
it."

Both Mrs. Crane and Julie declared the handkerchief to be one of Peter's
own, and, moreover, that it was one of a set Carlotta had embroidered
for him just before he went to Labrador. And he had taken the whole
dozen with him, of that they were both sure. It had been Carly's parting
gift, and