gnorance of these things. I tell you, man, if it were somebody you
loved and cherished you'd be mighty glad to hear from him!"

"Never mind my expression, Mr. Crane," Thorpe returned, looking
apologetic, "I'm deeply interested, I can tell you, and I'd like to hear
more."

"There's little more to tell. It was a quiet session--none of that
curtained cabinet, tambourine-playing business, you understand; but a
plain revelation from my boy's spirit through the medium of a refined,
cultured woman. I'm sorry, now, I didn't take my wife with me to-day,
but I feared it might not be so agreeable, and I tried it out myself
first. But we will go together soon."

Crane beamed happily, and it was impossible not to rejoice with him in
his delight and satisfaction at his experience.

Julie, her lips pressed tightly together, made no comment on her
father's story. Christopher Shelby, who sat beside her, eyed her
covertly, not quite decided whether to speak to her on the subject or
not.

He concluded to do so, and whispered, "How does it all strike you?"

"I don't know," she returned, passing her hand across her white brow
with a wearied gesture. "If it had been those foolish cabinet affairs I
should have been disgusted, but the really nice woman,--as father
describes her,--and he never misrepresents,--gives a slightly different
face on it. Still, I can't believe----"

"Shall you go to the next _seance_?"

"I haven't been asked. I doubt if they'll want me. I wonder what Carly
thinks of it all."

But Carlotta was talking with Blair and Mr. Thorpe, and their
conversation had no connection with the subject in hand. They were
discussing a wedding of two of their mutual friends, which had proved a
surprise to them all. Blair and Julie joined that discussion, and the
matter of the _seance_ was not again referred to by the young people.

But on the way home Thorpe spoke his mind to Blair, who accompanied him.

"How can a sensible, otherwise well-balanced man like Benjamin Crane
fall for that fake?" he exclaimed. "I've known Mr. Crane for years and
he never showed signs of paresis before!"

"I don't attempt to explain it," returned Blair, casually, "but I do
know that lots of other equally hard-headed citizens are tarred with
the same brush."

"That's true enough, but this is the first time I've run up against it
so closely. I say, Blair, how did the lingo tally with the facts of
Peter's death? Or would you rather not talk about