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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Richard Harding Davis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Vera
+       The Medium
+
+Author: Richard Harding Davis
+
+Posting Date: November 23, 2008 [EBook #1843]
+Last Updated: September 26, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VERA ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeetender B. Chandna
+
+
+
+
+
+VERA, THE MEDIUM
+
+By Richard Harding Davis
+
+
+
+
+Part I
+
+Happy in the hope that the news was “exclusive”, the Despatch had thrown
+the name of Stephen Hallowell, his portrait, a picture of his house, and
+the words, “At Point of Death!” across three columns. The announcement
+was heavy, lachrymose, bristling with the melancholy self-importance
+of the man who “saw the deceased, just two minutes before the train hit
+him.”
+
+But the effect of the news fell short of the effort. Save that city
+editors were irritated that the presidents of certain railroads figured
+hastily on slips of paper, the fact that an old man and his millions
+would soon be parted, left New York undisturbed.
+
+In the early 80’s this would not have been so. Then, in the uplifting of
+the far West, Stephen Hallowell was a national figure, in the manoeuvres
+of the Eastern stock market an active, alert power. In those days, when
+a man with a few millions was still listed as rich, his fortune was
+considered colossal.
+
+A patent coupling-pin, the invention of his brother-in-law, had given
+him his start, and, in introducing it, and in his efforts to force it
+upon the new railroads of the West, he had obtained a knowledge of their
+affairs. From that knowledge came his wealth. That was twenty years
+ago. Since then giants had arisen in the land; men whose wealth made
+the fortune of Stephen Hallowell appear a comfortable competence, his
+schemes and stratagems, which, in their day, had bewildered Wall Street,
+as simple as the trading across the counter of a cross-roads store. For
+years he had been out of it. He had lost count. Disuse and ill health
+had rendered his mind feeble, made him at times suspicious, at times
+childishly credulous. Without friends, along with his physician and the
+butler, who was also his nurse, he lived in the house that in 76, in
+a burst of vanity, he had built on Fifth Avenue. Then the house was a
+“mansion,” and its front of brown sandstone the outward sign of wealth
+and fashion. Now, on one side, it rubbed shoulders with the shop of a
+man milliner, and across the street the houses had been torn down and
+replaced by a department store. Now, instead of a sombre jail-like
+facade, his outlook was a row of waxen ladies, who, before each change
+of season, appeared in new and gorgeous raiment, and, across the avenue,
+for his approval, smiled continually.
+
+“It is time you moved, Stephen,” urged his friend and lawyer, Judge
+Henry Gaylor. “I can get you twice as much for this lot as you paid for
+both it and the house.”
+
+But Mr. Hallowell always shook his head. “Where would I go, Henry?”
+ he would ask. “What would I do with the money? No, I will live in this
+house until I am carried out of it.”
+
+With distaste, the irritated city editors “followed up” the three-column
+story of the Despatch.
+
+“Find out if there’s any truth in that,” they commanded. “The old man
+won’t see you, but get a talk out of Rainey. And see Judge Gaylor. He’s
+close to Hallowell. Find out from him if that story didn’t start as a
+bear yarn in Wall Street.”
+
+So, when Walsh of the Despatch was conducted by Garrett, the butler of
+Mr. Hallowell, upstairs to that gentlemen’s library, he found a group of
+reporters already entrenched. At the door that opened from the library
+to the bedroom, the butler paused. “What paper shall I say?” he asked.
+
+“The Despatch,” Walsh told him.
+
+The servant turned quickly and stared at Walsh.
+
+He appeared the typical butler, an Englishman of over forty, heavily
+built, soft-moving, with ruddy, smooth-shaven cheeks and prematurely
+gray hair. But now from his face the look of perfunctory politeness had
+fallen; the subdued voice had changed to a snarl that carried with it
+the accents of the Tenderloin.
+
+“So, you’re the one, are you?” the man muttered.
+
+For a moment he stood scowling; insolent, almost threatening, and then,
+once more, the servant opened the door and noiselessly closed it behind
+him.
+
+The transition had been so abrupt, the revelation so unexpected, that
+the men laughed.
+
+“I don’t blame him!” said young Irving. “I couldn’t find a single fact
+in the whole story. How’d your people get it--pretty straight?”
+
+“Seemed straight to us,” said Walsh.
+
+“Well, you didn’t handle it that way,” returned the other. “Why didn’t
+you quote Rainey or Gaylor? It seems to me if a man’s on the point of
+death”--he lowered his voice and glanced toward the closed door--“that
+his private doctor and his lawyer might know something about it.”
+
+Standing alone with his back to the window was a reporter who had
+greeted no one and to whom no one had spoken.
+
+Had he held himself erect he would have been tall, but he stood
+slouching lazily, his shoulders bent, his hands in his pockets. When he
+spoke his voice was in keeping with the indolence of his bearing. It was
+soft, hesitating, carrying with it the courteous deference of the South.
+Only his eyes showed that to what was going forward he was alert and
+attentive.
+
+“Is Dr. Rainey Mr. Hallowell’s family doctor?” he asked.
+
+
+Irving surveyed him in amused superiority.
+
+“He is!” he answered. “You been long in New York?” he asked.
+
+Upon the stranger the sarcasm was lost, or he chose to ignore it, for he
+answered simply, “No, I’m a New Orleans boy. I’ve just been taken on the
+Republic.”
+
+“Welcome to our city,” said Irving. “What do you think of our Main
+Street?”
+
+From the hall a tall portly man entered the room with the assurance of
+one much at home here and, with an exclamation, Irving fell upon him.
+
+“Good morning, Judge,” he called. He waved at him the clipping from the
+Despatch. “Have you seen this?”
+
+Judge Gaylor accepted the slip of paper gingerly, and in turn moved
+his fine head pompously toward each of the young men. Most of them
+were known to him, but for the moment he preferred to appear too deeply
+concerned to greet them. With an expression of shocked indignation, he
+recognized only Walsh.
+
+“Yes, I have seen it,” he said, “and there is not a word of truth in it!
+Mr. Walsh, I am surprised! You, of all people!”
+
+“We got it on very good authority,” said the reporter.
+
+“But why not call me up and get the facts?” demanded the Judge. “I was
+here until twelve o’clock, and--”
+
+“Here!” interrupted Irving. “Then he did have a collapse?”
+
+Judge Gaylor swung upon his heel.
+
+“Certainly not,” he retorted angrily. “I was here on business, and I
+have never known his mind more capable, more alert.” He lifted his hands
+with an enthusiastic gesture. “I wish you could have seen him!”
+
+“Well,” urged Irving, “how about our seeing him now?”
+
+For a moment Judge Gaylor permitted his annoyance to appear, but he at
+once recovered and, murmuring cheerfully, “Certainly, certainly; I’ll
+try to arrange it,” turned to the butler who had re-entered the room.
+
+“Garett,” he inquired, “is Mr. Hallowell awake yet?” As he asked the
+question his eyebrows rose; with an almost imperceptible shake of the
+head he signaled for an answer in the negative.
+
+“Well, there you are!” the Judge exclaimed heartily. “I can’t wake him,
+even to oblige you. In a word, gentlemen, Stephen Hallowell has never
+been in better health, mentally and bodily. You can say that from
+me--and that’s all there is to say.”
+
+“Then, we can say,” persisted Irving, “that you say, that Walsh’s story
+is a fake?”
+
+“You can say it is not true,” corrected Gaylor. “That’s all, gentlemen.”
+ The audience was at an end. The young men moved toward the hall and
+Judge Gaylor turned to the bedroom. As he did so, he found that the new
+man on the Republic still held his ground.
+
+
+“Could I have a word with you, sir?” the stranger asked. The reporters
+halted jealously. Again Gaylor showed his impatience.
+
+“About Mr. Hallowell’s health?” he demanded. “There’s nothing more to
+say.”
+
+“No, it’s not about his health,” ventured the reporter.
+
+“Well, not now. I am very late this morning.” The Judge again moved to
+the bedroom and the reporter, as though accepting the verdict, started
+to follow the others. As he did so, as though in explanation or as a
+warning he added: “You said to always come to you for the facts.”
+ The lawyer halted, hesitated. “What facts do you want?” he asked. The
+reporter bowed, and waved his broad felt hat toward the listening men.
+In polite embarrassment he explained what he had to say could not be
+spoken in their presence.
+
+Something in the manner of the stranger led Judge Gaylor to pause. He
+directed Garrett to accompany the reporters from the room. Then, with
+mock politeness, he turned to the one who remained. “I take it, you are
+a new comer in New York journalism. What is your name?” he asked.
+
+“My name is Homer Lee,” said the Southerner. “I am a New Orleans boy.
+I’ve been only a month in your city. Judge,” he began earnestly, but in
+a voice which still held the drawl of the South, “I met a man from home
+last week on Broadway. He belonged to that spiritualistic school on
+Carondelet Street. He knows all that’s going on in the spook world,
+and he tells me the ghost raisers have got their hooks into the old man
+pretty deep. Is that so?”
+
+The bewilderment of Judge Gaylor was complete and, without question,
+genuine.
+
+“I don’t know what you mean,” he said.
+
+“My informant tells me,” continued the reporter, “that Mr. Hallowell has
+embraced--if that’s what you call it--spiritualism.”
+
+Gaylor started forward.
+
+“What!” he roared.
+
+Unmoved, the other regarded the Judge keenly.
+
+“Spiritualism,” he repeated, “and that a bunch of these mediums have got
+him so hypnotized he can’t call his soul his own, or his money, either.
+Is that true?”
+
+Judge Gaylor’s outburst was overwhelming. That it was genuine Mr. Lee,
+observing him closely, was convinced.
+
+“Of all the outrageous, ridiculous”--the judge halted, gasping for
+words--“and libelous statements!” he went on. “If you print that,”
+ he thundered, “Mr. Hallowell will sue your paper for half a million
+dollars. Can’t you see the damage you would do? Can’t your people see
+that if the idea got about that he was unable to direct his own affairs,
+that he was in the hands of mediums, it would invalidate everything he
+does? After his death, every act of his at this time, every paper he
+had signed, would be suspected, and--and”--stammered the Judge as his
+imagination pictured what might follow--“they might even attack his
+will!” He advanced truculently. “Do you mean to publish this libel?”
+
+Lee moved his shoulders in deprecation. “I’m afraid we must,” he said.
+
+“You must!” demanded Gaylor. “After what I’ve told you? Do you think I’m
+lying to you?”
+
+“No,” said the reporter; “I don’t think you are. Looks more like you
+didn’t know.”
+
+“Not know? I?” Gaylor laughed hysterically. “I am his lawyer. I am his
+best friend! Who will you believe?” He stepped to the table and pressed
+an electric button, and Garrett appeared in the hall. “Tell Dr. Rainey I
+want to see him,” Gaylor commanded, “and return with him.”
+
+As they waited, Judge Gaylor paced quickly to and fro. “I’ve had to deny
+some pretty silly stories about Mr. Hallowell,” he said, “but of all
+the absurd, malicious--There’s some enemy back of this; some one in Wall
+Street is doing this. But I’ll find him--I’ll--” he was interrupted
+by the entrance of the butler and Dr. Rainey, Mr. Hallowell’s personal
+physician.
+
+Rainey was a young man with a weak face, and knowing, shifting eyes
+that blinked behind a pair of eyeglasses. To conceal an indecision of
+character of which he was quite conscious, he assumed a manner that,
+according to whom he addressed, was familiar or condescending. At one
+of the big hospitals he had been an ambulance surgeon and resident
+physician, later he had started upon a somewhat doubtful career as a
+medical “expert.” Only two years had passed since the police and
+the reporters of the Tenderloin had ceased calling him “Doc.” In a
+celebrated criminal case in which Gaylor had acted as chief counsel, he
+had found Rainey complaisant and apparently totally without the moral
+sense. And when in Garrett he had discovered for Mr. Hallowell a model
+servant, he had also urged upon his friend, for his resident physician,
+his protege Rainey.
+
+Still at white heat, the older man began abruptly: “This gentleman is
+from the Republic. He is going to publish a story that Mr. Hallowell has
+fallen under the influence of mediums, clairvoyants; that everything he
+does is on advice from the spirit world--” he turned sharply upon Lee.
+“Is that right?” The reporter nodded.
+
+“You can see the effect of such a story. It would invalidate every act
+of Mr. Hallowell’s!”
+
+Dr. Rainey laughed offensively.
+
+“It might,” he said, “but who’d believe it?”
+
+“He believes it!” cried Gaylor, “or he pretends to believe it. Tell
+him!” he commanded. “He won’t believe me. Does Mr. Hallowell associate
+with mediums, and spirits--and spooks?”
+
+Again the young doctor laughed.
+
+“Of course not!” he exclaimed. “It’s not worth answering, Judge. You
+ought to treat it with silent contempt.” From behind his glasses he
+winked at the reporter with a jocular, intimate smile. He was adapting
+himself to what he imagined was his company. “Where did you pick up that
+pipe dream?” he asked.
+
+Without answering, the Southerner regarded him steadily with inquiring,
+interested eyes. The doctor coughed nervously and turned to Judge
+Gaylor. In the manner of a cross-examination Gaylor called up his next
+witness.
+
+“Garrett, does any one visit Mr. Hallowell without your knowledge?” he
+asked. “You may not open the door for him, but you know every one who
+gets in to see Mr. Hallowell, do you not?”
+
+“Every one, sir.”
+
+“Do you admit any mediums, palm-readers, or people of that sort?”
+
+“Certainly not,” returned the butler.
+
+“Dr. Rainey,” he added, “would not permit it, sir.”
+
+Gaylor stamped his foot with impatience.
+
+“Do you admit any one,” he demanded, “without Dr. Rainey’s permission?”
+
+“No, sir!” The reply could not have rung with greater emphasis.
+Triumphantly, Gaylor, with a wave of the hand, as though saying, “Take
+the witness,” turned to Lee. “There you are,” he cried. “Now, are you
+satisfied?”
+
+The reporter moved slowly toward the door. “I am satisfied,” he said,
+“that the man doesn’t admit any one without Dr. Rainey’s permission.”
+
+Indignantly, as though to intercept him, Judge Gaylor stepped forward.
+Both Rainey and himself spoke together.
+
+“What do you mean by that?” Rainey demanded.
+
+“Are you trying to be insolent, sir?” cried the Judge.
+
+Lee smiled pleasantly. “I had no intention of being insolent,” he said.
+“We have the facts--I only came to give you a chance to explain them.”
+
+Gaylor lost all patience.
+
+“What facts?” he shouted. “What facts? That mediums come here?”
+
+“Yes,” said Lee.
+
+“When?” Gaylor cried. “Tell me that! When?”
+
+Lee regarded the older man thoughtfully.
+
+“Well, today is Thursday,” he said. “They were here Monday morning, and
+Tuesday morning--and--the one they call Vera--will be here in half an
+hour.”
+
+Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining hands.
+
+“See here!” he begged. “We can fix this!”
+
+“Fix it?” said the reporter. “Not with me, you can’t.” He turned to the
+door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his
+heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how
+tall he was.
+
+“Get out of my way,” he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee
+walked into the hall.
+
+“I’ll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you,” he said. “It’s a
+better story than I thought.”
+
+As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The
+face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front
+door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of each of his
+companions. The butler had dropped into a chair muttering and beating
+his fist into his open palm.
+
+Gaylor’s voice was hardly louder than a whisper. “Is this true?” he
+asked.
+
+Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at
+him evilly. “Of course it’s true,” he said.
+
+“You’ve let these people see him!” cried Gaylor. “After I forbade it?
+After I told you what would happen?”
+
+“He would see them,” Rainey answered hotly. “Twas better I chose them
+than--”
+
+Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The
+Doctor backed hastily against the library table. “Don’t you come near
+me!” he stammered. “Don’t you touch me.”
+
+“And you’ve lied to me!” cried Gaylor. “You’ve deceived me. You--you
+jailbirds--you idiots.” His voice rose hysterically. “And do you think,”
+ he demanded fiercely, “I’ll help you now?”
+
+“No!” said the butler.
+
+The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned
+stupidly as though he had not heard aright. “What?” he asked. From the
+easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.
+
+“No!” he repeated. “We don’t think you’ll help us. You never meant to
+help us. You’ve never thought of any one but yourself.”
+
+The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
+
+“Jim!” he protested.
+
+“Don’t do that!” commanded the butler sharply. “I’ve told you not to do
+that.”
+
+The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of reproach was
+still in his voice.
+
+“I thought you could understand,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about him.
+But you! You should have seen what I was doing!”
+
+“I saw what you were doing,” the butler replied. “Buying stocks, buying
+a country place. You didn’t wait for him to die. What were we getting?”
+
+With returning courage, Rainey nodded vigorously.
+
+“That’s right, all right,” he protested. “What were we getting?”
+
+“What were you getting?” demanded Gaylor, eagerly. “If you’d only left
+him to me, till he signed the new will, you’d have had everything. It
+only needs his signature.”
+
+“Yes,” interrupted Garrett contemptuously; “that’s all it needs.”
+
+“Oh, he’d have signed it!” cried Gaylor. “But what’s it worth now!
+Nothing! Thanks to you two--nothing! They’ll claim undue influence,
+they’ll claim he signed it under the influence of mediums--of ghosts.”
+ His voice shook with anger and distress. “You’ve ruined me!” he cried.
+“You’ve ruined me.”
+
+He turned and paced from them, his fingers interlacing, his teeth
+biting upon his lower lip. The two other men glanced at each other
+uncomfortably; their silence seemed to assure Gaylor that already they
+regretted what they had done. He stood over Garrett, and for an instant
+laid his hand upon his shoulder. His voice now was sane and cold.
+
+“I’ve worked three years for this,” he said. “And for you, too, Jim. You
+know that. I’ve worked on his vanity, on his fear of death, on his damn
+superstition. When he talked of restitution, of giving the money to
+his niece, I asked Why?’ I said, Leave it for a great monument to your
+memory. Isn’t it better that ten million dollars should be spent in good
+works in your name than that it should go to a chit of a child to
+be wasted by some fortune hunter? And--then--I evolved the Hallowell
+Institute, university, hospital, library, all under one roof, all
+under one direction; and I would have been the director. We should have
+handled ten millions of dollars! I’d have made you both so rich,” he
+cried savagely, “that in two years you’d have drunk yourselves into
+a mad-house. And you couldn’t trust me! You’ve filled this house with
+fakes and palm-readers. And, now, every one will know just what he
+is--a senile, half-witted old man who was clay in my hands, clay in my
+hands--and you’ve robbed me of him, you’ve robbed me of him!” His voice,
+broken with anger and disappointment, rose in an hysterical wail. As
+though to meet it a bell rang shrilly. Gaylor started and stood with
+eyes fixed on the door of the bedroom. The three men eyed each other
+guiltily.
+
+The butler was the first to recover. With mask-like face he hastened
+noiselessly across the room. In his tones of usual authority, Gaylor
+stopped him.
+
+“Tell Mr. Hallowell,” he directed, “that his niece and District Attorney
+Winthrop will be here any moment. Ask him if he wishes me to see them,
+or if he will talk to them himself?”
+
+When the faithful servant had entered the bedroom Gaylor turned to
+Rainey.
+
+“When do these mediums come today?” he asked.
+
+Rainey stared sulkily at the floor.
+
+“I think they’re here now--downstairs,” he answered. “Garrett generally
+hides them there till you’re out of the house.”
+
+“Indeed,” commented Gaylor dryly. “After Winthrop and Miss Coates have
+gone, I want to talk with your friends.”
+
+“Now, see here, Judge,” whined Rainey; “don’t make trouble. It isn’t as
+bad as you think. The old man’s only investigating--”
+
+“Hush!” commanded the Judge.
+
+From the bedroom, leaning on the butler’s arm, Stephen Hallowell came
+stumbling toward them and, with a sigh, sank into an invalid’s chair
+that was placed for him between the fire and the long library table..
+He was a very feeble, very old man, with a white face, and thin, white
+hair, but with a mouth and lower jaw as hard and uncompromising as those
+of a skull. His eyes, which were strangely brilliant and young-looking,
+peered suspiciously from under ragged white eyebrows. But when they fell
+upon the doctor, the eyes became suddenly credulous, pleading, filled
+with self-pity.
+
+“I’m a very sick man, Doctor,” said Mr. Hallowell.
+
+Judge Gaylor bustled forward cheerily. “Nonsense, Stephen, nonsense,” he
+cried; “you look a different man this morning. Doesn’t he, Doctor?”
+
+“Sure he does!” assented Rainey. “Little sleep was all he needed.” Mr.
+Hallowell shook his head petulantly. “Not at all!” he protested. “That
+was a very serious attack. This morning my head hurts--hurts me to
+think--”
+
+“Perhaps,” said Gaylor, “you’d prefer that I talked to your niece.”
+
+“No!” exclaimed the invalid excitedly. “I want to see her myself. I want
+to tell her, once and for all--” He checked himself and frowned at the
+Doctor. “You needn’t wait,” he said. “And Doctor,” he added meaningly,
+“after these people go, you come back.”
+
+With a conscious glance at the Judge, Rainey nodded and left them.
+
+“No,” continued the old man; “I want to talk to my niece myself. But I
+don’t want to talk to Winthrop. He’s too clever a young man, Winthrop.
+In the merger case, you remember--had me on the stand for three hours.
+Made me talk too.” The mind of the old man suddenly veered at a tangent.
+“How the devil can Helen retain him?” he demanded peevishly. “She can’t
+retain him. She hasn’t any money. And he’s District Attorney too. It’s
+against the law. Is he doing it as a speculation? Does he want to marry
+her?”
+
+Judge Gaylor laughed soothingly.
+
+“Heavens, no!” he said. “She’s in his office, that’s all. When she
+took this craze to be independent of you, he gave her a position as
+secretary, or as stenographer, or something. She’s probably told him her
+story, her side of it, and he’s helping her out of charity.” The Judge
+smiled tolerantly. “He does that sort of thing, I believe.”
+
+The old man struck the library table with his palm. “I wish he’d mind
+his own business,” he cried. “It’s my money. She has no claim to it,
+never had any claim--”
+
+The Judge interrupted quickly.
+
+“That’s all right, Stephen; that’s all right,” he said. “Don’t excite
+yourself. Just get what you’re to say straight in your mind and stick to
+it. Remember,” he went on, as though coaching a child in a task already
+learned, “there never was a written agreement.
+
+“No!” muttered Hallowell. “Never was!”
+
+“Repeat this to yourself,” commanded the Judge. “The understanding
+between you and your brother-in-law was that if you placed his patent
+on the market, for the first five years you would share the profits
+equally. After the five years, all rights in the patent became yours. It
+was unfortunate,” commented the Judge dryly, “that your brother-in-law
+and your sister died before the five years were up, especially as
+the patent did not begin to make money until after five years.
+Remember--until after five years.”
+
+“Until after five years,” echoed Mr. Hallowell. “It was over six years,”
+ he went on excitedly, “before it made a cent. And, then, it was my
+money--and anything I give my niece is charity. She’s not entitled--”
+
+Garrett appeared at the door. “Miss Coates,” he announced, “and Mr.
+Winthrop.” Judge Gaylor raised a hand for silence, and as Mr. Hallowell
+sank back in his chair, Helen Coates, the only child of Catherine
+Coates, his sister, and the young District Attorney of New York came
+into the library. Miss Coates was a woman of between twenty-five and
+thirty, capable, and self-reliant. She had a certain beauty of a severe
+type, but an harassed expression about her eyes made her appear to be
+always frowning. At times, in a hardening of the lower part of her face,
+she showed a likeness to her uncle. Like him, in speaking, also, her
+manner was positive and decided.
+
+In age the young man who accompanied her was ten years her senior, but
+where her difficulties had made her appear older than she really was,
+the enthusiasm with which he had thrown himself against those of his own
+life, had left him young.
+
+The rise of Winthrop had been swift and spectacular. Almost as soon as
+he graduated from the college in the little “up-state” town where he
+had been educated, and his family had always lived, he became the
+prosecuting attorney of that town, and later, at Albany, represented
+the district in the Assembly. From Albany he entered a law office in
+New York City, and in the cause of reform had fought so many good fights
+that on an independent ticket, much to his surprise, he had been lifted
+to the high position he now held. No more in his manner than in his
+appearance did Winthrop suggest the popular conception of his role. He
+was not professional, not mysterious. Instead, he was sane, cheerful,
+tolerant. It was his philosophy to believe that the world was innocent
+until it was proved guilty.
+
+He was a bachelor and, except for two sisters who had married men of
+prominence in New York and who moved in a world of fashion into which he
+had not penetrated, he was alone.
+
+When the visitors entered, Mr. Hallowell, without rising, greeted his
+niece cordially.
+
+“Ah, Helen! I am glad to see you,” he called, and added reproachfully,
+“at last.”
+
+“How do you do, sir?” returned Miss Helen stiffly. With marked
+disapproval she bowed to Judge Gaylor.
+
+“And our District Attorney,” cried Mr. Hallowell. “Pardon my not rising,
+won’t you? I haven’t seen you, sir, since you tried to get the Grand
+Jury to indict me.” He chucked delightedly. “You didn’t succeed,” he
+taunted.
+
+Winthrop shook hands with him, smiling, “Don’t blame me,” he said, “I
+did my best. I’m glad to see you in such good spirits, Mr. Hallowell. I
+feared, by the Despatch--”
+
+“Lies, lies,” interrupted Hallowell curtly. “You know Judge Gaylor?”
+
+As he shook hands, Winthrop answered that the Judge and he were old
+friends; that they knew each other well.
+
+“Know each other so well!” returned the Judge, “that we ought to be old
+enemies.”
+
+The younger man nodded appreciatively. “That’s true!” he laughed, “only
+I didn’t think you’d admit it.”
+
+With light sarcasm Mr. Hallowell inquired whether Winthrop was with them
+in his official capacity.
+
+“Oh, don’t suggest that!” begged Winthrop; “you’ll be having me indicted
+next. No sir, I am here without any excuse whatsoever. I am just
+interfering as a friend of this young lady.”
+
+“Good,” commented Hallowell. “I’d be sorry to have my niece array
+counsel against me--especially such distinguished counsel. Sit down,
+Helen.”
+
+Miss Coates balanced herself on the edge of a chair and spoke in cool,
+business-like tones, “Mr. Hallowell,” she began, “I came.”
+
+“Mr. Hallowell?” objected her uncle.
+
+“Uncle Stephen,” Miss Coates again began, “I wish to be as brief as
+possible. I asked you to see me today because I hoped that by talking
+things over we might avoid lawsuits and litigation.”
+
+Mr. Hallowell nodded his approval. “Yes,” he said encouragingly.
+
+“I have told Mr. Winthrop what the trouble is,” Miss Coates went on,
+“and he agrees with me that I have been very unjustly treated--”
+
+“By whom?” interrupted Hallowell.
+
+“By you,” said his niece.
+
+“Wait, Helen,” commanded the old man. “Have you also told Mr. Winthrop,”
+ he demanded, “that I have made a will in your favor? That, were I to
+die tonight, you would inherit ten millions of dollars? Is that the
+injustice of which you complain?”
+
+Judge Gaylor gave an exclamation of pleasure.
+
+“Good!” he applauded. “Excellent!”
+
+Hallowell turned indignantly to Winthrop. “And did she tell you also,”
+ he demanded, “that for three years I have urged her to make a home in
+this house? That I have offered her an income as large as I would
+give my own daughter, and that she has refused both offers. And what’s
+more”--in his excitement his voice rose hysterically--“by working
+publicly for her living she has made me appear mean and uncharitable,
+and--”
+
+“That’s just it,” interrupted Miss Coates. “It isn’t a question of
+charity.”
+
+“Will you allow me?” said Winthrop soothingly. “Your niece contends,
+sir,” he explained, “that this money you offered her is not yours to
+offer. She claims it belongs to her. That it’s what should have been her
+father’s share of the profits on the Coates-Hallowell coupling pin. But,
+as you have willed your niece so much money, although half of it is
+hers already, I advised her not to fight. Going to law is an expensive
+business. But she has found out--and that’s what brings me uptown this
+morning--that you intend to make a new will, and leave all her money and
+your own to establish the Hallowell Institute. Now,” Winthrop continued,
+with a propitiating smile, “Miss Coates also would like to be a
+philanthropist, in her own way, with her own money. And she wishes to
+warn you that, unless you deliver up what is due her, she will proceed
+against you.”
+
+Judge Gaylor was the first to answer.
+
+“Mr. Winthrop,” he said impressively, “I give you my word, there is not
+one dollar due Miss Coates, except what Mr. Hallowell pleases to give
+her.”
+
+Miss Coates contradicted him sharply. “That is not so,” she said. She
+turned to her uncle, “You and my father,” she declared, “agreed in
+writing you would share the profits always.” Mr. Hallowell looked from
+his niece to his lawyer. The lawyer, eyeing him apprehensively, nodded.
+With the patient voice of one who tried to reason with an unreasonable
+child, Mr. Hallowell began. “Helen,” he said, “I have told you many
+times there never was such an agreement. There was a verbal--”
+
+“And I repeat, I saw it,” said Miss Coates.
+
+“When?” asked Hallowell.
+
+“I saw it first when I was fifteen,” answered the young woman steadily,
+“and two years later, before mother died, she showed it to me again. It
+was with father’s papers.”
+
+“Miss Coates,” asked the Judge, “where is this agreement now?”
+
+For a moment Miss Coates hesitated. Her dislike for Gaylor was so
+evident that, to make it less apparent, she lowered her eyes. “My
+uncle should be able to tell you,” she said evenly. “He was my father’s
+executor. But, when he returned my father’s papers”--she paused and
+then, although her voice fell to almost a whisper, continued defiantly,
+“the agreement was not with them.”
+
+There was a moment’s silence. To assure himself the others had heard as
+he did, Mr. Hallowell glanced quickly from Winthrop to Gaylor. He half
+rose from his chair and leaned across the table.
+
+“What!” he demanded. His niece looked at him steadily.
+
+“You heard what I said,” she answered.
+
+The old man leaned farther forward.
+
+“So!” he cried; “so! I am not only doing you an injustice, but I am
+a thief! Mr. Winthrop,” he cried appealingly, “do you appreciate the
+seriousness of this?”
+
+Winthrop nodded cheerfully. “It’s certainly pretty serious,” he
+assented.
+
+“It is so serious,” cried Mr. Hallowell, “that I welcome you into this
+matter. Now, we will settle it once and forever.” He turned to his
+niece. “I have tried to be generous,” he cried; “I have tried to be
+kind, and you insult me in my own house.” He pressed the button that
+summoned the butler from the floor below. “Gentlemen, this interview is
+at an end. From now on this matter is in the hands of my lawyer. We will
+settle this in the courts.”
+
+With an exclamation of pleasure that was an acceptance of his challenge,
+Miss Coates rose.
+
+“That is satisfactory to me,” she said. Winthrop turned to Mr.
+Hallowell.
+
+“Could I have a few minutes talk with Judge Gaylor now?” he asked. “Not
+as anybody’s counsel,” he explained; “just as an old enemy of his?”
+
+“Well, not here,” protested the old man querulously. “I’m--I’m expecting
+some friends here. Judge, take Mr. Winthrop to the drawing room
+downstairs.” He turned to Garrett, who had appeared in answer to his
+summons, and told him to bring Dr. Rainey to the library. The butler
+left the room and, as Gaylor and Winthrop followed, the latter asked
+Miss Coates if he might expect to see her at the “Office.” She told him
+that she was now on her way there. Without acknowledging the presence
+of her uncle, she had started to follow the others, when Mr. Hallowell
+stopped her.
+
+After they were alone, for a moment he sat staring at her, his eyes
+filled with dislike and with a suggestion of childish spite. “I might as
+well tell you,” he began, “that after what you said this morning, I will
+never give you a single dollar of my money.”
+
+The tone in which his niece replied to him was no more conciliatory than
+his own. “You cannot give it to me,” she answered, “because it is not
+yours to give.” As though to add impressiveness to what she was about
+to say, or to prevent his interrupting her, she raised her hand. So
+interested in each other were the old man and the girl that neither
+noticed the appearance in the door of Dr. Rainey and the butler, who
+halted, hesitating, waiting permission to enter.
+
+“That money belongs to me,” said Miss Coates slowly, “and as sure as
+my mother is in Heaven and her spirit is guiding me, that money will be
+given me.”
+
+In the pause that followed, a swift and singular change came over the
+face of Mr. Hallowell. He stared at his niece as though fascinated.
+His lower lip dropped in awe. The look of hostility gave way to one of
+intense interest. His voice was hardly louder than a whisper.
+
+“What do you mean?” he demanded.
+
+The girl looked at him, uncomprehending. “What do I mean?” she repeated.
+
+“When you said,” he stammered eagerly, “that the spirit of your mother
+was guiding you, what did you mean?”
+
+In the doorway, Rainey and the butler started. Each threw the other a
+quick glance of concern.
+
+“Why,” exclaimed the girl impatiently, “her influence, her example, what
+she taught me.”
+
+“Oh!” exclaimed the old man. He leaned back with an air almost of
+disappointment.
+
+“When she was alive?” he said.
+
+“Of course,” answered the girl.
+
+“Of course,” repeated the uncle. “I thought you meant--” He looked
+suspiciously at her and shook his head. “Never mind,” he added. “Well,”
+ he went on cynically, striving to cover up the embarrassment of the
+moment, “your mother’s spirit will probably feel as deep an interest in
+her brother as in her daughter. We shall see, we shall see which of us
+two she is going to help.” He turned to Garrett and Rainey in the hall.
+“Take my niece to the door, Garrett,” he directed.
+
+As soon as Miss Coates had disappeared, Hallowell turned to Rainey, his
+face lit with pleased and childish anticipation.
+
+“Well,” he whispered eagerly, “is she here?”
+
+Rainey nodded and glanced in the direction opposite to the one Miss
+Coates had taken. “She’s been waiting half an hour. And the Professor
+too.”
+
+“Bring them at once,” commanded Mr. Hallowell excitedly. “And then shut
+the door--and--and tell the Judge I can’t see him--tell him I’m too
+tired to see him. Understand?”
+
+Rainey peered cautiously over the railing of the stairs to the first
+floor, and then beckoned to some one who apparently was waiting at the
+end of the hall.
+
+“Miss Vera, sir,” he announced, “and Professor Vance.”
+
+Although but lately established in New York, the persons Dr. Rainey
+introduced had already made themselves comparatively well-known. For the
+last six weeks as “headliners” at one of the vaudeville theatres, and
+as entertainers at private houses, under the firm name of “The Vances,”
+ they had been giving an exhibition of code and cipher signaling. They
+called it mind reading. During the day, at the house of Vance and his
+wife, the girl, as “Vera, the Medium,” furnished to all comers memories
+of the past or news of the future. In their profession, in all of its
+branches, the man and the girl were past masters. They knew it from the
+A, B, C of the dream book to the post-graduate work of projecting from a
+cabinet the spirits of the dead. As the occasion offered and paid
+best, they were mind readers, clairvoyants, materializing mediums, test
+mediums. From them, a pack of cards, a crystal globe, the lines of the
+human hand, held no secrets. They found lost articles, cast horoscopes,
+gave advice in affairs of the heart, of business and speculation,
+uttered warnings of journeys over seas and against a smooth-shaven
+stranger. They even stooped to foretell earthquakes, or caused to drop
+fluttering from the ceiling a letter straight from the Himalayas. Among
+those who are the gypsies of the cities, they were the aristocrats of
+their calling, and to them that calling was as legitimate a business as
+is, to the roadside gypsy, the swapping of horses. The fore-parents
+of each had followed that same calling, and to the children it was
+commonplace and matter-of-fact. It held no adventure, no moral obloquy.
+
+“Prof.” Paul Vance was a young man of under forty years. He looked like
+a fox. He had red eyes, alert and cunning, a long, sharp-pointed nose,
+a pointed red beard, and red eyebrows that slanted upward. His hair,
+standing erect in a pompadour, and his uplifted eyebrows gave him the
+watchful look of the fox when he hears suddenly the hound baying in
+pursuit. But no one had ever successfully pursued Vance. No one had ever
+driven him into a corner from which, either pleasantly, or with raging
+indignation, he was not able to free himself. Seven years before he had
+disloyally married out of the “profession” and for no other reason than
+that he was in love with the woman he married. She had come to seek
+advice from the spirit world in regard to taking a second husband. After
+several visits the spirit world had advised Vance to advise her to marry
+Vance.
+
+She did so, and though the man was still in love with his wife, he had
+not found her, in his work, the assistance he had hoped she might
+be. She still was a “believer”; in the technical vernacular of her
+husband--“a dope.” Not even the intimate knowledge she had gained
+behind the scenes could persuade her that Paul, her husband, was not in
+constant communication with the spirit world, or that, if he wished, he
+could not read the thoughts that moved slowly through her pretty head.
+
+At the time of his marriage, the girl Vera, then a child of fourteen,
+had written to Vance for help. She was ill, without money, and asked for
+work. To him she was known as the last of a long line of people who had
+always been professional mediums and spiritualists, and, out of
+charity and from a sense of noblesse oblige to one of the elect of the
+profession, Vance had made her his assistant. He had never regretted
+having done so. The bread cast upon the waters was returned a
+thousandfold. From the first, the girl brought in money. And his wife,
+the older of the two, had welcomed her as a companion. After a fashion
+the Vances had adopted her. In the advertisements she was described as
+their “ward.”
+
+Vera now was twenty-one, tall, wonderfully graceful, and of the most
+enchanting loveliness. Her education had been cosmopolitan. In the
+largest cities of America she had met persons of every class--young
+women, old women, mothers with married sons and daughters; women of
+society as it is exploited in the Sunday supplements; school girls, shop
+girls, factory girls--all had told her their troubles; and men of every
+condition had come to scoff and had remained to express, more or less
+offensively, their admiration. Some of the younger of these, after a
+first visit, returned the day following, and each begged the beautiful
+priestess of the occult to fly with him, to live with him, to marry
+him. When this happened Vera would touch a button, and “Mannie” Day,
+who admitted visitors, and later, in the hall, searched their hats and
+umbrellas for initials, came on the run and threw the infatuated one out
+upon a cold and unfeeling sidewalk.
+
+So Vera had seen both the seamy side of life and, in the drawing rooms
+where Vance and she exhibited their mind reading tricks, had been made
+much of by great ladies and, for an hour as brief as Cinderella’s,
+had looked upon a world of kind and well-bred people. Since she was
+fourteen, for seven years, this had been her life--a life as open to
+the public as the life of an actress, as easy of access as that of
+the stenographer in the hotel lobby. As a result, the girl had encased
+herself in a defensive armor of hardness and distrust, a protection
+which was rendered futile by the loveliness of her face, by the softness
+of her voice, by the deep, brooding eyes, and the fine forehead on
+which, like a crown, rested the black waves of her hair.
+
+In her work Vera accepted, without question, the parts to which Vance
+assigned her. When in their mummeries they were successful, she neither
+enjoyed the credulity of those they had tricked nor was sobered with
+remorse. In the world Vance found a certain number of people with money
+who demanded to be fooled. It was his business and hers to meet that
+demand. If ever the conscience of either stirred restlessly, Vance
+soothed it by the easy answer that if they did not take the money some
+one else would. It was all in the day’s work. It was her profession.
+
+As she entered the library of Mr. Hallowell, which, with Vance, she
+already had visited several times, she looked like a child masquerading
+in her mother’s finery. She suggested an ingenue who had been suddenly
+sent on in the role of the Russian adventuress. Her slight girl’s figure
+was draped in black lace. Her face was shaded by a large picture
+hat, heavy with drooping ostrich feathers; around her shoulders was a
+necklace of jade, and on her wrists many bracelets of silver gilt. When
+she moved they rattled. As the girl advanced, smiling, to greet Mr.
+Hallowell, she suddenly stopped, shivered slightly, and threw her right
+arm across her eyes. Her left arm she stretched over the table.
+
+“Give me your hand!” she commanded. Dubiously, with a watchful glance at
+Vance, Mr. Hallowell leaned forward and took her hand.
+
+“You have been ill,” cried the girl; “very ill--I see you--I see you
+in a kind of faint--very lately.” Her voice rose excitedly. “Yes, last
+night.”
+
+Mr. Hallowell protested with indignation. “You read that in the morning
+paper,” he said.
+
+Vera lowered her arm from her eyes and turned them reproachfully on him.
+
+“I don’t read the Despatch,” she answered.
+
+Mr. Hallowell drew back suspiciously. “I didn’t say it was the
+Despatch,” he returned.
+
+Vance quickly interposed. “You don’t have to say it,” he explained
+with glibness; “you thought it. And Vera read your thoughts. You
+were thinking of the Despatch, weren’t you? Well, there you are! It’s
+wonderful!”
+
+“Wonderful? Nonsense!” mocked Mr. Hallowell. “She did read it in the
+paper or Rainey told her.”
+
+The girl shrugged her shoulders patiently. “If you would rather find
+out you were ill from the newspapers than from the spirit world,” she
+inquired, “why do you ask me here?”
+
+“I ask you here, young woman,” exclaimed Hallowell, sinking back in his
+chair, “because I hoped you would tell me something I can’t learn from
+the newspapers. But you haven’t been able to do it yet. My dear young
+lady,” exclaimed the old man wistfully, “I want to believe, but I must
+be convinced. No tricks with me! I can explain how you might have found
+out everything you have told me. Give me a sign!” He beat the flat of
+his hand upon the table. “Show me something I can’t explain!”
+
+“Mr. Hallowell is quite right, Vera,” said Vance. “He is entering what
+is to him a new world, full of mysteries, and that caution which in this
+world has made him so successful--”
+
+With an exclamation, Hallowell cut short the patter of the showman.
+
+“Yes, yes,” he interrupted petulantly; “I tell you, I want to believe.
+Convince me.”
+
+Considering the situation with pursed lips and thoughtful eyes, Vera
+gazed at the old man, frowning. Finally she asked, “Have you witnessed
+out demonstrations of mind reading?”
+
+Mr. Hallowell snorted. “Certainly not,” he replied; “it’s a trick!”
+
+“A trick!” cried the girl indignantly, “to read a man’s mind--to see
+right through your forehead, through your skull, into your brain? Is
+that a trick?” She turned sharply to Vance. “Show him!” she commanded;
+“show him!” She crossed rapidly to the window and stood looking down
+into the street, with her back to the room.
+
+Vance, with his back turned to Vera, stood close to the table, on the
+other side of which Hallowell was reclining in his arm chair. Vance
+picked up a pen holder.
+
+“Think of what I have in my hand, please,” he said. “What is this,
+Vera?” he asked. The girl, gazing from the window at the traffic in the
+avenue below her, answered with indifference, “A pen holder.”
+
+“Yes, what about it?” snapped Vance.
+
+“Gold pen holder,” Vera answered more rapidly. “Much engraving--initials
+S. H.--Mr. Hallowell’s initials--”
+
+“There is a date too. Can you--”
+
+“December--” Vera hesitated.
+
+“Go on,” commanded Vance.
+
+“Twenty-five, one, eight, eight, six; one thousand eight hundred and
+eighty-six.” She moved her shoulders impatiently.
+
+“Oh, tell him to think of something difficult,” she said.
+
+From behind Mr. Hallowell’s chair Rainey signaled to Vance to take
+from the table a photograph frame of silver which held the picture of a
+woman.
+
+Vance picked it up, holding it close to him.
+
+“What have I here, Vera?” he asked.
+
+Hallowell, seeing what Vance held in his hand, leaned forward. “Put that
+down!” he commanded. But Vera had already begun to answer.
+
+“A picture, a picture of a young woman. Ask him to think of who it is
+and I will tell him.”
+
+At the words Mr. Hallowell hesitated, frowned, and then nodded.
+
+“It is his sister,” called Vera. “Her name was--I seem to get a
+Catherine--yes, that’s it; Catherine Coates. She is no longer with
+us. She passed into the spirit world three years ago.” The girl turned
+suddenly and approached the table, holding her head high, as though
+offended.
+
+“How do you explain that trick?” she demanded.
+
+Mr. Hallowell moved uneasily in his chair. “Oh, the picture’s been on my
+desk each time you’ve been here,” he answered dubiously. “Rainey could
+have told you.”
+
+“As a matter of fact, I didn’t,” said Rainey.
+
+Hallowell’s eyes lightened with interest. “Didn’t you?” he asked. He
+turned to Vera. “If you can read my mind,” he challenged--“you,” he
+added, pointing at Vance, “keep out of this now--tell me of what I am
+thinking.” As Vance drew back, Rainey and himself exchanged a quick
+glance of apprehension, but the girl promptly closed her eyes, and at
+once, in a dull, measured tone, began to speak.
+
+“You were thinking you would like to ask a question of some one in the
+spirit,” she recited. “But you are afraid. You do not trust me. You will
+wait until I give you a sign; then you will ask that question of some
+one dear to you, who has passed beyond, and she will answer, and your
+troubles will be at an end.” She opened her eyes and stared at Mr.
+Hallowell like one coming out of a dream. “What did I say?” she asked.
+“Was I right?”
+
+Hallowell slank back in his chair, shaking his head.
+
+“Yes,” he began grudgingly, “but--”
+
+With an eagerness hardly concealed, Vance interrupted.
+
+“What is the question you wish to ask?” he begged.
+
+With a frown of suspicion, Hallowell turned from him to Rainey.
+
+“I don’t think I ought to let them know,” he questioned; “do you?” But
+his attention was sharply diverted.
+
+Vera, in a hushed and solemn voice, called for silence.
+
+“My control,” she explained--her tone was deep and awestruck--“is trying
+to communicate with me.”
+
+Vance gave an exclamation of concern. The prospect of the phenomena
+Vera promised seemed to fill him with delightful expectations. “Be very
+quiet,” he cautioned, “do not disturb her.”
+
+Deeply impressed, Mr. Hallowell struggled from his chair. Unaided, he
+moved to below the table and leaning against it looked, with unwilling
+but fascinated interest, at Vera’s uplifted face.
+
+“Some one in the spirit,” Vera chanted, in an unemotional, drugged
+voice, “wishes to speak to Mr. Hallowell. Give me your hand.”
+
+“Quick!” directed Vance, “give her your hand. Take her hand.”
+
+“Yes, he is here,” Vera continued. “A woman has a message for you, she
+is standing close beside you. She is holding out her arms. And she
+is trying, so hard, to tell you something. What is it?” the girl
+questioned. “Oh, what is it? Tell me,” she begged. “Can’t you tell me?”
+
+Hallowell eyed her greedily, waiting almost without breathing for her
+words. The hand with which he held hers crushed her rings into her
+fingers.
+
+“What sort?”--whispered the old man. “What sort of a woman?”
+
+With eyes still closed, swaying slightly and with abrupt shudders
+running down her body, the girl continued in dull, fateful tones.
+
+“She is a fair woman; about forty-five. She is speaking. She calls to
+you, Brother, brother.” Vera’s voice rose excitedly. “It is the woman
+in the picture; your sister! Catherine! I see it written above her
+head--Catherine. In letters of light.” She turned suddenly and fiercely.
+“Ask her your question!” she commanded. “Ask her your question, now!”
+
+By the sudden swaying forward of Vance and Rainey, in the intent look
+in their eyes, it was evident that a crisis had approached. But Mr.
+Hallowell, terrified and trembling, shrank back. His voice broke
+hysterically. “No, no!” he pleaded. Both anger and disappointment showed
+in the face of Vance and Rainey; but the girl, as though detached from
+any human concerns, continued unmoved. “I see another figure,” she
+recited. “A young girl, but she is of this world. I seem to get an H.
+Yes. Helen, in letters of fire.”
+
+“My niece, Helen!” Hallowell whispered hoarsely.
+
+“Yes, your niece,” chanted the girl. Her voice rose and thrilled. “And
+I see much gold,” she cried. “Between the two women, heaps of gold.
+Everywhere I look I see gold. And, now, the other woman, your sister, is
+trying to speak to you. Listen! She calls to you, Brother!”
+
+So centered was the interest of those in the room, so compelling the
+sound of the girl’s voice, that, unnoticed, the sliding doors to the
+library were slipped apart. Unobserved, Judge Gaylor and Winthrop halted
+in the doorway. To the Judge the meaning of the scene was instantly
+apparent. His face flushed furiously. Winthrop, uncomprehending, gazed
+unconcerned over Gaylor’s shoulder. The voice of Vera rose hysterically
+to her climax.
+
+“She bids me tell you,” Vera cried; “Tell my brother--”
+
+Gaylor swept toward her.
+
+“What damned farce is this?” he shouted.
+
+The effect of the interruption was instant and startling. Mr. Hallowell,
+who, in the last few minutes, had believed he was listening to a voice
+from the dead, collapsed upon the shoulder of Rainey, who sprang to
+support him. Like a somnambulist wrenched from sleep, Vera gave a scream
+of fright, half genuine, half assumed, and swayed as though about to
+fall. Vance caught her in his arms. He turned on Gaylor, his cunning red
+eyes flashing evilly.
+
+“You brute!” he cried, “you might have killed her.”
+
+Between her sobs, Vera, her head upon the shoulder of Vance, whispered a
+question. As quickly, under cover of muttered sympathy, Vance answered:
+“Gaylor. The Judge.”
+
+Still slightly swaying, Vera stood upright. She passed her hand vaguely
+before her eyes. “Where am I?” she asked feebly. “Where am I?”
+
+Gaylor shook his fist at the girl.
+
+“You know where you are!” he thundered; “and you know where you’re
+going--you’re going to jail!”
+
+In the hush that followed Vera drew herself to her full height. She
+regarded Gaylor wonderingly, haughtily, as though he were some drunken
+intruder from the street.
+
+“Are you speaking to me?” she asked.
+
+“Yes, to you,” shouted the lawyer. “You’re an imposter, and a swindler,
+and--and--”
+
+Winthrop pushed between them.
+
+“Yes, and she’s a woman,” he said briskly. “If you want a row, talk to
+the man.”
+
+To this point the scene had brought to Vera no emotion save the
+excitement that is felt by the one who is struggling to escape. The
+appearance of a champion added a new interest. Through no fault of her
+own, she had learned by experience that to the one man who annoyed her
+there always were six to spring to her protection. So the glance she
+covertly turned upon Winthrop was one less of gratitude than curiosity.
+
+But at the first sight of him the girl started, her eyes lit with
+recognition, her face flushed. And then, although the man was in no
+way regarding her, her eyes filled, and in mortification and dismay she
+blushed crimson.
+
+His anger still unsatisfied, Gaylor turned upon Vance.
+
+“And you,” he cried; “you’re going to jail too. I’ll drive--”
+
+The voice of Mr. Hallowell, shaken with pain and distress, rose feebly,
+beseechingly. “Henry!” he begged. “I can’t stand it!”
+
+“Judge Gaylor!” thundered Rainey, “I won’t be responsible if you keep
+this up.”
+
+With an exclamation of remorse, Vera ran to the side of the old man.
+With Rainey on his other hand, she raised him upright upon his feet.
+
+“Lean on me,” begged the girl breathlessly. “I’m very strong. Lean on
+me.”
+
+Mr. Hallowell shook his head. “No, child,” he protested, “not you.” He
+turned to his old friend. “You help me, Henry,” he begged.
+
+With the authority of the medical man, Rainey waved Vance into the
+bedroom. “Close those windows,” he ordered. “You help me!” he commanded
+of Gaylor. “Put your arm under him.”
+
+Mr. Hallowell, protesting feebly and leaning heavily upon the two men,
+stumbled into the bedroom, and the door was shut behind him.
+
+For a moment the girl and the man stood in silence, and then, as though
+suddenly conscious of her presence, Winthrop turned and smiled.
+
+The girl did not answer his smile. From under the shadow of the
+picture hat and the ostrich feathers her eyes regarded him searchingly,
+watchfully.
+
+For the first time, Winthrop had the chance to observe her. He saw that
+she was very young, that her clothes cruelly disguised her, that she was
+only a child masquerading as a brigand, that her face was distractingly
+lovely. Having noted this, the fact that she had driven several grown
+men to abuse and vituperation struck him as being extremely humorous;
+nor did he try to conceal his amusement. But the watchfulness in the
+eyes of the girl did not relax.
+
+“I’m afraid I interfered with your seance,” said the District Attorney.
+
+The girl regarded him warily, like a fencer fixing her eyes on those
+of her opponent. There was a pause which lasted so long that had the
+silence continued it would have been rude. “Well,” the girl returned at
+last, timidly, “that’s what the city expects you to do, is it not?”
+
+Winthrop laughed. “How did you know who I was?” he asked, and then added
+quickly, “Of course, you’re a mind reader.”
+
+For the first time the girl smiled. Winthrop found it a charming smile,
+wistful and confiding.
+
+“I don’t have to ask the spirit world,” she said, “to tell me who is
+District Attorney of New York.”
+
+“Yes,” said the District Attorney; “yes, I suppose you have to be pretty
+well acquainted with some of the laws--those about mediums?”
+
+“If you knew as much about other laws,” began Vera, “as I do about the
+law--” She broke off and again smiled upon him.
+
+“Then you probably know,” said Winthrop, “that what our excited friend
+said to you just now is legally quite true?”
+
+The smile passed from the face of the girl. She looked at the young man
+with fine disdain, as a great lady might reprove with a glance the man
+who snapped a camera at her. “Yes?” she asked. “Well, what are you going
+to do about it--arrest me?” Mocking him, in a burlesque of melodrama,
+she held out her arms. “Don’t put the handcuffs on me,” she begged.
+
+Winthrop found her impudence amusing; and, with the charm of her
+novelty, he was conscious of a growing conviction that, somewhere, they
+had met before; that already at a crisis she had come into his life.
+
+“I won’t arrest you,” he said with a puzzled smile, “on one condition.”
+
+“Ah!” mocked Vera; “he is generous.”
+
+“And the condition is,” Winthrop went on seriously, “that you tell me
+where we met before?”
+
+The girl’s expression became instantly mask-like. To learn if he
+suspected where it was that they had met, she searched his face quickly.
+She was reassured that of the event he had no real recollection.
+
+“That’s rather difficult, isn’t it,” she continued lightly, “when you
+consider I’ve been giving exhibitions of mind readings for the last six
+weeks on Broadway, and in the homes of people you probably know?”
+
+“No,” Winthrop exclaimed eagerly, “it wasn’t in a theatre, and it wasn’t
+in a private house. It was--” he shook his head helplessly, and looked
+at her for assistance. “You don’t know, do you?”
+
+The girl regarded him steadily. “How should I?” she said. And then, as
+though decided upon a course of action of the wisdom of which she was
+uncertain, she laughed uneasily.
+
+“But the spirits would know,” she said. “I might ask them.”
+
+“Do!” cried Winthrop, delightedly. “How much would that be?”
+
+As though to reprove his flippancy, the girl frowned. With a nervous
+tremor, which this time seemed genuine enough, she threw back her head,
+closed her eyes, and laid her arm across her forehead.
+
+Winthrop, unobserved, watched her with a smile, partly of amusement,
+partly on account of her beauty, of admiration.
+
+“I see--a court room,” said the girl. “It is very mean and bare. It is
+somewhere up the State; in a small town. Outside, there are trees, and
+the sun is shining, and people are walking in a public park. Inside, in
+the prisoner’s dock, there is a girl. She has been arrested--for theft.
+She has pleaded guilty! And I see--that she has been very ill--that she
+is faint from shame--and fear--and lack of food. And there is a young
+lawyer. He is defending her; he is asking the judge to be merciful,
+because this is her first offence, because she stole the cloak to get
+money to take her where she had been promised work. Because this is his
+first case.”
+
+Winthrop gave a gasp of disbelief.
+
+“You don’t mean to tell me--” he cried.
+
+“Hush!” commanded the girl. “And he persuades the judge to let her go,”
+ she continued quickly, her voice shaking, “and he and the girl walk out
+of the court house together. And he talks to her kindly, and gives her
+money to pay her way to the people who have promised her work.”
+
+Vera dropped her arm, and stepping back, faced Winthrop. Through her
+tears her eyes were flashing proudly, gratefully; the feeling that shook
+her made her voice vibrate. The girl seemed proud of her tears, proud of
+her debt of gratitude.
+
+“And I’ve never forgotten you,” she said, her voice eager and trembling,
+“and what you did for me. And I’ve watched you come to this city, and
+fight it, and fight it, until you made them put you where you are.” She
+stopped to control her voice, and smiled at him. “And that’s why I knew
+you were District Attorney,” she said; “and please--” she fumbled in
+the mesh purse at her waist and taking a bill from it, threw it upon
+the table. “And please, there’s the money I owe you, and--and--I thank
+you--and goodbye.” She turned and almost ran from him toward the door to
+the hall.
+
+“Stop!” cried Winthrop.
+
+Poised for flight, the girl halted, and looked back.
+
+“When can I see you again?” said the man. The tone made it less a
+question than a command.
+
+In a manner as determined as his own, the girl shook her head.
+
+“No!” she said.
+
+“I must!” returned the man.
+
+Again the girl shook her head, definitely, finally.
+
+“It won’t help you in your work,” she pleaded, “to come to see me.”
+
+“I must!” repeated Winthrop simply.
+
+The eyes of the girl met his, appealingly, defiantly.
+
+“You’ll be sorry,” said the girl.
+
+Winthrop laughed an eager, boyish laugh. When he spoke the tenseness in
+his voice had gone. His tone was confident, bantering.
+
+“Then I will not come to see you,” he said.
+
+Uncertain, puzzled, Vera looked at him in distress. She thought he was
+mocking her.
+
+“No?” she questioned.
+
+“I’ll come to see Vera, the medium,” he explained.
+
+Vera frowned, and then, in happy embarrassment, smiled wistfully.
+
+“Oh, well,” she stammered; “of course, if you’re coming to consult me
+professionally--my hours are from four to six.”
+
+“I’ll be there,” cried the District Attorney.
+
+Vera leaned forward eagerly.
+
+“What day will you come?” she demanded.
+
+“What day!” exclaimed the young man indignantly. “Why, this day!”
+
+Vera gave a guilty, frightened laugh.
+
+“Oh, will you?” she exclaimed delightedly. She clasped her fingers in a
+gesture of dismay. “Oh, I hope you won’t be sorry!” she cried.
+
+For some moments the District Attorney of New York stood looking at the
+door through which she had disappeared.
+
+
+
+
+Part II
+
+The home of the Vances was in Thirty-fifth Street, nearly opposite the
+Garrick Theatre. It was one of a row of old-fashioned brick houses with
+high steps. As the seeker after truth entered the front hall, he saw
+before him the stairs to the second story; on his right, the folding
+doors of the “front parlor,” and at the far end of the hall, a single
+door that led to what was, in the old days, before this row of houses
+had been converted into offices, the family dining room. To Vera the
+Vances had given the use of this room as a “reception parlor.” The
+visitor first entered the room on his right, from it passed through
+another pair of folding doors to the reception parlor, and then, when
+his audience was at an end, departed by the single door to the hall, and
+so, to the street.
+
+The reception parlor bore but little likeness to a cave of mystery.
+There were no shaded lights, no stuffed alligator, no Indian draperies,
+no black cat. On a table, in the centre, under a heavy and hideous
+chandelier with bronze gas jets, was a green velvet cushion. On this
+nestled an innocent ball of crystal. Beside it lay the ivory knitting
+needle with which Vera pointed out, in the hand of the visitor, those
+lines that showed he would be twice married, was of an ambitious
+temperament, and would make a success upon the stage. In a corner stood
+a wooden cabinet that resembled a sentry box on wheels. It was from
+this, on certain evenings, before a select circle of spiritualists, that
+Vera projected the ghosts of the departed. Hanging inside the cabinet
+was a silver-gilt crown and a cloak of black velvet, lined with purple
+silk and covered in gold thread with signs of the zodiac.
+
+Save that these stage properties illustrated the taste of Mabel Vance,
+the room was of no interest. It held a rubber plant, a red velvet
+rocking chair, across the back of which Mrs. Vance had draped a
+Neapolitan scarf; an upright piano, upon which Emmanuel Day, or, as
+he was known to the cross-roads of Broadway and Forty-second street,
+“Mannie” Day, provoked the most marvelous rag-time, an enlarged
+photograph in crayon, of Professor Vance, in a frock coat and lawn tie,
+a china bull dog, coquettishly decorated with a blue bow, and, on the
+mantel piece, two tall beer steins and a hand telephone. From the long
+windows one obtained a view of the iron shutters of the new department
+store in Thirty-fourth Street, and of a garden, just large enough to
+contain a sumach tree, a refrigerator, and the packing-case in which the
+piano had arrived.
+
+After leaving Winthrop, without waiting for Vance, Vera had returned
+directly to the house in Thirty-fifth Street, and locked herself in her
+room. And although “Mannie” Day had already ushered two visitors into
+the front room, Vera had not yet come downstairs. In consequence, Mabel
+Vance was in possession of the reception parlor.
+
+Mrs. Vance was plump, pink-and-blonde, credulous and vulgar, but at all
+times of the utmost good humor. Her admiration for Vera was equaled only
+by her awe of her. On this particular afternoon, although it already was
+after five o’clock, Mrs. Vance still wore a short dressing sack, open at
+the throat, and heavy with somewhat soiled lace. But her blonde hair was
+freshly “marcelled,” and her nails pink and shining. In the absence of
+Vera, she was making a surreptitious and guilty use of the telephone.
+From the fact that in her left hand she held the morning telegraph open
+at the “previous performances” of the horses, and that the page had been
+cruelly lacerated by a hat pin, it was fair to suppose that whoever was
+at the other end of the wire, was tempting her with the closing odds at
+the races.
+
+In her speculations, she was interrupted by “Mannie” Day, who entered
+softy through the door from the hall.
+
+“Mannie” Day was a youth of twenty-four. It was his heart’s desire to be
+a “Broadwayard.” He wanted to know all of those, and to be known only by
+those, who moved between the giant pillars that New York threw into the
+sky to mark her progress North.
+
+He knew the soiled White Way as the oldest inhabitant knows the single
+street of the village. He knew it from the Rathskellers underground,
+to the roof gardens in the sky; in his firmament the stars were the
+electric advertisements over Long Acre Square, his mother earth was
+asphalt, the breath of his nostrils gasolene, the telegraph was his
+Bible. His grief was that no one in the Tenderloin would take him
+seriously; would believe him wicked, wise, predatory. They might love
+him, they might laugh with him, they might clamor for his company, in no
+flat that could boast a piano, was he not, on his entrance, greeted with
+a shout; but the real Knights of the Highway treated him always as the
+questioning, wide-eyed child. In spite of his after-midnight pallor, in
+spite of his honorable scars of dissipation, it was his misfortune to be
+cursed with a smile that was a perpetual plea of “not guilty.”
+
+“What can you expect?” an outspoken friend, who made a living as a
+wireless wire tapper, had once pointed out to him. “That smile of yours
+could open a safe. It could make a show girl give up money! It’s an
+alibi for everything from overspeeding to murder.”
+
+Mannie, as he listened, flushed with mortification. From that moment
+he determined that his life should be devoted to giving the lie to that
+smile, to that outward and visible sign of kindness, good will, and
+innate innocence. As yet, he had not succeeded.
+
+He interrupted Mabel at the telephone to inquire the whereabouts of
+Vera. “There’s two girls in there, now,” he said, “waiting to have their
+fortunes doped.”
+
+“Let’em wait!” exclaimed Mabel. “Vera’s upstairs dressing.” In her eyes
+was the baleful glare of the plunger. “What was that you give me in the
+third race?”
+
+At the first touch of the ruling passion, what interest Mannie may
+have felt for the impatient visitors vanished. “Not in the third,” he
+corrected briskly. “Keene entry win the third.”
+
+Mabel appealed breathlessly to the telephone. “What price the Keene
+entry in the third?” She turned to Mannie with reproachful eyes. “Even
+money!” she complained.
+
+“That’s what I told you,” retorted Mannie. He lowered his voice, and
+gazed apprehensively toward the front parlor. “If you want a really good
+thing,” he whispered hoarsely, “ask Joe what Pompadour is in the fifth!”
+ Mabel laughed scornfully, disappointedly.
+
+“Pompadour!” she mocked.
+
+“That’s right!” cried the expert. “That’s the one daily hint from Paris
+today. Joe will give you thirty to one.”
+
+Upon the defenseless woman he turned the full force of his accursed
+smile. “Put five on for me, Mabel?” he begged.
+
+With unexpected determination of character Mabel declared sharply that
+she would do nothing of the sort.
+
+“Two, then?” entreated the boy.
+
+“Where,” demanded Mabel unfeelingly, “is the twenty you owe me now?”
+
+The abruptness of this unsportsmanlike blow below the belt caused Mannie
+to wince.
+
+“How do I know where it is?” he protested. “As long as you haven’t got
+it, why do you care where it is?” He heard the door from the hall open
+and, turning, saw Vera. He appealed to her. “Vera,” he cried, “You’ll
+loan me two dollars? I stand to win sixty. I’ll give you thirty.”
+
+Vera looked inquiringly at Mabel. “What is it, Mabel,” she asked, “a
+hand book?”
+
+Mrs. Vance nodded guiltily.
+
+“Mannie!” exclaimed Vera gently but reproachfully, “I told you I
+wouldn’t loan you any more money till you paid Mabel what you’ve
+borrowed.”
+
+“How can I pay Mabel what I borrowed,” demanded Mannie, “if I can’t
+borrow the money from you to pay her? Only two dollars, Vera!”
+
+Vera nodded to Mabel.
+
+Mabel, at the phone, called, “Two dollars on Pompadour--to--win--for
+Mannie Day,” and rang off.
+
+“That makes thirty for you,” exclaimed Mannie enthusiastically, “and
+twenty I owe to Mabel, and that leaves me ten.”
+
+Mrs. Vance, no longer occupied in the whirlpool of speculation, for the
+first time observed that Vera had changed her matronly robe of black
+lace for a short white skirt and a white shirtwaist. She noted also that
+there was a change in Vera’s face and manner. She gave an impression of
+nervous eagerness, of unrest. Her smile seemed more appealing, wistful,
+girlish. She looked like a child of fourteen.
+
+But Mabel was concerned more especially with the robe of virgin white.
+
+For the month, which was July, the costume was appropriate, but, in the
+opinion of Mabel, in no way suited to the priestess of the occult and
+the mysterious.
+
+“Why, Vera!” exclaimed Mrs. Vance, “whatever have you got on? Ain’t you
+going to receive visitors? There’s ten dollars waiting in there now.”
+
+In sudden apprehension, Vera looked down at her spotless garments.
+
+“Don’t I look nice?” she begged.
+
+“Of course you look nice, dearie,” Mabel assured her, “but you don’t
+look like no fortune teller.”
+
+“If you want to know what you look like,” said Mannie sternly, “you look
+like one of the waiter girls at Childs’s--that’s what you look like.”
+
+“And your crown!” exclaimed Mabel, “and your kimono. Ain’t you going to
+wear your kimono?”
+
+She hastened to the cabinet and produced the cloak of black velvet and
+spangles, and the silver-gilt crown.
+
+“No, I am not!” declared Vera. She wore the frightened look of a
+mutinous child. “I--I look so--foolish in them!”
+
+Such heresy caused Mannie to gasp aloud; “You look grand in them,” he
+protested; “don’t she, Mabel?”
+
+“Sure she does,” assented that lady.
+
+“And your junk?” demanded Mannie, referring to the jade necklace and the
+gold-plated bracelets. His eyes opened in sympathy. “You haven’t pawned
+them, have you?”
+
+“Pawned them?” laughed Vera; “I couldn’t get anything on them!” As
+the only masculine point of view available, she appealed to Mannie
+wistfully. “Don’t you like me better this way, Mannie?” she begged.
+
+But that critic protested violently.
+
+“Not a bit like it,” he cried. “Now, in the gold tiara and the spangled
+opera cloak,” he differentiated, “you look like a picture postal card!
+You got Lotta Faust’s blue skirt back to Levey’s. But not in the white
+goods!” He shook his head sadly, firmly. “You look, now, like you was
+made up for a May-day picnic in the Bronx, and they’d picked on you to
+be Queen of the May.”
+
+Mabel carried the much-admired opera cloak to Vera, and held it out,
+tempting her. “You’ll wear it, just to please me and Mannie, won’t you,
+dearie?” she begged. Vera retreated before it as though it held the
+germs of contagion.
+
+“I will not,” she rebelled. “I hate it! When I have that on, I
+feel--mean. I feel as mean as though I were picking pennies out of a
+blind man’s hat.” Mannie roared with delight.
+
+“Gee!” he shouted, “but that’s a hot one.”
+
+“Besides,” said Vera consciously, “I’m--I’m expecting some one.”
+
+The manner more than the words thrilled Mabel with the most joyful
+expectations.
+
+She exclaimed excitedly. “A gentleman friend, Vera?” she asked.
+
+That Vera shunned all young men had been to Mabel a source of wonder and
+of pride. Even when the young men were the friends of her husband and
+of herself, the preoccupied manner with which Vera received them did not
+provoke in Mabel any resentment. It rather increased her approbation.
+Although horrified at the recklessness of the girl, she had approved
+even when Vera rejected an offer of marriage from a wine agent.
+
+Secretly, for a proper alliance for her, Mabel read the society columns
+in search of eligible, rich young men. Finding that they invariably
+married eligible, rich young women, she had lately determined that
+Vera’s destiny must be an English duke.
+
+Still if, as she hoped, Vera had chosen for herself, Mabel felt assured
+that the man would prove worthy, and a good match. A good match meant
+one who owned not only a runabout, but a touring car.
+
+“It’s a man from home,” said Vera. “Home?” queried Mannie.
+
+“From up the State,” explained Vera, “from Geneva. It’s--Mr. Winthrop.”
+
+With an exclamation of alarm, Mannie started upright. “Winthrop!” he
+cried; then with a laugh of relief he sank back. “Gee! You give me a
+scare,” he cried. “I thought you meant the District Attorney.”
+
+Mabel laughed sympathetically.
+
+“I thought so too,” she admitted.
+
+“I do mean the District Attorney,” said the girl.
+
+“Vera!” cried Mabel.
+
+“Winthrop--coming here?” demanded Mannie.
+
+“I met him at Mr. Hallowell’s this morning,” said Vera. “Didn’t Paul
+tell you?”
+
+“Paul ain’t back yet,” said Mannie. “I wish he was!” His lower jaw
+dropped in dazed bewilderment. “Winthrop--coming here?” he repeated.
+“And they’re all coming here!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Paul just phoned
+me. They’ve taken Gaylor in with them, and we’re all working together
+now on some game for tonight. And Winthrop’s coming here!” He shook his
+head decidedly, importantly. As the only man of the family present, he
+felt he must meet this crisis. “Paul won’t stand for it!” he declared.
+
+“Well, Paul will just have to stand for it!” retorted Mrs. Vance.
+
+With a murmur of sympathy she crossed to Vera. “I’m not going to see our
+Vera disappointed,” she announced. “She never sees no company. Vera, if
+Mr. Winthrop comes when that bunch is here, I’ll show him into the front
+parlor.”
+
+Vera sat down in front of the piano and let her fingers drop upon the
+keys. The look of eagerness and anticipation had left her eyes.
+
+“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, “that I want to see him--now.”
+
+With complete misunderstanding, Mannie demanded truculently, “Why not?”
+ His loyalty to Vera gave him courage, in her behalf, to face even a
+District Attorney. “He doesn’t think he’s coming here to make trouble
+for you, does he?”
+
+Vera shook her head and, bending over the piano, struck a few detached
+chords.
+
+“Oh, no,” she said consciously; “just to see me--professionally--like
+everybody else.”
+
+Mabel could no longer withhold her indignation at the obtuseness of the
+masculine intellect.
+
+“My gracious, Mannie!” she exclaimed, “can’t you understand he’s coming
+here to make a call on Vera--like a gentleman--not like no District
+Attorney.”
+
+Mannie precipitately retreated from his position as champion.
+
+“Sure, I understand,” he protested.
+
+With the joy that a match-making mother takes in the hunt, Mabel sank
+into the plush rocking chair and, rocking violently, turned upon Vera an
+eager and excited smile.
+
+“Think of our Vera knowing Mr. Winthrop socially?” she exclaimed. “It’s
+grand! And they say his sisters are elegant ladies. Last winter I read
+about them at the opera, and it always printed what they had on. Why
+didn’t you tell me you knowed him, Vera?” she cried reproachfully. “I
+tell you everything!”
+
+“I don’t know him,” protested the girl. “I used to see him when he lived
+in the same town.”
+
+Mabel, inviting further confidences, ceased rocking and nodded
+encouragingly. “Up in Geneva?” she prompted.
+
+“Yes,” said Vera, “I used to see him every afternoon then, when he
+played ball on the college nine--”
+
+“Who?” demanded Mannie incredulously.
+
+“Winthrop,” said Vera.
+
+“Did he?” exclaimed Mannie. His tone suggested that he might still be
+persuaded that there was good in the man.
+
+“What’d he play?” he demanded suspiciously.
+
+“First,” said Vera.
+
+“Did he!” exclaimed Mannie. His tone now was of open approbation.
+
+Vera had raised her eyes and turned them toward the windows. Beyond the
+soot-stained sumach tree, the fire escapes of the department store,
+she saw the sun-drenched campus, the buttressed chapel, the ancient,
+drooping elms; and on a canvas bag, poised like a winged Mercury, a tall
+straight figure in gray, dusty flannels.
+
+“He was awfully good-looking,” murmured the girl, “and awfully tall. He
+could stop a ball as high as--that!” She raised her arm in the air, and
+then, suddenly conscious, flushed, and turned to the piano.
+
+“Go on, tell us,” urged Mabel. “So you first met him in Geneva, did
+you?”
+
+“No,” corrected Vera, “saw him there. I--only met him once.”
+
+Mannie interrupted hilariously.
+
+“I only saw him once, too,” he cried, “that was enough for me.”
+
+Vera swiftly spun the piano stool so that she faced him. Her eyes were
+filled with concern.
+
+“You, Mannie!” she demanded anxiously. “What had you done?”
+
+“Done!” exclaimed Mannie indignantly, “nothing! What’d you think I’d
+done? Did you think I was a crook?”
+
+Vera bowed her shoulders and shivered as though the boy had cursed at
+her. She shook her head vehemently and again swung back to the piano.
+Stumbling awkwardly, her fingers ran over the keys in a swift clatter of
+broken chords. “No,” she whispered, “no, Mannie, no.”
+
+With a laugh of delighted recollection, Mannie turned to Mabel.
+
+“He raided a poolroom I was working at,” he explained. “He picked me out
+as a sheet writer because I had my coat off, see? I told him I had it
+off because it was too hot for me, and he says, Young man, if you lie
+to me, I’ll make I a damn sight hotter!” Mannie threw back his head and
+shouted uproariously. “He’s all right, Winthrop!” he declared.
+
+Mabel, having already married Winthrop to Vera in Grace Church, with
+herself in the front pew, in a blue silk dress, received this unexpected
+evidence of his rare wit with delight. In ecstasy of appreciation she
+slapped her knees.
+
+“Did he say that, Mannie?” she cried. “Wasn’t that quick of him! Did you
+hear what he said to Mannie, Vera?” she demanded.
+
+Their mirth was interrupted by the opening and closing of the front door
+and, in the hall, the murmur of men’s voices.
+
+Vance opened the door from the hall and entered, followed by Judge
+Gaylor and Rainey. With evident pride in her appearance, Vance
+introduced the two men to his wife, and then sent her and Mannie from
+the room--the latter with orders to dismiss the visitors in the front
+parlor and to admit no others.
+
+At the door Mrs. Vance turned to Vera and nodded mysteriously.
+
+“If that party calls,” she said with significance, “I’ll put him in the
+front parlor.” With a look of dismay, Vera vehemently shook her head
+but, to forestall any opposition, Mrs. Vance hastily slammed the door
+behind her.
+
+In his most courteous manner Judge Gaylor offered the chair at the head
+of the centre table to Vera, and at the same table seated himself.
+Vance took a place on the piano stool; Rainey stood with his back to the
+mantel piece.
+
+“Miss Vera,” Gaylor began impressively, “I desire to apologize for my
+language this morning. As Rainey no doubt has told you, I have opposed
+you and Professor Vance. But I--I know when I’m beaten. Your influence
+with Mr. Hallowell today--is greater than mine. It is paramount. I
+congratulate you.” He smiled ingratiatingly. “And now,” he added, “we
+are all working in unison.”
+
+“You’ve given up your idea of sending me to jail,” said Vera.
+
+“Vera!” exclaimed Vance reprovingly. “Judge Gaylor has apologized. We’re
+all in harmony now.”
+
+“Is that door locked?” asked Gaylor. Vance told him, save Mrs. Vance,
+Mannie, and themselves, there was none in the house; and that he might
+speak freely.
+
+“Miss Vera,” began the Judge, “we left Mr. Hallowell very much impressed
+with the message you gave him this morning. The message from his dead
+sister. He wants another message from her. He wants her to decide how he
+shall dispose of a very large sum of money--his entire fortune.”
+
+“His entire fortune!” exclaimed Vera. “Do you imagine,” she asked,
+“that Mr. Hallowell will take advice from the spirit world about that? I
+don’t!”
+
+“I do,” Gaylor answered stoutly, “I know I would.”
+
+“You?” asked Vera incredulously.
+
+“If I could believe my sister came from the dead to tell me what to
+do,” said the lawyer, “of course, I’d do it. I’d be afraid not to. But I
+don’t believe he does. And he believes you can bring his sister herself
+before him. He insists that tonight you hold a seance in his house, and
+that you materialize the spirit of his dead sister. So that he can see
+his sister, and talk with his sister. Vance says you can do that. Can
+you?”
+
+From Vera’s face the look of girlishness, of happy anticipation, had
+already disappeared.
+
+“It is my business to do that,” the girl answered. She turned to Vance
+and, in a matter-of-fact voice, inquired, “What does his sister look
+like--that photograph we used this morning?”
+
+“No,” Vance answered. “I’ve a better one, Rainey gave me. Taken when she
+was older. Has white hair and a cap and a kerchief crossed--so.” He drew
+his hands across his shoulders. “Rainey, show Miss Vera that picture.”
+
+“Not now,” Gaylor commanded. “The important thing now is that Miss Vera
+understands the message Mr. Hallowell is to receive from his sister.”
+
+The two other men nodded quickly in assent. Gaylor turned to Vera. He
+spoke slowly, earnestly.
+
+“Miss Vera,” he said, “Mr. Hallowell’s present will leaves his fortune
+to his niece. He has made another will, which he has not signed, leaving
+his fortune to the Hallowell Institute. He will ask his sister to which
+of these he should leave his money. You will tell him--” he corrected
+himself instantly. “She will tell him to give it where it will be of the
+greatest good to the most people--to the Institute.” There was a pause.
+“Do you understand?” he asked.
+
+“To the Institute. Not to the niece,” Vera answered. Gaylor nodded
+gravely.
+
+“What,” asked Vera, “are the fewest words in which that message could
+be delivered? I mean--should she say, You are to endow the Hallowell
+Institute, or Brother, you are to give--Sign the new will?” With
+satisfaction the girl gave a sharp shake of her head, and nodded to
+Vance. “Destroy the old will. Sign the new will. That is the best,” she
+said.
+
+“That’s it exactly,” Gaylor exclaimed eagerly; “that’s excellent!” Then
+his face clouded. “I think,” he said in a troubled voice, “we should
+warn Miss Vera, that to guard himself from any trickery, Mr. Hallowell
+insists on subjecting her to the most severe tests. He--”
+
+“That will be all right,” said the girl. She turned to Vance and, in
+a lower tone but without interest, asked: “What, for instance?” Vance
+merely laughed and shrugged his shoulders. The girl smiled. Nettled,
+and alarmed at what appeared to be their overconfidence, Gaylor objected
+warmly.
+
+“That’s all very well,” he cried, “but for instance, he insists that the
+entire time you are in the cabinet, you hold a handful of flour in
+one hand and of shot in the other”--he illustrated with clenched
+fists--“which makes it impossible,” he protested, “for you to use your
+hands.”
+
+The face of the girl showed complete indifference.
+
+“Not necessarily,” she said.
+
+“But you are to be tied hand and foot,” cried the Judge. “And on top of
+that,” he burst forth indignantly, pointing aggrievedly at Vance, “he
+himself proposed this flour-and-shot test. It was silly, senseless
+bravado!”
+
+“Not necessarily,” repeated the girl. “He knew that I invented it.”
+ Rainey laughed. Gaylor gave an exclamation of enlightenment.
+
+“If it will be of any comfort to you, Judge,” said Vance, “I’ll tell you
+one thing; every test that ever was put to a medium--was invented by a
+medium.”
+
+Vera rose. “If there is nothing more,” she said, “I will go and get the
+things ready for this evening. Destroy the old will. Sign the new
+will.” she repeated. She turned suddenly to Vance, her brow drawn in
+consideration. “I suppose by this new will,” she asked, “the girl gets
+nothing?” “Not at all!” exclaimed Gaylor emphatically. “We don’t want
+her to fight the will. She gets a million.”
+
+“A million dollars?” demanded Vera. For an instant, as though trying to
+grasp the possibilities of such a sum, she stood staring ahead of her.
+With doubt in her eyes, and shaking her head, she turned to Vance.
+
+“How can one woman spend a million dollars?” she protested.
+
+“Well, you see, we don’t intend to starve her,” exclaimed Gaylor
+eagerly, “and at the same time the Institute will be benefiting all
+humanity. Doing good to--”
+
+Vera interrupted him with a sharp, peremptory movement of the hand.
+
+“We won’t go into that, please,” she begged.
+
+The Judge inclined his head. “I only meant to point out,” he said
+stiffly, “that you are giving Mr. Hallowell the best advice, and doing
+great good.”
+
+For a moment the girl looked at him steadily. On her lips was a faint
+smile of disdain, but whether for him or for herself, the Judge could
+not determine.
+
+“I don’t know that,” the girl said finally. “I don’t ask.” She turned to
+Rainey. “Have you that photograph?” He gave her a photograph and after,
+for an instant, studying it in silence, she returned it to him.
+
+“It will be quite easy,” she said to Vance. She walked to the door, and
+instinctively the two men, who were seated, rose.
+
+“I will see you tonight at Mr. Hallowell’s,” she said, and, with a nod,
+left them.
+
+“Well,” exclaimed Rainey, “you didn’t tell her!”
+
+“I know,” Vance answered. “I decided we’d be wiser to take advice from my
+wife. She understands Vera better than I do.” He opened the door to the
+hall, and called “Mannie! Tell Mabel--Oh, Mabel,” he corrected, “come
+here a minute.” He returned to his seat on the piano stool. “She can
+tell us,” he said.
+
+In expectation of the arrival of Winthrop, Mrs. Vance had arrayed
+herself in a light blue frock, and, as though she had just come in from
+the street, in such a hat as she considered would do credit not only to
+Vera but to herself.
+
+“Mabel,” her husband began, “we’re up against a hard proposition.
+Hallowell insists that Winthrop and Miss Coates must come to the seance
+tonight.”
+
+“Winthrop and Miss Coates!” cried Mabel. In astonishment she glanced
+from her husband to Rainey and Gaylor. “Then, it’s all off!” she
+exclaimed.
+
+“That’s what I say,” growled Rainey.
+
+“We want you to tell us,” continued Vance, unmoved, “whether Vera should
+know that now, or wait until tonight?”
+
+“Paul Vance!” almost shrieked his wife, “do you mean to tell me you’re
+thinking of giving a materialization in front of the District Attorney!
+You’re crazy!”
+
+“That’s what I tell them,” chorused Rainey.
+
+Gaylor raised his hand for silence.
+
+“No, Mrs. Vance,” he said wearily. “We are not crazy, but,” he added
+bitterly, “we can’t help ourselves. You mediums have got Mr. Hallowell
+in such a state that he’ll only do what his sister’s spirit tells him.
+He says, if he’s robbing his niece, his sister will tell him so; if he’s
+to give the money to the Institute, his sister will tell him that. He
+says, if Vance is fair and above-board, he shouldn’t be afraid to have
+his niece and any friends of hers present. We can’t help ourselves.”
+
+“I helped a little,” said Vance, “by insisting on having our own friends
+there--told him the spirit could not materialize unless there were
+believers present.”
+
+“Did he stand for that?” asked Mabel.
+
+“Glad to have them,” her husband assured her. “They like to think there
+are others as foolish as they are. And I’m going to place Mr. District
+Attorney,” he broke out suddenly and fiercely, “between two mediums.
+They’ll hold his hands!”
+
+Already frightened by the possible result of the plot, Rainey, with a
+vehemence born of fear, retorted sharply: “Hold his hands! How’re you
+going to make him hold his tongue, afterward?”
+
+Gaylor turned upon him savagely.
+
+“My God, man!” he cried, “we’re not trying to persuade the District
+Attorney that he’s seen a ghost. If your friends can persuade Stephen
+Hallowell that he’s seen one, the District Attorney can go to the
+devil!”
+
+“Well, he won’t!” returned Rainey, “he’ll go to law!”
+
+“Let him!” cried Gaylor defiantly. “Get Hallowell to sign that will, and
+I’ll go into court with him.”
+
+His bravado was suddenly attacked from an unexpected source.
+
+“You’ll go into court with him, all right,” declared Mrs. Vance, “all of
+you! And if you don’t want him to catch you,” she cried, “you’ll clear
+out, now! He’s coming here any minute.”
+
+“Who’s coming here?” demanded her husband.
+
+“Winthrop,” returned his wife, “to see Vera.”
+
+“To see Vera!” cried Vance eagerly. “What about? About this morning?”
+
+“No,” protested Mabel, “to call on her. He’s an old friend--”
+
+In alarm Rainey pushed into the group of now thoroughly excited people.
+“Don’t you believe it!” he cried. “If he’s coming here, he’s coming to
+give her the third degree--”
+
+The door from the hall suddenly opened, was as suddenly closed, and
+Mannie slipped into the room. One hand he held up for silence; with the
+other he pointed at the folding doors.
+
+“Hush!” he warned them. “He’s in there! He says he’s come to call on
+Vera. She says he’s come professionally, and I must bring him in here.
+I’ve shut the door into the parlor, and you can slip upstairs without
+his seeing you.”
+
+“Upstairs!” gasped Rainey, “not for me!” He appealed to Gaylor in
+accents of real alarm. “We must get away from this house,” he declared.
+“If he finds us here--” With a gesture of dismay he tossed his hands
+in the air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the
+hall, and halted between the outer and inner doors of the vestibule.
+Gaylor turned to Vance. “Are you going to tell her,” he asked, “that he
+is to be there tonight?”
+
+“He’ll tell her himself, now!”
+
+“No,” corrected Rainey, “he doesn’t know yet there’s to be a seance.
+Hallowell was writing the note when he left.”
+
+“Then,” instructed Gaylor, “do not let her know until she arrives--until
+it will be too late for her to back out.”
+
+Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the voices
+of Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the two men ran
+down the steps into the street.
+
+While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had opened
+the folding doors, and invited Winthrop to enter the reception parlor.
+
+“Miss Vera will be down in a minute,” he said. “If you want your hand
+read,” he added, pointing, “you sit over there.”
+
+As Winthrop approached the centre table, Mannie backed against the
+piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such short range
+aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with alarm, with
+admiration, with curiosity. He regarded him apprehensively, with a
+nervous and unhappy smile.
+
+About the smile there was something that Winthrop found familiar, and,
+with one almost as attractive, he answered it.
+
+“I think we’ve met before, haven’t we?” he asked pleasantly.
+
+Mannie nodded. “Yes, sir,” he answered promptly. “At Sam Hepner’s old
+place, on West Forty-fourth street.”
+
+“Why, of course!” exclaimed the District Attorney.
+
+“Don’t you--don’t you remember?” stammered Mannie eagerly. He was deeply
+concerned lest the distinguished cross-examiner should think, that
+from him of his lurid past he could withhold anything. “I had my coat
+off--and you said you’d make it hot for me.”
+
+“Did I?” asked Winthrop with an effort at recollection.
+
+“No, you didn’t!” Mannie hastened to reassure him. “I mean, you didn’t
+make it hot for me.”
+
+Winthrop laughed, and seated himself comfortably beside the centre
+table. “Well I’m glad of that,” he said. “So our relations are still
+pleasant, then?” he asked.
+
+“Sure!” exclaimed Mannie heartily. “I mean--yes, sir.”
+
+Winthrop mechanically reached for his cigarette case, and then,
+recollecting, withdrew his hand.
+
+“And how are the ponies running?” he asked.
+
+The interview was filling Mannie with excitement and delight. He
+chuckled with pleasure. His fear of the great man was rapidly departing.
+Could this, he asked himself, be the “terror to evil-doers,” the man
+whose cruel questions drove witnesses to tears, whose “third degree”
+ sent veterans of the underworld staggering from his confessional box,
+limp and gasping?
+
+“Oh, pretty well,” said the boy, “seems as if I couldn’t keep away from
+them. I got a good thing for today--Pompadour--in the fifth. I put all
+the money on her I could get together,” he announced importantly,
+and then added frankly, with a laugh, “two dollars!” The laugh was
+contagious, and the District Attorney laughed with him.
+
+“Pompadour,” Winthrop objected, “she’s one of those winter track
+favorites.”
+
+“I know, but today,” declared Mannie, “she win, sure!” Carried away
+by his enthusiasm, and by the sympathy of his audience, he rushed,
+unheeding, to his fate. “If you’d like to put a little on,” he said, “I
+can tell you where you can do it.”
+
+The District Attorney stared and laughed. “You mustn’t tell me where you
+can do it,” he said.
+
+Mannie gave a terrified gasp and, for an instant, clapped his hands over
+his lips. “That’s right,” he cried. “Gee, that’s right! I’m such a crank
+on all kinds of sport that I clean forgot!”
+
+He gazed at the much-dreaded District Attorney with the awe of the
+new-born hero-worshipper. “I guess you are, too, hey?” he protested
+admiringly. “Vera was telling me you used to be a great ball tosser.”
+
+In the face of the District Attorney there came a sudden interest. His
+eyes lightened.
+
+“How did she--”
+
+“She used to watch you in Geneva,” said Mannie, “playing with the
+college lads. I--I,” he added consciously, “was a ball player myself
+once. Used to pitch for the Interstate League.” He stopped abruptly.
+
+“Interstate?” said Winthrop encouragingly. “You must have been good.”
+
+The enthusiasm had departed from the face of the boy. “Yes,” he said,
+“but--” he smiled shamefacedly, “but I got taking coke, and they--” He
+finished with a dramatic gesture of the hand as of a man tossing away a
+cigarette.
+
+“Cocaine?” said the District Attorney.
+
+The boy nodded and, for an instant, the two men eyed each other, the
+boy smiling ruefully. The District Attorney shook his head. “My young
+friend,” he said, “you can never beat that game!”
+
+Mannie stared at him, his eyes filled with surprise.
+
+“Don’t you suppose,” he said simply, “that I know that better than
+you do?” With a boy’s pride in his own incorrigibility he went on
+boastingly: “Oh, yes,” he said, “I used to be awful bad! Cocaine and all
+kinds of dope, and cigarettes, and whiskey. I was nearly all in--with
+morphine, it was then--till she took hold of me, and stopped me.”
+
+“She?” said Winthrop.
+
+“Vera,” said Mannie. “She made me stop. I had to stop. She started
+taking it herself.”
+
+“What!” cried Winthrop.
+
+“Oh!” exclaimed Mannie hastily, “I don’t mean what you mean--I mean
+she started taking it to make me stop. She says to me, Mannie, you’re
+killing yourself, and you got to quit it; and if you don’t, every time
+you take a grain, I’ll take two. And she did! I’d come home, and she’d
+see what I’d been doing, and she’d up with her sleeves, and--” In
+horrible pantomime, the boy lifted the cuff of his shirt, and pressed
+his right thumb against the wrist of his other arm. At the memory of it,
+he gave a shiver and, with a blow, roughly struck the cuff into place.
+“God!” he muttered, “I couldn’t stand it. I begged, and begged her not.
+I cried. I used to get down, in this room, on my knees. And each time
+she’d get whiter, and black under the eyes. And--and I had to stop.
+Didn’t I?”
+
+Winthrop moved his head.
+
+“And now,” cried the boy with a happy laugh, “I’m all right!” He
+appealed to the older man eagerly, wistfully. “Don’t you think I’m
+looking better than I did the last time you saw me?”
+
+Again, without venturing to speak, Winthrop nodded.
+
+Mannie smiled with pride. “Everybody tells me so,” he said. “Well,
+she did it. That’s what she did for me. And, I can tell you,” he said
+simply, sincerely, “there ain’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. I guess
+that’s right, hey?” he added.
+
+The eyes of the cruel cross-examiner, veiled under half-closed lids,
+were regarding the boy with so curious an expression that under their
+scrutiny Mannie, in embarrassment, moved uneasily. “I guess that’s
+right,” he repeated.
+
+To his surprise, the District Attorney rose from his comfortable
+position and, leaning across the table, held out his hand. Mannie took
+it awkwardly.
+
+“That’s all right,” he said.
+
+“Sure, it’s all right,” said the District Attorney.
+
+From the hall there was the sound of light, quick steps, and Mannie,
+happy to escape from a situation he did not understand, ran to the door.
+
+“She’s coming,” he said. He opened the door and, as Vera entered, he
+slipped past her and closed it behind him.
+
+Vera walked directly to the chair at the top of the centre table. She
+was nervous, and she was conscious that that fact was evident. To avoid
+shaking hands with her visitor, she carried her own clasped in front of
+her, with the fingers interlaced. She tried to speak in her usual suave,
+professional tone. “How do you do?” she said.
+
+But Winthrop would not be denied. With a smile that showed his pleasure
+at again seeing her, he advanced eagerly, with his hand outstretched.
+“How are you?” he exclaimed. “Aren’t you going to shake hands with me?”
+ he demanded. “With an old friend?”
+
+Vera gave him her hand quickly, and then, seating herself at the table,
+picked up the ivory pointer.
+
+“I didn’t know you were coming as an old friend,” she murmured
+embarrassedly. “You said you were coming to consult Vera, the medium.”
+
+“But you said that was the only way I could come,” protested Winthrop.
+“Don’t you remember, you said--”
+
+Vera interrupted him. She spoke distantly, formally. “What kind of a
+reading do you want?” she asked. “A hand reading, or a crystal reading?”
+
+Winthrop leaned forward in his chair, frankly smiling at her. He made
+no attempt to conceal the pleasure the sight of her gave him. His manner
+was that of a very old and dear friend, who, for the first time, had met
+her after a separation of years.
+
+“Don’t want any kind of a reading,” he declared. “I want a talking. You
+don’t seem to understand,” he objected, “that I am making an afternoon
+call.” His good humor was unassailable. Looking up with a perplexed
+frown, Vera met his eyes and saw that he was laughing at her. She threw
+the ivory pointer down and, leaning back in her chair, smiled at him.
+
+“I don’t believe,” she said doubtfully, “that I know much about
+afternoon calls. What would I do, if we were on Fifth Avenue? Would I
+give you tea?” she asked, “because,” she added hastily, “there isn’t any
+tea.”
+
+“In that case, it is not etiquette to offer any,” said Winthrop gravely.
+
+“Then,” said Vera, “I’m doing it right, so far?”
+
+They both laughed; Vera because she still was in awe of him, and
+Winthrop because he was happy.
+
+“You’re doing it charmingly,” Winthrop assured her.
+
+“Good!” exclaimed Vera. “Well, now,” she inquired, “now we talk, don’t
+we?”
+
+“Yes,” assented Winthrop promptly, “we talk about you.”
+
+“No, I--I don’t think we do,” declared Vera, in haste. “I think we talk
+about--Geneva.” She turned to him with real interest. “Is the town much
+changed?” she asked.
+
+As though preparing for a long talk, Winthrop dropped his hat to the
+floor and settled himself comfortably. “Well, it is, and it isn’t,” he
+answered. “Haven’t you been back lately?” he asked. Vera looked quickly
+away from him.
+
+“I have never been back!” she answered. There was a pause and when she
+again turned her eyes to his, she was smiling. “But I always take the
+Geneva Times,” she said, “and I often read that you’ve been there.
+You’re a great man in Geneva.”
+
+Winthrop nodded gravely.
+
+“Whenever I want to be a great man,” he said, “I go to Geneva.”
+
+“Why, yes,” exclaimed Vera. “Last June you delivered the oration to the
+graduating class,” she laughed, “on The College Man in Politics. Such an
+original subject! And did you point to yourself?” she asked mockingly,
+“as the--the bright example?”
+
+“No,” protested Winthrop, “I knew they’d see that.”
+
+Much to her relief, Vera found that of Winthrop she was no longer
+afraid.
+
+“Oh!” she protested, “didn’t you say, twelve years ago, a humble boy
+played ball for Hobart College. That boy now stands before you? Didn’t
+you say that?”
+
+“Something like that,” assented the District Attorney. “Oh!” he
+exclaimed, “that young man who showed me in here--your confederate or
+fellow-conspirator or lookout man or whatever he is--told me you used to
+be a regular attendant at those games.”
+
+“I never missed one!” Vera cried. She leaned forward, her eyes shining,
+her brows knit with the effort of recollection.
+
+“I used to tell Aunt,” she said, “I had to drive in for the mail. But
+that was only an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old white horse
+called Roscoe Conkling. I called him Rocks. He was blind in one eye, and
+he would walk on the wrong side of the road; you had to drive him on one
+rein.” The girl was speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear
+of her visitor. With satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and
+unconsciously he was now frankly regarding the face of the girl with a
+smile of pleasure and admiration.
+
+“And I used to tie him to the fence just opposite first base,” Vera went
+on excitedly, “and shout--for you!”
+
+“Don’t tell me,” interrupted Winthrop, in burlesque excitement, “that
+you were that very pretty little girl, with short dresses and long legs,
+who used to sit on the top rail and kick and cheer.”
+
+Vera shook her head sternly.
+
+“I was,” she said, “but you never saw me.”
+
+“Oh, yes, we did,” protested Winthrop. “We used to call you our mascot.”
+
+“No, that was some other little girl,” said Vera firmly. “You
+never looked at me, and I”--she laughed, and then frowned at him
+reproachfully--“I thought you were magnificent! I used to have your
+pictures in baseball clothes pinned all around my looking glass, and
+whenever you made a base hit, I’d shout and shout--and you’d never look
+at me! And one day--” she stopped, and as though appalled by the memory,
+clasped her hands. “Oh, it was awful!” she exclaimed; “one day a foul
+ball hit the fence, and I jumped down and threw it to you, and you said,
+Thank you, sis! And I,” she cried, “thought I was a young lady!”
+
+“Oh! I couldn’t have said that,” protested Winthrop, “maybe I said
+sister.”
+
+“No,” declared Vera energetically shaking her head, “not sister, sis.
+And you never did look at me; and I used to drive past your house every
+day. We lived only a mile below you.”
+
+“Where?” asked Winthrop.
+
+“On the lake road from Syracuse,” said Vera. “Don’t you remember the
+farm a mile below yours--the one with the red barn right on the road?
+Yes, you do,” she insisted, “the cows were always looking over the fence
+right into the road.”
+
+“Of course!” exclaimed Winthrop delightedly. “Was that your house?”
+
+“Oh, no,” protested Vera, “ours was the little cottage on the other
+side--”
+
+“With poplars round it?” demanded Winthrop.
+
+“That’s it!” cried Vera triumphantly, “with poplars round it.”
+
+“Why, I know that house well. We boys used to call it the haunted
+house.”
+
+“That’s the one,” assented Vera. She smiled with satisfaction. “Well,
+that’s where I lived until Aunt died,” she said.
+
+“And then, what?” asked Winthrop.
+
+For a moment the girl did not answer. Her face had grown grave and she
+sat motionless, staring beyond her. Suddenly, as though casting her
+thoughts from her, she gave a sharp toss of her head.
+
+“Then,” she said, speaking quickly, “I went into the mills, and was ill
+there, and I wrote Paul and Mabel to ask if I could join them, and they
+said I could. But I was too ill, and I had no money--nothing. And then,”
+ she raised her eyes to his and regarded him steadily, “then I stole that
+cloak to get the money to join them, and you--you helped me to get away,
+and--and” Winthrop broke in hastily. He disregarded both her manner and
+the nature of what she had said.
+
+“And how did you come to know the Vances?” he asked.
+
+After a pause of an instant, the girl accepted the cue his manner gave
+her, and answered as before.
+
+“Through my aunt,” she said, “she was a medium too.”
+
+“Of course!” cried Winthrop. “I remember now, that’s why we called it
+the haunted house.”
+
+“My aunt,” said the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in her
+manner, a certain defiance, “was a great medium. All the spiritualists
+in that part of the State used to meet at our house. I’ve witnessed some
+wonderful manifestations in that front parlor.” She turned to Winthrop
+and smiled. “So, you see,” she exclaimed, “I was born and brought up
+in this business. I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. My
+grandmother was a medium, my mother was a medium--she worked with
+the Fox sisters before they were exposed. But, my aunt,” she added
+thoughtfully, judicially, “was the greatest medium I have ever seen. She
+did certain things I couldn’t understand, and I know every trick in the
+trade--unless,” she explained, “you believe the spirits helped her.”
+
+Winthrop was observing the girl intently, with a new interest.
+
+“And you don’t believe that?” he asked, quietly.
+
+“How can I?” Vera said. “I was brought up with them.” She shook her head
+and smiled. “I used to play around the kitchen stove with Pocahontas and
+Alexander the Great, and Martin Luther lived in our china closet. You
+see, the neighbors wouldn’t let their children come to our house; so,
+the only playmates I had were--ghosts.” She laughed wistfully. “My!” she
+exclaimed, “I was a queer, lonely little rat. I used to hear voices and
+see visions. I do still,” she added. With her elbows on the arms of
+her chair, she clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward. She
+turned her eyes to Winthrop and nodded confidentially.
+
+“Do you know,” she said, “sometimes I think people from the other world
+do speak to me.”
+
+“But you said,” Winthrop objected, “you didn’t believe.”
+
+“I know,” returned Vera. “I can’t!” Her voice was perplexed, impatient.
+“Why, I can sit in this chair,” she declared earnestly, “and fill this
+room with spirit voices and rappings, and you sitting right there can’t
+see how I do it. And yet, in spite of all the tricks, sometimes I believe
+there’s something in it.”
+
+She looked at Winthrop, her eyes open with inquiry. He shook his head.
+
+“Yes,” insisted the girl. “When these women come to me for advice, I
+don’t invent what I say to them. It’s as though something told me what
+to say. I have never met them before, but as soon as I pass into the
+trance state I seem to know all their troubles. And I seem to be half
+in this world and half in another world--carrying messages between them.
+Maybe,” her voice had sunk to almost a whisper; she continued as though
+speaking to herself, “I only think that. I don’t know. I wonder.”
+
+There was a long pause.
+
+“I wish,” began Winthrop earnestly, “I wish you were younger, or I were
+older.”
+
+“Why?” asked Vera.
+
+“Because,” said the young man, “I’d like to talk to you--like a father.”
+
+Vera turned and smiled on him securely, with frank friendliness. “Go
+ahead,” she assented, “talk to me like a father.”
+
+Winthrop smiled back at her, and then frowned.
+
+“You shouldn’t be in this business,” he said.
+
+The girl regarded him steadily.
+
+“What’s the matter with the business?” she asked.
+
+Winthrop felt she had put him upon the defensive, but he did not
+hesitate.
+
+“Well,” he said, “there may be some truth in it. But we don’t know
+that. We do know that there’s a lot of fraud and deceit in it. Now,” he
+declared warmly, “there’s nothing deceitful about you. You’re fine,” he
+cried enthusiastically, “you’re big! That boy who was in here told me
+one story about you that showed--”
+
+Vera stopped him sharply.
+
+“What do you know of me?” she asked bitterly. “The first time you ever
+saw me I was in a police court; and this morning--you heard that man
+threaten to put me in jail--”
+
+In turn, by abruptly rising from his chair, Winthrop interrupted her.
+He pushed the chair out of his way, and, shoving his hands into his
+trousers’ pockets, began pacing with long, quick strides up and down the
+room. “What do I care for that?” he cried contemptuously. He tossed the
+words at her over his shoulder. “I put lots of people in jail myself
+that are better than I am. Only, they won’t play the game.” He halted,
+and turned on her. “Now, you’re not playing the game. This is a mean
+business, taking money from silly girls and old men. You’re too good
+for that.” He halted at the table and stood facing her. “I’ve got two
+sisters uptown,” he said. He spoke commandingly, peremptorily. “And
+tomorrow I am going to take you to see them. And we fellow townsmen,” he
+smiled at her appealingly, “will talk this over, and we’ll make you come
+back to your own people.”
+
+For a moment the two regarded each other. Then the girl answered firmly,
+but with a slight hoarseness in her voice, and in a tone hardly louder
+than a whisper:
+
+“You know I can’t do that!”
+
+“I don’t!” blustered Winthrop. “Why not?”
+
+“Because,” said the girl steadily, “of what I did in Geneva.” As
+though the answer was the one he had feared, the man exclaimed sharply,
+rebelliously.
+
+“Nonsense!” he cried. “You didn’t know what you were doing. No decent
+person would consider that.”
+
+“They do,” said the girl, “they are the very ones who do. And--it’s been
+in the papers. Everybody in Geneva knows it. And here too. And whenever
+I try to get away from this”--she stretched out her hands to include
+the room about her--“Someone tells! Five times, now.” She leaned forward
+appealingly, not as though asking pity for herself, but as wishing
+him to see her point of view. “I didn’t choose this business,” she
+protested, “I was sort of born in it, and,” she broke out loyally,
+“I hate to have you call it a mean business; but I can’t get into any
+other. Whenever I have, some man says, That girl in your front office is
+a thief.” The restraint she put upon herself, the air of disdain which
+at all times she had found the most convenient defense, fell from her.
+
+“It’s not fair!” she cried, “it’s not fair.” To her mortification, the
+tears of self-pity sprang to her eyes, and as she fiercely tried to
+brush them away, to her greater anger, continued to creep down her
+cheeks. “It was nine years ago,” she protested, “I was a child. I’ve
+been punished enough.” She raised her face frankly to his, speaking
+swiftly, bitterly.
+
+“Of course, I want to get away!” she cried. “Of course, I want friends.
+I’ve never had a friend. I’ve always been alone. I’m tired, tired! I
+hate this business. I never know how much I hate it until the chance
+comes to get away--and I can’t.”
+
+She stopped, but without lowering her head or moving her eyes from his.
+
+“This time,” said the man quietly, “you’re going to get away from it.”
+
+“I can’t,” repeated the girl, “you can’t help me!”
+
+Winthrop smiled at her confidently.
+
+“I’m going to try,” he said.
+
+“No, please!” begged the girl. Her voice was still shaken with tears.
+She motioned with her head toward the room behind her.
+
+“These are my people,” she declared defiantly, as though daring him
+to contradict her. “And they are good people! They’ve tried to be good
+friends to me, and they’ve been true to me.”
+
+Winthrop came toward her and stood beside her, so close that he could
+have placed his hand upon her shoulder. He wondered, whimsically, if she
+knew how cruel she seemed in appealing with her tears, her helplessness
+and loveliness to what was generous and chivalric in him; and, at the
+same time, by her words, treating him as an interloper and an enemy.
+
+“That’s all right,” he said gently. “But that doesn’t prevent my being a
+good friend to you, too, does it? Or,” he added, his voice growing tense
+and conscious--“my being true to you? My sisters will be here tomorrow,”
+ he announced briskly.
+
+Vera had wearily dropped her arms upon the table and lowered her head
+upon them. From a place down in the depths she murmured a protest.
+
+“No,” contradicted Winthrop cheerfully, “this time you are going to win.
+You’ll have back of you, If I do say it, two of the best women God ever
+made. Only, now, you must do as I say.” There was a pause. “Will you?”
+ he begged.
+
+Vera raised her head slowly, holding her hand across her eyes. There was
+a longer silence, and then she looked up at him and smiled pathetically,
+gratefully, and nodded. “Good!” cried Winthrop. “No more spooks,” he
+laughed, “no more spirit rappings.”
+
+Through her tears Vera smiled up at him a wan, broken smile. She gave
+a shudder of distaste. “Never!” she whispered. “I promise.” Their eyes
+met; the girl’s looking into his shyly, gratefully; the man’s searching
+hers eagerly. And suddenly they saw each other with a new and wonderful
+sympathy and understanding. Winthrop felt himself bending toward her. He
+was conscious that the room had grown dark, and that he could see only
+her eyes. “You must be just yourself,” he commanded, but so gently, so
+tenderly, that, though he did not know it, each word carried with it the
+touch of a caress, “just your sweet, fine, noble self!”
+
+Something he read in the girl’s uplifted eyes made him draw back with
+a shock of wonder, of delight, with an upbraiding conscience. To pull
+himself together, he glanced quickly about him. The day had really grown
+dark. He felt a sudden desire to get away; to go where he could ask
+himself what had happened, what it was that had filled this unknown,
+tawdry room with beauty and given it the happiness of a home.
+
+“By Jove!” he exclaimed nervously, “I had no idea I’d stayed so long.
+You’ll not let me come again. Goodbye--until tomorrow.” He turned,
+holding out his hand, and found that again the girl had dropped her face
+upon her arm, and was sobbing quietly, gently.
+
+“Oh, what is it?” cried Winthrop. “What have I said?” The catch in the
+girl’s voice as she tried to check the sobs wrenched his heart. “Oh,
+please,” he begged, “I’ve said something wrong? I’ve hurt you?” With her
+face still hidden in her arms, the girl shook her head.
+
+“No, no!” she sobbed. Her voice, soft with tears, was a melody of sweet
+and tender tones. “It’s only--that I’ve been so lonely--and you’ve made
+me happy, happy!”
+
+The sobs broke out afresh, but Winthrop, now knowing that they brought
+to the girl peace, was no longer filled with dismay.
+
+Her head was bent upon her left arm, her right hand lightly clasped the
+edge of the table. With the intention of saying farewell, Winthrop
+took her hand in his. The girl did not move. To his presence she seemed
+utterly oblivious. In the gathering dusk he could see the bent figure,
+could hear the soft, irregular breathing as the girl wept gently,
+happily, like a child sobbing itself to sleep. The hand he held in his
+neither repelled nor invited, and for an instant he stood motionless,
+holding it uncertainly. It was so delicate, so helpless, so appealing,
+so altogether lovable. It seemed to reach up, and, with warm, clinging
+fingers, clutch the tendrils of his heart.
+
+Winthrop bent his head suddenly, and lifting the hand, kissed it; and
+then, without again speaking, walked quickly into the hall and shut the
+door. In the room the dusk deepened. Through the open windows came the
+roar of the Sixth Avenue Elevated, the insistent clamor of an electric
+hansom, the murmur of Broadway at night. The tears had suddenly ceased,
+but the girl had not moved. At last, slowly, stiffly, she raised her
+head. Her eyes, filled with wonder, with amazement, were fixed upon her
+hand. She glanced cautiously about her. Assured she was alone, with her
+other hand she lifted the one Winthrop had kissed and held it pressed
+against her lips.
+
+The folding doors were thrown open, letting in a flood of light, and
+Mabel Vance, entering swiftly, knelt at the table and bent her head
+close to Vera.
+
+“That woman’s in the hall,” she whispered, “that niece of Hallowell’s.
+Paul and Mannie can’t get rid of her. Now she’s got hold of Winthrop.
+She says she will see you. Be careful!”
+
+Vera rose. That Mabel might not see she had been weeping, she walked to
+the piano, covertly drying her eyes.
+
+“What,” she asked dully, “does she want with me?”
+
+“About tonight,” answered Mabel. She exclaimed fiercely, “I told them
+there’d be trouble!”
+
+With Vance upon her heels, Helen Coates came in quickly from the hall.
+Her face was flushed, her eyes lit with indignation and excitement. In
+her hand she held an open letter.
+
+As though to protect Vera, both Vance and his wife moved between her and
+their visitor, but, disregarding them, Miss Coates at once singled out
+the girl as her opponent.
+
+“You are the young woman they call Vera, I believe,” she said. “I have a
+note here from Mr. Hallowell telling me you are giving a seance tonight
+at his house. That you propose to exhibit the spirit of my mother. That
+is an insult to the memory of my mother and to me. And I warn you, if
+you attempt such a thing, I will prevent it.”
+
+There was a pause. When Vera spoke it was in the tone of every-day
+politeness. Her voice was even and steady.
+
+“You have been misinformed,” she said, “there will be no seance
+tonight.”
+
+Vance turned to Vera, and, in a voice lower than her own, but
+sufficiently loud to include Miss Coates, said: “I don’t think we told
+you that Mr. Hallowell himself insists that this lady and her friends be
+present.”
+
+“Her presence makes no difference,” said Vera quietly. “There will be
+no seance tonight. I will tell you about it later, Paul,” she added. She
+started toward the door, but Miss Coates moved as though to intercept
+her.
+
+“If you think,” she cried eagerly, “you can give a seance to Mr.
+Hallowell without my knowing it, you are mistaken.”
+
+Vera paused, and made a slight inclination of her head.
+
+“That was not my idea,” she said. She looked appealingly to Vance. “Is
+that not enough, Paul?” she asked.
+
+“Quite enough!” exclaimed the man. He turned to the visitor and made a
+curt movement of the hand toward the open door.
+
+“There will be a seance tonight,” he declared. “At Mr. Hallowell’s. If
+you wish to protest against it, you can do so there. This is my house.
+If you have finished--” He repeated the gesture toward the open door.
+
+“I have not finished,” said Miss Coates sharply; “and if you take
+my advice, you will follow her example.” With a nod of the head she
+signified Vera. “When she sees she’s in danger, she knows enough to
+stop. This is not a question of a few medium’s tricks,” she cried,
+contemptuously. “I know all that you planned to do, and I intend that
+tomorrow every one in New York shall know it too.”
+
+Like a cloak Vera’s self-possession fell from her. In alarm she moved
+forward.
+
+“What do you mean?” she demanded.
+
+“I have had you people followed pretty closely,” said Miss Coates. Her
+tone was assured. She was confident that of those before her she was the
+master, and that of that fact they were aware.
+
+“I know,” she went on, “just how you tried to impose upon my uncle--how
+you tried to rob me, and tonight I have invited the reporters to my
+house to give them the facts.”
+
+With a cry Vera ran to her.
+
+“No!” she begged, “you won’t do that. You must not do that!”
+
+“Let her talk!” growled Vance. “Let her talk! She’s funny.”
+
+“No!” commanded Vera. Her voice rang with the distress. “She cannot do
+that!” She turned to Miss Coates. “We haven’t hurt you,” she pleaded;
+“we haven’t taken your money. I promise you,” she cried, “we will never
+see Mr. Hallowell again. I beg of you--”
+
+Vance indignantly caught her by the arm and drew her back. “You don’t
+beg nothing of her!” he cried.
+
+“I do,” Vera answered wildly. She caught Vance’s hand in both of hers.
+“I have a chance, Paul,” she entreated, “don’t force me through it
+again. I can’t stand the shame of it again.” Once more she appealed to
+the visitor. “Don’t!” she begged. “Don’t shame me.”
+
+But the eyes of the older girl, blind to everything save what, as she
+saw it, was her duty, showed no consideration.
+
+Vera’s hands, trembling on his arm, drove Vance to deeper anger. He
+turned savagely upon Miss Coates.
+
+“You haven’t lost anything yet, have you?” he demanded. “She hasn’t hurt
+you, has she? If it’s revenge you want,” he cried insolently, “why don’t
+you throw vitriol on the girl?”
+
+“Revenge!” exclaimed Miss Coates indignantly. “It is my duty. My public
+duty. I’m not alone in this; I am acting with the District Attorney.
+It is our duty.” She turned suddenly and called, “Mr. Winthrop, Mr.
+Winthrop!”
+
+For the first time Vera saw, under the gas jet, at the farther end of
+the hall, the figures of Mannie and Winthrop.
+
+“No, no!” she protested, “I beg of you,” she cried hysterically. “I’ve
+got a chance. If you print this thing tomorrow, I’ll never have a chance
+again. Don’t take it away from me.” Impulsively her arms reached out in
+an eager final appeal. “I’m down,” she said simply, “give me a chance to
+get up.”
+
+When Miss Coates came to give battle to the Vances, she foresaw the
+interview might be unpleasant. It was proving even more unpleasant than
+she had expected, but her duty seemed none the less obvious.
+
+“You should have thought of that,” she said, “before you were found
+out.”
+
+For an instant Vera stood motionless, staring, unconsciously holding the
+attitude of appeal. But when, by these last words, she recognized that
+her humiliation could go no further, with an inarticulate exclamation
+she turned away.
+
+“The public has the right to know,” declared Miss Coates, “the sort of
+people you are. I have the record of each of you--”
+
+From the hall Winthrop had entered quickly, but, disregarding him, Vance
+broke in upon the speaker, savagely, defiantly.
+
+“Print em, then!” he shouted, “print em!”
+
+“I mean to,” declared Miss Coates, “yours, and hers, she--”
+
+Winthrop placed himself in front of her, shutting her off from the
+others. He spoke in an earnest whisper.
+
+“Don’t!” he begged. “She has asked for a chance. Give her a chance.”
+
+Miss Coates scorned to speak in whispers.
+
+“She has had a chance,” she protested loudly. “She’s had a chance for
+nine years; and she’s chosen to be a charlatan and a cheat, and--” The
+angry woman hesitated, and then flung the word--“and a thief!”
+
+In the silence that followed no one turned toward Vera; but as it
+continued unbroken each raised his eyes and looked at her.
+
+They saw her drawn to her full height; the color flown from her face,
+her deep, brooding eyes flashing. She was like one by some religious
+fervor lifted out of herself, exalted. When she spoke her voice was low,
+tense. It vibrated with tremendous, wondering indignation.
+
+“Do you know who I am?” she asked. She spoke like one in a trance. “Do
+you know who you are threatening with your police and your laws? I am a
+priestess! I am a medium between the souls of this world and the next.
+I am Vera--the Truth! And I mean,” the girl cried suddenly, harshly,
+flinging out her arm, “that you shall hear the truth! Tonight I will
+bring your mother from the grave to speak it to you!”
+
+With a swift, sweeping gesture she pointed to the door. “Take those
+people away!” she cried.
+
+The eyes of Winthrop were filled with pity. “Vera!” he said, “Vera!”
+
+For an instant, against the tenderness and reproach in his voice the
+girl held herself motionless; and then, falling upon the shoulder of
+Mrs. Vance, burst into girlish, heart-broken tears.
+
+“Take them away,” she sobbed, “take them away!”
+
+Mannie Day and Vance closed in upon the visitors, and motioning them
+before them, drove them from the room.
+
+
+
+
+Part III
+
+The departure of the District Attorney and Miss Coates left Vera free
+to consider how serious, if she carried out her threat, the consequences
+might be. But of this chance she did not avail herself. Instead, with
+nervous zeal she began to prepare for her masquerade. It was as though
+her promise to Winthrop to abandon her old friends had filled her
+with remorse, and that she now, by an extravagance of loyalty, was
+endeavoring to make amends.
+
+At nine o’clock, with the Vances, she arrived at the house of Mr.
+Hallowell. Already, to the same place, a wagon had carried the cabinet,
+a parlor organ, and a dozen of those camp chairs that are associated
+with house weddings and funerals; and while, in the library, Vance and
+Mannie arranged these to their liking, on the third floor Vera, with
+Mrs. Vance, waited for that moment to arrive when Vance considered her
+entrance would be the most effective.
+
+This entrance was to be made through the doorway that opened from the
+hall on the second story into the library. To the right of this door,
+in an angle of two walls, was the cabinet, and on the left, the first
+of the camp chairs. These had been placed in a semicircle that stretched
+across the room, and ended at the parlor organ. The door from Mr.
+Hallowell’s bedroom opened directly upon the semicircle at the point
+most distant from the cabinet. In the centre of the semicircle Vance had
+placed the invalid’s arm chair.
+
+Vance, in his manner as professional and undisturbed as a photographer
+focussing his camera and arranging his screens, was explaining to Judge
+Gaylor the setting of his stage. The judge was an unwilling audience.
+Unlike the showman, for him the occasion held only terrors. He was
+driven by misgivings, swept by sudden panics. He scowled at the cabinet,
+intruding upon the privacy of the room where for years, without the aid
+of accessories, by his brains alone, he had brought Mr. Hallowell almost
+to the point of abject submission to his wishes. He turned upon Vance
+with bitter self-disgust.
+
+“So, I’ve got down as low as this, have I?” he demanded.
+
+Vance heard him, undisturbed.
+
+“I must ask you,” he said, briskly, “to help me keep the people just
+as I seat them. They will be in this half-circle facing the cabinet and
+holding hands. Those we know are against us,” he explained, “will have
+one of my friends, Professor Strombergk, or Mrs. Marsh, or my wife, on
+each side of him. If there should be any attempt to rush the cabinet,
+we must get there first. I will be outside the cabinet working the
+rappings, the floating music, and the astral bodies.” At the sight
+of the expression these words brought to the face of Gaylor, Vance
+permitted himself the shadow of a smile. “I can take care of myself,”
+ he went on, “but remember--Vera must not be caught outside the cabinet!
+When the lights go up, she must be found with the ropes still tied.”
+
+Gaylor turned from him with an exclamation of disgust.
+
+“Pah!” he muttered. “It’s a hell of a business!”
+
+Vance continued unmoved. “And, another thing,” he said, “about these
+lights; this switch throws them all off, doesn’t it?” He pressed a
+button on the left of the door, and the electric lights in the walls and
+under a green shade on the library table faded and disappeared, leaving
+the room, save for the light from the hall, in darkness.
+
+“That’s the way we want it,” said the showman.
+
+From the hall Mannie appeared between the curtains that hung across the
+doorway. “What are you doing with the lights?” he demanded. “You want to
+break my neck? All our people are downstairs,” he announced.
+
+Vance turned on the lights. At the same moment Rainey came from the
+bedroom into the library. It was evident that to sustain his courage
+he had been drinking. He made no effort to greet those in the room, but
+stood, glaring resentfully at the cabinet and the row of chairs.
+
+“Well,” exclaimed Vance cheerfully, “if our folks are all here, we’re
+all right.”
+
+Glancing behind him, Mannie took Vance by the sleeve, and led him to the
+centre of the room.
+
+“No, we’re not all right,” said the boy, “that Miss Coates has brought
+a friend with her. She says Hallowell told her she could bring a friend.
+She says this young fellow is her friend. I think he’s a Pink!”
+
+“What nonsense,” exclaimed Gaylor in alarm. “No detective would force
+his way into this house.”
+
+“She says,” continued Mannie, disregarding Gaylor, and still addressing
+Vance, “he’s a seeker after the Truth. I’ll bet,” declared the boy
+violently, “he’s a seeker after the truth!”
+
+Garrett came hastily and noiselessly into the room. He nodded toward
+Mannie.
+
+“Has he told you?” he asked.
+
+“Yes,” Gaylor answered, “who is he?”
+
+“The reporter who was here this morning,” Garrett returned. “The one who
+threatened--”
+
+“That’ll do,” commanded Gaylor. In the face of this new complication he
+again became himself. Suavely and politely he turned to Vance. “Will you
+and your friend join Miss Vera,” he asked, “and tell her that we begin
+in a few minutes?”
+
+For the first time, aggressively and offensively Rainey broke his
+silence.
+
+“No, we won’t begin in a few minutes,” he announced, “not by a damned
+sight!”
+
+The explosion was so unexpected that, for an instant, while the eyes
+of all were fixed in astonishment upon the speaker, there was complete
+silence. Gaylor, still suave, still polite, looked toward Vance, and
+motioned him to the door.
+
+“Will you kindly do as I ask?” he said. With Mannie at his side, Vance
+walked quickly from the room. Once in the hall, the boy laid a detaining
+hand upon the arm of the older man.
+
+“If you’ll take my advice, which you won’t,” he said, “we’ll all cut and
+run now, while we got the chance!”
+
+In the library, Gaylor turned savagely upon his fellow conspirator.
+
+“Well!” he demanded.
+
+Rainey frowned at him sulkily. “I wash my hands of the whole thing!” he
+cried.
+
+Gaylor dropped his voice to a whisper.
+
+“What are you afraid of now?” he demanded. “If you’re not afraid of a
+district attorney, why are you afraid of a reporter?”
+
+“I’m not afraid of anybody,” returned Rainey, thickly. “But, I
+don’t mean to be a party to no murder!” He paused, shaking his head
+portentously. “That man in there,” he whispered, nodding toward the
+bedroom, “is in no condition to go through this. After that shock this
+morning, and last night--it’ll kill him. His heart’s rotten, I tell you,
+rotten!”
+
+Garrett snarled contemptuously.
+
+“How do you know?” he demanded.
+
+“How do I know?” returned Rainey, fiercely. “I was four years in a
+medical college, when you were in jail, you--” “Stop that!” cried
+Gaylor. Glancing fearfully toward the open door, he interposed between
+them.
+
+“Don’t take my advice, then,” cried Rainey. “Go on! Kill him! And he
+won’t sign your will. Only, don’t say I didn’t tell you.”
+
+“Have you told him?” demanded Gaylor.
+
+“Yes,” Rainey answered stoutly. “Told him if he didn’t stop this, he
+wouldn’t live till morning.”
+
+“Are we forcing him to do this?” demanded Gaylor. “No! He’s forcing it
+on us. My God!” he exclaimed, “do you think I want this farce? You say,
+yourself, you told him it would kill him, and he will go on with it.
+Then why do you blame us? Can we help ourselves?”
+
+The butler had distinguished the sounds of footsteps in the hall. He
+fell hastily to rearranging the camp chairs.
+
+“Hush!” he warned. “Look out!” Gaylor and Rainey had but time to move
+apart, when Winthrop entered. He regarded the three men with a smile of
+understanding.
+
+“I beg pardon,” he exclaimed, “I am interrupting?”
+
+Gaylor greeted him with exaggerated heartiness.
+
+“Ah, it is Mr. Winthrop!” he cried. “Have you come to help us find out
+the truth this evening?”
+
+“I certainly hope not!” said Winthrop brusquely. “I know the truth about
+too many people already.” He turned to Garrett, who, unobtrusively, was
+endeavoring to make his escape.
+
+“I want to see Miss Vera,” he said.
+
+“Miss Vera,” interposed Gaylor. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. She
+especially asked not to be disturbed before the seance. I’m sorry.”
+
+Winthrop’s manner became suspiciously polite.
+
+“Yes?” he inquired. “Well, nevertheless I think I’ll ask her. Tell Miss
+Vera, please,” he said to Garrett, “that Mr. Winthrop would like a word
+with her here,” with significance he added, “in private.”
+
+In offended dignity, Judge Gaylor moved toward the door. “Dr. Rainey,”
+ he said stiffly, “will you please inform Mr. Hallowell that his guests
+are now here, and that I have gone to bring them upstairs.”
+
+“Yes, but you won’t bring them upstairs, please,” said Winthrop, “until
+you hear from me.”
+
+Gaylor flushed with anger and for a moment appeared upon the point of
+mutiny. Then, as though refusing to consider himself responsible for the
+manners of the younger man, he shrugged his shoulders and left the room.
+
+With even less of consideration than he had shown to Judge Gaylor,
+Winthrop turned upon Rainey.
+
+“How’s your patient?” he asked shortly. Rainey was sufficiently
+influenced by the liquor he had taken to dare to resent Winthrop’s
+peremptory tone. His own in reply was designedly offensive.
+
+“My patient?” he inquired.
+
+“Mr. Hallowell,” snapped Winthrop, “he’s sick, isn’t he?”
+
+“Oh, I don’t know,” returned the Doctor.
+
+“You don’t know?” demanded Winthrop. “Well, I know. I know if he goes
+through this thing tonight, he’ll have another collapse. I saw one this
+morning. Why don’t you forbid it? You’re his medical adviser, aren’t
+you?”
+
+Rainey remained sullenly silent.
+
+“Answer me!” insisted the District Attorney. “You are, aren’t you?”
+
+“I am,” at last declared Rainey.
+
+“Well, then,” commanded Winthrop, “tell him to stop this. Tell him I
+advise it.”
+
+Through his glasses Rainey blinked violently at the District Attorney,
+and laughed. “I didn’t know,” he said, “that you were a medical man.”
+
+Winthrop looked at the Doctor so steadily, and for so long a time, that
+the eyes of the young man sought the floor and the ceiling; and his
+sneer changed to an expression of discomfort.
+
+“I am not,” said Winthrop. “I am the District Attorney of New York.” His
+tones were cold, precise; they fell upon the superheated brain of Dr.
+Rainey like drops from an icicle.
+
+“When I took over that office,” continued Winthrop, “I found a complaint
+against two medical students, a failure to report the death of an old
+man in a private sanitarium.”
+
+Winthrop lowered his eyes, and became deeply absorbed in the toe of his
+boot. “I haven’t looked into the papers, yet,” he said.
+
+Rainey, swaying slightly, jerked open the door of the bedroom. “I’ll
+tell him,” he panted thickly. “I’ll tell him to do as you say.”
+
+“Thank you, I wish you would,” said Winthrop.
+
+At the same moment, from the hall, Garrett announced, “Mrs. Vance, sir.”
+ And Mabel Vance, tremulous and frightened, entered the room.
+
+Winthrop approached her eagerly.
+
+“Ah! Mrs. Vance,” he exclaimed, “can I see Miss Vera?”
+
+Embarrassed and unhappy, Mrs. Vance moved restlessly from foot to foot,
+and shook her head.
+
+“Please, Mr. District Attorney,” she begged. “I’m afraid not. This
+afternoon upset her so. And she’s so nervous and queer that the
+Professor thinks she shouldn’t see nobody.”
+
+“The Professor?” he commented. His voice was considerate, conciliatory.
+“Now, Mrs. Vance,” he said, “I’ve known Miss Vera ever since she was a
+little girl, known her longer than you have, and, I’m her friend, and
+you’re her friend, and--”
+
+“I am,” protested Mabel Vance tearfully. “Indeed I am!”
+
+“I know you are,” Winthrop interrupted hastily. “You’ve been more than
+a friend to her, you’ve been a sister, mother, and you don’t want any
+trouble to come to her, do you?”
+
+“I don’t,” cried the woman. “Oh!” she exclaimed miserably, “I told them
+there’d be trouble!”
+
+Winthrop laughed reassuringly.
+
+“Well, there won’t be any trouble,” he declared, “if I can help it. And
+if you want to help her, help me. Persuade her to let me talk to her.
+Don’t mind what the Professor says.”
+
+“I will,” declared Mrs. Vance with determination, “I will.” She started
+eagerly toward the hall, and then paused and returned. Her hands were
+clasped; her round, baby eyes, wet with tears, were fixed upon Winthrop
+appealingly.
+
+“Oh, please,” she pleaded, “you’re not going to hurt him, are you? Paul,
+my husband,” she explained, “he’s been such a good husband to me.”
+
+Winthrop laughed uneasily.
+
+“Why, that’ll be all right,” he protested.
+
+“He doesn’t mean any harm,” insisted Mrs. Vance, “he’s on the level;
+true, he is!”
+
+“Why, of course, of course,” Winthrop assented.
+
+Unsatisfied, Mrs. Vance burst into tears. “It’s this spirit business
+that makes the trouble!” she cried. “I tell them to cut it out. Now, the
+mind reading at the theatre,” she sobbed, “there’s no harm in that, is
+there? And there’s twice the money in it. But this ghost raising”--she
+raised her eyes appealingly, as though begging to be contradicted--“it’s
+sure to get him into trouble, isn’t it?”
+
+Winthrop shook his head, and smiled.
+
+“It may,” he said. Mrs. Vance broke into a fresh outburst of tears. “I
+knew it,” she cried, “I knew it.” Winthrop placed his hand upon her arm
+and turned her in the direction of the door.
+
+“Don’t worry,” he said soothingly. “Go send Miss Vera here. And,” he
+called after her, “don’t worry.”
+
+As Mabel departed upon his errand, Rainey reentered from the bedroom.
+He carefully closed the door and halted with his hand upon the knob, and
+shook his head.
+
+“It’s no use,” he said, “he will go on with it. It’s not my fault,” he
+whined, “I told him it would kill him. I couldn’t make it any stronger
+than that, could I?”
+
+Rainey was not looking at Winthrop, but, as though fearful of
+interruption, toward the door. His eyes were harassed, furtive, filled
+with miserable indecision. Many times before Winthrop had seen men in
+such a state. He knew that for the sufferer it foretold a physical break
+down, or that he would seek relief in full confession. To give the man
+confidence, he abandoned his attitude of suspicion.
+
+“That certainly would be strong enough for me,” he said cheerfully. “Did
+you tell him what I advised?”
+
+“Yes, yes,” muttered Rainey impatiently. “He said you were invited here
+to give advice to his niece, not to him.” For the first time his eyes
+met those of Winthrop boldly. The District Attorney recognized that the
+man had taken his fears by the throat, and had arrived at his decision.
+
+“See here,” exclaimed Rainey, “could I give you some information?”
+
+“I’m sure you could,” returned Winthrop briskly. “Give it to me now.”
+
+But Rainey, glancing toward the door, shrank back. Winthrop, following
+the direction of his eyes, saw Vera. Impatiently he waved Rainey away.
+
+“At the office, tomorrow morning,” he commanded. With a sigh of relief
+at the reprieve, Rainey slipped back into the bedroom.
+
+Winthrop had persuaded himself that in seeking to speak with Vera,
+he was making only a natural choice between preventing the girl from
+perpetrating a fraud, or, later, for that fraud, holding her to account.
+But when she actually stood before him, he recognized how absurdly he
+had deceived himself. At the mere physical sight of her, there came
+to him a swift relief, a thrill of peace and deep content; and with
+delighted certainty he knew that what Vera might do or might not do
+concerned him not at all, that for him all that counted was the girl
+herself. With something of this showing in his face, he came eagerly
+toward her.
+
+“Vera!” he exclaimed. In the word there was delight, wonder, tenderness;
+but if the girl recognized this she concealed her knowledge. Instead,
+her eyes looked into his frankly; her manner was that of open
+friendliness.
+
+“Mabel tells me you want to talk to me,” she said evenly “but I don’t
+want you to. I have something I want to say to you. I could have written
+it, but this”--for an instant the girl paused with her lips pressed
+together; when she spoke, her voice carried the firmness and finality
+of one delivering a verdict--“but this,” she repeated, “is the last time
+you shall hear from me, or see me again.”
+
+Winthrop gave an exclamation of impatience, of indignation.
+
+“No,” returned the girl, “it is quite final. Maybe you will not want to
+see me, but--”
+
+Winthrop again sharply interrupted her. His voice was filled with
+reproach. “Vera!” he protested.
+
+“Well,” said the girl more gently, “I’m glad to think you do, but this
+is the last, and before I go, I--“.
+
+“Go!” demanded Winthrop roughly. “Where?”
+
+“Before I go,” continued the girl, “I want to tell you how much you have
+helped me--I want to thank you--“.
+
+“You haven’t let me thank you,” broke in Winthrop, “and, now, you
+pretend this is our last meeting. It’s absurd!”.
+
+“It is our last meeting,” replied the girl. Of the two, for the moment,
+she was the older, the more contained. “On the contrary,” contradicted
+the man. He spoke sharply, in a tone he tried to make as determined as
+her own. “Our next meeting will be in ten minutes--at my sister’s. I
+have told her about this afternoon, and about you; and she wants very
+much to meet you. She has sent her car for you. It’s waiting in front of
+the house. Now,” he commanded masterfully, “you come with me, and get in
+it, and leave all this”--he gave an angry, contemptuous wave of the hand
+toward the cabinet--“behind you, as,” he added earnestly, “you promised
+me you would.”
+
+As though closing from sight the possibility he suggested, the girl shut
+her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to meet his.
+
+“I can’t leave these things behind me,” she said quietly.
+
+“I told you so this afternoon. For a moment, you made me think I could,
+and I did promise. I didn’t need to promise. It’s what I’ve prayed for.
+Then, you saw what happened, you saw I was right. Within five minutes
+that woman came--”
+
+
+“That woman had a motive,” protested Winthrop.
+
+“That woman,” continued the girl patiently, “or some other woman. What
+does it matter? In five minutes, or five days, some one would have
+told.” She leaned toward him anxiously. “I’m not complaining,” she said;
+“it’s my own fault. It’s the life I’ve chosen.” She hesitated and then
+as though determined to carry out a programme she had already laid down
+for herself, continued rapidly: “And what I want to tell you, is, that
+what’s best in that life I owe to you.”
+
+“Vera!” cried the man sharply.
+
+“Listen!” said the girl. Her eyes were alight, eager. She spoke frankly,
+proudly, without embarrassment, without fear of being misconstrued, as a
+man might speak to a man.
+
+“I’d be ungrateful, I’d be a coward,” said the girl, “if I went away and
+didn’t tell you. For ten years I’ve been counting on you. I made you a
+sort of standard. I said, as long as he keeps to his ideals, I’m going
+to keep to mine. Maybe you think my ideals have not been very high, but
+anyway you’ve made it easy for me. Because I’m in this business, because
+I’m good-looking enough, certain men”--the voice of the girl grew hard
+and cool--“have done me the honor to insult me, and it was knowing you,
+and that there are others like you, that helped me not to care.” The
+girl paused. She raised her eyes to his frankly. The look in them was
+one of pride in him, of loyalty, of affection. “And now, since I’ve met
+you,” she went on, “I find you’re just as I imagined you’d be, just as
+I’d hoped you’d be.” She reached out her hand warningly, appealingly.
+“And I don’t want you to change, to let down, to grow discouraged. You
+can’t tell how many more people are counting on you.” She hesitated and,
+as though at last conscious of her own boldness, flushed deprecatingly,
+like one asking pardon. “You men in high places,” she stammered, “you’re
+like light houses showing the way. You don’t know how many people you
+are helping. You can’t see them. You can’t tell how many boats are
+following your light, but if your light goes out, they are wrecked.”
+ She gave a sigh of relief. “That’s what I wanted to tell you,” she said,
+“and, so thank you.” She held out her hand. “And, goodby.”
+
+Winthrop’s answer was to clasp her hand quickly in both of his, and draw
+her toward him.
+
+“Vera,” he begged, “come with me now!”
+
+The girl withdrew her hand and moved away from him, frowning. “No,” she
+said, “no, you do not want to understand. I have my work to do tonight.”
+
+Winthrop gave an exclamation of anger.
+
+“You don’t mean to tell me,” he cried, “that you’re going on with this?”
+
+“Yes,” she said, And then in sudden alarm cried: “But not if you’re
+here! I’ll fail if you’re here. Promise me, you will not be here.”
+
+“Indeed,” cried the man indignantly, “I will not! But I’ll be downstairs
+when you need me. And,” he added warningly, “you’ll need me.” “No,” said
+the girl. “No matter what happens, I tell you, between us, this is the
+end.”
+
+“Then,” begged the man, “if this is the end, for God’s sake, Vera, as my
+last request, do not do it!”
+
+The girl shook her head. “No,” she repeated firmly. “I’ve tried to get
+away from it, and each time they’ve forced me back. Now, I’ll go on with
+it. I’ve promised Paul, and the others. And you heard me promise that
+woman.”
+
+“But you didn’t mean that!” protested the man. “She insulted you; you
+were angry. You’re angry now, piqued--”
+
+“Mr. Winthrop,” interrupted the girl, “today you told me I was not
+playing the game. You told the truth. When you said this was a mean
+business, you were right. But”--for the first time since she had spoken
+her tones were shaken, uncertain--“I’ve been driven out of every other
+business.” She waited until her voice was again under control, and then
+said slowly, definitely, “and, tonight, I am going to show Mr. Hallowell
+the spirit of his sister.”
+
+In the eyes of Winthrop the look of pain, of disappointment, of
+reproach, was so keen, that the girl turned her own away.
+
+“No,” said the man gently, “you will not do that.”
+
+“You can stop my doing it tonight,” returned the girl, “but at some
+other time, at some other place, I will do it.”
+
+“You yourself will stop it,” said Winthrop. “You are too honest, too
+fine, to act such a lie. Why not be yourself?” he begged. “Why not
+disappoint these other people who do not know you? Why disappoint the
+man who knows you best, who trusts you, who believes in you--“.
+
+“You are the very one,” interrupted the girl, “who doesn’t know me. I am
+not fine; I am not honest. I am a charlatan and a cheat; I am all that
+woman called me. And that is why you can’t know me. That’s why. I told
+you, if you did, you would be sorry.”
+
+“I am not sorry,” said Winthrop.
+
+“You will be,” returned the girl, “before the night is over.”
+
+“On the contrary,” answered the man quietly, “I shall wait here to
+congratulate you--on your failure.”
+
+“I shall not fail,” said the girl. Avoiding his eyes, she turned from
+him and, for a moment, stood gazing before her miserably. Her lips were
+trembling, her eyes moist with rising tears. Then she faced him, her
+head raised defiantly.
+
+“I have been hounded out of every decent way of living,” she protested
+hysterically. “I can make thousands of dollars tonight,” she cried, “out
+of this one.”
+
+Winthrop looked straight into her eyes. His own were pleading, full of
+tenderness and pity; so eloquent with meaning that those of the girl
+fell before them.
+
+“That is no answer,” said the man. “You know it’s not. I tell you--you
+will fail.”
+
+From the hall Judge Gaylor entered noisily. Instinctively the man
+and girl moved nearer together, and upon the intruder Winthrop turned
+angrily.
+
+“Well?” he demanded sharply. “I thought you had finished your talk,”
+ protested the Judge. “Mr. Hallowell is anxious to begin.”
+
+Winthrop turned and looked at Vera steadily. For an instant the eyes of
+the girl faltered, and then she returned his glance with one as resolute
+as his own. As though accepting her verdict as final, Winthrop walked
+quickly to the door. “I shall be downstairs,” he said, “when this is
+over, let me know.”
+
+Gaylor struggled to conceal his surprise and satisfaction. “You won’t be
+here for the seance?” he exclaimed.
+
+“Certainly not,” cried Winthrop. “I--” He broke off suddenly. Without
+again looking toward Vera, or trying to hide his displeasure, he left
+the room.
+
+Gaylor turned to the girl. He was smiling with relief.
+
+“Excellent!” he muttered. “Excellent! What was he saying to you,” he
+asked eagerly, “as I came in--that you would fail?”
+
+The girl moved past him to the door. “Yes,” she answered dully.
+
+“But you will not!” cried the man. “We’re all counting on you, you know.
+Destroy the old will. Sign the new will,” he quoted. He came close to
+her and whispered. “That means thousands of dollars to you and Vance,”
+ he urged.
+
+The girl turned and regarded him with unhappy, angry eyes.
+
+“You need not be frightened,” she answered. For the man before her and
+for herself, her voice was bitter with contempt and self-accusation.
+“Mr. Winthrop is mistaken. He does not know me,” she said miserably. “I
+shall not fail.”
+
+For a moment, after she had left him, Gaylor stood motionless, his eyes
+filled with concern, and then, with a shrug, as though accepting either
+good or evil fortune, he called from the bedroom Mr. Hallowell, and,
+from the floor below, the guests of Hallowell and of Vance.
+
+As Hallowell, supported by Rainey, sank into the invalid’s chair in the
+centre of the semicircle, Gaylor made his final appeal.
+
+“Stephen,” he begged, “are you sure you’re feeling strong enough? Won’t
+some other night--” The old man interrupted him querulously.
+
+“No, now! I want it over,” he commanded. “Who knows,” he complained,
+“how soon it may be before--”
+
+The sight of Mannie entering the room with Vance caused him to interrupt
+himself abruptly. He greeted the showman with a curt nod.
+
+“And who is this?” he demanded. Mannie, to whom a living millionaire
+was much more of a disturbing spectacle than the ghost of Alexander the
+Great, retreated hastily behind Vance.
+
+“He is my assistant,” Vance explained. “He furnishes the music.” He
+pushed Mannie toward the organ.
+
+“Music!” growled Hallowell. “Must there be music?”
+
+“It is indispensable,” protested Vance. “Music, sir, is one of the
+strongest psychic influences. It--”
+
+“Nonsense!” cried Hallowell.
+
+“Tricks,” he muttered, “tricks!”
+
+Vance shrugged his shoulders, and smiled in deprecation. “I am sorry to
+find you in a skeptical mood, Mr. Hallowell,” he murmured reprovingly
+“It will hardly help to produce good results. Allow me,” he begged, “to
+present two true believers.”
+
+With a wave of the hand he beckoned forward a stout, gray-haired woman
+with bulging, near-sighted eyes that rolled meaninglessly behind heavy
+gold spectacles.
+
+“Mrs. Marsh of Lynn, Massachusetts,” proclaimed Vance, “of whom you have
+heard. Mrs. Marsh,” he added, “is probably the first medium in America.
+The results she has obtained are quite wonderful. She alone foretold the
+San Francisco earthquake, and the run on the Long Acre Square Bank.”
+
+“I am glad to know you,” said Mr. Hallowell. “Pardon my not rising.”
+
+The old lady curtsied obsequiously.
+
+“Oh, certainly, Mr. Hallowell,” she protested. “Mr. Hallowell,” she went
+on, rolling the name delightedly on her tongue, “I need not tell you
+how greatly we spiritualists rejoice over your joining the ranks of the
+believers.”
+
+Hallowell nodded. He was not altogether unimpressed. “Thanks,” he
+commented dryly. “But I am not quite there yet, madam.”
+
+“We hope,” said Vance sententiously, “to convince Mr. Hallowell
+tonight.”
+
+“And I am sure, Mr. Hallowell,” cried the old lady, “if any one can do
+it, little Miss Vera can. Hers is a wonderful gift, sir, a wonderful
+gift!”
+
+“I am glad to hear you say so,” returned Hallowell.
+
+He nodded to her in dismissal, and turned to the next visitor. “And this
+gentleman?” he asked.
+
+“Professor Strombergk,” announced Vance, “the distinguished writer on
+psychic and occult subjects, editor of The World Beyond.”
+
+A tall, full-bearded German, in a too-short frock coat, bowed awkwardly.
+Upon him, as upon Mannie, had fallen the spell of the Hallowell fortune.
+He, who chatted familiarly with departed popes and emperors, who daily
+was in communication with Goethe, Caesar, and Epictetus, thrilled with
+embarrassment before the man who had made millions from a coupling pin.
+
+“And Helen!” Mr. Hallowell cried, as Miss Coates followed the Professor.
+“That is all, is it not?” he asked.
+
+Miss Coates moved aside to disclose the person of the reporter from the
+Republic, Homer Lee.
+
+“I have taken you at your word, uncle,” she said, “and have brought
+a friend with me.” In some trepidation she added; “He is Mr. Lee, a
+reporter from the Republic.”
+
+“A reporter!” exclaimed Mr. Hallowell. Disturbed and yet amused at the
+audacity of his niece, he shook his head reprovingly. “I don’t think I
+meant reporters,” he remonstrated.
+
+“You said in your note,” returned his niece, “that as I had so much
+at stake, I could bring any one I pleased, and the less he believed in
+spiritualism, the better. Mr. Lee,” she added dryly, “believes even less
+than I do.”
+
+“Then it will be all the more of a triumph, if we convince him,”
+ declared Hallowell. “Understand, young man,” he proclaimed loudly, “I am
+not a spiritualist. I am merely conducting an investigation. I want the
+truth. If you, or my niece, detect any fraud tonight, I want to
+know it.” Including in his speech the others in the room, he glared
+suspiciously in turn at each. “Keep your eyes open,” he ordered, “you
+will be serving me quite as much as you will Miss Coates.”
+
+Miss Coates and Lee thanked him and, recognizing themselves as the
+opposition and in the minority, withdrew for consultation into a corner
+of the bay window.
+
+Vance approached Mr. Hallowell.
+
+“If you are ready,” he said, “we will examine the cabinet. Shall I wheel
+it over here, or will you look at it where it is?”
+
+“If it is to be in that corner during the seance,” declared Mr.
+Hallowell, “I’ll look at it where it is.”
+
+As he struggled from his chair, he turned to Mrs. Marsh, and nodded
+his head knowingly. “You see, Mrs. Marsh,” he said, “I am taking no
+chances.”
+
+“That is quite right, Mr. Hallowell,” purred the old lady. “If there
+be any doubt in your mind, you must get rid of it, or we will have no
+results.”
+
+With a dramatic gesture, Vance swept aside from the opening in the
+cabinet the black velvet curtain. “It’s a simple affair,” he said
+indifferently. “As you see, it’s open at the top and bottom. The medium
+sits inside on that chair, bound hand and foot.”
+
+In turn, Mr. Hallowell, Mrs. Marsh, Gaylor, Rainey, Professor Strombergk
+entered the cabinet. With their knuckles they beat upon its sides. They
+moved it to and fro. They dropped to their knees, and with their fingers
+tugged at the carpet upon which it stood.
+
+Under cover of their questions, in the corner of the bay window, Miss
+Coates whispered to Lee; “Don’t look now,” she warned, “but later, you
+will see on the left of that door the switch that throws on the lights.
+When I am sure she is outside the cabinet, when she has told him not to
+give the money to me, I’ll cry now! and whichever one of us is seated
+nearer the switch will turn on all the lights. I think,” Miss Coates
+added with, in her voice, a thrill of triumph not altogether free from a
+touch of vindictiveness, “when my uncle sees her caught in the middle of
+the room, disguised as his sister--we will have cured him.”
+
+“It may be,” said the man.
+
+The possibility of success as Miss Coates pointed it out did not appear
+to stir in him any great delight. He glanced unwillingly over his
+shoulder. “I see the switch,” he said.
+
+Leaning on the arm of Gaylor, Mr. Hallowell returned from the cabinet
+to his chair. What he had seen apparently strengthened his faith and, in
+like degree, inspired him to greater enthusiasm.
+
+“Well,” he exclaimed, “there are no trapdoors or false bottoms about
+that! If they can project a spirit from that sentry box, it will be
+a miracle. For whom are we waiting?” he asked impatiently. “Where is
+Winthrop?”
+
+Judge Gaylor explained that Winthrop preferred to wait downstairs, and
+that he had said he would remain there until the seance was finished.
+
+“Afraid of compromising his position,” commented the old man. “I’m
+sorry. I’d like to have him here.” He motioned Gaylor to bend nearer.
+In a voice that trembled with eagerness and excitement, he whispered:
+“Henry, I have a feeling that we are going to witness a remarkable
+phenomenon.”
+
+Gaylor’s countenance grew preternaturally grave. He nodded heavily.
+
+“I have the same feeling, Stephen,” he returned.
+
+Vance raised his hand to command silence.
+
+“Every one,” he called, “except the committee, who are to bind and tie
+the medium, will take the place I give him, and remain in it. Mr. Day
+will please acquaint Miss Vera and Mrs. Vance with the fact that we are
+ready.”
+
+Up to this point Vance had appeared only as a stage manager. He had
+been concerned with his groupings, his lights, in assigning to his
+confederates the parts they were to play. Now that the curtain was
+to rise, as an actor puts on a wig and grease paint, Vance assumed a
+certain voice and manner. On the stage the critics would have called him
+a convincing actor. He made his audience believe what he believed. He
+knew the eloquence of a pause, the value of a surprised, unintelligible
+exclamation. One moment he was as professionally solemn as a “funeral
+director;” the next, his voice, his whole frame, would shake with
+excitement, in an outburst of fanatic fervor. As it pleased him he
+could play Hamlet, tenderly shocked at the sight of his dead father, or
+Macbeth, retreating in horror before the ghost of Banquo. For the moment
+his manner was that of the undertaker.
+
+“Now, Mr. Hallowell,” he said hoarsely, “please to name those you wish
+to serve on the committee.”
+
+Mr. Hallowell waved his arm to include every one in the room.
+
+“Everybody will serve on the committee,” he declared. “Everything is to
+be open and above-board. The whole city is welcome on the committee. I
+want this to be above suspicion.”
+
+“That is my wish, also, sir,” said Vance stiffly. “But a committee of
+more than three is unwieldy. Suppose you name two gentlemen and I one?
+Or,” he shrugged his shoulders, “you can name all three.”
+
+After a moment of consideration Mr. Hallowell pointed at Lee. “I choose
+Mr.--that young man,” he announced, “and Judge Gaylor.”
+
+“I would much rather not, Stephen,” Judge Gaylor whispered.
+
+“I know, Henry,” answered the other. “But I ask it of you. It will give
+me confidence.” He turned to Vance. “You select some one,” he commanded.
+
+With a bow, Vance designated the tall German.
+
+“Will Professor Strombergk be acceptable?” he asked. Mr. Hallowell
+nodded.
+
+“Then, the three gentlemen chosen will please come to the cabinet.”
+
+Vance, his manner now that of a master of ceremonies, assigned to each
+person the seat he or she was to occupy. Miss Coates with satisfaction
+noted that only Mrs. Vance separated Lee from the electric switch.
+
+“I must ask you,” said Vance, “to keep the sears I have assigned to you.
+With us tonight are both favorable and unfavorable influences. And
+what I have tried to do in placing you, is to obtain the best psychic
+results.” He moved to the door and looked into the hall, then turned,
+and with uplifted arm silently demanded attention.
+
+“Miss Vera,” he announced. Followed closely, like respectful courtiers,
+by Mannie and Mrs. Vance, Vera appeared in the doorway, walked a few
+feet into the room, and stood motionless. As though already in a trance,
+she moved slowly, without volition, like a somnambulist. Her head was
+held high, but her eyes were dull and unseeing. Her arms hung limply.
+She wore an evening gown of soft black stuff, that clung to her like
+a lace shawl, and which left her throat and arms bare. In spite of the
+clash of interests, of antagonism, of mutual distrust, there was no
+one present to whom the sight of the young girl did not bring an uneasy
+thrill. The nature of the thing she proposed to do, contrasted with
+the loveliness of her face, which seemed to mock at the possibility
+of deceit; something in her rapt, distant gaze, in the dignity of her
+uplifted head, in her air of complete detachment from her surroundings,
+caused even the most skeptical to question if she might not possess
+the power she claimed, to feel for a moment the approach of the
+supernatural.
+
+The voices of the committee, consulting together, dropped suddenly to a
+whisper; the others were instantly silent.
+
+In his arms Mannie carried silken scarfs, cords, and ropes. In each hand
+he held a teacup. One contained flour, the other shot. Vance took these
+from him, and Mannie hurriedly slipped into his chair in front of the
+organ.
+
+“Gentlemen,” explained Vance, “you will use these ropes and scarfs
+to tie the medium. Also, as a further precaution against the least
+suspicion of fraud, we will subject her to the most severe test known.
+In one hand she will hold this flour; the other will be filled with
+shot. This will make it impossible for her to tamper with the ropes.”
+
+He gave the two cups to Gaylor, and turned to Vera.
+
+“Are you ready?” he asked. After a pause, the girl slightly inclined
+her head. Lee, with one of the scarfs in his hand, approached her
+diffidently. He looked unhappily at the slight, girlish figure, at the
+fair white arms. In his embarrassment he appealed to Vance.
+
+“How would you suggest?” he asked.
+
+Vance, apparently shocked, hastily drew away. “That would be most
+irregular,” he protested.
+
+Apologetically Lee turned to the girl.
+
+“Would you mind putting your arms behind you?” he asked. He laced the
+scarf around her arms, and drew it tightly to her wrists.
+
+“Tell me if I hurt you,” he murmured, but the girl made no answer. To
+what was going forward she appeared as unmindful as though she were an
+artist’s manikin.
+
+“Will you take these now?” asked Gaylor, and into her open palms he
+poured the flour and shot. “And, now,” continued Lee, “will you go into
+the cabinet?” As she seated herself, he knelt in front of her and bound
+her ankles. From behind her Strombergk deftly wound the ropes about her
+body and through the rungs and back of the chair.
+
+“Would you mind seeing if you can withdraw your arms?” Lee asked. The
+girl raised her shoulders, struggled to free her hands, and tried to
+rise. But the efforts were futile.
+
+“Are the gentlemen satisfied?” demanded Vance. The three men, who
+had shown but little heart in the work, and who were now red and
+embarrassed, hastily answered in the affirmative.
+
+“If you are satisfied the ropes are securely fastened,” Vance continued,
+“you will take your seats.” Professor Strombergk, as he moved to his
+chair, announced in devout, solemn tones; “Nothing but spirit hands can
+move those ropes now.”
+
+From the organ rose softly the prelude to a Moody and Sankey hymn, and,
+in keeping with the music, the voice of Vance sank to a low tone.
+
+“We will now,” he said, “establish the magnetic chain. Each person will
+take with his right hand the left wrist of the person on his or her
+right.” He paused while this order was being carried into effect.
+
+“Before I turn out the lights,” he continued, “I wish to say a last word
+to any skeptic who may be present. I warn him that any attempt to lay
+violent hands upon the apparition, or spirit, may cost the medium her
+life. From the cabinet the medium projects the spirit into the circle.
+An attack upon the spirit, is an attack upon the medium. There are three
+or four well-authenticated cases where the disembodied spirit was cut
+off from the cabinet, and the medium died.”
+
+He drew the velvet curtains across the cabinet, and shut Vera from
+view. “Are you ready, Mr. Hallowell?” he asked. Mr. Hallowell, his eyes
+staring, his lips parted, nodded his head. The music grew louder. Vance
+switched off the lights.
+
+For some minutes, except for the creaking of the pedals of the organ and
+the low throb of the music, there was no sound. Then, from his position
+at the open door, the voice of Vance commanded sternly: “No whispering,
+please. The medium is susceptible to the least sound.” There was another
+longer pause, until in hushed expectant tones Vance spoke again. “The
+air is very heavily charged with electricity tonight,” he said, “you,
+Mrs. Marsh, should feel that?”
+
+“I do, Professor,” murmured the medium, “I do. We shall have some
+wonderful results!”
+
+Vance agreed with her solemnly. “I feel influences all about me,” he
+murmured.
+
+There came suddenly from the cabinet three sharp raps. These were
+instantly answered by other quick rappings upon the library table.
+“They are beginning!” chanted the voice of Vance. The music of the organ
+ceased. It was at once followed by the notes of a guitar that seemed to
+float in space, the strings vibrating, not as though touched by human
+hands, but in fitful, meaningless chords like those of an Aeolian harp.
+
+“That is Kiowa, your control, Mrs. Marsh,” announced Vance eagerly. “Do
+you desire to speak to him?”
+
+“Not tonight,” Mrs. Marsh answered. She raised her voice. “Not tonight,
+Kiowa,” she repeated. “Thank you for coming. Good night.”
+
+In deep, guttural accents, a man’s voice came from the ceiling. “Good
+night,” it called. With a final, ringing wail, the music of the guitar
+suddenly ceased.
+
+Again rose the swelling low notes of the organ. Above it came the quick
+pattering of footsteps.
+
+The voice of Rainey, filled with alarm, cried, “some one touched me!”
+
+“Are you sure your hands are held?” demanded Vance reprovingly.
+
+“Yes,” panted Rainey, “both of them. But something put its hand on my
+forehead. It was cold.”
+
+In an excited whisper, a voice in the circle cried, “Look, look!” and
+before the eyes of all, a star rose in the darkness. For a moment it
+wavered over the cabinet and then fluttered swiftly across the room and
+remained stationary above the head of the German Professor.
+
+“There is your star, Professor,” cried Vance. “When the Professor is in
+the circle,” he announced proudly, “that star always appears.”
+
+He was interrupted by a startled exclamation from Lee.
+
+“Something touched my face,” explained the young man apologetically,
+“and spoke to me.”
+
+The music sank to a murmur, and the room became alive with swift,
+rushing sounds and soft whisperings.
+
+The voice of Mrs. Marsh, low and eager, could be heard appealing to an
+invisible presence.
+
+“The results are marvelous,” chanted Vance, “marvelous! The medium is
+showing wonderful power. If any one desires to ask a question, he should
+do so now. The conditions will never be better.” He paused expectantly.
+“Mr. Hallowell,” he prompted, “is it your wish to communicate with any
+one in the spirit world?”
+
+There was a long pause, and then the voice of Mr. Hallowell, harsh and
+shaken, answered, “Yes.”
+
+“With whom?” demanded Vance.
+
+There was again another longer pause, and then, above the confusion of
+soft whisperings, the voice of the old man rose in sharp staccato; “My
+sister, Catherine Coates.” His tone hardened, became obdurate, final.
+“But, I must see her, and hear her speak!”
+
+Not for an instant did Vance hesitate. In tense, sepulchral tones, he
+demanded of the darkness, “Is the spirit of Catherine Coates present?”
+
+The whisperings and murmurs ceased. The silence of the room was broken
+sharply by three quick raps. “Yes,” intoned Vance, “she is present.”
+
+The voice of Hallowell protested fiercely. “I won’t have that! I want to
+see her!”
+
+In the tone of an incantation, Vance spoke again. “Will the spirit show
+herself to her brother?” The raps came quickly, firmly.
+
+“She answers she will appear before you.”
+
+There was a moment that seemed to stretch interminably, and then, the
+eyes of all, straining in the darkness, saw against the black velvet
+curtain a splash of white.
+
+Above the sobbing of the organ, the voice of Mr. Hallowell rang out in
+a sharp exclamation of terror. “Who is that!” he demanded. He spoke as
+though he dreaded the answer. He threw himself forward in his chair,
+peering into the darkness.
+
+“Is that you, Kate?” he whispered. His voice was both incredulous and
+pleading.
+
+The answer came in feeble, trembling tones. “Yes.”
+
+The voice of Hallowell shook with eagerness. “Do you know me, your
+brother, Stephen?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+With a cry the old man fell back, groping blindly. He found Gaylor’s arm
+and clutched it with both hands.
+
+“My God! It’s Kate!” he gasped. “I tell you, Henry, it is Kate!”
+
+The voice of Vance, deep and hollow like a bell, sounded a note of
+warning. “Speak quickly,” he commanded. “Her time on earth is brief.”
+ Mr. Hallowell’s hold upon the arm of his friend relaxed. Fearfully and
+slowly, he bent forward.
+
+“Kate!” he pleaded; “I must ask you a question. No one else can tell
+me.” As though gathering courage, he paused, and, with a frightened
+sigh, again began. “I am an old man,” he murmured, “a sick man. I will
+be joining you very soon, what am I to do with my money? I have made
+great plans to give it to the poor. Or, must I give it, as I have given
+it in my will, to Helen? Perhaps I did not act fairly to you and Helen.
+You know what I mean. She would be rich, but then the poor would be
+that much the poorer.” The confidence of the speaker was increasing; as
+though to a living being, he argued and pleaded. “And I want to do some
+good before I go. What shall I do? Tell me.”
+
+There was a pause that lasted so long that those who had held their
+breath to listen, again breathed deeply. When the answer came, it was
+strangely deprecatory, uncertain, unassured.
+
+“You,” stammered the voice, “you must have courage to do what you know
+to be just!”
+
+For a brief moment, as though surprised, Mr. Hallowell apparently
+considered this, and then gave an exclamation of disappointment and
+distress.
+
+“But I don’t know,” he protested, “that is why I called on you. I want
+to go into the next world, Kate,” he pleaded, “with clean hands!”
+
+“You cannot bribe your way into the next world,” intoned the voice. “If
+you pity the poor, you must help the poor, not that you may cheat your
+way into heaven, but that they may suffer less. Search your conscience.
+Have the courage of your conscience.”
+
+“I don’t want to consult my conscience,” cried the old man. “I want you
+to tell me.” He paused, hesitating. Eager to press his question, his awe
+of the apparition still restrained him.
+
+“What do you mean, Kate?” he begged. “Am I to give the money where it
+will do the most good--to the Hallowell Institute, or am I to give it to
+Helen? Which am I to do?”
+
+There was another long silence, and then the voice stammered; “If--if
+you have wronged me, or my daughter, or the poor, you must make
+restitution.”
+
+The hand of the old man was heard to fall heavily upon the arm of his
+chair. His voice rose unhappily.
+
+“That is no answer, Kate!” he cried. “Did you come from the dead to
+preach to me? Tell me--what am I to do--leave my money to Helen, or to
+the Institute?”
+
+The cry of the old man vibrated in the air. No voice rose to answer.
+“Kate!” he entreated. Still there was silence. “Speak to me!” he
+commanded. The silence became eloquent with momentous possibilities. So
+long did it endure, that the pain of the suspense was actual. The voice
+of Rainey, choked and hoarse with fear, broke it with an exclamation
+that held the sound of an oath. He muttered thickly, “What in the name
+of--”
+
+He was hushed by a swift chorus of hisses. The voice of Hallowell was
+again uplifted.
+
+“Why won’t she answer me?” he begged hysterically of Vance. “Can’t
+you--can’t the medium make her speak?”
+
+During the last few moments the music from the organ had come brokenly.
+The hands upon the keys moved unsteadily, drunkenly. Now they halted
+altogether and in the middle of a chord the music sank and died. Upon
+the now absolute silence the voice of Vance, when he spoke, sounded
+strangely unfamiliar. It had lost the priest-like intonation. Its
+confidence had departed. It showed bewilderment and alarm.
+
+“I--I don’t understand,” stammered the showman. “Ask her again. Put your
+question differently.”
+
+Carefully, slowly, giving each word its value, Mr. Hallowell raised his
+voice in entreaty.
+
+“Kate,” he cried, “I have made a new will, leaving the money to the
+poor. The old will gives it to Helen. Shall I sign the new will or not?
+Shall I give the money to Helen, or the Institute? Answer me! Yes or
+no.”
+
+Before the eyes of all, the apparition, as though retreating to the
+cabinet, swayed backward, then staggered forward. There was a sob,
+human, heart-broken, a cry, thrilling with distress; a tumult of
+weeping, fierce and uncontrollable.
+
+They saw the figure tear away the white kerchief and cap, and trample
+them upon the floor. They saw the figure hold itself erect. From it, the
+voice of Vera cried aloud, in despair.
+
+“I can’t! I can’t!” she sobbed. “It’s a lie! I am not your sister! Turn
+on the lights,” the girl cried. “Turn on the lights!”
+
+There was a crash of upturned chairs, the sound of men struggling, and
+the room was swept with light. In the doorway Winthrop was holding apart
+Vance and the reporter.
+
+In the centre of the room stood Vera, her head bent in shame, her body
+shaken and trembling, her hair streaming to her waist.
+
+As though to punish herself, by putting a climax to her humiliation, she
+held out her arms to Helen Coates. “You see,” she cried, “I am a cheat.
+I am a fraud!” She sank suddenly to her knees in front of Mr. Hallowell.
+“Forgive me,” she sobbed, “forgive me!”
+
+With a cry of angry protest, Winthrop ran to her and lifted her to her
+feet. His eyes were filled with pity. But in the eyes of Mr. Hallowell
+there was no promise of pardon. With sudden strength he struggled to his
+feet and stood swaying, challenging those before him. His face was white
+with anger, his jaw closed against mercy.
+
+“You’ve lied to me!” he cried. “You’ve tried to rob me!” He swept the
+room with his eyes. With a flash of intuition, he saw the trap they had
+laid for him. “All of you!” he screamed. “It’s a plot!” He shook his
+fist at the weeping girl. “And you!” he shouted hysterically, “the law
+shall punish you!”
+
+Winthrop drew the girl to him and put his arm about her.
+
+“I’ll do the punishing here,” he said.
+
+With a glad, welcoming cry, the old man turned to him appealingly,
+wildly.
+
+“Yes, you!” he shouted, “you punish them! She plotted to get my money.”
+
+The girl at Winthrop’s side shivered, and shrank from him. He drew her
+back roughly and held her close. The sobs that shook her tore at his
+heart; the touch of the sinking, trembling body in his arms filled him
+with fierce, jubilant thoughts of keeping the girl there always, of
+giving battle for her, of sheltering her against the world. In what she
+had done he saw only a sacrifice. In her he beheld only a penitent, who
+was self-accused and self-convicted.
+
+He heard the voice of the old man screaming vindictively, “She plotted
+to get my money!”
+
+Winthrop turned upon him savagely.
+
+“How did she plot to get it?” he retorted fiercely. “You know, and I
+know. I know how your lawyer, your doctor, your servant plotted to get
+it!” His voice rose and rang with indignation. “You all plotted, and you
+all schemed--and to what end--what was the result?”--he held before them
+the fainting figure of the girl--“That one poor child could prove she
+was honest!”
+
+With his arms still about her, and her hands clinging to him, he moved
+with her quickly to the door. When they had reached the silence of the
+hall, he took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. “Now,” he
+commanded, “you shall come to my sisters!”
+
+The waiting car carried them swiftly up the avenue. Their way lay
+through the park, and the warm, mid-summer air was heavy with the odor
+of plants and shrubs. Above them the trees drooped deep with leaves.
+Vera, crouched in a corner, had not spoken. Her eyes were hidden in
+her hands. But when they had entered the silent reaches of the park she
+lowered them and the face she lifted to Winthrop was pale and wet with
+tears. The man thought never before had he seen it more lovely or more
+lovable. Vera shook her head dumbly and looked up at him with a troubled
+smile.
+
+“I told you,” she murmured remorsefully, “you’d be sorry.”
+
+“We don’t know that yet,” said Winthrop gently, “we’ll have all the rest
+of our lives to find that out.”
+
+Startled, the girl drew back. In her face was wonder, amazement, a
+dawning happiness.
+
+Without speaking, Winthrop looked at her, entreatingly, pitifully,
+beseeching her with his eyes.
+
+Slowly the girl bent forward and, as he threw out his arms, with a
+little sigh of rest and content she crept into them and pressed her face
+to his.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Richard Harding Davis
+
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diff --git a/1843-0.zip b/1843-0.zip
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+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+
+<!DOCTYPE html
+   PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+   "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" >
+
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <title>
+      Vera, the Medium, by Richard Harding Davis
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve">
+
+    body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify}
+    P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; }
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; }
+    hr  { width: 50%; text-align: center;}
+    .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; }
+    blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;}
+    .mynote    {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;}
+    .toc       { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;}
+    .toc2      { margin-left: 20%;}
+    div.fig    { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; }
+    div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; }
+    .figleft   {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;}
+    .figright  {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;}
+    .pagenum   {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal;
+               margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%;
+               text-align: right;}
+    pre        { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;}
+
+</style>
+  </head>
+  <body>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Richard Harding Davis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Vera
+       The Medium
+
+Author: Richard Harding Davis
+
+Release Date: November 23, 2008 [EBook #1843]
+Last Updated: September 26, 2016
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VERA ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeetender B. Chandna, and David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+    <p>
+      <br /><br />
+    </p>
+    <h1>
+      VERA,
+    </h1>
+    <h2>
+      THE MEDIUM
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      <br />
+    </p>
+    <h2>
+      By Richard Harding Davis
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <hr />
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <h3>
+      Contents
+    </h3>
+    <table summary="" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto">
+      <tr>
+        <td>
+          <p class="toc">
+            <a href="#link2H_PART1"> Part I </a>
+          </p>
+          <p class="toc">
+            <a href="#link2H_PART2"> Part II </a>
+          </p>
+          <p class="toc">
+            <a href="#link2H_PART3"> Part III </a>
+          </p>
+        </td>
+      </tr>
+    </table>
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br />
+    </p>
+    <hr />
+    <p>
+      <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_PART1" id="link2H_PART1">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      Part I
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      Happy in the hope that the news was &ldquo;exclusive&rdquo;, the Despatch had thrown
+      the name of Stephen Hallowell, his portrait, a picture of his house, and
+      the words, &ldquo;At Point of Death!&rdquo; across three columns. The announcement was
+      heavy, lachrymose, bristling with the melancholy self-importance of the
+      man who &ldquo;saw the deceased, just two minutes before the train hit him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      But the effect of the news fell short of the effort. Save that city
+      editors were irritated that the presidents of certain railroads figured
+      hastily on slips of paper, the fact that an old man and his millions would
+      soon be parted, left New York undisturbed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In the early 80&rsquo;s this would not have been so. Then, in the uplifting of
+      the far West, Stephen Hallowell was a national figure, in the manoeuvres
+      of the Eastern stock market an active, alert power. In those days, when a
+      man with a few millions was still listed as rich, his fortune was
+      considered colossal.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      A patent coupling-pin, the invention of his brother-in-law, had given him
+      his start, and, in introducing it, and in his efforts to force it upon the
+      new railroads of the West, he had obtained a knowledge of their affairs.
+      From that knowledge came his wealth. That was twenty years ago. Since then
+      giants had arisen in the land; men whose wealth made the fortune of
+      Stephen Hallowell appear a comfortable competence, his schemes and
+      stratagems, which, in their day, had bewildered Wall Street, as simple as
+      the trading across the counter of a cross-roads store. For years he had
+      been out of it. He had lost count. Disuse and ill health had rendered his
+      mind feeble, made him at times suspicious, at times childishly credulous.
+      Without friends, along with his physician and the butler, who was also his
+      nurse, he lived in the house that in 76, in a burst of vanity, he had
+      built on Fifth Avenue. Then the house was a &ldquo;mansion,&rdquo; and its front of
+      brown sandstone the outward sign of wealth and fashion. Now, on one side,
+      it rubbed shoulders with the shop of a man milliner, and across the street
+      the houses had been torn down and replaced by a department store. Now,
+      instead of a sombre jail-like facade, his outlook was a row of waxen
+      ladies, who, before each change of season, appeared in new and gorgeous
+      raiment, and, across the avenue, for his approval, smiled continually.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is time you moved, Stephen,&rdquo; urged his friend and lawyer, Judge Henry
+      Gaylor. &ldquo;I can get you twice as much for this lot as you paid for both it
+      and the house.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      But Mr. Hallowell always shook his head. &ldquo;Where would I go, Henry?&rdquo; he
+      would ask. &ldquo;What would I do with the money? No, I will live in this house
+      until I am carried out of it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With distaste, the irritated city editors &ldquo;followed up&rdquo; the three-column
+      story of the Despatch.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Find out if there&rsquo;s any truth in that,&rdquo; they commanded. &ldquo;The old man
+      won&rsquo;t see you, but get a talk out of Rainey. And see Judge Gaylor. He&rsquo;s
+      close to Hallowell. Find out from him if that story didn&rsquo;t start as a bear
+      yarn in Wall Street.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      So, when Walsh of the Despatch was conducted by Garrett, the butler of Mr.
+      Hallowell, upstairs to that gentlemen&rsquo;s library, he found a group of
+      reporters already entrenched. At the door that opened from the library to
+      the bedroom, the butler paused. &ldquo;What paper shall I say?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Despatch,&rdquo; Walsh told him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The servant turned quickly and stared at Walsh.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He appeared the typical butler, an Englishman of over forty, heavily
+      built, soft-moving, with ruddy, smooth-shaven cheeks and prematurely gray
+      hair. But now from his face the look of perfunctory politeness had fallen;
+      the subdued voice had changed to a snarl that carried with it the accents
+      of the Tenderloin.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So, you&rsquo;re the one, are you?&rdquo; the man muttered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment he stood scowling; insolent, almost threatening, and then,
+      once more, the servant opened the door and noiselessly closed it behind
+      him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The transition had been so abrupt, the revelation so unexpected, that the
+      men laughed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t blame him!&rdquo; said young Irving. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t find a single fact in
+      the whole story. How&rsquo;d your people get it&mdash;pretty straight?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Seemed straight to us,&rdquo; said Walsh.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, you didn&rsquo;t handle it that way,&rdquo; returned the other. &ldquo;Why didn&rsquo;t you
+      quote Rainey or Gaylor? It seems to me if a man&rsquo;s on the point of death&rdquo;&mdash;he
+      lowered his voice and glanced toward the closed door&mdash;&ldquo;that his
+      private doctor and his lawyer might know something about it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Standing alone with his back to the window was a reporter who had greeted
+      no one and to whom no one had spoken.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Had he held himself erect he would have been tall, but he stood slouching
+      lazily, his shoulders bent, his hands in his pockets. When he spoke his
+      voice was in keeping with the indolence of his bearing. It was soft,
+      hesitating, carrying with it the courteous deference of the South. Only
+      his eyes showed that to what was going forward he was alert and attentive.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is Dr. Rainey Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s family doctor?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Irving surveyed him in amused superiority.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He is!&rdquo; he answered. &ldquo;You been long in New York?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Upon the stranger the sarcasm was lost, or he chose to ignore it, for he
+      answered simply, &ldquo;No, I&rsquo;m a New Orleans boy. I&rsquo;ve just been taken on the
+      Republic.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Welcome to our city,&rdquo; said Irving. &ldquo;What do you think of our Main
+      Street?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      From the hall a tall portly man entered the room with the assurance of one
+      much at home here and, with an exclamation, Irving fell upon him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good morning, Judge,&rdquo; he called. He waved at him the clipping from the
+      Despatch. &ldquo;Have you seen this?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor accepted the slip of paper gingerly, and in turn moved his
+      fine head pompously toward each of the young men. Most of them were known
+      to him, but for the moment he preferred to appear too deeply concerned to
+      greet them. With an expression of shocked indignation, he recognized only
+      Walsh.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, I have seen it,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and there is not a word of truth in it!
+      Mr. Walsh, I am surprised! You, of all people!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We got it on very good authority,&rdquo; said the reporter.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But why not call me up and get the facts?&rdquo; demanded the Judge. &ldquo;I was
+      here until twelve o&rsquo;clock, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Here!&rdquo; interrupted Irving. &ldquo;Then he did have a collapse?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor swung upon his heel.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Certainly not,&rdquo; he retorted angrily. &ldquo;I was here on business, and I have
+      never known his mind more capable, more alert.&rdquo; He lifted his hands with
+      an enthusiastic gesture. &ldquo;I wish you could have seen him!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; urged Irving, &ldquo;how about our seeing him now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment Judge Gaylor permitted his annoyance to appear, but he at
+      once recovered and, murmuring cheerfully, &ldquo;Certainly, certainly; I&rsquo;ll try
+      to arrange it,&rdquo; turned to the butler who had re-entered the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Garett,&rdquo; he inquired, &ldquo;is Mr. Hallowell awake yet?&rdquo; As he asked the
+      question his eyebrows rose; with an almost imperceptible shake of the head
+      he signaled for an answer in the negative.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, there you are!&rdquo; the Judge exclaimed heartily. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wake him,
+      even to oblige you. In a word, gentlemen, Stephen Hallowell has never been
+      in better health, mentally and bodily. You can say that from me&mdash;and
+      that&rsquo;s all there is to say.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then, we can say,&rdquo; persisted Irving, &ldquo;that you say, that Walsh&rsquo;s story is
+      a fake?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You can say it is not true,&rdquo; corrected Gaylor. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all, gentlemen.&rdquo;
+       The audience was at an end. The young men moved toward the hall and Judge
+      Gaylor turned to the bedroom. As he did so, he found that the new man on
+      the Republic still held his ground.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Could I have a word with you, sir?&rdquo; the stranger asked. The reporters
+      halted jealously. Again Gaylor showed his impatience.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s health?&rdquo; he demanded. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing more to
+      say.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, it&rsquo;s not about his health,&rdquo; ventured the reporter.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, not now. I am very late this morning.&rdquo; The Judge again moved to the
+      bedroom and the reporter, as though accepting the verdict, started to
+      follow the others. As he did so, as though in explanation or as a warning
+      he added: &ldquo;You said to always come to you for the facts.&rdquo; The lawyer
+      halted, hesitated. &ldquo;What facts do you want?&rdquo; he asked. The reporter bowed,
+      and waved his broad felt hat toward the listening men. In polite
+      embarrassment he explained what he had to say could not be spoken in their
+      presence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Something in the manner of the stranger led Judge Gaylor to pause. He
+      directed Garrett to accompany the reporters from the room. Then, with mock
+      politeness, he turned to the one who remained. &ldquo;I take it, you are a new
+      comer in New York journalism. What is your name?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My name is Homer Lee,&rdquo; said the Southerner. &ldquo;I am a New Orleans boy. I&rsquo;ve
+      been only a month in your city. Judge,&rdquo; he began earnestly, but in a voice
+      which still held the drawl of the South, &ldquo;I met a man from home last week
+      on Broadway. He belonged to that spiritualistic school on Carondelet
+      Street. He knows all that&rsquo;s going on in the spook world, and he tells me
+      the ghost raisers have got their hooks into the old man pretty deep. Is
+      that so?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The bewilderment of Judge Gaylor was complete and, without question,
+      genuine.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what you mean,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My informant tells me,&rdquo; continued the reporter, &ldquo;that Mr. Hallowell has
+      embraced&mdash;if that&rsquo;s what you call it&mdash;spiritualism.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor started forward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What!&rdquo; he roared.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Unmoved, the other regarded the Judge keenly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Spiritualism,&rdquo; he repeated, &ldquo;and that a bunch of these mediums have got
+      him so hypnotized he can&rsquo;t call his soul his own, or his money, either. Is
+      that true?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor&rsquo;s outburst was overwhelming. That it was genuine Mr. Lee,
+      observing him closely, was convinced.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of all the outrageous, ridiculous&rdquo;&mdash;the judge halted, gasping for
+      words&mdash;&ldquo;and libelous statements!&rdquo; he went on. &ldquo;If you print that,&rdquo; he
+      thundered, &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell will sue your paper for half a million dollars.
+      Can&rsquo;t you see the damage you would do? Can&rsquo;t your people see that if the
+      idea got about that he was unable to direct his own affairs, that he was
+      in the hands of mediums, it would invalidate everything he does? After his
+      death, every act of his at this time, every paper he had signed, would be
+      suspected, and&mdash;and&rdquo;&mdash;stammered the Judge as his imagination
+      pictured what might follow&mdash;&ldquo;they might even attack his will!&rdquo; He
+      advanced truculently. &ldquo;Do you mean to publish this libel?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Lee moved his shoulders in deprecation. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid we must,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You must!&rdquo; demanded Gaylor. &ldquo;After what I&rsquo;ve told you? Do you think I&rsquo;m
+      lying to you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the reporter; &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you are. Looks more like you
+      didn&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not know? I?&rdquo; Gaylor laughed hysterically. &ldquo;I am his lawyer. I am his
+      best friend! Who will you believe?&rdquo; He stepped to the table and pressed an
+      electric button, and Garrett appeared in the hall. &ldquo;Tell Dr. Rainey I want
+      to see him,&rdquo; Gaylor commanded, &ldquo;and return with him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As they waited, Judge Gaylor paced quickly to and fro. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had to deny
+      some pretty silly stories about Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but of all the
+      absurd, malicious&mdash;There&rsquo;s some enemy back of this; some one in Wall
+      Street is doing this. But I&rsquo;ll find him&mdash;I&rsquo;ll&mdash;&rdquo; he was
+      interrupted by the entrance of the butler and Dr. Rainey, Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s
+      personal physician.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey was a young man with a weak face, and knowing, shifting eyes that
+      blinked behind a pair of eyeglasses. To conceal an indecision of character
+      of which he was quite conscious, he assumed a manner that, according to
+      whom he addressed, was familiar or condescending. At one of the big
+      hospitals he had been an ambulance surgeon and resident physician, later
+      he had started upon a somewhat doubtful career as a medical &ldquo;expert.&rdquo; Only
+      two years had passed since the police and the reporters of the Tenderloin
+      had ceased calling him &ldquo;Doc.&rdquo; In a celebrated criminal case in which
+      Gaylor had acted as chief counsel, he had found Rainey complaisant and
+      apparently totally without the moral sense. And when in Garrett he had
+      discovered for Mr. Hallowell a model servant, he had also urged upon his
+      friend, for his resident physician, his protege Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Still at white heat, the older man began abruptly: &ldquo;This gentleman is from
+      the Republic. He is going to publish a story that Mr. Hallowell has fallen
+      under the influence of mediums, clairvoyants; that everything he does is
+      on advice from the spirit world&mdash;&rdquo; he turned sharply upon Lee. &ldquo;Is
+      that right?&rdquo; The reporter nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You can see the effect of such a story. It would invalidate every act of
+      Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Dr. Rainey laughed offensively.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It might,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but who&rsquo;d believe it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He believes it!&rdquo; cried Gaylor, &ldquo;or he pretends to believe it. Tell him!&rdquo;
+       he commanded. &ldquo;He won&rsquo;t believe me. Does Mr. Hallowell associate with
+      mediums, and spirits&mdash;and spooks?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Again the young doctor laughed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course not!&rdquo; he exclaimed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not worth answering, Judge. You ought
+      to treat it with silent contempt.&rdquo; From behind his glasses he winked at
+      the reporter with a jocular, intimate smile. He was adapting himself to
+      what he imagined was his company. &ldquo;Where did you pick up that pipe dream?&rdquo;
+       he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Without answering, the Southerner regarded him steadily with inquiring,
+      interested eyes. The doctor coughed nervously and turned to Judge Gaylor.
+      In the manner of a cross-examination Gaylor called up his next witness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Garrett, does any one visit Mr. Hallowell without your knowledge?&rdquo; he
+      asked. &ldquo;You may not open the door for him, but you know every one who gets
+      in to see Mr. Hallowell, do you not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Every one, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you admit any mediums, palm-readers, or people of that sort?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Certainly not,&rdquo; returned the butler.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Dr. Rainey,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;would not permit it, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor stamped his foot with impatience.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you admit any one,&rdquo; he demanded, &ldquo;without Dr. Rainey&rsquo;s permission?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, sir!&rdquo; The reply could not have rung with greater emphasis.
+      Triumphantly, Gaylor, with a wave of the hand, as though saying, &ldquo;Take the
+      witness,&rdquo; turned to Lee. &ldquo;There you are,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Now, are you
+      satisfied?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The reporter moved slowly toward the door. &ldquo;I am satisfied,&rdquo; he said,
+      &ldquo;that the man doesn&rsquo;t admit any one without Dr. Rainey&rsquo;s permission.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Indignantly, as though to intercept him, Judge Gaylor stepped forward.
+      Both Rainey and himself spoke together.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What do you mean by that?&rdquo; Rainey demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are you trying to be insolent, sir?&rdquo; cried the Judge.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Lee smiled pleasantly. &ldquo;I had no intention of being insolent,&rdquo; he said.
+      &ldquo;We have the facts&mdash;I only came to give you a chance to explain
+      them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor lost all patience.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What facts?&rdquo; he shouted. &ldquo;What facts? That mediums come here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Lee.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When?&rdquo; Gaylor cried. &ldquo;Tell me that! When?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Lee regarded the older man thoughtfully.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, today is Thursday,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They were here Monday morning, and
+      Tuesday morning&mdash;and&mdash;the one they call Vera&mdash;will be here
+      in half an hour.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining hands.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;See here!&rdquo; he begged. &ldquo;We can fix this!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Fix it?&rdquo; said the reporter. &ldquo;Not with me, you can&rsquo;t.&rdquo; He turned to the
+      door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his
+      heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how
+      tall he was.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Get out of my way,&rdquo; he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee
+      walked into the hall.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a
+      better story than I thought.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The face
+      of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front door closed, he
+      turned and searched the countenance of each of his companions. The butler
+      had dropped into a chair muttering and beating his fist into his open
+      palm.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor&rsquo;s voice was hardly louder than a whisper. &ldquo;Is this true?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at
+      him evilly. &ldquo;Of course it&rsquo;s true,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve let these people see him!&rdquo; cried Gaylor. &ldquo;After I forbade it?
+      After I told you what would happen?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He would see them,&rdquo; Rainey answered hotly. &ldquo;Twas better I chose them than&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The
+      Doctor backed hastily against the library table. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you come near me!&rdquo;
+       he stammered. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you touch me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you&rsquo;ve lied to me!&rdquo; cried Gaylor. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve deceived me. You&mdash;you
+      jailbirds&mdash;you idiots.&rdquo; His voice rose hysterically. &ldquo;And do you
+      think,&rdquo; he demanded fiercely, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll help you now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; said the butler.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned
+      stupidly as though he had not heard aright. &ldquo;What?&rdquo; he asked. From the
+      easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; he repeated. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;ll help us. You never meant to help
+      us. You&rsquo;ve never thought of any one but yourself.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Jim!&rdquo; he protested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t do that!&rdquo; commanded the butler sharply. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told you not to do
+      that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of reproach was
+      still in his voice.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I thought you could understand,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t matter about him.
+      But you! You should have seen what I was doing!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I saw what you were doing,&rdquo; the butler replied. &ldquo;Buying stocks, buying a
+      country place. You didn&rsquo;t wait for him to die. What were we getting?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With returning courage, Rainey nodded vigorously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s right, all right,&rdquo; he protested. &ldquo;What were we getting?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What were you getting?&rdquo; demanded Gaylor, eagerly. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;d only left him
+      to me, till he signed the new will, you&rsquo;d have had everything. It only
+      needs his signature.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; interrupted Garrett contemptuously; &ldquo;that&rsquo;s all it needs.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, he&rsquo;d have signed it!&rdquo; cried Gaylor. &ldquo;But what&rsquo;s it worth now!
+      Nothing! Thanks to you two&mdash;nothing! They&rsquo;ll claim undue influence,
+      they&rsquo;ll claim he signed it under the influence of mediums&mdash;of
+      ghosts.&rdquo; His voice shook with anger and distress. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve ruined me!&rdquo; he
+      cried. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve ruined me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He turned and paced from them, his fingers interlacing, his teeth biting
+      upon his lower lip. The two other men glanced at each other uncomfortably;
+      their silence seemed to assure Gaylor that already they regretted what
+      they had done. He stood over Garrett, and for an instant laid his hand
+      upon his shoulder. His voice now was sane and cold.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve worked three years for this,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And for you, too, Jim. You
+      know that. I&rsquo;ve worked on his vanity, on his fear of death, on his damn
+      superstition. When he talked of restitution, of giving the money to his
+      niece, I asked Why?&rsquo; I said, Leave it for a great monument to your memory.
+      Isn&rsquo;t it better that ten million dollars should be spent in good works in
+      your name than that it should go to a chit of a child to be wasted by some
+      fortune hunter? And&mdash;then&mdash;I evolved the Hallowell Institute,
+      university, hospital, library, all under one roof, all under one
+      direction; and I would have been the director. We should have handled ten
+      millions of dollars! I&rsquo;d have made you both so rich,&rdquo; he cried savagely,
+      &ldquo;that in two years you&rsquo;d have drunk yourselves into a mad-house. And you
+      couldn&rsquo;t trust me! You&rsquo;ve filled this house with fakes and palm-readers.
+      And, now, every one will know just what he is&mdash;a senile, half-witted
+      old man who was clay in my hands, clay in my hands&mdash;and you&rsquo;ve robbed
+      me of him, you&rsquo;ve robbed me of him!&rdquo; His voice, broken with anger and
+      disappointment, rose in an hysterical wail. As though to meet it a bell
+      rang shrilly. Gaylor started and stood with eyes fixed on the door of the
+      bedroom. The three men eyed each other guiltily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The butler was the first to recover. With mask-like face he hastened
+      noiselessly across the room. In his tones of usual authority, Gaylor
+      stopped him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tell Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; he directed, &ldquo;that his niece and District Attorney
+      Winthrop will be here any moment. Ask him if he wishes me to see them, or
+      if he will talk to them himself?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      When the faithful servant had entered the bedroom Gaylor turned to Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When do these mediums come today?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey stared sulkily at the floor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think they&rsquo;re here now&mdash;downstairs,&rdquo; he answered. &ldquo;Garrett
+      generally hides them there till you&rsquo;re out of the house.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; commented Gaylor dryly. &ldquo;After Winthrop and Miss Coates have
+      gone, I want to talk with your friends.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now, see here, Judge,&rdquo; whined Rainey; &ldquo;don&rsquo;t make trouble. It isn&rsquo;t as
+      bad as you think. The old man&rsquo;s only investigating&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; commanded the Judge.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      From the bedroom, leaning on the butler&rsquo;s arm, Stephen Hallowell came
+      stumbling toward them and, with a sigh, sank into an invalid&rsquo;s chair that
+      was placed for him between the fire and the long library table.. He was a
+      very feeble, very old man, with a white face, and thin, white hair, but
+      with a mouth and lower jaw as hard and uncompromising as those of a skull.
+      His eyes, which were strangely brilliant and young-looking, peered
+      suspiciously from under ragged white eyebrows. But when they fell upon the
+      doctor, the eyes became suddenly credulous, pleading, filled with
+      self-pity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a very sick man, Doctor,&rdquo; said Mr. Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor bustled forward cheerily. &ldquo;Nonsense, Stephen, nonsense,&rdquo; he
+      cried; &ldquo;you look a different man this morning. Doesn&rsquo;t he, Doctor?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure he does!&rdquo; assented Rainey. &ldquo;Little sleep was all he needed.&rdquo; Mr.
+      Hallowell shook his head petulantly. &ldquo;Not at all!&rdquo; he protested. &ldquo;That was
+      a very serious attack. This morning my head hurts&mdash;hurts me to think&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Perhaps,&rdquo; said Gaylor, &ldquo;you&rsquo;d prefer that I talked to your niece.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; exclaimed the invalid excitedly. &ldquo;I want to see her myself. I want
+      to tell her, once and for all&mdash;&rdquo; He checked himself and frowned at
+      the Doctor. &ldquo;You needn&rsquo;t wait,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And Doctor,&rdquo; he added meaningly,
+      &ldquo;after these people go, you come back.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a conscious glance at the Judge, Rainey nodded and left them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; continued the old man; &ldquo;I want to talk to my niece myself. But I
+      don&rsquo;t want to talk to Winthrop. He&rsquo;s too clever a young man, Winthrop. In
+      the merger case, you remember&mdash;had me on the stand for three hours.
+      Made me talk too.&rdquo; The mind of the old man suddenly veered at a tangent.
+      &ldquo;How the devil can Helen retain him?&rdquo; he demanded peevishly. &ldquo;She can&rsquo;t
+      retain him. She hasn&rsquo;t any money. And he&rsquo;s District Attorney too. It&rsquo;s
+      against the law. Is he doing it as a speculation? Does he want to marry
+      her?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor laughed soothingly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Heavens, no!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s in his office, that&rsquo;s all. When she took
+      this craze to be independent of you, he gave her a position as secretary,
+      or as stenographer, or something. She&rsquo;s probably told him her story, her
+      side of it, and he&rsquo;s helping her out of charity.&rdquo; The Judge smiled
+      tolerantly. &ldquo;He does that sort of thing, I believe.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The old man struck the library table with his palm. &ldquo;I wish he&rsquo;d mind his
+      own business,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my money. She has no claim to it, never had
+      any claim&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The Judge interrupted quickly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right, Stephen; that&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t excite
+      yourself. Just get what you&rsquo;re to say straight in your mind and stick to
+      it. Remember,&rdquo; he went on, as though coaching a child in a task already
+      learned, &ldquo;there never was a written agreement.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; muttered Hallowell. &ldquo;Never was!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Repeat this to yourself,&rdquo; commanded the Judge. &ldquo;The understanding between
+      you and your brother-in-law was that if you placed his patent on the
+      market, for the first five years you would share the profits equally.
+      After the five years, all rights in the patent became yours. It was
+      unfortunate,&rdquo; commented the Judge dryly, &ldquo;that your brother-in-law and
+      your sister died before the five years were up, especially as the patent
+      did not begin to make money until after five years. Remember&mdash;until
+      after five years.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Until after five years,&rdquo; echoed Mr. Hallowell. &ldquo;It was over six years,&rdquo;
+       he went on excitedly, &ldquo;before it made a cent. And, then, it was my money&mdash;and
+      anything I give my niece is charity. She&rsquo;s not entitled&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Garrett appeared at the door. &ldquo;Miss Coates,&rdquo; he announced, &ldquo;and Mr.
+      Winthrop.&rdquo; Judge Gaylor raised a hand for silence, and as Mr. Hallowell
+      sank back in his chair, Helen Coates, the only child of Catherine Coates,
+      his sister, and the young District Attorney of New York came into the
+      library. Miss Coates was a woman of between twenty-five and thirty,
+      capable, and self-reliant. She had a certain beauty of a severe type, but
+      an harassed expression about her eyes made her appear to be always
+      frowning. At times, in a hardening of the lower part of her face, she
+      showed a likeness to her uncle. Like him, in speaking, also, her manner
+      was positive and decided.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In age the young man who accompanied her was ten years her senior, but
+      where her difficulties had made her appear older than she really was, the
+      enthusiasm with which he had thrown himself against those of his own life,
+      had left him young.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The rise of Winthrop had been swift and spectacular. Almost as soon as he
+      graduated from the college in the little &ldquo;up-state&rdquo; town where he had been
+      educated, and his family had always lived, he became the prosecuting
+      attorney of that town, and later, at Albany, represented the district in
+      the Assembly. From Albany he entered a law office in New York City, and in
+      the cause of reform had fought so many good fights that on an independent
+      ticket, much to his surprise, he had been lifted to the high position he
+      now held. No more in his manner than in his appearance did Winthrop
+      suggest the popular conception of his role. He was not professional, not
+      mysterious. Instead, he was sane, cheerful, tolerant. It was his
+      philosophy to believe that the world was innocent until it was proved
+      guilty.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He was a bachelor and, except for two sisters who had married men of
+      prominence in New York and who moved in a world of fashion into which he
+      had not penetrated, he was alone.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      When the visitors entered, Mr. Hallowell, without rising, greeted his
+      niece cordially.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah, Helen! I am glad to see you,&rdquo; he called, and added reproachfully, &ldquo;at
+      last.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How do you do, sir?&rdquo; returned Miss Helen stiffly. With marked disapproval
+      she bowed to Judge Gaylor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And our District Attorney,&rdquo; cried Mr. Hallowell. &ldquo;Pardon my not rising,
+      won&rsquo;t you? I haven&rsquo;t seen you, sir, since you tried to get the Grand Jury
+      to indict me.&rdquo; He chucked delightedly. &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t succeed,&rdquo; he taunted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop shook hands with him, smiling, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t blame me,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I did
+      my best. I&rsquo;m glad to see you in such good spirits, Mr. Hallowell. I
+      feared, by the Despatch&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Lies, lies,&rdquo; interrupted Hallowell curtly. &ldquo;You know Judge Gaylor?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he shook hands, Winthrop answered that the Judge and he were old
+      friends; that they knew each other well.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Know each other so well!&rdquo; returned the Judge, &ldquo;that we ought to be old
+      enemies.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The younger man nodded appreciatively. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s true!&rdquo; he laughed, &ldquo;only I
+      didn&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;d admit it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With light sarcasm Mr. Hallowell inquired whether Winthrop was with them
+      in his official capacity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t suggest that!&rdquo; begged Winthrop; &ldquo;you&rsquo;ll be having me indicted
+      next. No sir, I am here without any excuse whatsoever. I am just
+      interfering as a friend of this young lady.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good,&rdquo; commented Hallowell. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be sorry to have my niece array counsel
+      against me&mdash;especially such distinguished counsel. Sit down, Helen.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Miss Coates balanced herself on the edge of a chair and spoke in cool,
+      business-like tones, &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; she began, &ldquo;I came.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell?&rdquo; objected her uncle.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Uncle Stephen,&rdquo; Miss Coates again began, &ldquo;I wish to be as brief as
+      possible. I asked you to see me today because I hoped that by talking
+      things over we might avoid lawsuits and litigation.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell nodded his approval. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said encouragingly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have told Mr. Winthrop what the trouble is,&rdquo; Miss Coates went on, &ldquo;and
+      he agrees with me that I have been very unjustly treated&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;By whom?&rdquo; interrupted Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;By you,&rdquo; said his niece.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wait, Helen,&rdquo; commanded the old man. &ldquo;Have you also told Mr. Winthrop,&rdquo;
+       he demanded, &ldquo;that I have made a will in your favor? That, were I to die
+      tonight, you would inherit ten millions of dollars? Is that the injustice
+      of which you complain?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor gave an exclamation of pleasure.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good!&rdquo; he applauded. &ldquo;Excellent!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Hallowell turned indignantly to Winthrop. &ldquo;And did she tell you also,&rdquo; he
+      demanded, &ldquo;that for three years I have urged her to make a home in this
+      house? That I have offered her an income as large as I would give my own
+      daughter, and that she has refused both offers. And what&rsquo;s more&rdquo;&mdash;in
+      his excitement his voice rose hysterically&mdash;&ldquo;by working publicly for
+      her living she has made me appear mean and uncharitable, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just it,&rdquo; interrupted Miss Coates. &ldquo;It isn&rsquo;t a question of
+      charity.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Will you allow me?&rdquo; said Winthrop soothingly. &ldquo;Your niece contends, sir,&rdquo;
+       he explained, &ldquo;that this money you offered her is not yours to offer. She
+      claims it belongs to her. That it&rsquo;s what should have been her father&rsquo;s
+      share of the profits on the Coates-Hallowell coupling pin. But, as you
+      have willed your niece so much money, although half of it is hers already,
+      I advised her not to fight. Going to law is an expensive business. But she
+      has found out&mdash;and that&rsquo;s what brings me uptown this morning&mdash;that
+      you intend to make a new will, and leave all her money and your own to
+      establish the Hallowell Institute. Now,&rdquo; Winthrop continued, with a
+      propitiating smile, &ldquo;Miss Coates also would like to be a philanthropist,
+      in her own way, with her own money. And she wishes to warn you that,
+      unless you deliver up what is due her, she will proceed against you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor was the first to answer.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Winthrop,&rdquo; he said impressively, &ldquo;I give you my word, there is not
+      one dollar due Miss Coates, except what Mr. Hallowell pleases to give
+      her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Miss Coates contradicted him sharply. &ldquo;That is not so,&rdquo; she said. She
+      turned to her uncle, &ldquo;You and my father,&rdquo; she declared, &ldquo;agreed in writing
+      you would share the profits always.&rdquo; Mr. Hallowell looked from his niece
+      to his lawyer. The lawyer, eyeing him apprehensively, nodded. With the
+      patient voice of one who tried to reason with an unreasonable child, Mr.
+      Hallowell began. &ldquo;Helen,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I have told you many times there never
+      was such an agreement. There was a verbal&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I repeat, I saw it,&rdquo; said Miss Coates.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When?&rdquo; asked Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I saw it first when I was fifteen,&rdquo; answered the young woman steadily,
+      &ldquo;and two years later, before mother died, she showed it to me again. It
+      was with father&rsquo;s papers.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Coates,&rdquo; asked the Judge, &ldquo;where is this agreement now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment Miss Coates hesitated. Her dislike for Gaylor was so evident
+      that, to make it less apparent, she lowered her eyes. &ldquo;My uncle should be
+      able to tell you,&rdquo; she said evenly. &ldquo;He was my father&rsquo;s executor. But,
+      when he returned my father&rsquo;s papers&rdquo;&mdash;she paused and then, although
+      her voice fell to almost a whisper, continued defiantly, &ldquo;the agreement
+      was not with them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a moment&rsquo;s silence. To assure himself the others had heard as he
+      did, Mr. Hallowell glanced quickly from Winthrop to Gaylor. He half rose
+      from his chair and leaned across the table.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What!&rdquo; he demanded. His niece looked at him steadily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You heard what I said,&rdquo; she answered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The old man leaned farther forward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So!&rdquo; he cried; &ldquo;so! I am not only doing you an injustice, but I am a
+      thief! Mr. Winthrop,&rdquo; he cried appealingly, &ldquo;do you appreciate the
+      seriousness of this?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop nodded cheerfully. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s certainly pretty serious,&rdquo; he assented.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is so serious,&rdquo; cried Mr. Hallowell, &ldquo;that I welcome you into this
+      matter. Now, we will settle it once and forever.&rdquo; He turned to his niece.
+      &ldquo;I have tried to be generous,&rdquo; he cried; &ldquo;I have tried to be kind, and you
+      insult me in my own house.&rdquo; He pressed the button that summoned the butler
+      from the floor below. &ldquo;Gentlemen, this interview is at an end. From now on
+      this matter is in the hands of my lawyer. We will settle this in the
+      courts.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With an exclamation of pleasure that was an acceptance of his challenge,
+      Miss Coates rose.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is satisfactory to me,&rdquo; she said. Winthrop turned to Mr. Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Could I have a few minutes talk with Judge Gaylor now?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;Not as
+      anybody&rsquo;s counsel,&rdquo; he explained; &ldquo;just as an old enemy of his?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, not here,&rdquo; protested the old man querulously. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m&mdash;I&rsquo;m
+      expecting some friends here. Judge, take Mr. Winthrop to the drawing room
+      downstairs.&rdquo; He turned to Garrett, who had appeared in answer to his
+      summons, and told him to bring Dr. Rainey to the library. The butler left
+      the room and, as Gaylor and Winthrop followed, the latter asked Miss
+      Coates if he might expect to see her at the &ldquo;Office.&rdquo; She told him that
+      she was now on her way there. Without acknowledging the presence of her
+      uncle, she had started to follow the others, when Mr. Hallowell stopped
+      her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After they were alone, for a moment he sat staring at her, his eyes filled
+      with dislike and with a suggestion of childish spite. &ldquo;I might as well
+      tell you,&rdquo; he began, &ldquo;that after what you said this morning, I will never
+      give you a single dollar of my money.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The tone in which his niece replied to him was no more conciliatory than
+      his own. &ldquo;You cannot give it to me,&rdquo; she answered, &ldquo;because it is not
+      yours to give.&rdquo; As though to add impressiveness to what she was about to
+      say, or to prevent his interrupting her, she raised her hand. So
+      interested in each other were the old man and the girl that neither
+      noticed the appearance in the door of Dr. Rainey and the butler, who
+      halted, hesitating, waiting permission to enter.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That money belongs to me,&rdquo; said Miss Coates slowly, &ldquo;and as sure as my
+      mother is in Heaven and her spirit is guiding me, that money will be given
+      me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the pause that followed, a swift and singular change came over the face
+      of Mr. Hallowell. He stared at his niece as though fascinated. His lower
+      lip dropped in awe. The look of hostility gave way to one of intense
+      interest. His voice was hardly louder than a whisper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl looked at him, uncomprehending. &ldquo;What do I mean?&rdquo; she repeated.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When you said,&rdquo; he stammered eagerly, &ldquo;that the spirit of your mother was
+      guiding you, what did you mean?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the doorway, Rainey and the butler started. Each threw the other a
+      quick glance of concern.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why,&rdquo; exclaimed the girl impatiently, &ldquo;her influence, her example, what
+      she taught me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; exclaimed the old man. He leaned back with an air almost of
+      disappointment.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When she was alive?&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; answered the girl.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; repeated the uncle. &ldquo;I thought you meant&mdash;&rdquo; He looked
+      suspiciously at her and shook his head. &ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he
+      went on cynically, striving to cover up the embarrassment of the moment,
+      &ldquo;your mother&rsquo;s spirit will probably feel as deep an interest in her
+      brother as in her daughter. We shall see, we shall see which of us two she
+      is going to help.&rdquo; He turned to Garrett and Rainey in the hall. &ldquo;Take my
+      niece to the door, Garrett,&rdquo; he directed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As soon as Miss Coates had disappeared, Hallowell turned to Rainey, his
+      face lit with pleased and childish anticipation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he whispered eagerly, &ldquo;is she here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey nodded and glanced in the direction opposite to the one Miss Coates
+      had taken. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s been waiting half an hour. And the Professor too.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Bring them at once,&rdquo; commanded Mr. Hallowell excitedly. &ldquo;And then shut
+      the door&mdash;and&mdash;and tell the Judge I can&rsquo;t see him&mdash;tell him
+      I&rsquo;m too tired to see him. Understand?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey peered cautiously over the railing of the stairs to the first
+      floor, and then beckoned to some one who apparently was waiting at the end
+      of the hall.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera, sir,&rdquo; he announced, &ldquo;and Professor Vance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Although but lately established in New York, the persons Dr. Rainey
+      introduced had already made themselves comparatively well-known. For the
+      last six weeks as &ldquo;headliners&rdquo; at one of the vaudeville theatres, and as
+      entertainers at private houses, under the firm name of &ldquo;The Vances,&rdquo; they
+      had been giving an exhibition of code and cipher signaling. They called it
+      mind reading. During the day, at the house of Vance and his wife, the
+      girl, as &ldquo;Vera, the Medium,&rdquo; furnished to all comers memories of the past
+      or news of the future. In their profession, in all of its branches, the
+      man and the girl were past masters. They knew it from the A, B, C of the
+      dream book to the post-graduate work of projecting from a cabinet the
+      spirits of the dead. As the occasion offered and paid best, they were mind
+      readers, clairvoyants, materializing mediums, test mediums. From them, a
+      pack of cards, a crystal globe, the lines of the human hand, held no
+      secrets. They found lost articles, cast horoscopes, gave advice in affairs
+      of the heart, of business and speculation, uttered warnings of journeys
+      over seas and against a smooth-shaven stranger. They even stooped to
+      foretell earthquakes, or caused to drop fluttering from the ceiling a
+      letter straight from the Himalayas. Among those who are the gypsies of the
+      cities, they were the aristocrats of their calling, and to them that
+      calling was as legitimate a business as is, to the roadside gypsy, the
+      swapping of horses. The fore-parents of each had followed that same
+      calling, and to the children it was commonplace and matter-of-fact. It
+      held no adventure, no moral obloquy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Prof.&rdquo; Paul Vance was a young man of under forty years. He looked like a
+      fox. He had red eyes, alert and cunning, a long, sharp-pointed nose, a
+      pointed red beard, and red eyebrows that slanted upward. His hair,
+      standing erect in a pompadour, and his uplifted eyebrows gave him the
+      watchful look of the fox when he hears suddenly the hound baying in
+      pursuit. But no one had ever successfully pursued Vance. No one had ever
+      driven him into a corner from which, either pleasantly, or with raging
+      indignation, he was not able to free himself. Seven years before he had
+      disloyally married out of the &ldquo;profession&rdquo; and for no other reason than
+      that he was in love with the woman he married. She had come to seek advice
+      from the spirit world in regard to taking a second husband. After several
+      visits the spirit world had advised Vance to advise her to marry Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She did so, and though the man was still in love with his wife, he had not
+      found her, in his work, the assistance he had hoped she might be. She
+      still was a &ldquo;believer&rdquo;; in the technical vernacular of her husband&mdash;&ldquo;a
+      dope.&rdquo; Not even the intimate knowledge she had gained behind the scenes
+      could persuade her that Paul, her husband, was not in constant
+      communication with the spirit world, or that, if he wished, he could not
+      read the thoughts that moved slowly through her pretty head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At the time of his marriage, the girl Vera, then a child of fourteen, had
+      written to Vance for help. She was ill, without money, and asked for work.
+      To him she was known as the last of a long line of people who had always
+      been professional mediums and spiritualists, and, out of charity and from
+      a sense of noblesse oblige to one of the elect of the profession, Vance
+      had made her his assistant. He had never regretted having done so. The
+      bread cast upon the waters was returned a thousandfold. From the first,
+      the girl brought in money. And his wife, the older of the two, had
+      welcomed her as a companion. After a fashion the Vances had adopted her.
+      In the advertisements she was described as their &ldquo;ward.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera now was twenty-one, tall, wonderfully graceful, and of the most
+      enchanting loveliness. Her education had been cosmopolitan. In the largest
+      cities of America she had met persons of every class&mdash;young women,
+      old women, mothers with married sons and daughters; women of society as it
+      is exploited in the Sunday supplements; school girls, shop girls, factory
+      girls&mdash;all had told her their troubles; and men of every condition
+      had come to scoff and had remained to express, more or less offensively,
+      their admiration. Some of the younger of these, after a first visit,
+      returned the day following, and each begged the beautiful priestess of the
+      occult to fly with him, to live with him, to marry him. When this happened
+      Vera would touch a button, and &ldquo;Mannie&rdquo; Day, who admitted visitors, and
+      later, in the hall, searched their hats and umbrellas for initials, came
+      on the run and threw the infatuated one out upon a cold and unfeeling
+      sidewalk.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      So Vera had seen both the seamy side of life and, in the drawing rooms
+      where Vance and she exhibited their mind reading tricks, had been made
+      much of by great ladies and, for an hour as brief as Cinderella&rsquo;s, had
+      looked upon a world of kind and well-bred people. Since she was fourteen,
+      for seven years, this had been her life&mdash;a life as open to the public
+      as the life of an actress, as easy of access as that of the stenographer
+      in the hotel lobby. As a result, the girl had encased herself in a
+      defensive armor of hardness and distrust, a protection which was rendered
+      futile by the loveliness of her face, by the softness of her voice, by the
+      deep, brooding eyes, and the fine forehead on which, like a crown, rested
+      the black waves of her hair.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In her work Vera accepted, without question, the parts to which Vance
+      assigned her. When in their mummeries they were successful, she neither
+      enjoyed the credulity of those they had tricked nor was sobered with
+      remorse. In the world Vance found a certain number of people with money
+      who demanded to be fooled. It was his business and hers to meet that
+      demand. If ever the conscience of either stirred restlessly, Vance soothed
+      it by the easy answer that if they did not take the money some one else
+      would. It was all in the day&rsquo;s work. It was her profession.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As she entered the library of Mr. Hallowell, which, with Vance, she
+      already had visited several times, she looked like a child masquerading in
+      her mother&rsquo;s finery. She suggested an ingenue who had been suddenly sent
+      on in the role of the Russian adventuress. Her slight girl&rsquo;s figure was
+      draped in black lace. Her face was shaded by a large picture hat, heavy
+      with drooping ostrich feathers; around her shoulders was a necklace of
+      jade, and on her wrists many bracelets of silver gilt. When she moved they
+      rattled. As the girl advanced, smiling, to greet Mr. Hallowell, she
+      suddenly stopped, shivered slightly, and threw her right arm across her
+      eyes. Her left arm she stretched over the table.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Give me your hand!&rdquo; she commanded. Dubiously, with a watchful glance at
+      Vance, Mr. Hallowell leaned forward and took her hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have been ill,&rdquo; cried the girl; &ldquo;very ill&mdash;I see you&mdash;I see
+      you in a kind of faint&mdash;very lately.&rdquo; Her voice rose excitedly. &ldquo;Yes,
+      last night.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell protested with indignation. &ldquo;You read that in the morning
+      paper,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera lowered her arm from her eyes and turned them reproachfully on him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t read the Despatch,&rdquo; she answered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell drew back suspiciously. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t say it was the Despatch,&rdquo;
+       he returned.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance quickly interposed. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to say it,&rdquo; he explained with
+      glibness; &ldquo;you thought it. And Vera read your thoughts. You were thinking
+      of the Despatch, weren&rsquo;t you? Well, there you are! It&rsquo;s wonderful!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Wonderful? Nonsense!&rdquo; mocked Mr. Hallowell. &ldquo;She did read it in the paper
+      or Rainey told her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl shrugged her shoulders patiently. &ldquo;If you would rather find out
+      you were ill from the newspapers than from the spirit world,&rdquo; she
+      inquired, &ldquo;why do you ask me here?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I ask you here, young woman,&rdquo; exclaimed Hallowell, sinking back in his
+      chair, &ldquo;because I hoped you would tell me something I can&rsquo;t learn from the
+      newspapers. But you haven&rsquo;t been able to do it yet. My dear young lady,&rdquo;
+       exclaimed the old man wistfully, &ldquo;I want to believe, but I must be
+      convinced. No tricks with me! I can explain how you might have found out
+      everything you have told me. Give me a sign!&rdquo; He beat the flat of his hand
+      upon the table. &ldquo;Show me something I can&rsquo;t explain!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell is quite right, Vera,&rdquo; said Vance. &ldquo;He is entering what is
+      to him a new world, full of mysteries, and that caution which in this
+      world has made him so successful&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With an exclamation, Hallowell cut short the patter of the showman.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; he interrupted petulantly; &ldquo;I tell you, I want to believe.
+      Convince me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Considering the situation with pursed lips and thoughtful eyes, Vera gazed
+      at the old man, frowning. Finally she asked, &ldquo;Have you witnessed out demonstrations
+      of mind reading?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell snorted. &ldquo;Certainly not,&rdquo; he replied; &ldquo;it&rsquo;s a trick!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A trick!&rdquo; cried the girl indignantly, &ldquo;to read a man&rsquo;s mind&mdash;to see
+      right through your forehead, through your skull, into your brain? Is that
+      a trick?&rdquo; She turned sharply to Vance. &ldquo;Show him!&rdquo; she commanded; &ldquo;show
+      him!&rdquo; She crossed rapidly to the window and stood looking down into the
+      street, with her back to the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance, with his back turned to Vera, stood close to the table, on the
+      other side of which Hallowell was reclining in his arm chair. Vance picked
+      up a pen holder.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Think of what I have in my hand, please,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;What is this, Vera?&rdquo;
+       he asked. The girl, gazing from the window at the traffic in the avenue
+      below her, answered with indifference, &ldquo;A pen holder.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, what about it?&rdquo; snapped Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Gold pen holder,&rdquo; Vera answered more rapidly. &ldquo;Much engraving&mdash;initials
+      S. H.&mdash;Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s initials&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There is a date too. Can you&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;December&mdash;&rdquo; Vera hesitated.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Go on,&rdquo; commanded Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Twenty-five, one, eight, eight, six; one thousand eight hundred and
+      eighty-six.&rdquo; She moved her shoulders impatiently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, tell him to think of something difficult,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      From behind Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s chair Rainey signaled to Vance to take from
+      the table a photograph frame of silver which held the picture of a woman.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance picked it up, holding it close to him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What have I here, Vera?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Hallowell, seeing what Vance held in his hand, leaned forward. &ldquo;Put that
+      down!&rdquo; he commanded. But Vera had already begun to answer.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A picture, a picture of a young woman. Ask him to think of who it is and
+      I will tell him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      At the words Mr. Hallowell hesitated, frowned, and then nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is his sister,&rdquo; called Vera. &ldquo;Her name was&mdash;I seem to get a
+      Catherine&mdash;yes, that&rsquo;s it; Catherine Coates. She is no longer with
+      us. She passed into the spirit world three years ago.&rdquo; The girl turned
+      suddenly and approached the table, holding her head high, as though
+      offended.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How do you explain that trick?&rdquo; she demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell moved uneasily in his chair. &ldquo;Oh, the picture&rsquo;s been on my
+      desk each time you&rsquo;ve been here,&rdquo; he answered dubiously. &ldquo;Rainey could
+      have told you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;As a matter of fact, I didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; said Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Hallowell&rsquo;s eyes lightened with interest. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t you?&rdquo; he asked. He
+      turned to Vera. &ldquo;If you can read my mind,&rdquo; he challenged&mdash;&ldquo;you,&rdquo; he
+      added, pointing at Vance, &ldquo;keep out of this now&mdash;tell me of what I am
+      thinking.&rdquo; As Vance drew back, Rainey and himself exchanged a quick glance
+      of apprehension, but the girl promptly closed her eyes, and at once, in a
+      dull, measured tone, began to speak.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You were thinking you would like to ask a question of some one in the
+      spirit,&rdquo; she recited. &ldquo;But you are afraid. You do not trust me. You will
+      wait until I give you a sign; then you will ask that question of some one
+      dear to you, who has passed beyond, and she will answer, and your troubles
+      will be at an end.&rdquo; She opened her eyes and stared at Mr. Hallowell like
+      one coming out of a dream. &ldquo;What did I say?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;Was I right?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Hallowell slank back in his chair, shaking his head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he began grudgingly, &ldquo;but&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With an eagerness hardly concealed, Vance interrupted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What is the question you wish to ask?&rdquo; he begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With a frown of suspicion, Hallowell turned from him to Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I ought to let them know,&rdquo; he questioned; &ldquo;do you?&rdquo; But his
+      attention was sharply diverted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera, in a hushed and solemn voice, called for silence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My control,&rdquo; she explained&mdash;her tone was deep and awestruck&mdash;&ldquo;is
+      trying to communicate with me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance gave an exclamation of concern. The prospect of the phenomena Vera
+      promised seemed to fill him with delightful expectations. &ldquo;Be very quiet,&rdquo;
+       he cautioned, &ldquo;do not disturb her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Deeply impressed, Mr. Hallowell struggled from his chair. Unaided, he
+      moved to below the table and leaning against it looked, with unwilling but
+      fascinated interest, at Vera&rsquo;s uplifted face.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Some one in the spirit,&rdquo; Vera chanted, in an unemotional, drugged voice,
+      &ldquo;wishes to speak to Mr. Hallowell. Give me your hand.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Quick!&rdquo; directed Vance, &ldquo;give her your hand. Take her hand.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, he is here,&rdquo; Vera continued. &ldquo;A woman has a message for you, she is
+      standing close beside you. She is holding out her arms. And she is trying,
+      so hard, to tell you something. What is it?&rdquo; the girl questioned. &ldquo;Oh,
+      what is it? Tell me,&rdquo; she begged. &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you tell me?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Hallowell eyed her greedily, waiting almost without breathing for her
+      words. The hand with which he held hers crushed her rings into her
+      fingers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What sort?&rdquo;&mdash;whispered the old man. &ldquo;What sort of a woman?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With eyes still closed, swaying slightly and with abrupt shudders running
+      down her body, the girl continued in dull, fateful tones.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She is a fair woman; about forty-five. She is speaking. She calls to you,
+      Brother, brother.&rdquo; Vera&rsquo;s voice rose excitedly. &ldquo;It is the woman in the
+      picture; your sister! Catherine! I see it written above her head&mdash;Catherine.
+      In letters of light.&rdquo; She turned suddenly and fiercely. &ldquo;Ask her your
+      question!&rdquo; she commanded. &ldquo;Ask her your question, now!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      By the sudden swaying forward of Vance and Rainey, in the intent look in
+      their eyes, it was evident that a crisis had approached. But Mr.
+      Hallowell, terrified and trembling, shrank back. His voice broke
+      hysterically. &ldquo;No, no!&rdquo; he pleaded. Both anger and disappointment showed
+      in the face of Vance and Rainey; but the girl, as though detached from any
+      human concerns, continued unmoved. &ldquo;I see another figure,&rdquo; she recited. &ldquo;A
+      young girl, but she is of this world. I seem to get an H. Yes. Helen, in
+      letters of fire.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My niece, Helen!&rdquo; Hallowell whispered hoarsely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, your niece,&rdquo; chanted the girl. Her voice rose and thrilled. &ldquo;And I
+      see much gold,&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Between the two women, heaps of gold.
+      Everywhere I look I see gold. And, now, the other woman, your sister, is
+      trying to speak to you. Listen! She calls to you, Brother!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      So centered was the interest of those in the room, so compelling the sound
+      of the girl&rsquo;s voice, that, unnoticed, the sliding doors to the library
+      were slipped apart. Unobserved, Judge Gaylor and Winthrop halted in the
+      doorway. To the Judge the meaning of the scene was instantly apparent. His
+      face flushed furiously. Winthrop, uncomprehending, gazed unconcerned over
+      Gaylor&rsquo;s shoulder. The voice of Vera rose hysterically to her climax.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She bids me tell you,&rdquo; Vera cried; &ldquo;Tell my brother&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor swept toward her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What damned farce is this?&rdquo; he shouted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The effect of the interruption was instant and startling. Mr. Hallowell,
+      who, in the last few minutes, had believed he was listening to a voice
+      from the dead, collapsed upon the shoulder of Rainey, who sprang to
+      support him. Like a somnambulist wrenched from sleep, Vera gave a scream
+      of fright, half genuine, half assumed, and swayed as though about to fall.
+      Vance caught her in his arms. He turned on Gaylor, his cunning red eyes
+      flashing evilly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You brute!&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;you might have killed her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Between her sobs, Vera, her head upon the shoulder of Vance, whispered a
+      question. As quickly, under cover of muttered sympathy, Vance answered:
+      &ldquo;Gaylor. The Judge.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Still slightly swaying, Vera stood upright. She passed her hand vaguely
+      before her eyes. &ldquo;Where am I?&rdquo; she asked feebly. &ldquo;Where am I?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor shook his fist at the girl.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know where you are!&rdquo; he thundered; &ldquo;and you know where you&rsquo;re going&mdash;you&rsquo;re
+      going to jail!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the hush that followed Vera drew herself to her full height. She
+      regarded Gaylor wonderingly, haughtily, as though he were some drunken
+      intruder from the street.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are you speaking to me?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, to you,&rdquo; shouted the lawyer. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re an imposter, and a swindler,
+      and&mdash;and&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop pushed between them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, and she&rsquo;s a woman,&rdquo; he said briskly. &ldquo;If you want a row, talk to the
+      man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      To this point the scene had brought to Vera no emotion save the excitement
+      that is felt by the one who is struggling to escape. The appearance of a
+      champion added a new interest. Through no fault of her own, she had
+      learned by experience that to the one man who annoyed her there always
+      were six to spring to her protection. So the glance she covertly turned
+      upon Winthrop was one less of gratitude than curiosity.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But at the first sight of him the girl started, her eyes lit with
+      recognition, her face flushed. And then, although the man was in no way
+      regarding her, her eyes filled, and in mortification and dismay she
+      blushed crimson.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      His anger still unsatisfied, Gaylor turned upon Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you,&rdquo; he cried; &ldquo;you&rsquo;re going to jail too. I&rsquo;ll drive&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The voice of Mr. Hallowell, shaken with pain and distress, rose feebly,
+      beseechingly. &ldquo;Henry!&rdquo; he begged. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t stand it!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Judge Gaylor!&rdquo; thundered Rainey, &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t be responsible if you keep this
+      up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With an exclamation of remorse, Vera ran to the side of the old man. With
+      Rainey on his other hand, she raised him upright upon his feet.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Lean on me,&rdquo; begged the girl breathlessly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very strong. Lean on me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell shook his head. &ldquo;No, child,&rdquo; he protested, &ldquo;not you.&rdquo; He
+      turned to his old friend. &ldquo;You help me, Henry,&rdquo; he begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With the authority of the medical man, Rainey waved Vance into the
+      bedroom. &ldquo;Close those windows,&rdquo; he ordered. &ldquo;You help me!&rdquo; he commanded of
+      Gaylor. &ldquo;Put your arm under him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell, protesting feebly and leaning heavily upon the two men,
+      stumbled into the bedroom, and the door was shut behind him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment the girl and the man stood in silence, and then, as though
+      suddenly conscious of her presence, Winthrop turned and smiled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl did not answer his smile. From under the shadow of the picture
+      hat and the ostrich feathers her eyes regarded him searchingly,
+      watchfully.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For the first time, Winthrop had the chance to observe her. He saw that
+      she was very young, that her clothes cruelly disguised her, that she was
+      only a child masquerading as a brigand, that her face was distractingly
+      lovely. Having noted this, the fact that she had driven several grown men
+      to abuse and vituperation struck him as being extremely humorous; nor did
+      he try to conceal his amusement. But the watchfulness in the eyes of the
+      girl did not relax.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid I interfered with your seance,&rdquo; said the District Attorney.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl regarded him warily, like a fencer fixing her eyes on those of
+      her opponent. There was a pause which lasted so long that had the silence
+      continued it would have been rude. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; the girl returned at last,
+      timidly, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s what the city expects you to do, is it not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop laughed. &ldquo;How did you know who I was?&rdquo; he asked, and then added
+      quickly, &ldquo;Of course, you&rsquo;re a mind reader.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For the first time the girl smiled. Winthrop found it a charming smile,
+      wistful and confiding.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have to ask the spirit world,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;to tell me who is
+      District Attorney of New York.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the District Attorney; &ldquo;yes, I suppose you have to be pretty
+      well acquainted with some of the laws&mdash;those about mediums?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you knew as much about other laws,&rdquo; began Vera, &ldquo;as I do about the law&mdash;&rdquo;
+       She broke off and again smiled upon him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then you probably know,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;that what our excited friend
+      said to you just now is legally quite true?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The smile passed from the face of the girl. She looked at the young man
+      with fine disdain, as a great lady might reprove with a glance the man who
+      snapped a camera at her. &ldquo;Yes?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;Well, what are you going to do
+      about it&mdash;arrest me?&rdquo; Mocking him, in a burlesque of melodrama, she
+      held out her arms. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t put the handcuffs on me,&rdquo; she begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop found her impudence amusing; and, with the charm of her novelty,
+      he was conscious of a growing conviction that, somewhere, they had met
+      before; that already at a crisis she had come into his life.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t arrest you,&rdquo; he said with a puzzled smile, &ldquo;on one condition.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah!&rdquo; mocked Vera; &ldquo;he is generous.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And the condition is,&rdquo; Winthrop went on seriously, &ldquo;that you tell me
+      where we met before?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl&rsquo;s expression became instantly mask-like. To learn if he suspected
+      where it was that they had met, she searched his face quickly. She was
+      reassured that of the event he had no real recollection.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s rather difficult, isn&rsquo;t it,&rdquo; she continued lightly, &ldquo;when you
+      consider I&rsquo;ve been giving exhibitions of mind readings for the last six
+      weeks on Broadway, and in the homes of people you probably know?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; Winthrop exclaimed eagerly, &ldquo;it wasn&rsquo;t in a theatre, and it wasn&rsquo;t
+      in a private house. It was&mdash;&rdquo; he shook his head helplessly, and
+      looked at her for assistance. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know, do you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl regarded him steadily. &ldquo;How should I?&rdquo; she said. And then, as
+      though decided upon a course of action of the wisdom of which she was
+      uncertain, she laughed uneasily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But the spirits would know,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I might ask them.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do!&rdquo; cried Winthrop, delightedly. &ldquo;How much would that be?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As though to reprove his flippancy, the girl frowned. With a nervous
+      tremor, which this time seemed genuine enough, she threw back her head,
+      closed her eyes, and laid her arm across her forehead.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop, unobserved, watched her with a smile, partly of amusement,
+      partly on account of her beauty, of admiration.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I see&mdash;a court room,&rdquo; said the girl. &ldquo;It is very mean and bare. It
+      is somewhere up the State; in a small town. Outside, there are trees, and
+      the sun is shining, and people are walking in a public park. Inside, in
+      the prisoner&rsquo;s dock, there is a girl. She has been arrested&mdash;for
+      theft. She has pleaded guilty! And I see&mdash;that she has been very ill&mdash;that
+      she is faint from shame&mdash;and fear&mdash;and lack of food. And there
+      is a young lawyer. He is defending her; he is asking the judge to be
+      merciful, because this is her first offence, because she stole the cloak
+      to get money to take her where she had been promised work. Because this is
+      his first case.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop gave a gasp of disbelief.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t mean to tell me&mdash;&rdquo; he cried.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; commanded the girl. &ldquo;And he persuades the judge to let her go,&rdquo;
+       she continued quickly, her voice shaking, &ldquo;and he and the girl walk out of
+      the court house together. And he talks to her kindly, and gives her money
+      to pay her way to the people who have promised her work.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera dropped her arm, and stepping back, faced Winthrop. Through her tears
+      her eyes were flashing proudly, gratefully; the feeling that shook her
+      made her voice vibrate. The girl seemed proud of her tears, proud of her
+      debt of gratitude.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I&rsquo;ve never forgotten you,&rdquo; she said, her voice eager and trembling,
+      &ldquo;and what you did for me. And I&rsquo;ve watched you come to this city, and
+      fight it, and fight it, until you made them put you where you are.&rdquo; She
+      stopped to control her voice, and smiled at him. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s why I knew
+      you were District Attorney,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;and please&mdash;&rdquo; she fumbled in
+      the mesh purse at her waist and taking a bill from it, threw it upon the
+      table. &ldquo;And please, there&rsquo;s the money I owe you, and&mdash;and&mdash;I
+      thank you&mdash;and goodbye.&rdquo; She turned and almost ran from him toward
+      the door to the hall.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; cried Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Poised for flight, the girl halted, and looked back.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When can I see you again?&rdquo; said the man. The tone made it less a question
+      than a command.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In a manner as determined as his own, the girl shook her head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I must!&rdquo; returned the man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Again the girl shook her head, definitely, finally.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t help you in your work,&rdquo; she pleaded, &ldquo;to come to see me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I must!&rdquo; repeated Winthrop simply.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The eyes of the girl met his, appealingly, defiantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll be sorry,&rdquo; said the girl.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop laughed an eager, boyish laugh. When he spoke the tenseness in
+      his voice had gone. His tone was confident, bantering.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then I will not come to see you,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Uncertain, puzzled, Vera looked at him in distress. She thought he was
+      mocking her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No?&rdquo; she questioned.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll come to see Vera, the medium,&rdquo; he explained.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera frowned, and then, in happy embarrassment, smiled wistfully.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, well,&rdquo; she stammered; &ldquo;of course, if you&rsquo;re coming to consult me
+      professionally&mdash;my hours are from four to six.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be there,&rdquo; cried the District Attorney.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera leaned forward eagerly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What day will you come?&rdquo; she demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What day!&rdquo; exclaimed the young man indignantly. &ldquo;Why, this day!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera gave a guilty, frightened laugh.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, will you?&rdquo; she exclaimed delightedly. She clasped her fingers in a
+      gesture of dismay. &ldquo;Oh, I hope you won&rsquo;t be sorry!&rdquo; she cried.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For some moments the District Attorney of New York stood looking at the
+      door through which she had disappeared.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2H_PART2" id="link2H_PART2">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      Part II
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      The home of the Vances was in Thirty-fifth Street, nearly opposite the
+      Garrick Theatre. It was one of a row of old-fashioned brick houses with
+      high steps. As the seeker after truth entered the front hall, he saw
+      before him the stairs to the second story; on his right, the folding doors
+      of the &ldquo;front parlor,&rdquo; and at the far end of the hall, a single door that
+      led to what was, in the old days, before this row of houses had been
+      converted into offices, the family dining room. To Vera the Vances had
+      given the use of this room as a &ldquo;reception parlor.&rdquo; The visitor first
+      entered the room on his right, from it passed through another pair of
+      folding doors to the reception parlor, and then, when his audience was at
+      an end, departed by the single door to the hall, and so, to the street.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The reception parlor bore but little likeness to a cave of mystery. There
+      were no shaded lights, no stuffed alligator, no Indian draperies, no black
+      cat. On a table, in the centre, under a heavy and hideous chandelier with
+      bronze gas jets, was a green velvet cushion. On this nestled an innocent
+      ball of crystal. Beside it lay the ivory knitting needle with which Vera
+      pointed out, in the hand of the visitor, those lines that showed he would
+      be twice married, was of an ambitious temperament, and would make a
+      success upon the stage. In a corner stood a wooden cabinet that resembled
+      a sentry box on wheels. It was from this, on certain evenings, before a
+      select circle of spiritualists, that Vera projected the ghosts of the
+      departed. Hanging inside the cabinet was a silver-gilt crown and a cloak
+      of black velvet, lined with purple silk and covered in gold thread with
+      signs of the zodiac.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Save that these stage properties illustrated the taste of Mabel Vance, the
+      room was of no interest. It held a rubber plant, a red velvet rocking
+      chair, across the back of which Mrs. Vance had draped a Neapolitan scarf;
+      an upright piano, upon which Emmanuel Day, or, as he was known to the
+      cross-roads of Broadway and Forty-second street, &ldquo;Mannie&rdquo; Day, provoked
+      the most marvelous rag-time, an enlarged photograph in crayon, of
+      Professor Vance, in a frock coat and lawn tie, a china bull dog,
+      coquettishly decorated with a blue bow, and, on the mantel piece, two tall
+      beer steins and a hand telephone. From the long windows one obtained a
+      view of the iron shutters of the new department store in Thirty-fourth
+      Street, and of a garden, just large enough to contain a sumach tree, a
+      refrigerator, and the packing-case in which the piano had arrived.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After leaving Winthrop, without waiting for Vance, Vera had returned
+      directly to the house in Thirty-fifth Street, and locked herself in her
+      room. And although &ldquo;Mannie&rdquo; Day had already ushered two visitors into the
+      front room, Vera had not yet come downstairs. In consequence, Mabel Vance
+      was in possession of the reception parlor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Vance was plump, pink-and-blonde, credulous and vulgar, but at all
+      times of the utmost good humor. Her admiration for Vera was equaled only
+      by her awe of her. On this particular afternoon, although it already was
+      after five o&rsquo;clock, Mrs. Vance still wore a short dressing sack, open at
+      the throat, and heavy with somewhat soiled lace. But her blonde hair was
+      freshly &ldquo;marcelled,&rdquo; and her nails pink and shining. In the absence of
+      Vera, she was making a surreptitious and guilty use of the telephone. From
+      the fact that in her left hand she held the morning telegraph open at the
+      &ldquo;previous performances&rdquo; of the horses, and that the page had been cruelly
+      lacerated by a hat pin, it was fair to suppose that whoever was at the
+      other end of the wire, was tempting her with the closing odds at the
+      races.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In her speculations, she was interrupted by &ldquo;Mannie&rdquo; Day, who entered
+      softy through the door from the hall.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mannie&rdquo; Day was a youth of twenty-four. It was his heart&rsquo;s desire to be a
+      &ldquo;Broadwayard.&rdquo; He wanted to know all of those, and to be known only by
+      those, who moved between the giant pillars that New York threw into the
+      sky to mark her progress North.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He knew the soiled White Way as the oldest inhabitant knows the single
+      street of the village. He knew it from the Rathskellers underground, to
+      the roof gardens in the sky; in his firmament the stars were the electric
+      advertisements over Long Acre Square, his mother earth was asphalt, the
+      breath of his nostrils gasolene, the telegraph was his Bible. His grief
+      was that no one in the Tenderloin would take him seriously; would believe
+      him wicked, wise, predatory. They might love him, they might laugh with
+      him, they might clamor for his company, in no flat that could boast a
+      piano, was he not, on his entrance, greeted with a shout; but the real
+      Knights of the Highway treated him always as the questioning, wide-eyed
+      child. In spite of his after-midnight pallor, in spite of his honorable
+      scars of dissipation, it was his misfortune to be cursed with a smile that
+      was a perpetual plea of &ldquo;not guilty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What can you expect?&rdquo; an outspoken friend, who made a living as a
+      wireless wire tapper, had once pointed out to him. &ldquo;That smile of yours
+      could open a safe. It could make a show girl give up money! It&rsquo;s an alibi
+      for everything from overspeeding to murder.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie, as he listened, flushed with mortification. From that moment he
+      determined that his life should be devoted to giving the lie to that
+      smile, to that outward and visible sign of kindness, good will, and innate
+      innocence. As yet, he had not succeeded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He interrupted Mabel at the telephone to inquire the whereabouts of Vera.
+      &ldquo;There&rsquo;s two girls in there, now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;waiting to have their
+      fortunes doped.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let&rsquo;em wait!&rdquo; exclaimed Mabel. &ldquo;Vera&rsquo;s upstairs dressing.&rdquo; In her eyes
+      was the baleful glare of the plunger. &ldquo;What was that you give me in the
+      third race?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      At the first touch of the ruling passion, what interest Mannie may have
+      felt for the impatient visitors vanished. &ldquo;Not in the third,&rdquo; he corrected
+      briskly. &ldquo;Keene entry win the third.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel appealed breathlessly to the telephone. &ldquo;What price the Keene entry
+      in the third?&rdquo; She turned to Mannie with reproachful eyes. &ldquo;Even money!&rdquo;
+       she complained.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I told you,&rdquo; retorted Mannie. He lowered his voice, and gazed
+      apprehensively toward the front parlor. &ldquo;If you want a really good thing,&rdquo;
+       he whispered hoarsely, &ldquo;ask Joe what Pompadour is in the fifth!&rdquo; Mabel
+      laughed scornfully, disappointedly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pompadour!&rdquo; she mocked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s right!&rdquo; cried the expert. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the one daily hint from Paris
+      today. Joe will give you thirty to one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Upon the defenseless woman he turned the full force of his accursed smile.
+      &ldquo;Put five on for me, Mabel?&rdquo; he begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With unexpected determination of character Mabel declared sharply that she
+      would do nothing of the sort.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Two, then?&rdquo; entreated the boy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where,&rdquo; demanded Mabel unfeelingly, &ldquo;is the twenty you owe me now?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The abruptness of this unsportsmanlike blow below the belt caused Mannie
+      to wince.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How do I know where it is?&rdquo; he protested. &ldquo;As long as you haven&rsquo;t got it,
+      why do you care where it is?&rdquo; He heard the door from the hall open and,
+      turning, saw Vera. He appealed to her. &ldquo;Vera,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll loan me
+      two dollars? I stand to win sixty. I&rsquo;ll give you thirty.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera looked inquiringly at Mabel. &ldquo;What is it, Mabel,&rdquo; she asked, &ldquo;a hand
+      book?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Vance nodded guiltily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mannie!&rdquo; exclaimed Vera gently but reproachfully, &ldquo;I told you I wouldn&rsquo;t
+      loan you any more money till you paid Mabel what you&rsquo;ve borrowed.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How can I pay Mabel what I borrowed,&rdquo; demanded Mannie, &ldquo;if I can&rsquo;t borrow
+      the money from you to pay her? Only two dollars, Vera!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera nodded to Mabel.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel, at the phone, called, &ldquo;Two dollars on Pompadour&mdash;to&mdash;win&mdash;for
+      Mannie Day,&rdquo; and rang off.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That makes thirty for you,&rdquo; exclaimed Mannie enthusiastically, &ldquo;and
+      twenty I owe to Mabel, and that leaves me ten.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mrs. Vance, no longer occupied in the whirlpool of speculation, for the
+      first time observed that Vera had changed her matronly robe of black lace
+      for a short white skirt and a white shirtwaist. She noted also that there
+      was a change in Vera&rsquo;s face and manner. She gave an impression of nervous
+      eagerness, of unrest. Her smile seemed more appealing, wistful, girlish.
+      She looked like a child of fourteen.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But Mabel was concerned more especially with the robe of virgin white.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For the month, which was July, the costume was appropriate, but, in the
+      opinion of Mabel, in no way suited to the priestess of the occult and the
+      mysterious.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, Vera!&rdquo; exclaimed Mrs. Vance, &ldquo;whatever have you got on? Ain&rsquo;t you
+      going to receive visitors? There&rsquo;s ten dollars waiting in there now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In sudden apprehension, Vera looked down at her spotless garments.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t I look nice?&rdquo; she begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course you look nice, dearie,&rdquo; Mabel assured her, &ldquo;but you don&rsquo;t look
+      like no fortune teller.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you want to know what you look like,&rdquo; said Mannie sternly, &ldquo;you look
+      like one of the waiter girls at Childs&rsquo;s&mdash;that&rsquo;s what you look like.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And your crown!&rdquo; exclaimed Mabel, &ldquo;and your kimono. Ain&rsquo;t you going to
+      wear your kimono?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She hastened to the cabinet and produced the cloak of black velvet and
+      spangles, and the silver-gilt crown.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, I am not!&rdquo; declared Vera. She wore the frightened look of a mutinous
+      child. &ldquo;I&mdash;I look so&mdash;foolish in them!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Such heresy caused Mannie to gasp aloud; &ldquo;You look grand in them,&rdquo; he
+      protested; &ldquo;don&rsquo;t she, Mabel?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure she does,&rdquo; assented that lady.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And your junk?&rdquo; demanded Mannie, referring to the jade necklace and the
+      gold-plated bracelets. His eyes opened in sympathy. &ldquo;You haven&rsquo;t pawned
+      them, have you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pawned them?&rdquo; laughed Vera; &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t get anything on them!&rdquo; As the
+      only masculine point of view available, she appealed to Mannie wistfully.
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you like me better this way, Mannie?&rdquo; she begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But that critic protested violently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not a bit like it,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Now, in the gold tiara and the spangled
+      opera cloak,&rdquo; he differentiated, &ldquo;you look like a picture postal card! You
+      got Lotta Faust&rsquo;s blue skirt back to Levey&rsquo;s. But not in the white goods!&rdquo;
+       He shook his head sadly, firmly. &ldquo;You look, now, like you was made up for
+      a May-day picnic in the Bronx, and they&rsquo;d picked on you to be Queen of the
+      May.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel carried the much-admired opera cloak to Vera, and held it out,
+      tempting her. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll wear it, just to please me and Mannie, won&rsquo;t you,
+      dearie?&rdquo; she begged. Vera retreated before it as though it held the germs
+      of contagion.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I will not,&rdquo; she rebelled. &ldquo;I hate it! When I have that on, I feel&mdash;mean.
+      I feel as mean as though I were picking pennies out of a blind man&rsquo;s hat.&rdquo;
+       Mannie roared with delight.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Gee!&rdquo; he shouted, &ldquo;but that&rsquo;s a hot one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Besides,&rdquo; said Vera consciously, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m&mdash;I&rsquo;m expecting some one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The manner more than the words thrilled Mabel with the most joyful
+      expectations.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      She exclaimed excitedly. &ldquo;A gentleman friend, Vera?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      That Vera shunned all young men had been to Mabel a source of wonder and
+      of pride. Even when the young men were the friends of her husband and of
+      herself, the preoccupied manner with which Vera received them did not
+      provoke in Mabel any resentment. It rather increased her approbation.
+      Although horrified at the recklessness of the girl, she had approved even
+      when Vera rejected an offer of marriage from a wine agent.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Secretly, for a proper alliance for her, Mabel read the society columns in
+      search of eligible, rich young men. Finding that they invariably married
+      eligible, rich young women, she had lately determined that Vera&rsquo;s destiny
+      must be an English duke.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Still if, as she hoped, Vera had chosen for herself, Mabel felt assured
+      that the man would prove worthy, and a good match. A good match meant one
+      who owned not only a runabout, but a touring car.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a man from home,&rdquo; said Vera. &ldquo;Home?&rdquo; queried Mannie.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;From up the State,&rdquo; explained Vera, &ldquo;from Geneva. It&rsquo;s&mdash;Mr.
+      Winthrop.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With an exclamation of alarm, Mannie started upright. &ldquo;Winthrop!&rdquo; he
+      cried; then with a laugh of relief he sank back. &ldquo;Gee! You give me a
+      scare,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;I thought you meant the District Attorney.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel laughed sympathetically.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I thought so too,&rdquo; she admitted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do mean the District Attorney,&rdquo; said the girl.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo; cried Mabel.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Winthrop&mdash;coming here?&rdquo; demanded Mannie.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I met him at Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s this morning,&rdquo; said Vera. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t Paul tell
+      you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Paul ain&rsquo;t back yet,&rdquo; said Mannie. &ldquo;I wish he was!&rdquo; His lower jaw dropped
+      in dazed bewilderment. &ldquo;Winthrop&mdash;coming here?&rdquo; he repeated. &ldquo;And
+      they&rsquo;re all coming here!&rdquo; he exclaimed excitedly. &ldquo;Paul just phoned me.
+      They&rsquo;ve taken Gaylor in with them, and we&rsquo;re all working together now on
+      some game for tonight. And Winthrop&rsquo;s coming here!&rdquo; He shook his head
+      decidedly, importantly. As the only man of the family present, he felt he
+      must meet this crisis. &ldquo;Paul won&rsquo;t stand for it!&rdquo; he declared.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, Paul will just have to stand for it!&rdquo; retorted Mrs. Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With a murmur of sympathy she crossed to Vera. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to see our
+      Vera disappointed,&rdquo; she announced. &ldquo;She never sees no company. Vera, if
+      Mr. Winthrop comes when that bunch is here, I&rsquo;ll show him into the front
+      parlor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera sat down in front of the piano and let her fingers drop upon the
+      keys. The look of eagerness and anticipation had left her eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;that I want to see him&mdash;now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With complete misunderstanding, Mannie demanded truculently, &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+       His loyalty to Vera gave him courage, in her behalf, to face even a
+      District Attorney. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s coming here to make trouble for
+      you, does he?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera shook her head and, bending over the piano, struck a few detached
+      chords.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, no,&rdquo; she said consciously; &ldquo;just to see me&mdash;professionally&mdash;like
+      everybody else.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel could no longer withhold her indignation at the obtuseness of the
+      masculine intellect.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My gracious, Mannie!&rdquo; she exclaimed, &ldquo;can&rsquo;t you understand he&rsquo;s coming
+      here to make a call on Vera&mdash;like a gentleman&mdash;not like no
+      District Attorney.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie precipitately retreated from his position as champion.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure, I understand,&rdquo; he protested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With the joy that a match-making mother takes in the hunt, Mabel sank into
+      the plush rocking chair and, rocking violently, turned upon Vera an eager
+      and excited smile.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Think of our Vera knowing Mr. Winthrop socially?&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s
+      grand! And they say his sisters are elegant ladies. Last winter I read
+      about them at the opera, and it always printed what they had on. Why
+      didn&rsquo;t you tell me you knowed him, Vera?&rdquo; she cried reproachfully. &ldquo;I tell
+      you everything!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know him,&rdquo; protested the girl. &ldquo;I used to see him when he lived
+      in the same town.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel, inviting further confidences, ceased rocking and nodded
+      encouragingly. &ldquo;Up in Geneva?&rdquo; she prompted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Vera, &ldquo;I used to see him every afternoon then, when he played
+      ball on the college nine&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Who?&rdquo; demanded Mannie incredulously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Winthrop,&rdquo; said Vera.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did he?&rdquo; exclaimed Mannie. His tone suggested that he might still be
+      persuaded that there was good in the man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;d he play?&rdquo; he demanded suspiciously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;First,&rdquo; said Vera.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did he!&rdquo; exclaimed Mannie. His tone now was of open approbation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera had raised her eyes and turned them toward the windows. Beyond the
+      soot-stained sumach tree, the fire escapes of the department store, she
+      saw the sun-drenched campus, the buttressed chapel, the ancient, drooping
+      elms; and on a canvas bag, poised like a winged Mercury, a tall straight
+      figure in gray, dusty flannels.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He was awfully good-looking,&rdquo; murmured the girl, &ldquo;and awfully tall. He
+      could stop a ball as high as&mdash;that!&rdquo; She raised her arm in the air,
+      and then, suddenly conscious, flushed, and turned to the piano.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Go on, tell us,&rdquo; urged Mabel. &ldquo;So you first met him in Geneva, did you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; corrected Vera, &ldquo;saw him there. I&mdash;only met him once.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie interrupted hilariously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I only saw him once, too,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;that was enough for me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera swiftly spun the piano stool so that she faced him. Her eyes were
+      filled with concern.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You, Mannie!&rdquo; she demanded anxiously. &ldquo;What had you done?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Done!&rdquo; exclaimed Mannie indignantly, &ldquo;nothing! What&rsquo;d you think I&rsquo;d done?
+      Did you think I was a crook?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera bowed her shoulders and shivered as though the boy had cursed at her.
+      She shook her head vehemently and again swung back to the piano. Stumbling
+      awkwardly, her fingers ran over the keys in a swift clatter of broken
+      chords. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; she whispered, &ldquo;no, Mannie, no.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a laugh of delighted recollection, Mannie turned to Mabel.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He raided a poolroom I was working at,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;He picked me out
+      as a sheet writer because I had my coat off, see? I told him I had it off
+      because it was too hot for me, and he says, Young man, if you lie to me,
+      I&rsquo;ll make I a damn sight hotter!&rdquo; Mannie threw back his head and shouted
+      uproariously. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s all right, Winthrop!&rdquo; he declared.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mabel, having already married Winthrop to Vera in Grace Church, with
+      herself in the front pew, in a blue silk dress, received this unexpected
+      evidence of his rare wit with delight. In ecstasy of appreciation she
+      slapped her knees.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did he say that, Mannie?&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Wasn&rsquo;t that quick of him! Did you
+      hear what he said to Mannie, Vera?&rdquo; she demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Their mirth was interrupted by the opening and closing of the front door
+      and, in the hall, the murmur of men&rsquo;s voices.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance opened the door from the hall and entered, followed by Judge Gaylor
+      and Rainey. With evident pride in her appearance, Vance introduced the two
+      men to his wife, and then sent her and Mannie from the room&mdash;the
+      latter with orders to dismiss the visitors in the front parlor and to
+      admit no others.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At the door Mrs. Vance turned to Vera and nodded mysteriously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If that party calls,&rdquo; she said with significance, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll put him in the
+      front parlor.&rdquo; With a look of dismay, Vera vehemently shook her head but,
+      to forestall any opposition, Mrs. Vance hastily slammed the door behind
+      her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In his most courteous manner Judge Gaylor offered the chair at the head of
+      the centre table to Vera, and at the same table seated himself. Vance took
+      a place on the piano stool; Rainey stood with his back to the mantel
+      piece.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera,&rdquo; Gaylor began impressively, &ldquo;I desire to apologize for my
+      language this morning. As Rainey no doubt has told you, I have opposed you
+      and Professor Vance. But I&mdash;I know when I&rsquo;m beaten. Your influence
+      with Mr. Hallowell today&mdash;is greater than mine. It is paramount. I
+      congratulate you.&rdquo; He smiled ingratiatingly. &ldquo;And now,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;we are
+      all working in unison.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve given up your idea of sending me to jail,&rdquo; said Vera.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo; exclaimed Vance reprovingly. &ldquo;Judge Gaylor has apologized. We&rsquo;re
+      all in harmony now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is that door locked?&rdquo; asked Gaylor. Vance told him, save Mrs. Vance,
+      Mannie, and themselves, there was none in the house; and that he might
+      speak freely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera,&rdquo; began the Judge, &ldquo;we left Mr. Hallowell very much impressed
+      with the message you gave him this morning. The message from his dead
+      sister. He wants another message from her. He wants her to decide how he
+      shall dispose of a very large sum of money&mdash;his entire fortune.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;His entire fortune!&rdquo; exclaimed Vera. &ldquo;Do you imagine,&rdquo; she asked, &ldquo;that
+      Mr. Hallowell will take advice from the spirit world about that? I don&rsquo;t!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do,&rdquo; Gaylor answered stoutly, &ldquo;I know I would.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You?&rdquo; asked Vera incredulously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If I could believe my sister came from the dead to tell me what to do,&rdquo;
+       said the lawyer, &ldquo;of course, I&rsquo;d do it. I&rsquo;d be afraid not to. But I don&rsquo;t
+      believe he does. And he believes you can bring his sister herself before
+      him. He insists that tonight you hold a seance in his house, and that you
+      materialize the spirit of his dead sister. So that he can see his sister,
+      and talk with his sister. Vance says you can do that. Can you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      From Vera&rsquo;s face the look of girlishness, of happy anticipation, had
+      already disappeared.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is my business to do that,&rdquo; the girl answered. She turned to Vance
+      and, in a matter-of-fact voice, inquired, &ldquo;What does his sister look like&mdash;that
+      photograph we used this morning?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; Vance answered. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve a better one, Rainey gave me. Taken when she
+      was older. Has white hair and a cap and a kerchief crossed&mdash;so.&rdquo; He
+      drew his hands across his shoulders. &ldquo;Rainey, show Miss Vera that
+      picture.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not now,&rdquo; Gaylor commanded. &ldquo;The important thing now is that Miss Vera
+      understands the message Mr. Hallowell is to receive from his sister.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The two other men nodded quickly in assent. Gaylor turned to Vera. He
+      spoke slowly, earnestly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s present will leaves his fortune to
+      his niece. He has made another will, which he has not signed, leaving his
+      fortune to the Hallowell Institute. He will ask his sister to which of
+      these he should leave his money. You will tell him&mdash;&rdquo; he corrected
+      himself instantly. &ldquo;She will tell him to give it where it will be of the
+      greatest good to the most people&mdash;to the Institute.&rdquo; There was a
+      pause. &ldquo;Do you understand?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;To the Institute. Not to the niece,&rdquo; Vera answered. Gaylor nodded
+      gravely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What,&rdquo; asked Vera, &ldquo;are the fewest words in which that message could be
+      delivered? I mean&mdash;should she say, You are to endow the Hallowell
+      Institute, or Brother, you are to give&mdash;Sign the new will?&rdquo; With
+      satisfaction the girl gave a sharp shake of her head, and nodded to Vance.
+      &ldquo;Destroy the old will. Sign the new will. That is the best,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it exactly,&rdquo; Gaylor exclaimed eagerly; &ldquo;that&rsquo;s excellent!&rdquo; Then
+      his face clouded. &ldquo;I think,&rdquo; he said in a troubled voice, &ldquo;we should warn
+      Miss Vera, that to guard himself from any trickery, Mr. Hallowell insists
+      on subjecting her to the most severe tests. He&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That will be all right,&rdquo; said the girl. She turned to Vance and, in a
+      lower tone but without interest, asked: &ldquo;What, for instance?&rdquo; Vance merely
+      laughed and shrugged his shoulders. The girl smiled. Nettled, and alarmed
+      at what appeared to be their overconfidence, Gaylor objected warmly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all very well,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;but for instance, he insists that the
+      entire time you are in the cabinet, you hold a handful of flour in one
+      hand and of shot in the other&rdquo;&mdash;he illustrated with clenched fists&mdash;&ldquo;which
+      makes it impossible,&rdquo; he protested, &ldquo;for you to use your hands.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The face of the girl showed complete indifference.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not necessarily,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you are to be tied hand and foot,&rdquo; cried the Judge. &ldquo;And on top of
+      that,&rdquo; he burst forth indignantly, pointing aggrievedly at Vance, &ldquo;he
+      himself proposed this flour-and-shot test. It was silly, senseless
+      bravado!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not necessarily,&rdquo; repeated the girl. &ldquo;He knew that I invented it.&rdquo; Rainey
+      laughed. Gaylor gave an exclamation of enlightenment.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If it will be of any comfort to you, Judge,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell you
+      one thing; every test that ever was put to a medium&mdash;was invented by
+      a medium.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera rose. &ldquo;If there is nothing more,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I will go and get the
+      things ready for this evening. Destroy the old will. Sign the new will.&rdquo;
+       she repeated. She turned suddenly to Vance, her brow drawn in
+      consideration. &ldquo;I suppose by this new will,&rdquo; she asked, &ldquo;the girl gets
+      nothing?&rdquo; &ldquo;Not at all!&rdquo; exclaimed Gaylor emphatically. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want her
+      to fight the will. She gets a million.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A million dollars?&rdquo; demanded Vera. For an instant, as though trying to
+      grasp the possibilities of such a sum, she stood staring ahead of her.
+      With doubt in her eyes, and shaking her head, she turned to Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How can one woman spend a million dollars?&rdquo; she protested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, you see, we don&rsquo;t intend to starve her,&rdquo; exclaimed Gaylor eagerly,
+      &ldquo;and at the same time the Institute will be benefiting all humanity. Doing
+      good to&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera interrupted him with a sharp, peremptory movement of the hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We won&rsquo;t go into that, please,&rdquo; she begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The Judge inclined his head. &ldquo;I only meant to point out,&rdquo; he said stiffly,
+      &ldquo;that you are giving Mr. Hallowell the best advice, and doing great good.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment the girl looked at him steadily. On her lips was a faint
+      smile of disdain, but whether for him or for herself, the Judge could not
+      determine.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know that,&rdquo; the girl said finally. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t ask.&rdquo; She turned to
+      Rainey. &ldquo;Have you that photograph?&rdquo; He gave her a photograph and after,
+      for an instant, studying it in silence, she returned it to him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It will be quite easy,&rdquo; she said to Vance. She walked to the door, and
+      instinctively the two men, who were seated, rose.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I will see you tonight at Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s,&rdquo; she said, and, with a nod,
+      left them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; exclaimed Rainey, &ldquo;you didn&rsquo;t tell her!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; Vance answered. &ldquo;I decided we&rsquo;d be wiser to take advice from my
+      wife. She understands Vera better than I do.&rdquo; He opened the door to the
+      hall, and called &ldquo;Mannie! Tell Mabel&mdash;Oh, Mabel,&rdquo; he corrected, &ldquo;come
+      here a minute.&rdquo; He returned to his seat on the piano stool. &ldquo;She can tell
+      us,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In expectation of the arrival of Winthrop, Mrs. Vance had arrayed herself
+      in a light blue frock, and, as though she had just come in from the
+      street, in such a hat as she considered would do credit not only to Vera
+      but to herself.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mabel,&rdquo; her husband began, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re up against a hard proposition.
+      Hallowell insists that Winthrop and Miss Coates must come to the seance
+      tonight.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Winthrop and Miss Coates!&rdquo; cried Mabel. In astonishment she glanced from
+      her husband to Rainey and Gaylor. &ldquo;Then, it&rsquo;s all off!&rdquo; she exclaimed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I say,&rdquo; growled Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We want you to tell us,&rdquo; continued Vance, unmoved, &ldquo;whether Vera should
+      know that now, or wait until tonight?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Paul Vance!&rdquo; almost shrieked his wife, &ldquo;do you mean to tell me you&rsquo;re
+      thinking of giving a materialization in front of the District Attorney!
+      You&rsquo;re crazy!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I tell them,&rdquo; chorused Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor raised his hand for silence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, Mrs. Vance,&rdquo; he said wearily. &ldquo;We are not crazy, but,&rdquo; he added
+      bitterly, &ldquo;we can&rsquo;t help ourselves. You mediums have got Mr. Hallowell in
+      such a state that he&rsquo;ll only do what his sister&rsquo;s spirit tells him. He
+      says, if he&rsquo;s robbing his niece, his sister will tell him so; if he&rsquo;s to
+      give the money to the Institute, his sister will tell him that. He says,
+      if Vance is fair and above-board, he shouldn&rsquo;t be afraid to have his niece
+      and any friends of hers present. We can&rsquo;t help ourselves.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I helped a little,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;by insisting on having our own friends
+      there&mdash;told him the spirit could not materialize unless there were
+      believers present.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did he stand for that?&rdquo; asked Mabel.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Glad to have them,&rdquo; her husband assured her. &ldquo;They like to think there
+      are others as foolish as they are. And I&rsquo;m going to place Mr. District
+      Attorney,&rdquo; he broke out suddenly and fiercely, &ldquo;between two mediums.
+      They&rsquo;ll hold his hands!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Already frightened by the possible result of the plot, Rainey, with a
+      vehemence born of fear, retorted sharply: &ldquo;Hold his hands! How&rsquo;re you
+      going to make him hold his tongue, afterward?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor turned upon him savagely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My God, man!&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re not trying to persuade the District
+      Attorney that he&rsquo;s seen a ghost. If your friends can persuade Stephen
+      Hallowell that he&rsquo;s seen one, the District Attorney can go to the devil!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, he won&rsquo;t!&rdquo; returned Rainey, &ldquo;he&rsquo;ll go to law!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let him!&rdquo; cried Gaylor defiantly. &ldquo;Get Hallowell to sign that will, and
+      I&rsquo;ll go into court with him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      His bravado was suddenly attacked from an unexpected source.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll go into court with him, all right,&rdquo; declared Mrs. Vance, &ldquo;all of
+      you! And if you don&rsquo;t want him to catch you,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ll clear
+      out, now! He&rsquo;s coming here any minute.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s coming here?&rdquo; demanded her husband.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Winthrop,&rdquo; returned his wife, &ldquo;to see Vera.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;To see Vera!&rdquo; cried Vance eagerly. &ldquo;What about? About this morning?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; protested Mabel, &ldquo;to call on her. He&rsquo;s an old friend&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In alarm Rainey pushed into the group of now thoroughly excited people.
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you believe it!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;If he&rsquo;s coming here, he&rsquo;s coming to
+      give her the third degree&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The door from the hall suddenly opened, was as suddenly closed, and Mannie
+      slipped into the room. One hand he held up for silence; with the other he
+      pointed at the folding doors.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; he warned them. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s in there! He says he&rsquo;s come to call on Vera.
+      She says he&rsquo;s come professionally, and I must bring him in here. I&rsquo;ve shut
+      the door into the parlor, and you can slip upstairs without his seeing
+      you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Upstairs!&rdquo; gasped Rainey, &ldquo;not for me!&rdquo; He appealed to Gaylor in accents
+      of real alarm. &ldquo;We must get away from this house,&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;If he
+      finds us here&mdash;&rdquo; With a gesture of dismay he tossed his hands in the
+      air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the hall, and
+      halted between the outer and inner doors of the vestibule. Gaylor turned
+      to Vance. &ldquo;Are you going to tell her,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;that he is to be there
+      tonight?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll tell her himself, now!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; corrected Rainey, &ldquo;he doesn&rsquo;t know yet there&rsquo;s to be a seance.
+      Hallowell was writing the note when he left.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then,&rdquo; instructed Gaylor, &ldquo;do not let her know until she arrives&mdash;until
+      it will be too late for her to back out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the voices of
+      Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the two men ran down the
+      steps into the street.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had opened the
+      folding doors, and invited Winthrop to enter the reception parlor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera will be down in a minute,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If you want your hand
+      read,&rdquo; he added, pointing, &ldquo;you sit over there.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As Winthrop approached the centre table, Mannie backed against the piano.
+      The presence of the District Attorney at such short range aroused in him
+      many emotions. Alternately he was torn with alarm, with admiration, with
+      curiosity. He regarded him apprehensively, with a nervous and unhappy
+      smile.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      About the smile there was something that Winthrop found familiar, and,
+      with one almost as attractive, he answered it.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve met before, haven&rsquo;t we?&rdquo; he asked pleasantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie nodded. &ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; he answered promptly. &ldquo;At Sam Hepner&rsquo;s old
+      place, on West Forty-fourth street.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, of course!&rdquo; exclaimed the District Attorney.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you&mdash;don&rsquo;t you remember?&rdquo; stammered Mannie eagerly. He was
+      deeply concerned lest the distinguished cross-examiner should think, that
+      from him of his lurid past he could withhold anything. &ldquo;I had my coat off&mdash;and
+      you said you&rsquo;d make it hot for me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Did I?&rdquo; asked Winthrop with an effort at recollection.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, you didn&rsquo;t!&rdquo; Mannie hastened to reassure him. &ldquo;I mean, you didn&rsquo;t
+      make it hot for me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop laughed, and seated himself comfortably beside the centre table.
+      &ldquo;Well I&rsquo;m glad of that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So our relations are still pleasant,
+      then?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure!&rdquo; exclaimed Mannie heartily. &ldquo;I mean&mdash;yes, sir.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop mechanically reached for his cigarette case, and then,
+      recollecting, withdrew his hand.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And how are the ponies running?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The interview was filling Mannie with excitement and delight. He chuckled
+      with pleasure. His fear of the great man was rapidly departing. Could
+      this, he asked himself, be the &ldquo;terror to evil-doers,&rdquo; the man whose cruel
+      questions drove witnesses to tears, whose &ldquo;third degree&rdquo; sent veterans of
+      the underworld staggering from his confessional box, limp and gasping?
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, pretty well,&rdquo; said the boy, &ldquo;seems as if I couldn&rsquo;t keep away from
+      them. I got a good thing for today&mdash;Pompadour&mdash;in the fifth. I
+      put all the money on her I could get together,&rdquo; he announced importantly,
+      and then added frankly, with a laugh, &ldquo;two dollars!&rdquo; The laugh was
+      contagious, and the District Attorney laughed with him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pompadour,&rdquo; Winthrop objected, &ldquo;she&rsquo;s one of those winter track
+      favorites.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know, but today,&rdquo; declared Mannie, &ldquo;she win, sure!&rdquo; Carried away by his
+      enthusiasm, and by the sympathy of his audience, he rushed, unheeding, to
+      his fate. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;d like to put a little on,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I can tell you
+      where you can do it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The District Attorney stared and laughed. &ldquo;You mustn&rsquo;t tell me where you
+      can do it,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie gave a terrified gasp and, for an instant, clapped his hands over
+      his lips. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Gee, that&rsquo;s right! I&rsquo;m such a crank
+      on all kinds of sport that I clean forgot!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He gazed at the much-dreaded District Attorney with the awe of the
+      new-born hero-worshipper. &ldquo;I guess you are, too, hey?&rdquo; he protested
+      admiringly. &ldquo;Vera was telling me you used to be a great ball tosser.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the face of the District Attorney there came a sudden interest. His
+      eyes lightened.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How did she&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She used to watch you in Geneva,&rdquo; said Mannie, &ldquo;playing with the college
+      lads. I&mdash;I,&rdquo; he added consciously, &ldquo;was a ball player myself once.
+      Used to pitch for the Interstate League.&rdquo; He stopped abruptly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Interstate?&rdquo; said Winthrop encouragingly. &ldquo;You must have been good.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The enthusiasm had departed from the face of the boy. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but&mdash;&rdquo;
+       he smiled shamefacedly, &ldquo;but I got taking coke, and they&mdash;&rdquo; He
+      finished with a dramatic gesture of the hand as of a man tossing away a
+      cigarette.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Cocaine?&rdquo; said the District Attorney.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The boy nodded and, for an instant, the two men eyed each other, the boy
+      smiling ruefully. The District Attorney shook his head. &ldquo;My young friend,&rdquo;
+       he said, &ldquo;you can never beat that game!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie stared at him, his eyes filled with surprise.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you suppose,&rdquo; he said simply, &ldquo;that I know that better than you
+      do?&rdquo; With a boy&rsquo;s pride in his own incorrigibility he went on boastingly:
+      &ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I used to be awful bad! Cocaine and all kinds of
+      dope, and cigarettes, and whiskey. I was nearly all in&mdash;with
+      morphine, it was then&mdash;till she took hold of me, and stopped me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She?&rdquo; said Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Vera,&rdquo; said Mannie. &ldquo;She made me stop. I had to stop. She started taking
+      it herself.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What!&rdquo; cried Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; exclaimed Mannie hastily, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t mean what you mean&mdash;I mean
+      she started taking it to make me stop. She says to me, Mannie, you&rsquo;re
+      killing yourself, and you got to quit it; and if you don&rsquo;t, every time you
+      take a grain, I&rsquo;ll take two. And she did! I&rsquo;d come home, and she&rsquo;d see
+      what I&rsquo;d been doing, and she&rsquo;d up with her sleeves, and&mdash;&rdquo; In
+      horrible pantomime, the boy lifted the cuff of his shirt, and pressed his
+      right thumb against the wrist of his other arm. At the memory of it, he
+      gave a shiver and, with a blow, roughly struck the cuff into place. &ldquo;God!&rdquo;
+       he muttered, &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t stand it. I begged, and begged her not. I cried.
+      I used to get down, in this room, on my knees. And each time she&rsquo;d get
+      whiter, and black under the eyes. And&mdash;and I had to stop. Didn&rsquo;t I?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop moved his head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And now,&rdquo; cried the boy with a happy laugh, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m all right!&rdquo; He appealed
+      to the older man eagerly, wistfully. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you think I&rsquo;m looking better
+      than I did the last time you saw me?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Again, without venturing to speak, Winthrop nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie smiled with pride. &ldquo;Everybody tells me so,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Well, she did
+      it. That&rsquo;s what she did for me. And, I can tell you,&rdquo; he said simply,
+      sincerely, &ldquo;there ain&rsquo;t anything I wouldn&rsquo;t do for her. I guess that&rsquo;s
+      right, hey?&rdquo; he added.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The eyes of the cruel cross-examiner, veiled under half-closed lids, were
+      regarding the boy with so curious an expression that under their scrutiny
+      Mannie, in embarrassment, moved uneasily. &ldquo;I guess that&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; he
+      repeated.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      To his surprise, the District Attorney rose from his comfortable position
+      and, leaning across the table, held out his hand. Mannie took it
+      awkwardly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Sure, it&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; said the District Attorney.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      From the hall there was the sound of light, quick steps, and Mannie, happy
+      to escape from a situation he did not understand, ran to the door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She&rsquo;s coming,&rdquo; he said. He opened the door and, as Vera entered, he
+      slipped past her and closed it behind him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera walked directly to the chair at the top of the centre table. She was
+      nervous, and she was conscious that that fact was evident. To avoid
+      shaking hands with her visitor, she carried her own clasped in front of
+      her, with the fingers interlaced. She tried to speak in her usual suave,
+      professional tone. &ldquo;How do you do?&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      But Winthrop would not be denied. With a smile that showed his pleasure at
+      again seeing her, he advanced eagerly, with his hand outstretched. &ldquo;How
+      are you?&rdquo; he exclaimed. &ldquo;Aren&rsquo;t you going to shake hands with me?&rdquo; he
+      demanded. &ldquo;With an old friend?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera gave him her hand quickly, and then, seating herself at the table,
+      picked up the ivory pointer.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know you were coming as an old friend,&rdquo; she murmured
+      embarrassedly. &ldquo;You said you were coming to consult Vera, the medium.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you said that was the only way I could come,&rdquo; protested Winthrop.
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you remember, you said&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera interrupted him. She spoke distantly, formally. &ldquo;What kind of a
+      reading do you want?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;A hand reading, or a crystal reading?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop leaned forward in his chair, frankly smiling at her. He made no
+      attempt to conceal the pleasure the sight of her gave him. His manner was
+      that of a very old and dear friend, who, for the first time, had met her
+      after a separation of years.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t want any kind of a reading,&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;I want a talking. You
+      don&rsquo;t seem to understand,&rdquo; he objected, &ldquo;that I am making an afternoon
+      call.&rdquo; His good humor was unassailable. Looking up with a perplexed frown,
+      Vera met his eyes and saw that he was laughing at her. She threw the ivory
+      pointer down and, leaning back in her chair, smiled at him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe,&rdquo; she said doubtfully, &ldquo;that I know much about afternoon
+      calls. What would I do, if we were on Fifth Avenue? Would I give you tea?&rdquo;
+       she asked, &ldquo;because,&rdquo; she added hastily, &ldquo;there isn&rsquo;t any tea.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;In that case, it is not etiquette to offer any,&rdquo; said Winthrop gravely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said Vera, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m doing it right, so far?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      They both laughed; Vera because she still was in awe of him, and Winthrop
+      because he was happy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;re doing it charmingly,&rdquo; Winthrop assured her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Good!&rdquo; exclaimed Vera. &ldquo;Well, now,&rdquo; she inquired, &ldquo;now we talk, don&rsquo;t
+      we?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; assented Winthrop promptly, &ldquo;we talk about you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, I&mdash;I don&rsquo;t think we do,&rdquo; declared Vera, in haste. &ldquo;I think we
+      talk about&mdash;Geneva.&rdquo; She turned to him with real interest. &ldquo;Is the
+      town much changed?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As though preparing for a long talk, Winthrop dropped his hat to the floor
+      and settled himself comfortably. &ldquo;Well, it is, and it isn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; he answered.
+      &ldquo;Haven&rsquo;t you been back lately?&rdquo; he asked. Vera looked quickly away from
+      him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have never been back!&rdquo; she answered. There was a pause and when she
+      again turned her eyes to his, she was smiling. &ldquo;But I always take the
+      Geneva Times,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and I often read that you&rsquo;ve been there. You&rsquo;re
+      a great man in Geneva.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop nodded gravely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Whenever I want to be a great man,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I go to Geneva.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, yes,&rdquo; exclaimed Vera. &ldquo;Last June you delivered the oration to the
+      graduating class,&rdquo; she laughed, &ldquo;on The College Man in Politics. Such an
+      original subject! And did you point to yourself?&rdquo; she asked mockingly, &ldquo;as
+      the&mdash;the bright example?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; protested Winthrop, &ldquo;I knew they&rsquo;d see that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Much to her relief, Vera found that of Winthrop she was no longer afraid.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she protested, &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t you say, twelve years ago, a humble boy
+      played ball for Hobart College. That boy now stands before you? Didn&rsquo;t you
+      say that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Something like that,&rdquo; assented the District Attorney. &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; he exclaimed,
+      &ldquo;that young man who showed me in here&mdash;your confederate or
+      fellow-conspirator or lookout man or whatever he is&mdash;told me you used
+      to be a regular attendant at those games.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I never missed one!&rdquo; Vera cried. She leaned forward, her eyes shining,
+      her brows knit with the effort of recollection.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I used to tell Aunt,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I had to drive in for the mail. But that
+      was only an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old white horse called
+      Roscoe Conkling. I called him Rocks. He was blind in one eye, and he would
+      walk on the wrong side of the road; you had to drive him on one rein.&rdquo; The
+      girl was speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear of her visitor.
+      With satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and unconsciously he was now
+      frankly regarding the face of the girl with a smile of pleasure and
+      admiration.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I used to tie him to the fence just opposite first base,&rdquo; Vera went
+      on excitedly, &ldquo;and shout&mdash;for you!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t tell me,&rdquo; interrupted Winthrop, in burlesque excitement, &ldquo;that you
+      were that very pretty little girl, with short dresses and long legs, who
+      used to sit on the top rail and kick and cheer.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera shook her head sternly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I was,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but you never saw me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, yes, we did,&rdquo; protested Winthrop. &ldquo;We used to call you our mascot.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, that was some other little girl,&rdquo; said Vera firmly. &ldquo;You never looked
+      at me, and I&rdquo;&mdash;she laughed, and then frowned at him reproachfully&mdash;&ldquo;I
+      thought you were magnificent! I used to have your pictures in baseball
+      clothes pinned all around my looking glass, and whenever you made a base
+      hit, I&rsquo;d shout and shout&mdash;and you&rsquo;d never look at me! And one day&mdash;&rdquo;
+       she stopped, and as though appalled by the memory, clasped her hands. &ldquo;Oh,
+      it was awful!&rdquo; she exclaimed; &ldquo;one day a foul ball hit the fence, and I
+      jumped down and threw it to you, and you said, Thank you, sis! And I,&rdquo; she
+      cried, &ldquo;thought I was a young lady!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh! I couldn&rsquo;t have said that,&rdquo; protested Winthrop, &ldquo;maybe I said
+      sister.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; declared Vera energetically shaking her head, &ldquo;not sister, sis. And
+      you never did look at me; and I used to drive past your house every day.
+      We lived only a mile below you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Where?&rdquo; asked Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;On the lake road from Syracuse,&rdquo; said Vera. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you remember the farm
+      a mile below yours&mdash;the one with the red barn right on the road? Yes,
+      you do,&rdquo; she insisted, &ldquo;the cows were always looking over the fence right
+      into the road.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course!&rdquo; exclaimed Winthrop delightedly. &ldquo;Was that your house?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, no,&rdquo; protested Vera, &ldquo;ours was the little cottage on the other side&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;With poplars round it?&rdquo; demanded Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it!&rdquo; cried Vera triumphantly, &ldquo;with poplars round it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, I know that house well. We boys used to call it the haunted house.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the one,&rdquo; assented Vera. She smiled with satisfaction. &ldquo;Well,
+      that&rsquo;s where I lived until Aunt died,&rdquo; she said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And then, what?&rdquo; asked Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment the girl did not answer. Her face had grown grave and she sat
+      motionless, staring beyond her. Suddenly, as though casting her thoughts
+      from her, she gave a sharp toss of her head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then,&rdquo; she said, speaking quickly, &ldquo;I went into the mills, and was ill
+      there, and I wrote Paul and Mabel to ask if I could join them, and they
+      said I could. But I was too ill, and I had no money&mdash;nothing. And
+      then,&rdquo; she raised her eyes to his and regarded him steadily, &ldquo;then I stole
+      that cloak to get the money to join them, and you&mdash;you helped me to
+      get away, and&mdash;and&rdquo; Winthrop broke in hastily. He disregarded both
+      her manner and the nature of what she had said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And how did you come to know the Vances?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      After a pause of an instant, the girl accepted the cue his manner gave
+      her, and answered as before.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Through my aunt,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;she was a medium too.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course!&rdquo; cried Winthrop. &ldquo;I remember now, that&rsquo;s why we called it the
+      haunted house.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My aunt,&rdquo; said the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in her manner,
+      a certain defiance, &ldquo;was a great medium. All the spiritualists in that
+      part of the State used to meet at our house. I&rsquo;ve witnessed some wonderful
+      manifestations in that front parlor.&rdquo; She turned to Winthrop and smiled.
+      &ldquo;So, you see,&rdquo; she exclaimed, &ldquo;I was born and brought up in this business.
+      I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. My grandmother was a
+      medium, my mother was a medium&mdash;she worked with the Fox sisters
+      before they were exposed. But, my aunt,&rdquo; she added thoughtfully,
+      judicially, &ldquo;was the greatest medium I have ever seen. She did certain
+      things I couldn&rsquo;t understand, and I know every trick in the trade&mdash;unless,&rdquo;
+       she explained, &ldquo;you believe the spirits helped her.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop was observing the girl intently, with a new interest.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And you don&rsquo;t believe that?&rdquo; he asked, quietly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How can I?&rdquo; Vera said. &ldquo;I was brought up with them.&rdquo; She shook her head
+      and smiled. &ldquo;I used to play around the kitchen stove with Pocahontas and
+      Alexander the Great, and Martin Luther lived in our china closet. You see,
+      the neighbors wouldn&rsquo;t let their children come to our house; so, the only
+      playmates I had were&mdash;ghosts.&rdquo; She laughed wistfully. &ldquo;My!&rdquo; she
+      exclaimed, &ldquo;I was a queer, lonely little rat. I used to hear voices and
+      see visions. I do still,&rdquo; she added. With her elbows on the arms of her
+      chair, she clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward. She turned
+      her eyes to Winthrop and nodded confidentially.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you know,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;sometimes I think people from the other world do
+      speak to me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you said,&rdquo; Winthrop objected, &ldquo;you didn&rsquo;t believe.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; returned Vera. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t!&rdquo; Her voice was perplexed, impatient.
+      &ldquo;Why, I can sit in this chair,&rdquo; she declared earnestly, &ldquo;and fill this
+      room with spirit voices and rappings, and you sitting right there can&rsquo;t
+      see how I do it. And yet, in spite of all the tricks, sometimes I believe
+      there&rsquo;s something in it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She looked at Winthrop, her eyes open with inquiry. He shook his head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; insisted the girl. &ldquo;When these women come to me for advice, I don&rsquo;t
+      invent what I say to them. It&rsquo;s as though something told me what to say. I
+      have never met them before, but as soon as I pass into the trance state I
+      seem to know all their troubles. And I seem to be half in this world and
+      half in another world&mdash;carrying messages between them. Maybe,&rdquo; her
+      voice had sunk to almost a whisper; she continued as though speaking to
+      herself, &ldquo;I only think that. I don&rsquo;t know. I wonder.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a long pause.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I wish,&rdquo; began Winthrop earnestly, &ldquo;I wish you were younger, or I were
+      older.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why?&rdquo; asked Vera.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said the young man, &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to talk to you&mdash;like a
+      father.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera turned and smiled on him securely, with frank friendliness. &ldquo;Go
+      ahead,&rdquo; she assented, &ldquo;talk to me like a father.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop smiled back at her, and then frowned.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t be in this business,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl regarded him steadily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter with the business?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop felt she had put him upon the defensive, but he did not hesitate.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;there may be some truth in it. But we don&rsquo;t know that.
+      We do know that there&rsquo;s a lot of fraud and deceit in it. Now,&rdquo; he declared
+      warmly, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s nothing deceitful about you. You&rsquo;re fine,&rdquo; he cried
+      enthusiastically, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re big! That boy who was in here told me one story
+      about you that showed&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera stopped him sharply.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What do you know of me?&rdquo; she asked bitterly. &ldquo;The first time you ever saw
+      me I was in a police court; and this morning&mdash;you heard that man
+      threaten to put me in jail&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In turn, by abruptly rising from his chair, Winthrop interrupted her. He
+      pushed the chair out of his way, and, shoving his hands into his trousers&rsquo; 
+      pockets, began pacing with long, quick strides up and down the room. &ldquo;What
+      do I care for that?&rdquo; he cried contemptuously. He tossed the words at her
+      over his shoulder. &ldquo;I put lots of people in jail myself that are better
+      than I am. Only, they won&rsquo;t play the game.&rdquo; He halted, and turned on her.
+      &ldquo;Now, you&rsquo;re not playing the game. This is a mean business, taking money
+      from silly girls and old men. You&rsquo;re too good for that.&rdquo; He halted at the
+      table and stood facing her. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got two sisters uptown,&rdquo; he said. He
+      spoke commandingly, peremptorily. &ldquo;And tomorrow I am going to take you to
+      see them. And we fellow townsmen,&rdquo; he smiled at her appealingly, &ldquo;will
+      talk this over, and we&rsquo;ll make you come back to your own people.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment the two regarded each other. Then the girl answered firmly,
+      but with a slight hoarseness in her voice, and in a tone hardly louder
+      than a whisper:
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You know I can&rsquo;t do that!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; blustered Winthrop. &ldquo;Why not?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Because,&rdquo; said the girl steadily, &ldquo;of what I did in Geneva.&rdquo; As though
+      the answer was the one he had feared, the man exclaimed sharply,
+      rebelliously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nonsense!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t know what you were doing. No decent
+      person would consider that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;They do,&rdquo; said the girl, &ldquo;they are the very ones who do. And&mdash;it&rsquo;s
+      been in the papers. Everybody in Geneva knows it. And here too. And
+      whenever I try to get away from this&rdquo;&mdash;she stretched out her hands to
+      include the room about her&mdash;&ldquo;Someone tells! Five times, now.&rdquo; She
+      leaned forward appealingly, not as though asking pity for herself, but as
+      wishing him to see her point of view. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t choose this business,&rdquo; she
+      protested, &ldquo;I was sort of born in it, and,&rdquo; she broke out loyally, &ldquo;I hate
+      to have you call it a mean business; but I can&rsquo;t get into any other.
+      Whenever I have, some man says, That girl in your front office is a
+      thief.&rdquo; The restraint she put upon herself, the air of disdain which at
+      all times she had found the most convenient defense, fell from her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not fair!&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not fair.&rdquo; To her mortification, the
+      tears of self-pity sprang to her eyes, and as she fiercely tried to brush
+      them away, to her greater anger, continued to creep down her cheeks. &ldquo;It
+      was nine years ago,&rdquo; she protested, &ldquo;I was a child. I&rsquo;ve been punished
+      enough.&rdquo; She raised her face frankly to his, speaking swiftly, bitterly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Of course, I want to get away!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Of course, I want friends.
+      I&rsquo;ve never had a friend. I&rsquo;ve always been alone. I&rsquo;m tired, tired! I hate
+      this business. I never know how much I hate it until the chance comes to
+      get away&mdash;and I can&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      She stopped, but without lowering her head or moving her eyes from his.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;This time,&rdquo; said the man quietly, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re going to get away from it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t,&rdquo; repeated the girl, &ldquo;you can&rsquo;t help me!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop smiled at her confidently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to try,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, please!&rdquo; begged the girl. Her voice was still shaken with tears. She
+      motioned with her head toward the room behind her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;These are my people,&rdquo; she declared defiantly, as though daring him to
+      contradict her. &ldquo;And they are good people! They&rsquo;ve tried to be good
+      friends to me, and they&rsquo;ve been true to me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop came toward her and stood beside her, so close that he could have
+      placed his hand upon her shoulder. He wondered, whimsically, if she knew
+      how cruel she seemed in appealing with her tears, her helplessness and
+      loveliness to what was generous and chivalric in him; and, at the same
+      time, by her words, treating him as an interloper and an enemy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s all right,&rdquo; he said gently. &ldquo;But that doesn&rsquo;t prevent my being a
+      good friend to you, too, does it? Or,&rdquo; he added, his voice growing tense
+      and conscious&mdash;&ldquo;my being true to you? My sisters will be here
+      tomorrow,&rdquo; he announced briskly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera had wearily dropped her arms upon the table and lowered her head upon
+      them. From a place down in the depths she murmured a protest.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; contradicted Winthrop cheerfully, &ldquo;this time you are going to win.
+      You&rsquo;ll have back of you, If I do say it, two of the best women God ever
+      made. Only, now, you must do as I say.&rdquo; There was a pause. &ldquo;Will you?&rdquo; he
+      begged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera raised her head slowly, holding her hand across her eyes. There was a
+      longer silence, and then she looked up at him and smiled pathetically,
+      gratefully, and nodded. &ldquo;Good!&rdquo; cried Winthrop. &ldquo;No more spooks,&rdquo; he
+      laughed, &ldquo;no more spirit rappings.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Through her tears Vera smiled up at him a wan, broken smile. She gave a
+      shudder of distaste. &ldquo;Never!&rdquo; she whispered. &ldquo;I promise.&rdquo; Their eyes met;
+      the girl&rsquo;s looking into his shyly, gratefully; the man&rsquo;s searching hers
+      eagerly. And suddenly they saw each other with a new and wonderful
+      sympathy and understanding. Winthrop felt himself bending toward her. He
+      was conscious that the room had grown dark, and that he could see only her
+      eyes. &ldquo;You must be just yourself,&rdquo; he commanded, but so gently, so
+      tenderly, that, though he did not know it, each word carried with it the
+      touch of a caress, &ldquo;just your sweet, fine, noble self!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Something he read in the girl&rsquo;s uplifted eyes made him draw back with a
+      shock of wonder, of delight, with an upbraiding conscience. To pull
+      himself together, he glanced quickly about him. The day had really grown
+      dark. He felt a sudden desire to get away; to go where he could ask
+      himself what had happened, what it was that had filled this unknown,
+      tawdry room with beauty and given it the happiness of a home.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;By Jove!&rdquo; he exclaimed nervously, &ldquo;I had no idea I&rsquo;d stayed so long.
+      You&rsquo;ll not let me come again. Goodbye&mdash;until tomorrow.&rdquo; He turned,
+      holding out his hand, and found that again the girl had dropped her face
+      upon her arm, and was sobbing quietly, gently.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, what is it?&rdquo; cried Winthrop. &ldquo;What have I said?&rdquo; The catch in the
+      girl&rsquo;s voice as she tried to check the sobs wrenched his heart. &ldquo;Oh,
+      please,&rdquo; he begged, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve said something wrong? I&rsquo;ve hurt you?&rdquo; With her
+      face still hidden in her arms, the girl shook her head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, no!&rdquo; she sobbed. Her voice, soft with tears, was a melody of sweet
+      and tender tones. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s only&mdash;that I&rsquo;ve been so lonely&mdash;and
+      you&rsquo;ve made me happy, happy!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The sobs broke out afresh, but Winthrop, now knowing that they brought to
+      the girl peace, was no longer filled with dismay.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Her head was bent upon her left arm, her right hand lightly clasped the
+      edge of the table. With the intention of saying farewell, Winthrop took
+      her hand in his. The girl did not move. To his presence she seemed utterly
+      oblivious. In the gathering dusk he could see the bent figure, could hear
+      the soft, irregular breathing as the girl wept gently, happily, like a
+      child sobbing itself to sleep. The hand he held in his neither repelled
+      nor invited, and for an instant he stood motionless, holding it
+      uncertainly. It was so delicate, so helpless, so appealing, so altogether
+      lovable. It seemed to reach up, and, with warm, clinging fingers, clutch
+      the tendrils of his heart.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop bent his head suddenly, and lifting the hand, kissed it; and
+      then, without again speaking, walked quickly into the hall and shut the
+      door. In the room the dusk deepened. Through the open windows came the
+      roar of the Sixth Avenue Elevated, the insistent clamor of an electric
+      hansom, the murmur of Broadway at night. The tears had suddenly ceased,
+      but the girl had not moved. At last, slowly, stiffly, she raised her head.
+      Her eyes, filled with wonder, with amazement, were fixed upon her hand.
+      She glanced cautiously about her. Assured she was alone, with her other
+      hand she lifted the one Winthrop had kissed and held it pressed against
+      her lips.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The folding doors were thrown open, letting in a flood of light, and Mabel
+      Vance, entering swiftly, knelt at the table and bent her head close to
+      Vera.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That woman&rsquo;s in the hall,&rdquo; she whispered, &ldquo;that niece of Hallowell&rsquo;s.
+      Paul and Mannie can&rsquo;t get rid of her. Now she&rsquo;s got hold of Winthrop. She
+      says she will see you. Be careful!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera rose. That Mabel might not see she had been weeping, she walked to
+      the piano, covertly drying her eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What,&rdquo; she asked dully, &ldquo;does she want with me?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;About tonight,&rdquo; answered Mabel. She exclaimed fiercely, &ldquo;I told them
+      there&rsquo;d be trouble!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With Vance upon her heels, Helen Coates came in quickly from the hall. Her
+      face was flushed, her eyes lit with indignation and excitement. In her
+      hand she held an open letter.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As though to protect Vera, both Vance and his wife moved between her and
+      their visitor, but, disregarding them, Miss Coates at once singled out the
+      girl as her opponent.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You are the young woman they call Vera, I believe,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I have a
+      note here from Mr. Hallowell telling me you are giving a seance tonight at
+      his house. That you propose to exhibit the spirit of my mother. That is an
+      insult to the memory of my mother and to me. And I warn you, if you
+      attempt such a thing, I will prevent it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a pause. When Vera spoke it was in the tone of every-day
+      politeness. Her voice was even and steady.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You have been misinformed,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;there will be no seance tonight.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance turned to Vera, and, in a voice lower than her own, but sufficiently
+      loud to include Miss Coates, said: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we told you that Mr.
+      Hallowell himself insists that this lady and her friends be present.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Her presence makes no difference,&rdquo; said Vera quietly. &ldquo;There will be no
+      seance tonight. I will tell you about it later, Paul,&rdquo; she added. She
+      started toward the door, but Miss Coates moved as though to intercept her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you think,&rdquo; she cried eagerly, &ldquo;you can give a seance to Mr. Hallowell
+      without my knowing it, you are mistaken.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera paused, and made a slight inclination of her head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That was not my idea,&rdquo; she said. She looked appealingly to Vance. &ldquo;Is
+      that not enough, Paul?&rdquo; she asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Quite enough!&rdquo; exclaimed the man. He turned to the visitor and made a
+      curt movement of the hand toward the open door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There will be a seance tonight,&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;At Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s. If you
+      wish to protest against it, you can do so there. This is my house. If you
+      have finished&mdash;&rdquo; He repeated the gesture toward the open door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have not finished,&rdquo; said Miss Coates sharply; &ldquo;and if you take my
+      advice, you will follow her example.&rdquo; With a nod of the head she signified
+      Vera. &ldquo;When she sees she&rsquo;s in danger, she knows enough to stop. This is
+      not a question of a few medium&rsquo;s tricks,&rdquo; she cried, contemptuously. &ldquo;I
+      know all that you planned to do, and I intend that tomorrow every one in
+      New York shall know it too.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Like a cloak Vera&rsquo;s self-possession fell from her. In alarm she moved
+      forward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo; she demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have had you people followed pretty closely,&rdquo; said Miss Coates. Her
+      tone was assured. She was confident that of those before her she was the
+      master, and that of that fact they were aware.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know,&rdquo; she went on, &ldquo;just how you tried to impose upon my uncle&mdash;how
+      you tried to rob me, and tonight I have invited the reporters to my house
+      to give them the facts.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a cry Vera ran to her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; she begged, &ldquo;you won&rsquo;t do that. You must not do that!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Let her talk!&rdquo; growled Vance. &ldquo;Let her talk! She&rsquo;s funny.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No!&rdquo; commanded Vera. Her voice rang with the distress. &ldquo;She cannot do
+      that!&rdquo; She turned to Miss Coates. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t hurt you,&rdquo; she pleaded; &ldquo;we
+      haven&rsquo;t taken your money. I promise you,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;we will never see
+      Mr. Hallowell again. I beg of you&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance indignantly caught her by the arm and drew her back. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t beg
+      nothing of her!&rdquo; he cried.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do,&rdquo; Vera answered wildly. She caught Vance&rsquo;s hand in both of hers. &ldquo;I
+      have a chance, Paul,&rdquo; she entreated, &ldquo;don&rsquo;t force me through it again. I
+      can&rsquo;t stand the shame of it again.&rdquo; Once more she appealed to the visitor.
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; she begged. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t shame me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      But the eyes of the older girl, blind to everything save what, as she saw
+      it, was her duty, showed no consideration.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vera&rsquo;s hands, trembling on his arm, drove Vance to deeper anger. He turned
+      savagely upon Miss Coates.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You haven&rsquo;t lost anything yet, have you?&rdquo; he demanded. &ldquo;She hasn&rsquo;t hurt
+      you, has she? If it&rsquo;s revenge you want,&rdquo; he cried insolently, &ldquo;why don&rsquo;t
+      you throw vitriol on the girl?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Revenge!&rdquo; exclaimed Miss Coates indignantly. &ldquo;It is my duty. My public
+      duty. I&rsquo;m not alone in this; I am acting with the District Attorney. It is
+      our duty.&rdquo; She turned suddenly and called, &ldquo;Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Winthrop!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For the first time Vera saw, under the gas jet, at the farther end of the
+      hall, the figures of Mannie and Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, no!&rdquo; she protested, &ldquo;I beg of you,&rdquo; she cried hysterically. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got
+      a chance. If you print this thing tomorrow, I&rsquo;ll never have a chance
+      again. Don&rsquo;t take it away from me.&rdquo; Impulsively her arms reached out in an
+      eager final appeal. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m down,&rdquo; she said simply, &ldquo;give me a chance to get
+      up.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      When Miss Coates came to give battle to the Vances, she foresaw the
+      interview might be unpleasant. It was proving even more unpleasant than
+      she had expected, but her duty seemed none the less obvious.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You should have thought of that,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;before you were found out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For an instant Vera stood motionless, staring, unconsciously holding the
+      attitude of appeal. But when, by these last words, she recognized that her
+      humiliation could go no further, with an inarticulate exclamation she
+      turned away.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The public has the right to know,&rdquo; declared Miss Coates, &ldquo;the sort of
+      people you are. I have the record of each of you&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      From the hall Winthrop had entered quickly, but, disregarding him, Vance
+      broke in upon the speaker, savagely, defiantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Print em, then!&rdquo; he shouted, &ldquo;print em!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I mean to,&rdquo; declared Miss Coates, &ldquo;yours, and hers, she&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop placed himself in front of her, shutting her off from the others.
+      He spoke in an earnest whisper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; he begged. &ldquo;She has asked for a chance. Give her a chance.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Miss Coates scorned to speak in whispers.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She has had a chance,&rdquo; she protested loudly. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s had a chance for nine
+      years; and she&rsquo;s chosen to be a charlatan and a cheat, and&mdash;&rdquo; The
+      angry woman hesitated, and then flung the word&mdash;&ldquo;and a thief!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the silence that followed no one turned toward Vera; but as it
+      continued unbroken each raised his eyes and looked at her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      They saw her drawn to her full height; the color flown from her face, her
+      deep, brooding eyes flashing. She was like one by some religious fervor
+      lifted out of herself, exalted. When she spoke her voice was low, tense.
+      It vibrated with tremendous, wondering indignation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Do you know who I am?&rdquo; she asked. She spoke like one in a trance. &ldquo;Do you
+      know who you are threatening with your police and your laws? I am a
+      priestess! I am a medium between the souls of this world and the next. I
+      am Vera&mdash;the Truth! And I mean,&rdquo; the girl cried suddenly, harshly,
+      flinging out her arm, &ldquo;that you shall hear the truth! Tonight I will bring
+      your mother from the grave to speak it to you!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a swift, sweeping gesture she pointed to the door. &ldquo;Take those people
+      away!&rdquo; she cried.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The eyes of Winthrop were filled with pity. &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For an instant, against the tenderness and reproach in his voice the girl
+      held herself motionless; and then, falling upon the shoulder of Mrs.
+      Vance, burst into girlish, heart-broken tears.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Take them away,&rdquo; she sobbed, &ldquo;take them away!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mannie Day and Vance closed in upon the visitors, and motioning them
+      before them, drove them from the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <a name="link2H_PART3" id="link2H_PART3">
+      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
+    </p>
+    <div style="height: 4em;">
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </div>
+    <h2>
+      Part III
+    </h2>
+    <p>
+      The departure of the District Attorney and Miss Coates left Vera free to
+      consider how serious, if she carried out her threat, the consequences
+      might be. But of this chance she did not avail herself. Instead, with
+      nervous zeal she began to prepare for her masquerade. It was as though her
+      promise to Winthrop to abandon her old friends had filled her with
+      remorse, and that she now, by an extravagance of loyalty, was endeavoring
+      to make amends.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At nine o&rsquo;clock, with the Vances, she arrived at the house of Mr.
+      Hallowell. Already, to the same place, a wagon had carried the cabinet, a
+      parlor organ, and a dozen of those camp chairs that are associated with
+      house weddings and funerals; and while, in the library, Vance and Mannie
+      arranged these to their liking, on the third floor Vera, with Mrs. Vance,
+      waited for that moment to arrive when Vance considered her entrance would
+      be the most effective.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      This entrance was to be made through the doorway that opened from the hall
+      on the second story into the library. To the right of this door, in an
+      angle of two walls, was the cabinet, and on the left, the first of the
+      camp chairs. These had been placed in a semicircle that stretched across
+      the room, and ended at the parlor organ. The door from Mr. Hallowell&rsquo;s
+      bedroom opened directly upon the semicircle at the point most distant from
+      the cabinet. In the centre of the semicircle Vance had placed the
+      invalid&rsquo;s arm chair.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance, in his manner as professional and undisturbed as a photographer
+      focussing his camera and arranging his screens, was explaining to Judge
+      Gaylor the setting of his stage. The judge was an unwilling audience.
+      Unlike the showman, for him the occasion held only terrors. He was driven
+      by misgivings, swept by sudden panics. He scowled at the cabinet,
+      intruding upon the privacy of the room where for years, without the aid of
+      accessories, by his brains alone, he had brought Mr. Hallowell almost to
+      the point of abject submission to his wishes. He turned upon Vance with
+      bitter self-disgust.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;So, I&rsquo;ve got down as low as this, have I?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance heard him, undisturbed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I must ask you,&rdquo; he said, briskly, &ldquo;to help me keep the people just as I
+      seat them. They will be in this half-circle facing the cabinet and holding
+      hands. Those we know are against us,&rdquo; he explained, &ldquo;will have one of my
+      friends, Professor Strombergk, or Mrs. Marsh, or my wife, on each side of
+      him. If there should be any attempt to rush the cabinet, we must get there
+      first. I will be outside the cabinet working the rappings, the floating
+      music, and the astral bodies.&rdquo; At the sight of the expression these words
+      brought to the face of Gaylor, Vance permitted himself the shadow of a
+      smile. &ldquo;I can take care of myself,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;but remember&mdash;Vera
+      must not be caught outside the cabinet! When the lights go up, she must be
+      found with the ropes still tied.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor turned from him with an exclamation of disgust.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Pah!&rdquo; he muttered. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a hell of a business!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance continued unmoved. &ldquo;And, another thing,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;about these
+      lights; this switch throws them all off, doesn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; He pressed a button
+      on the left of the door, and the electric lights in the walls and under a
+      green shade on the library table faded and disappeared, leaving the room,
+      save for the light from the hall, in darkness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way we want it,&rdquo; said the showman.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      From the hall Mannie appeared between the curtains that hung across the
+      doorway. &ldquo;What are you doing with the lights?&rdquo; he demanded. &ldquo;You want to
+      break my neck? All our people are downstairs,&rdquo; he announced.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance turned on the lights. At the same moment Rainey came from the
+      bedroom into the library. It was evident that to sustain his courage he
+      had been drinking. He made no effort to greet those in the room, but
+      stood, glaring resentfully at the cabinet and the row of chairs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; exclaimed Vance cheerfully, &ldquo;if our folks are all here, we&rsquo;re all
+      right.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Glancing behind him, Mannie took Vance by the sleeve, and led him to the
+      centre of the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, we&rsquo;re not all right,&rdquo; said the boy, &ldquo;that Miss Coates has brought a
+      friend with her. She says Hallowell told her she could bring a friend. She
+      says this young fellow is her friend. I think he&rsquo;s a Pink!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What nonsense,&rdquo; exclaimed Gaylor in alarm. &ldquo;No detective would force his
+      way into this house.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She says,&rdquo; continued Mannie, disregarding Gaylor, and still addressing
+      Vance, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s a seeker after the Truth. I&rsquo;ll bet,&rdquo; declared the boy
+      violently, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s a seeker after the truth!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Garrett came hastily and noiselessly into the room. He nodded toward
+      Mannie.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Has he told you?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Gaylor answered, &ldquo;who is he?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The reporter who was here this morning,&rdquo; Garrett returned. &ldquo;The one who
+      threatened&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That&rsquo;ll do,&rdquo; commanded Gaylor. In the face of this new complication he
+      again became himself. Suavely and politely he turned to Vance. &ldquo;Will you
+      and your friend join Miss Vera,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;and tell her that we begin in
+      a few minutes?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For the first time, aggressively and offensively Rainey broke his silence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, we won&rsquo;t begin in a few minutes,&rdquo; he announced, &ldquo;not by a damned
+      sight!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The explosion was so unexpected that, for an instant, while the eyes of
+      all were fixed in astonishment upon the speaker, there was complete
+      silence. Gaylor, still suave, still polite, looked toward Vance, and
+      motioned him to the door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Will you kindly do as I ask?&rdquo; he said. With Mannie at his side, Vance
+      walked quickly from the room. Once in the hall, the boy laid a detaining
+      hand upon the arm of the older man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you&rsquo;ll take my advice, which you won&rsquo;t,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we&rsquo;ll all cut and
+      run now, while we got the chance!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the library, Gaylor turned savagely upon his fellow conspirator.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well!&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey frowned at him sulkily. &ldquo;I wash my hands of the whole thing!&rdquo; he
+      cried.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor dropped his voice to a whisper.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What are you afraid of now?&rdquo; he demanded. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not afraid of a
+      district attorney, why are you afraid of a reporter?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not afraid of anybody,&rdquo; returned Rainey, thickly. &ldquo;But, I don&rsquo;t mean
+      to be a party to no murder!&rdquo; He paused, shaking his head portentously.
+      &ldquo;That man in there,&rdquo; he whispered, nodding toward the bedroom, &ldquo;is in no
+      condition to go through this. After that shock this morning, and last
+      night&mdash;it&rsquo;ll kill him. His heart&rsquo;s rotten, I tell you, rotten!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Garrett snarled contemptuously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How do you know?&rdquo; he demanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How do I know?&rdquo; returned Rainey, fiercely. &ldquo;I was four years in a medical
+      college, when you were in jail, you&mdash;&rdquo; &ldquo;Stop that!&rdquo; cried Gaylor.
+      Glancing fearfully toward the open door, he interposed between them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t take my advice, then,&rdquo; cried Rainey. &ldquo;Go on! Kill him! And he won&rsquo;t
+      sign your will. Only, don&rsquo;t say I didn&rsquo;t tell you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Have you told him?&rdquo; demanded Gaylor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Rainey answered stoutly. &ldquo;Told him if he didn&rsquo;t stop this, he
+      wouldn&rsquo;t live till morning.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are we forcing him to do this?&rdquo; demanded Gaylor. &ldquo;No! He&rsquo;s forcing it on
+      us. My God!&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;do you think I want this farce? You say,
+      yourself, you told him it would kill him, and he will go on with it. Then
+      why do you blame us? Can we help ourselves?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The butler had distinguished the sounds of footsteps in the hall. He fell
+      hastily to rearranging the camp chairs.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; he warned. &ldquo;Look out!&rdquo; Gaylor and Rainey had but time to move
+      apart, when Winthrop entered. He regarded the three men with a smile of
+      understanding.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I beg pardon,&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;I am interrupting?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor greeted him with exaggerated heartiness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah, it is Mr. Winthrop!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Have you come to help us find out the
+      truth this evening?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I certainly hope not!&rdquo; said Winthrop brusquely. &ldquo;I know the truth about
+      too many people already.&rdquo; He turned to Garrett, who, unobtrusively, was
+      endeavoring to make his escape.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I want to see Miss Vera,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera,&rdquo; interposed Gaylor. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid that&rsquo;s not possible. She
+      especially asked not to be disturbed before the seance. I&rsquo;m sorry.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop&rsquo;s manner became suspiciously polite.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes?&rdquo; he inquired. &ldquo;Well, nevertheless I think I&rsquo;ll ask her. Tell Miss
+      Vera, please,&rdquo; he said to Garrett, &ldquo;that Mr. Winthrop would like a word
+      with her here,&rdquo; with significance he added, &ldquo;in private.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In offended dignity, Judge Gaylor moved toward the door. &ldquo;Dr. Rainey,&rdquo; he
+      said stiffly, &ldquo;will you please inform Mr. Hallowell that his guests are
+      now here, and that I have gone to bring them upstairs.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, but you won&rsquo;t bring them upstairs, please,&rdquo; said Winthrop, &ldquo;until
+      you hear from me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor flushed with anger and for a moment appeared upon the point of
+      mutiny. Then, as though refusing to consider himself responsible for the
+      manners of the younger man, he shrugged his shoulders and left the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With even less of consideration than he had shown to Judge Gaylor,
+      Winthrop turned upon Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How&rsquo;s your patient?&rdquo; he asked shortly. Rainey was sufficiently influenced
+      by the liquor he had taken to dare to resent Winthrop&rsquo;s peremptory tone.
+      His own in reply was designedly offensive.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My patient?&rdquo; he inquired.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; snapped Winthrop, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s sick, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; returned the Doctor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know?&rdquo; demanded Winthrop. &ldquo;Well, I know. I know if he goes
+      through this thing tonight, he&rsquo;ll have another collapse. I saw one this
+      morning. Why don&rsquo;t you forbid it? You&rsquo;re his medical adviser, aren&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey remained sullenly silent.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Answer me!&rdquo; insisted the District Attorney. &ldquo;You are, aren&rsquo;t you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am,&rdquo; at last declared Rainey.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, then,&rdquo; commanded Winthrop, &ldquo;tell him to stop this. Tell him I
+      advise it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Through his glasses Rainey blinked violently at the District Attorney, and
+      laughed. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that you were a medical man.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop looked at the Doctor so steadily, and for so long a time, that
+      the eyes of the young man sought the floor and the ceiling; and his sneer
+      changed to an expression of discomfort.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am not,&rdquo; said Winthrop. &ldquo;I am the District Attorney of New York.&rdquo; His
+      tones were cold, precise; they fell upon the superheated brain of Dr.
+      Rainey like drops from an icicle.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;When I took over that office,&rdquo; continued Winthrop, &ldquo;I found a complaint
+      against two medical students, a failure to report the death of an old man
+      in a private sanitarium.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop lowered his eyes, and became deeply absorbed in the toe of his
+      boot. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t looked into the papers, yet,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey, swaying slightly, jerked open the door of the bedroom. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell
+      him,&rdquo; he panted thickly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll tell him to do as you say.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Thank you, I wish you would,&rdquo; said Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      At the same moment, from the hall, Garrett announced, &ldquo;Mrs. Vance, sir.&rdquo;
+       And Mabel Vance, tremulous and frightened, entered the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop approached her eagerly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Ah! Mrs. Vance,&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;can I see Miss Vera?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Embarrassed and unhappy, Mrs. Vance moved restlessly from foot to foot,
+      and shook her head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Please, Mr. District Attorney,&rdquo; she begged. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid not. This
+      afternoon upset her so. And she&rsquo;s so nervous and queer that the Professor
+      thinks she shouldn&rsquo;t see nobody.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The Professor?&rdquo; he commented. His voice was considerate, conciliatory.
+      &ldquo;Now, Mrs. Vance,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve known Miss Vera ever since she was a
+      little girl, known her longer than you have, and, I&rsquo;m her friend, and
+      you&rsquo;re her friend, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am,&rdquo; protested Mabel Vance tearfully. &ldquo;Indeed I am!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know you are,&rdquo; Winthrop interrupted hastily. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve been more than a
+      friend to her, you&rsquo;ve been a sister, mother, and you don&rsquo;t want any
+      trouble to come to her, do you?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; cried the woman. &ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she exclaimed miserably, &ldquo;I told them
+      there&rsquo;d be trouble!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop laughed reassuringly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well, there won&rsquo;t be any trouble,&rdquo; he declared, &ldquo;if I can help it. And if
+      you want to help her, help me. Persuade her to let me talk to her. Don&rsquo;t
+      mind what the Professor says.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I will,&rdquo; declared Mrs. Vance with determination, &ldquo;I will.&rdquo; She started
+      eagerly toward the hall, and then paused and returned. Her hands were
+      clasped; her round, baby eyes, wet with tears, were fixed upon Winthrop
+      appealingly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, please,&rdquo; she pleaded, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re not going to hurt him, are you? Paul,
+      my husband,&rdquo; she explained, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s been such a good husband to me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop laughed uneasily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, that&rsquo;ll be all right,&rdquo; he protested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t mean any harm,&rdquo; insisted Mrs. Vance, &ldquo;he&rsquo;s on the level; true,
+      he is!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why, of course, of course,&rdquo; Winthrop assented.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Unsatisfied, Mrs. Vance burst into tears. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s this spirit business that
+      makes the trouble!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;I tell them to cut it out. Now, the mind
+      reading at the theatre,&rdquo; she sobbed, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no harm in that, is there?
+      And there&rsquo;s twice the money in it. But this ghost raising&rdquo;&mdash;she
+      raised her eyes appealingly, as though begging to be contradicted&mdash;&ldquo;it&rsquo;s
+      sure to get him into trouble, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop shook his head, and smiled.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It may,&rdquo; he said. Mrs. Vance broke into a fresh outburst of tears. &ldquo;I
+      knew it,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;I knew it.&rdquo; Winthrop placed his hand upon her arm
+      and turned her in the direction of the door.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry,&rdquo; he said soothingly. &ldquo;Go send Miss Vera here. And,&rdquo; he
+      called after her, &ldquo;don&rsquo;t worry.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As Mabel departed upon his errand, Rainey reentered from the bedroom. He
+      carefully closed the door and halted with his hand upon the knob, and
+      shook his head.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no use,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;he will go on with it. It&rsquo;s not my fault,&rdquo; he
+      whined, &ldquo;I told him it would kill him. I couldn&rsquo;t make it any stronger
+      than that, could I?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Rainey was not looking at Winthrop, but, as though fearful of
+      interruption, toward the door. His eyes were harassed, furtive, filled
+      with miserable indecision. Many times before Winthrop had seen men in such
+      a state. He knew that for the sufferer it foretold a physical break down,
+      or that he would seek relief in full confession. To give the man
+      confidence, he abandoned his attitude of suspicion.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That certainly would be strong enough for me,&rdquo; he said cheerfully. &ldquo;Did
+      you tell him what I advised?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; muttered Rainey impatiently. &ldquo;He said you were invited here to
+      give advice to his niece, not to him.&rdquo; For the first time his eyes met
+      those of Winthrop boldly. The District Attorney recognized that the man
+      had taken his fears by the throat, and had arrived at his decision.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;See here,&rdquo; exclaimed Rainey, &ldquo;could I give you some information?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure you could,&rdquo; returned Winthrop briskly. &ldquo;Give it to me now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      But Rainey, glancing toward the door, shrank back. Winthrop, following the
+      direction of his eyes, saw Vera. Impatiently he waved Rainey away.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;At the office, tomorrow morning,&rdquo; he commanded. With a sigh of relief at
+      the reprieve, Rainey slipped back into the bedroom.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop had persuaded himself that in seeking to speak with Vera, he was
+      making only a natural choice between preventing the girl from perpetrating
+      a fraud, or, later, for that fraud, holding her to account. But when she
+      actually stood before him, he recognized how absurdly he had deceived
+      himself. At the mere physical sight of her, there came to him a swift
+      relief, a thrill of peace and deep content; and with delighted certainty
+      he knew that what Vera might do or might not do concerned him not at all,
+      that for him all that counted was the girl herself. With something of this
+      showing in his face, he came eagerly toward her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo; he exclaimed. In the word there was delight, wonder, tenderness;
+      but if the girl recognized this she concealed her knowledge. Instead, her
+      eyes looked into his frankly; her manner was that of open friendliness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mabel tells me you want to talk to me,&rdquo; she said evenly &ldquo;but I don&rsquo;t want
+      you to. I have something I want to say to you. I could have written it,
+      but this&rdquo;&mdash;for an instant the girl paused with her lips pressed
+      together; when she spoke, her voice carried the firmness and finality of
+      one delivering a verdict&mdash;&ldquo;but this,&rdquo; she repeated, &ldquo;is the last time
+      you shall hear from me, or see me again.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop gave an exclamation of impatience, of indignation.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; returned the girl, &ldquo;it is quite final. Maybe you will not want to
+      see me, but&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop again sharply interrupted her. His voice was filled with
+      reproach. &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo; he protested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the girl more gently, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad to think you do, but this is
+      the last, and before I go, I&mdash;&ldquo;.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Go!&rdquo; demanded Winthrop roughly. &ldquo;Where?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Before I go,&rdquo; continued the girl, &ldquo;I want to tell you how much you have
+      helped me&mdash;I want to thank you&mdash;&ldquo;.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You haven&rsquo;t let me thank you,&rdquo; broke in Winthrop, &ldquo;and, now, you pretend
+      this is our last meeting. It&rsquo;s absurd!&rdquo;.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is our last meeting,&rdquo; replied the girl. Of the two, for the moment,
+      she was the older, the more contained. &ldquo;On the contrary,&rdquo; contradicted the
+      man. He spoke sharply, in a tone he tried to make as determined as her
+      own. &ldquo;Our next meeting will be in ten minutes&mdash;at my sister&rsquo;s. I have
+      told her about this afternoon, and about you; and she wants very much to
+      meet you. She has sent her car for you. It&rsquo;s waiting in front of the
+      house. Now,&rdquo; he commanded masterfully, &ldquo;you come with me, and get in it,
+      and leave all this&rdquo;&mdash;he gave an angry, contemptuous wave of the hand
+      toward the cabinet&mdash;&ldquo;behind you, as,&rdquo; he added earnestly, &ldquo;you
+      promised me you would.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As though closing from sight the possibility he suggested, the girl shut
+      her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to meet his.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t leave these things behind me,&rdquo; she said quietly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I told you so this afternoon. For a moment, you made me think I could,
+      and I did promise. I didn&rsquo;t need to promise. It&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ve prayed for.
+      Then, you saw what happened, you saw I was right. Within five minutes that
+      woman came&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That woman had a motive,&rdquo; protested Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That woman,&rdquo; continued the girl patiently, &ldquo;or some other woman. What
+      does it matter? In five minutes, or five days, some one would have told.&rdquo;
+       She leaned toward him anxiously. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not complaining,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;it&rsquo;s my
+      own fault. It&rsquo;s the life I&rsquo;ve chosen.&rdquo; She hesitated and then as though
+      determined to carry out a programme she had already laid down for herself,
+      continued rapidly: &ldquo;And what I want to tell you, is, that what&rsquo;s best in
+      that life I owe to you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Vera!&rdquo; cried the man sharply.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Listen!&rdquo; said the girl. Her eyes were alight, eager. She spoke frankly,
+      proudly, without embarrassment, without fear of being misconstrued, as a
+      man might speak to a man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be ungrateful, I&rsquo;d be a coward,&rdquo; said the girl, &ldquo;if I went away and
+      didn&rsquo;t tell you. For ten years I&rsquo;ve been counting on you. I made you a
+      sort of standard. I said, as long as he keeps to his ideals, I&rsquo;m going to
+      keep to mine. Maybe you think my ideals have not been very high, but
+      anyway you&rsquo;ve made it easy for me. Because I&rsquo;m in this business, because
+      I&rsquo;m good-looking enough, certain men&rdquo;&mdash;the voice of the girl grew
+      hard and cool&mdash;&ldquo;have done me the honor to insult me, and it was
+      knowing you, and that there are others like you, that helped me not to
+      care.&rdquo; The girl paused. She raised her eyes to his frankly. The look in
+      them was one of pride in him, of loyalty, of affection. &ldquo;And now, since
+      I&rsquo;ve met you,&rdquo; she went on, &ldquo;I find you&rsquo;re just as I imagined you&rsquo;d be,
+      just as I&rsquo;d hoped you&rsquo;d be.&rdquo; She reached out her hand warningly,
+      appealingly. &ldquo;And I don&rsquo;t want you to change, to let down, to grow
+      discouraged. You can&rsquo;t tell how many more people are counting on you.&rdquo; She
+      hesitated and, as though at last conscious of her own boldness, flushed
+      deprecatingly, like one asking pardon. &ldquo;You men in high places,&rdquo; she
+      stammered, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re like light houses showing the way. You don&rsquo;t know how
+      many people you are helping. You can&rsquo;t see them. You can&rsquo;t tell how many
+      boats are following your light, but if your light goes out, they are
+      wrecked.&rdquo; She gave a sigh of relief. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I wanted to tell you,&rdquo;
+       she said, &ldquo;and, so thank you.&rdquo; She held out her hand. &ldquo;And, goodby.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop&rsquo;s answer was to clasp her hand quickly in both of his, and draw
+      her toward him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Vera,&rdquo; he begged, &ldquo;come with me now!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl withdrew her hand and moved away from him, frowning. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; she
+      said, &ldquo;no, you do not want to understand. I have my work to do tonight.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop gave an exclamation of anger.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t mean to tell me,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;that you&rsquo;re going on with this?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she said, And then in sudden alarm cried: &ldquo;But not if you&rsquo;re here!
+      I&rsquo;ll fail if you&rsquo;re here. Promise me, you will not be here.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Indeed,&rdquo; cried the man indignantly, &ldquo;I will not! But I&rsquo;ll be downstairs
+      when you need me. And,&rdquo; he added warningly, &ldquo;you&rsquo;ll need me.&rdquo; &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said
+      the girl. &ldquo;No matter what happens, I tell you, between us, this is the
+      end.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then,&rdquo; begged the man, &ldquo;if this is the end, for God&rsquo;s sake, Vera, as my
+      last request, do not do it!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl shook her head. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; she repeated firmly. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve tried to get
+      away from it, and each time they&rsquo;ve forced me back. Now, I&rsquo;ll go on with
+      it. I&rsquo;ve promised Paul, and the others. And you heard me promise that
+      woman.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you didn&rsquo;t mean that!&rdquo; protested the man. &ldquo;She insulted you; you were
+      angry. You&rsquo;re angry now, piqued&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mr. Winthrop,&rdquo; interrupted the girl, &ldquo;today you told me I was not playing
+      the game. You told the truth. When you said this was a mean business, you
+      were right. But&rdquo;&mdash;for the first time since she had spoken her tones
+      were shaken, uncertain&mdash;&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been driven out of every other
+      business.&rdquo; She waited until her voice was again under control, and then
+      said slowly, definitely, &ldquo;and, tonight, I am going to show Mr. Hallowell
+      the spirit of his sister.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the eyes of Winthrop the look of pain, of disappointment, of reproach,
+      was so keen, that the girl turned her own away.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the man gently, &ldquo;you will not do that.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You can stop my doing it tonight,&rdquo; returned the girl, &ldquo;but at some other
+      time, at some other place, I will do it.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You yourself will stop it,&rdquo; said Winthrop. &ldquo;You are too honest, too fine,
+      to act such a lie. Why not be yourself?&rdquo; he begged. &ldquo;Why not disappoint
+      these other people who do not know you? Why disappoint the man who knows
+      you best, who trusts you, who believes in you&mdash;&ldquo;.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You are the very one,&rdquo; interrupted the girl, &ldquo;who doesn&rsquo;t know me. I am
+      not fine; I am not honest. I am a charlatan and a cheat; I am all that
+      woman called me. And that is why you can&rsquo;t know me. That&rsquo;s why. I told
+      you, if you did, you would be sorry.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am not sorry,&rdquo; said Winthrop.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You will be,&rdquo; returned the girl, &ldquo;before the night is over.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;On the contrary,&rdquo; answered the man quietly, &ldquo;I shall wait here to
+      congratulate you&mdash;on your failure.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I shall not fail,&rdquo; said the girl. Avoiding his eyes, she turned from him
+      and, for a moment, stood gazing before her miserably. Her lips were
+      trembling, her eyes moist with rising tears. Then she faced him, her head
+      raised defiantly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have been hounded out of every decent way of living,&rdquo; she protested
+      hysterically. &ldquo;I can make thousands of dollars tonight,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;out
+      of this one.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop looked straight into her eyes. His own were pleading, full of
+      tenderness and pity; so eloquent with meaning that those of the girl fell
+      before them.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is no answer,&rdquo; said the man. &ldquo;You know it&rsquo;s not. I tell you&mdash;you
+      will fail.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      From the hall Judge Gaylor entered noisily. Instinctively the man and girl
+      moved nearer together, and upon the intruder Winthrop turned angrily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well?&rdquo; he demanded sharply. &ldquo;I thought you had finished your talk,&rdquo;
+       protested the Judge. &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell is anxious to begin.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop turned and looked at Vera steadily. For an instant the eyes of
+      the girl faltered, and then she returned his glance with one as resolute
+      as his own. As though accepting her verdict as final, Winthrop walked
+      quickly to the door. &ldquo;I shall be downstairs,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;when this is over,
+      let me know.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor struggled to conceal his surprise and satisfaction. &ldquo;You won&rsquo;t be
+      here for the seance?&rdquo; he exclaimed.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Certainly not,&rdquo; cried Winthrop. &ldquo;I&mdash;&rdquo; He broke off suddenly. Without
+      again looking toward Vera, or trying to hide his displeasure, he left the
+      room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor turned to the girl. He was smiling with relief.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Excellent!&rdquo; he muttered. &ldquo;Excellent! What was he saying to you,&rdquo; he asked
+      eagerly, &ldquo;as I came in&mdash;that you would fail?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl moved past him to the door. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she answered dully.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But you will not!&rdquo; cried the man. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all counting on you, you know.
+      Destroy the old will. Sign the new will,&rdquo; he quoted. He came close to her
+      and whispered. &ldquo;That means thousands of dollars to you and Vance,&rdquo; he
+      urged.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl turned and regarded him with unhappy, angry eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You need not be frightened,&rdquo; she answered. For the man before her and for
+      herself, her voice was bitter with contempt and self-accusation. &ldquo;Mr.
+      Winthrop is mistaken. He does not know me,&rdquo; she said miserably. &ldquo;I shall
+      not fail.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For a moment, after she had left him, Gaylor stood motionless, his eyes
+      filled with concern, and then, with a shrug, as though accepting either
+      good or evil fortune, he called from the bedroom Mr. Hallowell, and, from
+      the floor below, the guests of Hallowell and of Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As Hallowell, supported by Rainey, sank into the invalid&rsquo;s chair in the
+      centre of the semicircle, Gaylor made his final appeal.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Stephen,&rdquo; he begged, &ldquo;are you sure you&rsquo;re feeling strong enough? Won&rsquo;t
+      some other night&mdash;&rdquo; The old man interrupted him querulously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;No, now! I want it over,&rdquo; he commanded. &ldquo;Who knows,&rdquo; he complained, &ldquo;how
+      soon it may be before&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The sight of Mannie entering the room with Vance caused him to interrupt
+      himself abruptly. He greeted the showman with a curt nod.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And who is this?&rdquo; he demanded. Mannie, to whom a living millionaire was
+      much more of a disturbing spectacle than the ghost of Alexander the Great,
+      retreated hastily behind Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;He is my assistant,&rdquo; Vance explained. &ldquo;He furnishes the music.&rdquo; He pushed
+      Mannie toward the organ.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Music!&rdquo; growled Hallowell. &ldquo;Must there be music?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It is indispensable,&rdquo; protested Vance. &ldquo;Music, sir, is one of the
+      strongest psychic influences. It&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Nonsense!&rdquo; cried Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tricks,&rdquo; he muttered, &ldquo;tricks!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance shrugged his shoulders, and smiled in deprecation. &ldquo;I am sorry to
+      find you in a skeptical mood, Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; he murmured reprovingly &ldquo;It
+      will hardly help to produce good results. Allow me,&rdquo; he begged, &ldquo;to
+      present two true believers.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a wave of the hand he beckoned forward a stout, gray-haired woman
+      with bulging, near-sighted eyes that rolled meaninglessly behind heavy
+      gold spectacles.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Mrs. Marsh of Lynn, Massachusetts,&rdquo; proclaimed Vance, &ldquo;of whom you have
+      heard. Mrs. Marsh,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;is probably the first medium in America.
+      The results she has obtained are quite wonderful. She alone foretold the
+      San Francisco earthquake, and the run on the Long Acre Square Bank.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am glad to know you,&rdquo; said Mr. Hallowell. &ldquo;Pardon my not rising.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The old lady curtsied obsequiously.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Oh, certainly, Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; she protested. &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; she went
+      on, rolling the name delightedly on her tongue, &ldquo;I need not tell you how
+      greatly we spiritualists rejoice over your joining the ranks of the
+      believers.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Hallowell nodded. He was not altogether unimpressed. &ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; he
+      commented dryly. &ldquo;But I am not quite there yet, madam.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We hope,&rdquo; said Vance sententiously, &ldquo;to convince Mr. Hallowell tonight.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And I am sure, Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; cried the old lady, &ldquo;if any one can do it,
+      little Miss Vera can. Hers is a wonderful gift, sir, a wonderful gift!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I am glad to hear you say so,&rdquo; returned Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He nodded to her in dismissal, and turned to the next visitor. &ldquo;And this
+      gentleman?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Professor Strombergk,&rdquo; announced Vance, &ldquo;the distinguished writer on
+      psychic and occult subjects, editor of The World Beyond.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      A tall, full-bearded German, in a too-short frock coat, bowed awkwardly.
+      Upon him, as upon Mannie, had fallen the spell of the Hallowell fortune.
+      He, who chatted familiarly with departed popes and emperors, who daily was
+      in communication with Goethe, Caesar, and Epictetus, thrilled with
+      embarrassment before the man who had made millions from a coupling pin.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;And Helen!&rdquo; Mr. Hallowell cried, as Miss Coates followed the Professor.
+      &ldquo;That is all, is it not?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Miss Coates moved aside to disclose the person of the reporter from the
+      Republic, Homer Lee.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have taken you at your word, uncle,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and have brought a
+      friend with me.&rdquo; In some trepidation she added; &ldquo;He is Mr. Lee, a reporter
+      from the Republic.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;A reporter!&rdquo; exclaimed Mr. Hallowell. Disturbed and yet amused at the
+      audacity of his niece, he shook his head reprovingly. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I
+      meant reporters,&rdquo; he remonstrated.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You said in your note,&rdquo; returned his niece, &ldquo;that as I had so much at
+      stake, I could bring any one I pleased, and the less he believed in
+      spiritualism, the better. Mr. Lee,&rdquo; she added dryly, &ldquo;believes even less
+      than I do.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then it will be all the more of a triumph, if we convince him,&rdquo; declared
+      Hallowell. &ldquo;Understand, young man,&rdquo; he proclaimed loudly, &ldquo;I am not a
+      spiritualist. I am merely conducting an investigation. I want the truth.
+      If you, or my niece, detect any fraud tonight, I want to know it.&rdquo;
+       Including in his speech the others in the room, he glared suspiciously in
+      turn at each. &ldquo;Keep your eyes open,&rdquo; he ordered, &ldquo;you will be serving me
+      quite as much as you will Miss Coates.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Miss Coates and Lee thanked him and, recognizing themselves as the
+      opposition and in the minority, withdrew for consultation into a corner of
+      the bay window.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance approached Mr. Hallowell.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you are ready,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;we will examine the cabinet. Shall I wheel
+      it over here, or will you look at it where it is?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If it is to be in that corner during the seance,&rdquo; declared Mr. Hallowell,
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll look at it where it is.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      As he struggled from his chair, he turned to Mrs. Marsh, and nodded his
+      head knowingly. &ldquo;You see, Mrs. Marsh,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I am taking no chances.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is quite right, Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; purred the old lady. &ldquo;If there be
+      any doubt in your mind, you must get rid of it, or we will have no
+      results.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a dramatic gesture, Vance swept aside from the opening in the cabinet
+      the black velvet curtain. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a simple affair,&rdquo; he said indifferently.
+      &ldquo;As you see, it&rsquo;s open at the top and bottom. The medium sits inside on
+      that chair, bound hand and foot.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In turn, Mr. Hallowell, Mrs. Marsh, Gaylor, Rainey, Professor Strombergk
+      entered the cabinet. With their knuckles they beat upon its sides. They
+      moved it to and fro. They dropped to their knees, and with their fingers
+      tugged at the carpet upon which it stood.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Under cover of their questions, in the corner of the bay window, Miss
+      Coates whispered to Lee; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t look now,&rdquo; she warned, &ldquo;but later, you
+      will see on the left of that door the switch that throws on the lights.
+      When I am sure she is outside the cabinet, when she has told him not to
+      give the money to me, I&rsquo;ll cry now! and whichever one of us is seated
+      nearer the switch will turn on all the lights. I think,&rdquo; Miss Coates added
+      with, in her voice, a thrill of triumph not altogether free from a touch
+      of vindictiveness, &ldquo;when my uncle sees her caught in the middle of the
+      room, disguised as his sister&mdash;we will have cured him.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;It may be,&rdquo; said the man.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The possibility of success as Miss Coates pointed it out did not appear to
+      stir in him any great delight. He glanced unwillingly over his shoulder.
+      &ldquo;I see the switch,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Leaning on the arm of Gaylor, Mr. Hallowell returned from the cabinet to
+      his chair. What he had seen apparently strengthened his faith and, in like
+      degree, inspired him to greater enthusiasm.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he exclaimed, &ldquo;there are no trapdoors or false bottoms about that!
+      If they can project a spirit from that sentry box, it will be a miracle.
+      For whom are we waiting?&rdquo; he asked impatiently. &ldquo;Where is Winthrop?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Judge Gaylor explained that Winthrop preferred to wait downstairs, and
+      that he had said he would remain there until the seance was finished.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Afraid of compromising his position,&rdquo; commented the old man. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry.
+      I&rsquo;d like to have him here.&rdquo; He motioned Gaylor to bend nearer. In a voice
+      that trembled with eagerness and excitement, he whispered: &ldquo;Henry, I have
+      a feeling that we are going to witness a remarkable phenomenon.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Gaylor&rsquo;s countenance grew preternaturally grave. He nodded heavily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I have the same feeling, Stephen,&rdquo; he returned.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance raised his hand to command silence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Every one,&rdquo; he called, &ldquo;except the committee, who are to bind and tie the
+      medium, will take the place I give him, and remain in it. Mr. Day will
+      please acquaint Miss Vera and Mrs. Vance with the fact that we are ready.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Up to this point Vance had appeared only as a stage manager. He had been
+      concerned with his groupings, his lights, in assigning to his confederates
+      the parts they were to play. Now that the curtain was to rise, as an actor
+      puts on a wig and grease paint, Vance assumed a certain voice and manner.
+      On the stage the critics would have called him a convincing actor. He made
+      his audience believe what he believed. He knew the eloquence of a pause,
+      the value of a surprised, unintelligible exclamation. One moment he was as
+      professionally solemn as a &ldquo;funeral director;&rdquo; the next, his voice, his
+      whole frame, would shake with excitement, in an outburst of fanatic
+      fervor. As it pleased him he could play Hamlet, tenderly shocked at the
+      sight of his dead father, or Macbeth, retreating in horror before the
+      ghost of Banquo. For the moment his manner was that of the undertaker.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Now, Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; he said hoarsely, &ldquo;please to name those you wish to
+      serve on the committee.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Mr. Hallowell waved his arm to include every one in the room.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Everybody will serve on the committee,&rdquo; he declared. &ldquo;Everything is to be
+      open and above-board. The whole city is welcome on the committee. I want
+      this to be above suspicion.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is my wish, also, sir,&rdquo; said Vance stiffly. &ldquo;But a committee of more
+      than three is unwieldy. Suppose you name two gentlemen and I one? Or,&rdquo; he
+      shrugged his shoulders, &ldquo;you can name all three.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      After a moment of consideration Mr. Hallowell pointed at Lee. &ldquo;I choose
+      Mr.&mdash;that young man,&rdquo; he announced, &ldquo;and Judge Gaylor.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I would much rather not, Stephen,&rdquo; Judge Gaylor whispered.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I know, Henry,&rdquo; answered the other. &ldquo;But I ask it of you. It will give me
+      confidence.&rdquo; He turned to Vance. &ldquo;You select some one,&rdquo; he commanded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With a bow, Vance designated the tall German.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Will Professor Strombergk be acceptable?&rdquo; he asked. Mr. Hallowell nodded.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Then, the three gentlemen chosen will please come to the cabinet.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance, his manner now that of a master of ceremonies, assigned to each
+      person the seat he or she was to occupy. Miss Coates with satisfaction
+      noted that only Mrs. Vance separated Lee from the electric switch.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I must ask you,&rdquo; said Vance, &ldquo;to keep the sears I have assigned to you.
+      With us tonight are both favorable and unfavorable influences. And what I
+      have tried to do in placing you, is to obtain the best psychic results.&rdquo;
+       He moved to the door and looked into the hall, then turned, and with
+      uplifted arm silently demanded attention.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Miss Vera,&rdquo; he announced. Followed closely, like respectful courtiers, by
+      Mannie and Mrs. Vance, Vera appeared in the doorway, walked a few feet
+      into the room, and stood motionless. As though already in a trance, she
+      moved slowly, without volition, like a somnambulist. Her head was held
+      high, but her eyes were dull and unseeing. Her arms hung limply. She wore
+      an evening gown of soft black stuff, that clung to her like a lace shawl,
+      and which left her throat and arms bare. In spite of the clash of
+      interests, of antagonism, of mutual distrust, there was no one present to
+      whom the sight of the young girl did not bring an uneasy thrill. The
+      nature of the thing she proposed to do, contrasted with the loveliness of
+      her face, which seemed to mock at the possibility of deceit; something in
+      her rapt, distant gaze, in the dignity of her uplifted head, in her air of
+      complete detachment from her surroundings, caused even the most skeptical
+      to question if she might not possess the power she claimed, to feel for a
+      moment the approach of the supernatural.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The voices of the committee, consulting together, dropped suddenly to a
+      whisper; the others were instantly silent.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In his arms Mannie carried silken scarfs, cords, and ropes. In each hand
+      he held a teacup. One contained flour, the other shot. Vance took these
+      from him, and Mannie hurriedly slipped into his chair in front of the
+      organ.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; explained Vance, &ldquo;you will use these ropes and scarfs to tie
+      the medium. Also, as a further precaution against the least suspicion of
+      fraud, we will subject her to the most severe test known. In one hand she
+      will hold this flour; the other will be filled with shot. This will make
+      it impossible for her to tamper with the ropes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He gave the two cups to Gaylor, and turned to Vera.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are you ready?&rdquo; he asked. After a pause, the girl slightly inclined her
+      head. Lee, with one of the scarfs in his hand, approached her diffidently.
+      He looked unhappily at the slight, girlish figure, at the fair white arms.
+      In his embarrassment he appealed to Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How would you suggest?&rdquo; he asked.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance, apparently shocked, hastily drew away. &ldquo;That would be most
+      irregular,&rdquo; he protested.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Apologetically Lee turned to the girl.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Would you mind putting your arms behind you?&rdquo; he asked. He laced the
+      scarf around her arms, and drew it tightly to her wrists.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Tell me if I hurt you,&rdquo; he murmured, but the girl made no answer. To what
+      was going forward she appeared as unmindful as though she were an artist&rsquo;s
+      manikin.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Will you take these now?&rdquo; asked Gaylor, and into her open palms he poured
+      the flour and shot. &ldquo;And, now,&rdquo; continued Lee, &ldquo;will you go into the
+      cabinet?&rdquo; As she seated herself, he knelt in front of her and bound her
+      ankles. From behind her Strombergk deftly wound the ropes about her body
+      and through the rungs and back of the chair.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Would you mind seeing if you can withdraw your arms?&rdquo; Lee asked. The girl
+      raised her shoulders, struggled to free her hands, and tried to rise. But
+      the efforts were futile.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are the gentlemen satisfied?&rdquo; demanded Vance. The three men, who had
+      shown but little heart in the work, and who were now red and embarrassed,
+      hastily answered in the affirmative.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;If you are satisfied the ropes are securely fastened,&rdquo; Vance continued,
+      &ldquo;you will take your seats.&rdquo; Professor Strombergk, as he moved to his
+      chair, announced in devout, solemn tones; &ldquo;Nothing but spirit hands can
+      move those ropes now.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      From the organ rose softly the prelude to a Moody and Sankey hymn, and, in
+      keeping with the music, the voice of Vance sank to a low tone.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We will now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;establish the magnetic chain. Each person will
+      take with his right hand the left wrist of the person on his or her
+      right.&rdquo; He paused while this order was being carried into effect.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Before I turn out the lights,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;I wish to say a last word
+      to any skeptic who may be present. I warn him that any attempt to lay
+      violent hands upon the apparition, or spirit, may cost the medium her
+      life. From the cabinet the medium projects the spirit into the circle. An
+      attack upon the spirit, is an attack upon the medium. There are three or
+      four well-authenticated cases where the disembodied spirit was cut off
+      from the cabinet, and the medium died.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He drew the velvet curtains across the cabinet, and shut Vera from view.
+      &ldquo;Are you ready, Mr. Hallowell?&rdquo; he asked. Mr. Hallowell, his eyes staring,
+      his lips parted, nodded his head. The music grew louder. Vance switched
+      off the lights.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      For some minutes, except for the creaking of the pedals of the organ and
+      the low throb of the music, there was no sound. Then, from his position at
+      the open door, the voice of Vance commanded sternly: &ldquo;No whispering,
+      please. The medium is susceptible to the least sound.&rdquo; There was another
+      longer pause, until in hushed expectant tones Vance spoke again. &ldquo;The air
+      is very heavily charged with electricity tonight,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;you, Mrs.
+      Marsh, should feel that?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I do, Professor,&rdquo; murmured the medium, &ldquo;I do. We shall have some
+      wonderful results!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Vance agreed with her solemnly. &ldquo;I feel influences all about me,&rdquo; he
+      murmured.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There came suddenly from the cabinet three sharp raps. These were
+      instantly answered by other quick rappings upon the library table. &ldquo;They
+      are beginning!&rdquo; chanted the voice of Vance. The music of the organ ceased.
+      It was at once followed by the notes of a guitar that seemed to float in
+      space, the strings vibrating, not as though touched by human hands, but in
+      fitful, meaningless chords like those of an Aeolian harp.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is Kiowa, your control, Mrs. Marsh,&rdquo; announced Vance eagerly. &ldquo;Do
+      you desire to speak to him?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Not tonight,&rdquo; Mrs. Marsh answered. She raised her voice. &ldquo;Not tonight,
+      Kiowa,&rdquo; she repeated. &ldquo;Thank you for coming. Good night.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In deep, guttural accents, a man&rsquo;s voice came from the ceiling. &ldquo;Good
+      night,&rdquo; it called. With a final, ringing wail, the music of the guitar
+      suddenly ceased.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Again rose the swelling low notes of the organ. Above it came the quick
+      pattering of footsteps.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The voice of Rainey, filled with alarm, cried, &ldquo;some one touched me!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Are you sure your hands are held?&rdquo; demanded Vance reprovingly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; panted Rainey, &ldquo;both of them. But something put its hand on my
+      forehead. It was cold.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In an excited whisper, a voice in the circle cried, &ldquo;Look, look!&rdquo; and
+      before the eyes of all, a star rose in the darkness. For a moment it
+      wavered over the cabinet and then fluttered swiftly across the room and
+      remained stationary above the head of the German Professor.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;There is your star, Professor,&rdquo; cried Vance. &ldquo;When the Professor is in
+      the circle,&rdquo; he announced proudly, &ldquo;that star always appears.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He was interrupted by a startled exclamation from Lee.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Something touched my face,&rdquo; explained the young man apologetically, &ldquo;and
+      spoke to me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The music sank to a murmur, and the room became alive with swift, rushing
+      sounds and soft whisperings.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The voice of Mrs. Marsh, low and eager, could be heard appealing to an
+      invisible presence.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;The results are marvelous,&rdquo; chanted Vance, &ldquo;marvelous! The medium is
+      showing wonderful power. If any one desires to ask a question, he should
+      do so now. The conditions will never be better.&rdquo; He paused expectantly.
+      &ldquo;Mr. Hallowell,&rdquo; he prompted, &ldquo;is it your wish to communicate with any one
+      in the spirit world?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a long pause, and then the voice of Mr. Hallowell, harsh and
+      shaken, answered, &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;With whom?&rdquo; demanded Vance.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      There was again another longer pause, and then, above the confusion of
+      soft whisperings, the voice of the old man rose in sharp staccato; &ldquo;My
+      sister, Catherine Coates.&rdquo; His tone hardened, became obdurate, final.
+      &ldquo;But, I must see her, and hear her speak!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Not for an instant did Vance hesitate. In tense, sepulchral tones, he
+      demanded of the darkness, &ldquo;Is the spirit of Catherine Coates present?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The whisperings and murmurs ceased. The silence of the room was broken
+      sharply by three quick raps. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; intoned Vance, &ldquo;she is present.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The voice of Hallowell protested fiercely. &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t have that! I want to
+      see her!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      In the tone of an incantation, Vance spoke again. &ldquo;Will the spirit show
+      herself to her brother?&rdquo; The raps came quickly, firmly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;She answers she will appear before you.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a moment that seemed to stretch interminably, and then, the eyes
+      of all, straining in the darkness, saw against the black velvet curtain a
+      splash of white.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Above the sobbing of the organ, the voice of Mr. Hallowell rang out in a
+      sharp exclamation of terror. &ldquo;Who is that!&rdquo; he demanded. He spoke as
+      though he dreaded the answer. He threw himself forward in his chair,
+      peering into the darkness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Is that you, Kate?&rdquo; he whispered. His voice was both incredulous and
+      pleading.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      The answer came in feeble, trembling tones. &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The voice of Hallowell shook with eagerness. &ldquo;Do you know me, your
+      brother, Stephen?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a cry the old man fell back, groping blindly. He found Gaylor&rsquo;s arm
+      and clutched it with both hands.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;My God! It&rsquo;s Kate!&rdquo; he gasped. &ldquo;I tell you, Henry, it is Kate!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The voice of Vance, deep and hollow like a bell, sounded a note of
+      warning. &ldquo;Speak quickly,&rdquo; he commanded. &ldquo;Her time on earth is brief.&rdquo; Mr.
+      Hallowell&rsquo;s hold upon the arm of his friend relaxed. Fearfully and slowly,
+      he bent forward.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Kate!&rdquo; he pleaded; &ldquo;I must ask you a question. No one else can tell me.&rdquo;
+       As though gathering courage, he paused, and, with a frightened sigh, again
+      began. &ldquo;I am an old man,&rdquo; he murmured, &ldquo;a sick man. I will be joining you
+      very soon, what am I to do with my money? I have made great plans to give
+      it to the poor. Or, must I give it, as I have given it in my will, to
+      Helen? Perhaps I did not act fairly to you and Helen. You know what I
+      mean. She would be rich, but then the poor would be that much the poorer.&rdquo;
+       The confidence of the speaker was increasing; as though to a living being,
+      he argued and pleaded. &ldquo;And I want to do some good before I go. What shall
+      I do? Tell me.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a pause that lasted so long that those who had held their breath
+      to listen, again breathed deeply. When the answer came, it was strangely
+      deprecatory, uncertain, unassured.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You,&rdquo; stammered the voice, &ldquo;you must have courage to do what you know to
+      be just!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      For a brief moment, as though surprised, Mr. Hallowell apparently
+      considered this, and then gave an exclamation of disappointment and
+      distress.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; he protested, &ldquo;that is why I called on you. I want to
+      go into the next world, Kate,&rdquo; he pleaded, &ldquo;with clean hands!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You cannot bribe your way into the next world,&rdquo; intoned the voice. &ldquo;If
+      you pity the poor, you must help the poor, not that you may cheat your way
+      into heaven, but that they may suffer less. Search your conscience. Have
+      the courage of your conscience.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to consult my conscience,&rdquo; cried the old man. &ldquo;I want you to
+      tell me.&rdquo; He paused, hesitating. Eager to press his question, his awe of
+      the apparition still restrained him.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;What do you mean, Kate?&rdquo; he begged. &ldquo;Am I to give the money where it will
+      do the most good&mdash;to the Hallowell Institute, or am I to give it to
+      Helen? Which am I to do?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was another long silence, and then the voice stammered; &ldquo;If&mdash;if
+      you have wronged me, or my daughter, or the poor, you must make
+      restitution.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The hand of the old man was heard to fall heavily upon the arm of his
+      chair. His voice rose unhappily.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;That is no answer, Kate!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Did you come from the dead to preach
+      to me? Tell me&mdash;what am I to do&mdash;leave my money to Helen, or to
+      the Institute?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The cry of the old man vibrated in the air. No voice rose to answer.
+      &ldquo;Kate!&rdquo; he entreated. Still there was silence. &ldquo;Speak to me!&rdquo; he
+      commanded. The silence became eloquent with momentous possibilities. So
+      long did it endure, that the pain of the suspense was actual. The voice of
+      Rainey, choked and hoarse with fear, broke it with an exclamation that
+      held the sound of an oath. He muttered thickly, &ldquo;What in the name of&mdash;&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      He was hushed by a swift chorus of hisses. The voice of Hallowell was
+      again uplifted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Why won&rsquo;t she answer me?&rdquo; he begged hysterically of Vance. &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you&mdash;can&rsquo;t
+      the medium make her speak?&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      During the last few moments the music from the organ had come brokenly.
+      The hands upon the keys moved unsteadily, drunkenly. Now they halted
+      altogether and in the middle of a chord the music sank and died. Upon the
+      now absolute silence the voice of Vance, when he spoke, sounded strangely
+      unfamiliar. It had lost the priest-like intonation. Its confidence had
+      departed. It showed bewilderment and alarm.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&mdash;I don&rsquo;t understand,&rdquo; stammered the showman. &ldquo;Ask her again. Put
+      your question differently.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Carefully, slowly, giving each word its value, Mr. Hallowell raised his
+      voice in entreaty.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Kate,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;I have made a new will, leaving the money to the poor.
+      The old will gives it to Helen. Shall I sign the new will or not? Shall I
+      give the money to Helen, or the Institute? Answer me! Yes or no.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Before the eyes of all, the apparition, as though retreating to the
+      cabinet, swayed backward, then staggered forward. There was a sob, human,
+      heart-broken, a cry, thrilling with distress; a tumult of weeping, fierce
+      and uncontrollable.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      They saw the figure tear away the white kerchief and cap, and trample them
+      upon the floor. They saw the figure hold itself erect. From it, the voice
+      of Vera cried aloud, in despair.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t! I can&rsquo;t!&rdquo; she sobbed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lie! I am not your sister! Turn on
+      the lights,&rdquo; the girl cried. &ldquo;Turn on the lights!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      There was a crash of upturned chairs, the sound of men struggling, and the
+      room was swept with light. In the doorway Winthrop was holding apart Vance
+      and the reporter.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      In the centre of the room stood Vera, her head bent in shame, her body
+      shaken and trembling, her hair streaming to her waist.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      As though to punish herself, by putting a climax to her humiliation, she
+      held out her arms to Helen Coates. &ldquo;You see,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;I am a cheat. I
+      am a fraud!&rdquo; She sank suddenly to her knees in front of Mr. Hallowell.
+      &ldquo;Forgive me,&rdquo; she sobbed, &ldquo;forgive me!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With a cry of angry protest, Winthrop ran to her and lifted her to her
+      feet. His eyes were filled with pity. But in the eyes of Mr. Hallowell
+      there was no promise of pardon. With sudden strength he struggled to his
+      feet and stood swaying, challenging those before him. His face was white
+      with anger, his jaw closed against mercy.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve lied to me!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve tried to rob me!&rdquo; He swept the room
+      with his eyes. With a flash of intuition, he saw the trap they had laid
+      for him. &ldquo;All of you!&rdquo; he screamed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a plot!&rdquo; He shook his fist at
+      the weeping girl. &ldquo;And you!&rdquo; he shouted hysterically, &ldquo;the law shall
+      punish you!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop drew the girl to him and put his arm about her.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll do the punishing here,&rdquo; he said.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      With a glad, welcoming cry, the old man turned to him appealingly, wildly.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;Yes, you!&rdquo; he shouted, &ldquo;you punish them! She plotted to get my money.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The girl at Winthrop&rsquo;s side shivered, and shrank from him. He drew her
+      back roughly and held her close. The sobs that shook her tore at his
+      heart; the touch of the sinking, trembling body in his arms filled him
+      with fierce, jubilant thoughts of keeping the girl there always, of giving
+      battle for her, of sheltering her against the world. In what she had done
+      he saw only a sacrifice. In her he beheld only a penitent, who was
+      self-accused and self-convicted.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      He heard the voice of the old man screaming vindictively, &ldquo;She plotted to
+      get my money!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Winthrop turned upon him savagely.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;How did she plot to get it?&rdquo; he retorted fiercely. &ldquo;You know, and I know.
+      I know how your lawyer, your doctor, your servant plotted to get it!&rdquo; His
+      voice rose and rang with indignation. &ldquo;You all plotted, and you all
+      schemed&mdash;and to what end&mdash;what was the result?&rdquo;&mdash;he held
+      before them the fainting figure of the girl&mdash;&ldquo;That one poor child
+      could prove she was honest!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      With his arms still about her, and her hands clinging to him, he moved
+      with her quickly to the door. When they had reached the silence of the
+      hall, he took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. &ldquo;Now,&rdquo; he
+      commanded, &ldquo;you shall come to my sisters!&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      The waiting car carried them swiftly up the avenue. Their way lay through
+      the park, and the warm, mid-summer air was heavy with the odor of plants
+      and shrubs. Above them the trees drooped deep with leaves. Vera, crouched
+      in a corner, had not spoken. Her eyes were hidden in her hands. But when
+      they had entered the silent reaches of the park she lowered them and the
+      face she lifted to Winthrop was pale and wet with tears. The man thought
+      never before had he seen it more lovely or more lovable. Vera shook her
+      head dumbly and looked up at him with a troubled smile.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;I told you,&rdquo; she murmured remorsefully, &ldquo;you&rsquo;d be sorry.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know that yet,&rdquo; said Winthrop gently, &ldquo;we&rsquo;ll have all the rest
+      of our lives to find that out.&rdquo;
+     </p>
+    <p>
+      Startled, the girl drew back. In her face was wonder, amazement, a dawning
+      happiness.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Without speaking, Winthrop looked at her, entreatingly, pitifully,
+      beseeching her with his eyes.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      Slowly the girl bent forward and, as he threw out his arms, with a little
+      sigh of rest and content she crept into them and pressed her face to his.
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <br /><br /><br /><br />
+    </p>
+<pre xml:space="preserve">
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Richard Harding Davis
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+</html>
diff --git a/1843.txt b/1843.txt
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/1843.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4409 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Richard Harding Davis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Vera
+       The Medium
+
+Author: Richard Harding Davis
+
+Posting Date: November 23, 2008 [EBook #1843]
+Release Date: August, 1999
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VERA ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeetender B. Chandna
+
+
+
+
+
+VERA, THE MEDIUM
+
+By Richard Harding Davis
+
+
+
+
+Part I
+
+Happy in the hope that the news was "exclusive", the Despatch had thrown
+the name of Stephen Hallowell, his portrait, a picture of his house, and
+the words, "At Point of Death!" across three columns. The announcement
+was heavy, lachrymose, bristling with the melancholy self-importance
+of the man who "saw the deceased, just two minutes before the train hit
+him."
+
+But the effect of the news fell short of the effort. Save that city
+editors were irritated that the presidents of certain railroads figured
+hastily on slips of paper, the fact that an old man and his millions
+would soon be parted, left New York undisturbed.
+
+In the early 80's this would not have been so. Then, in the uplifting of
+the far West, Stephen Hallowell was a national figure, in the manoeuvres
+of the Eastern stock market an active, alert power. In those days, when
+a man with a few millions was still listed as rich, his fortune was
+considered colossal.
+
+A patent coupling-pin, the invention of his brother-in-law, had given
+him his start, and, in introducing it, and in his efforts to force it
+upon the new railroads of the West, he had obtained a knowledge of their
+affairs. From that knowledge came his wealth. That was twenty years
+ago. Since then giants had arisen in the land; men whose wealth made
+the fortune of Stephen Hallowell appear a comfortable competence, his
+schemes and stratagems, which, in their day, had bewildered Wall Street,
+as simple as the trading across the counter of a cross-roads store. For
+years he had been out of it. He had lost count. Disuse and ill health
+had rendered his mind feeble, made him at times suspicious, at times
+childishly credulous. Without friends, along with his physician and the
+butler, who was also his nurse, he lived in the house that in 76, in
+a burst of vanity, he had built on Fifth Avenue. Then the house was a
+"mansion," and its front of brown sandstone the outward sign of wealth
+and fashion. Now, on one side, it rubbed shoulders with the shop of a
+man milliner, and across the street the houses had been torn down and
+replaced by a department store. Now, instead of a sombre jail-like
+facade, his outlook was a row of waxen ladies, who, before each change
+of season, appeared in new and gorgeous raiment, and, across the avenue,
+for his approval, smiled continually.
+
+"It is time you moved, Stephen," urged his friend and lawyer, Judge
+Henry Gaylor. "I can get you twice as much for this lot as you paid for
+both it and the house."
+
+But Mr. Hallowell always shook his head. "Where would I go, Henry?"
+he would ask. "What would I do with the money? No, I will live in this
+house until I am carried out of it."
+
+With distaste, the irritated city editors "followed up" the three-column
+story of the Despatch.
+
+"Find out if there's any truth in that," they commanded. "The old man
+won't see you, but get a talk out of Rainey. And see Judge Gaylor. He's
+close to Hallowell. Find out from him if that story didn't start as a
+bear yarn in Wall Street."
+
+So, when Walsh of the Despatch was conducted by Garrett, the butler of
+Mr. Hallowell, upstairs to that gentlemen's library, he found a group of
+reporters already entrenched. At the door that opened from the library
+to the bedroom, the butler paused. "What paper shall I say?" he asked.
+
+"The Despatch," Walsh told him.
+
+The servant turned quickly and stared at Walsh.
+
+He appeared the typical butler, an Englishman of over forty, heavily
+built, soft-moving, with ruddy, smooth-shaven cheeks and prematurely
+gray hair. But now from his face the look of perfunctory politeness had
+fallen; the subdued voice had changed to a snarl that carried with it
+the accents of the Tenderloin.
+
+"So, you're the one, are you?" the man muttered.
+
+For a moment he stood scowling; insolent, almost threatening, and then,
+once more, the servant opened the door and noiselessly closed it behind
+him.
+
+The transition had been so abrupt, the revelation so unexpected, that
+the men laughed.
+
+"I don't blame him!" said young Irving. "I couldn't find a single fact
+in the whole story. How'd your people get it--pretty straight?"
+
+"Seemed straight to us," said Walsh.
+
+"Well, you didn't handle it that way," returned the other. "Why didn't
+you quote Rainey or Gaylor? It seems to me if a man's on the point of
+death"--he lowered his voice and glanced toward the closed door--"that
+his private doctor and his lawyer might know something about it."
+
+Standing alone with his back to the window was a reporter who had
+greeted no one and to whom no one had spoken.
+
+Had he held himself erect he would have been tall, but he stood
+slouching lazily, his shoulders bent, his hands in his pockets. When he
+spoke his voice was in keeping with the indolence of his bearing. It was
+soft, hesitating, carrying with it the courteous deference of the South.
+Only his eyes showed that to what was going forward he was alert and
+attentive.
+
+"Is Dr. Rainey Mr. Hallowell's family doctor?" he asked.
+
+
+Irving surveyed him in amused superiority.
+
+"He is!" he answered. "You been long in New York?" he asked.
+
+Upon the stranger the sarcasm was lost, or he chose to ignore it, for he
+answered simply, "No, I'm a New Orleans boy. I've just been taken on the
+Republic."
+
+"Welcome to our city," said Irving. "What do you think of our Main
+Street?"
+
+From the hall a tall portly man entered the room with the assurance of
+one much at home here and, with an exclamation, Irving fell upon him.
+
+"Good morning, Judge," he called. He waved at him the clipping from the
+Despatch. "Have you seen this?"
+
+Judge Gaylor accepted the slip of paper gingerly, and in turn moved
+his fine head pompously toward each of the young men. Most of them
+were known to him, but for the moment he preferred to appear too deeply
+concerned to greet them. With an expression of shocked indignation, he
+recognized only Walsh.
+
+"Yes, I have seen it," he said, "and there is not a word of truth in it!
+Mr. Walsh, I am surprised! You, of all people!"
+
+"We got it on very good authority," said the reporter.
+
+"But why not call me up and get the facts?" demanded the Judge. "I was
+here until twelve o'clock, and--"
+
+"Here!" interrupted Irving. "Then he did have a collapse?"
+
+Judge Gaylor swung upon his heel.
+
+"Certainly not," he retorted angrily. "I was here on business, and I
+have never known his mind more capable, more alert." He lifted his hands
+with an enthusiastic gesture. "I wish you could have seen him!"
+
+"Well," urged Irving, "how about our seeing him now?"
+
+For a moment Judge Gaylor permitted his annoyance to appear, but he at
+once recovered and, murmuring cheerfully, "Certainly, certainly; I'll
+try to arrange it," turned to the butler who had re-entered the room.
+
+"Garett," he inquired, "is Mr. Hallowell awake yet?" As he asked the
+question his eyebrows rose; with an almost imperceptible shake of the
+head he signaled for an answer in the negative.
+
+"Well, there you are!" the Judge exclaimed heartily. "I can't wake him,
+even to oblige you. In a word, gentlemen, Stephen Hallowell has never
+been in better health, mentally and bodily. You can say that from
+me--and that's all there is to say."
+
+"Then, we can say," persisted Irving, "that you say, that Walsh's story
+is a fake?"
+
+"You can say it is not true," corrected Gaylor. "That's all, gentlemen."
+The audience was at an end. The young men moved toward the hall and
+Judge Gaylor turned to the bedroom. As he did so, he found that the new
+man on the Republic still held his ground.
+
+
+"Could I have a word with you, sir?" the stranger asked. The reporters
+halted jealously. Again Gaylor showed his impatience.
+
+"About Mr. Hallowell's health?" he demanded. "There's nothing more to
+say."
+
+"No, it's not about his health," ventured the reporter.
+
+"Well, not now. I am very late this morning." The Judge again moved to
+the bedroom and the reporter, as though accepting the verdict, started
+to follow the others. As he did so, as though in explanation or as a
+warning he added: "You said to always come to you for the facts."
+The lawyer halted, hesitated. "What facts do you want?" he asked. The
+reporter bowed, and waved his broad felt hat toward the listening men.
+In polite embarrassment he explained what he had to say could not be
+spoken in their presence.
+
+Something in the manner of the stranger led Judge Gaylor to pause. He
+directed Garrett to accompany the reporters from the room. Then, with
+mock politeness, he turned to the one who remained. "I take it, you are
+a new comer in New York journalism. What is your name?" he asked.
+
+"My name is Homer Lee," said the Southerner. "I am a New Orleans boy.
+I've been only a month in your city. Judge," he began earnestly, but in
+a voice which still held the drawl of the South, "I met a man from home
+last week on Broadway. He belonged to that spiritualistic school on
+Carondelet Street. He knows all that's going on in the spook world,
+and he tells me the ghost raisers have got their hooks into the old man
+pretty deep. Is that so?"
+
+The bewilderment of Judge Gaylor was complete and, without question,
+genuine.
+
+"I don't know what you mean," he said.
+
+"My informant tells me," continued the reporter, "that Mr. Hallowell has
+embraced--if that's what you call it--spiritualism."
+
+Gaylor started forward.
+
+"What!" he roared.
+
+Unmoved, the other regarded the Judge keenly.
+
+"Spiritualism," he repeated, "and that a bunch of these mediums have got
+him so hypnotized he can't call his soul his own, or his money, either.
+Is that true?"
+
+Judge Gaylor's outburst was overwhelming. That it was genuine Mr. Lee,
+observing him closely, was convinced.
+
+"Of all the outrageous, ridiculous"--the judge halted, gasping for
+words--"and libelous statements!" he went on. "If you print that,"
+he thundered, "Mr. Hallowell will sue your paper for half a million
+dollars. Can't you see the damage you would do? Can't your people see
+that if the idea got about that he was unable to direct his own affairs,
+that he was in the hands of mediums, it would invalidate everything he
+does? After his death, every act of his at this time, every paper he
+had signed, would be suspected, and--and"--stammered the Judge as his
+imagination pictured what might follow--"they might even attack his
+will!" He advanced truculently. "Do you mean to publish this libel?"
+
+Lee moved his shoulders in deprecation. "I'm afraid we must," he said.
+
+"You must!" demanded Gaylor. "After what I've told you? Do you think I'm
+lying to you?"
+
+"No," said the reporter; "I don't think you are. Looks more like you
+didn't know."
+
+"Not know? I?" Gaylor laughed hysterically. "I am his lawyer. I am his
+best friend! Who will you believe?" He stepped to the table and pressed
+an electric button, and Garrett appeared in the hall. "Tell Dr. Rainey I
+want to see him," Gaylor commanded, "and return with him."
+
+As they waited, Judge Gaylor paced quickly to and fro. "I've had to deny
+some pretty silly stories about Mr. Hallowell," he said, "but of all
+the absurd, malicious--There's some enemy back of this; some one in Wall
+Street is doing this. But I'll find him--I'll--" he was interrupted
+by the entrance of the butler and Dr. Rainey, Mr. Hallowell's personal
+physician.
+
+Rainey was a young man with a weak face, and knowing, shifting eyes
+that blinked behind a pair of eyeglasses. To conceal an indecision of
+character of which he was quite conscious, he assumed a manner that,
+according to whom he addressed, was familiar or condescending. At one
+of the big hospitals he had been an ambulance surgeon and resident
+physician, later he had started upon a somewhat doubtful career as a
+medical "expert." Only two years had passed since the police and
+the reporters of the Tenderloin had ceased calling him "Doc." In a
+celebrated criminal case in which Gaylor had acted as chief counsel, he
+had found Rainey complaisant and apparently totally without the moral
+sense. And when in Garrett he had discovered for Mr. Hallowell a model
+servant, he had also urged upon his friend, for his resident physician,
+his protege Rainey.
+
+Still at white heat, the older man began abruptly: "This gentleman is
+from the Republic. He is going to publish a story that Mr. Hallowell has
+fallen under the influence of mediums, clairvoyants; that everything he
+does is on advice from the spirit world--" he turned sharply upon Lee.
+"Is that right?" The reporter nodded.
+
+"You can see the effect of such a story. It would invalidate every act
+of Mr. Hallowell's!"
+
+Dr. Rainey laughed offensively.
+
+"It might," he said, "but who'd believe it?"
+
+"He believes it!" cried Gaylor, "or he pretends to believe it. Tell
+him!" he commanded. "He won't believe me. Does Mr. Hallowell associate
+with mediums, and spirits--and spooks?"
+
+Again the young doctor laughed.
+
+"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "It's not worth answering, Judge. You
+ought to treat it with silent contempt." From behind his glasses he
+winked at the reporter with a jocular, intimate smile. He was adapting
+himself to what he imagined was his company. "Where did you pick up that
+pipe dream?" he asked.
+
+Without answering, the Southerner regarded him steadily with inquiring,
+interested eyes. The doctor coughed nervously and turned to Judge
+Gaylor. In the manner of a cross-examination Gaylor called up his next
+witness.
+
+"Garrett, does any one visit Mr. Hallowell without your knowledge?" he
+asked. "You may not open the door for him, but you know every one who
+gets in to see Mr. Hallowell, do you not?"
+
+"Every one, sir."
+
+"Do you admit any mediums, palm-readers, or people of that sort?"
+
+"Certainly not," returned the butler.
+
+"Dr. Rainey," he added, "would not permit it, sir."
+
+Gaylor stamped his foot with impatience.
+
+"Do you admit any one," he demanded, "without Dr. Rainey's permission?"
+
+"No, sir!" The reply could not have rung with greater emphasis.
+Triumphantly, Gaylor, with a wave of the hand, as though saying, "Take
+the witness," turned to Lee. "There you are," he cried. "Now, are you
+satisfied?"
+
+The reporter moved slowly toward the door. "I am satisfied," he said,
+"that the man doesn't admit any one without Dr. Rainey's permission."
+
+Indignantly, as though to intercept him, Judge Gaylor stepped forward.
+Both Rainey and himself spoke together.
+
+"What do you mean by that?" Rainey demanded.
+
+"Are you trying to be insolent, sir?" cried the Judge.
+
+Lee smiled pleasantly. "I had no intention of being insolent," he said.
+"We have the facts--I only came to give you a chance to explain them."
+
+Gaylor lost all patience.
+
+"What facts?" he shouted. "What facts? That mediums come here?"
+
+"Yes," said Lee.
+
+"When?" Gaylor cried. "Tell me that! When?"
+
+Lee regarded the older man thoughtfully.
+
+"Well, today is Thursday," he said. "They were here Monday morning, and
+Tuesday morning--and--the one they call Vera--will be here in half an
+hour."
+
+Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining hands.
+
+"See here!" he begged. "We can fix this!"
+
+"Fix it?" said the reporter. "Not with me, you can't." He turned to the
+door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his
+heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how
+tall he was.
+
+"Get out of my way," he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee
+walked into the hall.
+
+"I'll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you," he said. "It's a
+better story than I thought."
+
+As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The
+face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front
+door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of each of his
+companions. The butler had dropped into a chair muttering and beating
+his fist into his open palm.
+
+Gaylor's voice was hardly louder than a whisper. "Is this true?" he
+asked.
+
+Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at
+him evilly. "Of course it's true," he said.
+
+"You've let these people see him!" cried Gaylor. "After I forbade it?
+After I told you what would happen?"
+
+"He would see them," Rainey answered hotly. "Twas better I chose them
+than--"
+
+Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The
+Doctor backed hastily against the library table. "Don't you come near
+me!" he stammered. "Don't you touch me."
+
+"And you've lied to me!" cried Gaylor. "You've deceived me. You--you
+jailbirds--you idiots." His voice rose hysterically. "And do you think,"
+he demanded fiercely, "I'll help you now?"
+
+"No!" said the butler.
+
+The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned
+stupidly as though he had not heard aright. "What?" he asked. From the
+easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.
+
+"No!" he repeated. "We don't think you'll help us. You never meant to
+help us. You've never thought of any one but yourself."
+
+The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
+
+"Jim!" he protested.
+
+"Don't do that!" commanded the butler sharply. "I've told you not to do
+that."
+
+The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of reproach was
+still in his voice.
+
+"I thought you could understand," he said. "It doesn't matter about him.
+But you! You should have seen what I was doing!"
+
+"I saw what you were doing," the butler replied. "Buying stocks, buying
+a country place. You didn't wait for him to die. What were we getting?"
+
+With returning courage, Rainey nodded vigorously.
+
+"That's right, all right," he protested. "What were we getting?"
+
+"What were you getting?" demanded Gaylor, eagerly. "If you'd only left
+him to me, till he signed the new will, you'd have had everything. It
+only needs his signature."
+
+"Yes," interrupted Garrett contemptuously; "that's all it needs."
+
+"Oh, he'd have signed it!" cried Gaylor. "But what's it worth now!
+Nothing! Thanks to you two--nothing! They'll claim undue influence,
+they'll claim he signed it under the influence of mediums--of ghosts."
+His voice shook with anger and distress. "You've ruined me!" he cried.
+"You've ruined me."
+
+He turned and paced from them, his fingers interlacing, his teeth
+biting upon his lower lip. The two other men glanced at each other
+uncomfortably; their silence seemed to assure Gaylor that already they
+regretted what they had done. He stood over Garrett, and for an instant
+laid his hand upon his shoulder. His voice now was sane and cold.
+
+"I've worked three years for this," he said. "And for you, too, Jim. You
+know that. I've worked on his vanity, on his fear of death, on his damn
+superstition. When he talked of restitution, of giving the money to
+his niece, I asked Why?' I said, Leave it for a great monument to your
+memory. Isn't it better that ten million dollars should be spent in good
+works in your name than that it should go to a chit of a child to
+be wasted by some fortune hunter? And--then--I evolved the Hallowell
+Institute, university, hospital, library, all under one roof, all
+under one direction; and I would have been the director. We should have
+handled ten millions of dollars! I'd have made you both so rich," he
+cried savagely, "that in two years you'd have drunk yourselves into
+a mad-house. And you couldn't trust me! You've filled this house with
+fakes and palm-readers. And, now, every one will know just what he
+is--a senile, half-witted old man who was clay in my hands, clay in my
+hands--and you've robbed me of him, you've robbed me of him!" His voice,
+broken with anger and disappointment, rose in an hysterical wail. As
+though to meet it a bell rang shrilly. Gaylor started and stood with
+eyes fixed on the door of the bedroom. The three men eyed each other
+guiltily.
+
+The butler was the first to recover. With mask-like face he hastened
+noiselessly across the room. In his tones of usual authority, Gaylor
+stopped him.
+
+"Tell Mr. Hallowell," he directed, "that his niece and District Attorney
+Winthrop will be here any moment. Ask him if he wishes me to see them,
+or if he will talk to them himself?"
+
+When the faithful servant had entered the bedroom Gaylor turned to
+Rainey.
+
+"When do these mediums come today?" he asked.
+
+Rainey stared sulkily at the floor.
+
+"I think they're here now--downstairs," he answered. "Garrett generally
+hides them there till you're out of the house."
+
+"Indeed," commented Gaylor dryly. "After Winthrop and Miss Coates have
+gone, I want to talk with your friends."
+
+"Now, see here, Judge," whined Rainey; "don't make trouble. It isn't as
+bad as you think. The old man's only investigating--"
+
+"Hush!" commanded the Judge.
+
+From the bedroom, leaning on the butler's arm, Stephen Hallowell came
+stumbling toward them and, with a sigh, sank into an invalid's chair
+that was placed for him between the fire and the long library table..
+He was a very feeble, very old man, with a white face, and thin, white
+hair, but with a mouth and lower jaw as hard and uncompromising as those
+of a skull. His eyes, which were strangely brilliant and young-looking,
+peered suspiciously from under ragged white eyebrows. But when they fell
+upon the doctor, the eyes became suddenly credulous, pleading, filled
+with self-pity.
+
+"I'm a very sick man, Doctor," said Mr. Hallowell.
+
+Judge Gaylor bustled forward cheerily. "Nonsense, Stephen, nonsense," he
+cried; "you look a different man this morning. Doesn't he, Doctor?"
+
+"Sure he does!" assented Rainey. "Little sleep was all he needed." Mr.
+Hallowell shook his head petulantly. "Not at all!" he protested. "That
+was a very serious attack. This morning my head hurts--hurts me to
+think--"
+
+"Perhaps," said Gaylor, "you'd prefer that I talked to your niece."
+
+"No!" exclaimed the invalid excitedly. "I want to see her myself. I want
+to tell her, once and for all--" He checked himself and frowned at the
+Doctor. "You needn't wait," he said. "And Doctor," he added meaningly,
+"after these people go, you come back."
+
+With a conscious glance at the Judge, Rainey nodded and left them.
+
+"No," continued the old man; "I want to talk to my niece myself. But I
+don't want to talk to Winthrop. He's too clever a young man, Winthrop.
+In the merger case, you remember--had me on the stand for three hours.
+Made me talk too." The mind of the old man suddenly veered at a tangent.
+"How the devil can Helen retain him?" he demanded peevishly. "She can't
+retain him. She hasn't any money. And he's District Attorney too. It's
+against the law. Is he doing it as a speculation? Does he want to marry
+her?"
+
+Judge Gaylor laughed soothingly.
+
+"Heavens, no!" he said. "She's in his office, that's all. When she
+took this craze to be independent of you, he gave her a position as
+secretary, or as stenographer, or something. She's probably told him her
+story, her side of it, and he's helping her out of charity." The Judge
+smiled tolerantly. "He does that sort of thing, I believe."
+
+The old man struck the library table with his palm. "I wish he'd mind
+his own business," he cried. "It's my money. She has no claim to it,
+never had any claim--"
+
+The Judge interrupted quickly.
+
+"That's all right, Stephen; that's all right," he said. "Don't excite
+yourself. Just get what you're to say straight in your mind and stick to
+it. Remember," he went on, as though coaching a child in a task already
+learned, "there never was a written agreement.
+
+"No!" muttered Hallowell. "Never was!"
+
+"Repeat this to yourself," commanded the Judge. "The understanding
+between you and your brother-in-law was that if you placed his patent
+on the market, for the first five years you would share the profits
+equally. After the five years, all rights in the patent became yours. It
+was unfortunate," commented the Judge dryly, "that your brother-in-law
+and your sister died before the five years were up, especially as
+the patent did not begin to make money until after five years.
+Remember--until after five years."
+
+"Until after five years," echoed Mr. Hallowell. "It was over six years,"
+he went on excitedly, "before it made a cent. And, then, it was my
+money--and anything I give my niece is charity. She's not entitled--"
+
+Garrett appeared at the door. "Miss Coates," he announced, "and Mr.
+Winthrop." Judge Gaylor raised a hand for silence, and as Mr. Hallowell
+sank back in his chair, Helen Coates, the only child of Catherine
+Coates, his sister, and the young District Attorney of New York came
+into the library. Miss Coates was a woman of between twenty-five and
+thirty, capable, and self-reliant. She had a certain beauty of a severe
+type, but an harassed expression about her eyes made her appear to be
+always frowning. At times, in a hardening of the lower part of her face,
+she showed a likeness to her uncle. Like him, in speaking, also, her
+manner was positive and decided.
+
+In age the young man who accompanied her was ten years her senior, but
+where her difficulties had made her appear older than she really was,
+the enthusiasm with which he had thrown himself against those of his own
+life, had left him young.
+
+The rise of Winthrop had been swift and spectacular. Almost as soon as
+he graduated from the college in the little "up-state" town where he
+had been educated, and his family had always lived, he became the
+prosecuting attorney of that town, and later, at Albany, represented
+the district in the Assembly. From Albany he entered a law office in
+New York City, and in the cause of reform had fought so many good fights
+that on an independent ticket, much to his surprise, he had been lifted
+to the high position he now held. No more in his manner than in his
+appearance did Winthrop suggest the popular conception of his role. He
+was not professional, not mysterious. Instead, he was sane, cheerful,
+tolerant. It was his philosophy to believe that the world was innocent
+until it was proved guilty.
+
+He was a bachelor and, except for two sisters who had married men of
+prominence in New York and who moved in a world of fashion into which he
+had not penetrated, he was alone.
+
+When the visitors entered, Mr. Hallowell, without rising, greeted his
+niece cordially.
+
+"Ah, Helen! I am glad to see you," he called, and added reproachfully,
+"at last."
+
+"How do you do, sir?" returned Miss Helen stiffly. With marked
+disapproval she bowed to Judge Gaylor.
+
+"And our District Attorney," cried Mr. Hallowell. "Pardon my not rising,
+won't you? I haven't seen you, sir, since you tried to get the Grand
+Jury to indict me." He chucked delightedly. "You didn't succeed," he
+taunted.
+
+Winthrop shook hands with him, smiling, "Don't blame me," he said, "I
+did my best. I'm glad to see you in such good spirits, Mr. Hallowell. I
+feared, by the Despatch--"
+
+"Lies, lies," interrupted Hallowell curtly. "You know Judge Gaylor?"
+
+As he shook hands, Winthrop answered that the Judge and he were old
+friends; that they knew each other well.
+
+"Know each other so well!" returned the Judge, "that we ought to be old
+enemies."
+
+The younger man nodded appreciatively. "That's true!" he laughed, "only
+I didn't think you'd admit it."
+
+With light sarcasm Mr. Hallowell inquired whether Winthrop was with them
+in his official capacity.
+
+"Oh, don't suggest that!" begged Winthrop; "you'll be having me indicted
+next. No sir, I am here without any excuse whatsoever. I am just
+interfering as a friend of this young lady."
+
+"Good," commented Hallowell. "I'd be sorry to have my niece array
+counsel against me--especially such distinguished counsel. Sit down,
+Helen."
+
+Miss Coates balanced herself on the edge of a chair and spoke in cool,
+business-like tones, "Mr. Hallowell," she began, "I came."
+
+"Mr. Hallowell?" objected her uncle.
+
+"Uncle Stephen," Miss Coates again began, "I wish to be as brief as
+possible. I asked you to see me today because I hoped that by talking
+things over we might avoid lawsuits and litigation."
+
+Mr. Hallowell nodded his approval. "Yes," he said encouragingly.
+
+"I have told Mr. Winthrop what the trouble is," Miss Coates went on,
+"and he agrees with me that I have been very unjustly treated--"
+
+"By whom?" interrupted Hallowell.
+
+"By you," said his niece.
+
+"Wait, Helen," commanded the old man. "Have you also told Mr. Winthrop,"
+he demanded, "that I have made a will in your favor? That, were I to
+die tonight, you would inherit ten millions of dollars? Is that the
+injustice of which you complain?"
+
+Judge Gaylor gave an exclamation of pleasure.
+
+"Good!" he applauded. "Excellent!"
+
+Hallowell turned indignantly to Winthrop. "And did she tell you also,"
+he demanded, "that for three years I have urged her to make a home in
+this house? That I have offered her an income as large as I would
+give my own daughter, and that she has refused both offers. And what's
+more"--in his excitement his voice rose hysterically--"by working
+publicly for her living she has made me appear mean and uncharitable,
+and--"
+
+"That's just it," interrupted Miss Coates. "It isn't a question of
+charity."
+
+"Will you allow me?" said Winthrop soothingly. "Your niece contends,
+sir," he explained, "that this money you offered her is not yours to
+offer. She claims it belongs to her. That it's what should have been her
+father's share of the profits on the Coates-Hallowell coupling pin. But,
+as you have willed your niece so much money, although half of it is
+hers already, I advised her not to fight. Going to law is an expensive
+business. But she has found out--and that's what brings me uptown this
+morning--that you intend to make a new will, and leave all her money and
+your own to establish the Hallowell Institute. Now," Winthrop continued,
+with a propitiating smile, "Miss Coates also would like to be a
+philanthropist, in her own way, with her own money. And she wishes to
+warn you that, unless you deliver up what is due her, she will proceed
+against you."
+
+Judge Gaylor was the first to answer.
+
+"Mr. Winthrop," he said impressively, "I give you my word, there is not
+one dollar due Miss Coates, except what Mr. Hallowell pleases to give
+her."
+
+Miss Coates contradicted him sharply. "That is not so," she said. She
+turned to her uncle, "You and my father," she declared, "agreed in
+writing you would share the profits always." Mr. Hallowell looked from
+his niece to his lawyer. The lawyer, eyeing him apprehensively, nodded.
+With the patient voice of one who tried to reason with an unreasonable
+child, Mr. Hallowell began. "Helen," he said, "I have told you many
+times there never was such an agreement. There was a verbal--"
+
+"And I repeat, I saw it," said Miss Coates.
+
+"When?" asked Hallowell.
+
+"I saw it first when I was fifteen," answered the young woman steadily,
+"and two years later, before mother died, she showed it to me again. It
+was with father's papers."
+
+"Miss Coates," asked the Judge, "where is this agreement now?"
+
+For a moment Miss Coates hesitated. Her dislike for Gaylor was so
+evident that, to make it less apparent, she lowered her eyes. "My
+uncle should be able to tell you," she said evenly. "He was my father's
+executor. But, when he returned my father's papers"--she paused and
+then, although her voice fell to almost a whisper, continued defiantly,
+"the agreement was not with them."
+
+There was a moment's silence. To assure himself the others had heard as
+he did, Mr. Hallowell glanced quickly from Winthrop to Gaylor. He half
+rose from his chair and leaned across the table.
+
+"What!" he demanded. His niece looked at him steadily.
+
+"You heard what I said," she answered.
+
+The old man leaned farther forward.
+
+"So!" he cried; "so! I am not only doing you an injustice, but I am
+a thief! Mr. Winthrop," he cried appealingly, "do you appreciate the
+seriousness of this?"
+
+Winthrop nodded cheerfully. "It's certainly pretty serious," he
+assented.
+
+"It is so serious," cried Mr. Hallowell, "that I welcome you into this
+matter. Now, we will settle it once and forever." He turned to his
+niece. "I have tried to be generous," he cried; "I have tried to be
+kind, and you insult me in my own house." He pressed the button that
+summoned the butler from the floor below. "Gentlemen, this interview is
+at an end. From now on this matter is in the hands of my lawyer. We will
+settle this in the courts."
+
+With an exclamation of pleasure that was an acceptance of his challenge,
+Miss Coates rose.
+
+"That is satisfactory to me," she said. Winthrop turned to Mr.
+Hallowell.
+
+"Could I have a few minutes talk with Judge Gaylor now?" he asked. "Not
+as anybody's counsel," he explained; "just as an old enemy of his?"
+
+"Well, not here," protested the old man querulously. "I'm--I'm expecting
+some friends here. Judge, take Mr. Winthrop to the drawing room
+downstairs." He turned to Garrett, who had appeared in answer to his
+summons, and told him to bring Dr. Rainey to the library. The butler
+left the room and, as Gaylor and Winthrop followed, the latter asked
+Miss Coates if he might expect to see her at the "Office." She told him
+that she was now on her way there. Without acknowledging the presence
+of her uncle, she had started to follow the others, when Mr. Hallowell
+stopped her.
+
+After they were alone, for a moment he sat staring at her, his eyes
+filled with dislike and with a suggestion of childish spite. "I might as
+well tell you," he began, "that after what you said this morning, I will
+never give you a single dollar of my money."
+
+The tone in which his niece replied to him was no more conciliatory than
+his own. "You cannot give it to me," she answered, "because it is not
+yours to give." As though to add impressiveness to what she was about
+to say, or to prevent his interrupting her, she raised her hand. So
+interested in each other were the old man and the girl that neither
+noticed the appearance in the door of Dr. Rainey and the butler, who
+halted, hesitating, waiting permission to enter.
+
+"That money belongs to me," said Miss Coates slowly, "and as sure as
+my mother is in Heaven and her spirit is guiding me, that money will be
+given me."
+
+In the pause that followed, a swift and singular change came over the
+face of Mr. Hallowell. He stared at his niece as though fascinated.
+His lower lip dropped in awe. The look of hostility gave way to one of
+intense interest. His voice was hardly louder than a whisper.
+
+"What do you mean?" he demanded.
+
+The girl looked at him, uncomprehending. "What do I mean?" she repeated.
+
+"When you said," he stammered eagerly, "that the spirit of your mother
+was guiding you, what did you mean?"
+
+In the doorway, Rainey and the butler started. Each threw the other a
+quick glance of concern.
+
+"Why," exclaimed the girl impatiently, "her influence, her example, what
+she taught me."
+
+"Oh!" exclaimed the old man. He leaned back with an air almost of
+disappointment.
+
+"When she was alive?" he said.
+
+"Of course," answered the girl.
+
+"Of course," repeated the uncle. "I thought you meant--" He looked
+suspiciously at her and shook his head. "Never mind," he added. "Well,"
+he went on cynically, striving to cover up the embarrassment of the
+moment, "your mother's spirit will probably feel as deep an interest in
+her brother as in her daughter. We shall see, we shall see which of us
+two she is going to help." He turned to Garrett and Rainey in the hall.
+"Take my niece to the door, Garrett," he directed.
+
+As soon as Miss Coates had disappeared, Hallowell turned to Rainey, his
+face lit with pleased and childish anticipation.
+
+"Well," he whispered eagerly, "is she here?"
+
+Rainey nodded and glanced in the direction opposite to the one Miss
+Coates had taken. "She's been waiting half an hour. And the Professor
+too."
+
+"Bring them at once," commanded Mr. Hallowell excitedly. "And then shut
+the door--and--and tell the Judge I can't see him--tell him I'm too
+tired to see him. Understand?"
+
+Rainey peered cautiously over the railing of the stairs to the first
+floor, and then beckoned to some one who apparently was waiting at the
+end of the hall.
+
+"Miss Vera, sir," he announced, "and Professor Vance."
+
+Although but lately established in New York, the persons Dr. Rainey
+introduced had already made themselves comparatively well-known. For the
+last six weeks as "headliners" at one of the vaudeville theatres, and
+as entertainers at private houses, under the firm name of "The Vances,"
+they had been giving an exhibition of code and cipher signaling. They
+called it mind reading. During the day, at the house of Vance and his
+wife, the girl, as "Vera, the Medium," furnished to all comers memories
+of the past or news of the future. In their profession, in all of its
+branches, the man and the girl were past masters. They knew it from the
+A, B, C of the dream book to the post-graduate work of projecting from a
+cabinet the spirits of the dead. As the occasion offered and paid
+best, they were mind readers, clairvoyants, materializing mediums, test
+mediums. From them, a pack of cards, a crystal globe, the lines of the
+human hand, held no secrets. They found lost articles, cast horoscopes,
+gave advice in affairs of the heart, of business and speculation,
+uttered warnings of journeys over seas and against a smooth-shaven
+stranger. They even stooped to foretell earthquakes, or caused to drop
+fluttering from the ceiling a letter straight from the Himalayas. Among
+those who are the gypsies of the cities, they were the aristocrats of
+their calling, and to them that calling was as legitimate a business as
+is, to the roadside gypsy, the swapping of horses. The fore-parents
+of each had followed that same calling, and to the children it was
+commonplace and matter-of-fact. It held no adventure, no moral obloquy.
+
+"Prof." Paul Vance was a young man of under forty years. He looked like
+a fox. He had red eyes, alert and cunning, a long, sharp-pointed nose,
+a pointed red beard, and red eyebrows that slanted upward. His hair,
+standing erect in a pompadour, and his uplifted eyebrows gave him the
+watchful look of the fox when he hears suddenly the hound baying in
+pursuit. But no one had ever successfully pursued Vance. No one had ever
+driven him into a corner from which, either pleasantly, or with raging
+indignation, he was not able to free himself. Seven years before he had
+disloyally married out of the "profession" and for no other reason than
+that he was in love with the woman he married. She had come to seek
+advice from the spirit world in regard to taking a second husband. After
+several visits the spirit world had advised Vance to advise her to marry
+Vance.
+
+She did so, and though the man was still in love with his wife, he had
+not found her, in his work, the assistance he had hoped she might
+be. She still was a "believer"; in the technical vernacular of her
+husband--"a dope." Not even the intimate knowledge she had gained
+behind the scenes could persuade her that Paul, her husband, was not in
+constant communication with the spirit world, or that, if he wished, he
+could not read the thoughts that moved slowly through her pretty head.
+
+At the time of his marriage, the girl Vera, then a child of fourteen,
+had written to Vance for help. She was ill, without money, and asked for
+work. To him she was known as the last of a long line of people who had
+always been professional mediums and spiritualists, and, out of
+charity and from a sense of noblesse oblige to one of the elect of the
+profession, Vance had made her his assistant. He had never regretted
+having done so. The bread cast upon the waters was returned a
+thousandfold. From the first, the girl brought in money. And his wife,
+the older of the two, had welcomed her as a companion. After a fashion
+the Vances had adopted her. In the advertisements she was described as
+their "ward."
+
+Vera now was twenty-one, tall, wonderfully graceful, and of the most
+enchanting loveliness. Her education had been cosmopolitan. In the
+largest cities of America she had met persons of every class--young
+women, old women, mothers with married sons and daughters; women of
+society as it is exploited in the Sunday supplements; school girls, shop
+girls, factory girls--all had told her their troubles; and men of every
+condition had come to scoff and had remained to express, more or less
+offensively, their admiration. Some of the younger of these, after a
+first visit, returned the day following, and each begged the beautiful
+priestess of the occult to fly with him, to live with him, to marry
+him. When this happened Vera would touch a button, and "Mannie" Day,
+who admitted visitors, and later, in the hall, searched their hats and
+umbrellas for initials, came on the run and threw the infatuated one out
+upon a cold and unfeeling sidewalk.
+
+So Vera had seen both the seamy side of life and, in the drawing rooms
+where Vance and she exhibited their mind reading tricks, had been made
+much of by great ladies and, for an hour as brief as Cinderella's,
+had looked upon a world of kind and well-bred people. Since she was
+fourteen, for seven years, this had been her life--a life as open to
+the public as the life of an actress, as easy of access as that of
+the stenographer in the hotel lobby. As a result, the girl had encased
+herself in a defensive armor of hardness and distrust, a protection
+which was rendered futile by the loveliness of her face, by the softness
+of her voice, by the deep, brooding eyes, and the fine forehead on
+which, like a crown, rested the black waves of her hair.
+
+In her work Vera accepted, without question, the parts to which Vance
+assigned her. When in their mummeries they were successful, she neither
+enjoyed the credulity of those they had tricked nor was sobered with
+remorse. In the world Vance found a certain number of people with money
+who demanded to be fooled. It was his business and hers to meet that
+demand. If ever the conscience of either stirred restlessly, Vance
+soothed it by the easy answer that if they did not take the money some
+one else would. It was all in the day's work. It was her profession.
+
+As she entered the library of Mr. Hallowell, which, with Vance, she
+already had visited several times, she looked like a child masquerading
+in her mother's finery. She suggested an ingenue who had been suddenly
+sent on in the role of the Russian adventuress. Her slight girl's figure
+was draped in black lace. Her face was shaded by a large picture
+hat, heavy with drooping ostrich feathers; around her shoulders was a
+necklace of jade, and on her wrists many bracelets of silver gilt. When
+she moved they rattled. As the girl advanced, smiling, to greet Mr.
+Hallowell, she suddenly stopped, shivered slightly, and threw her right
+arm across her eyes. Her left arm she stretched over the table.
+
+"Give me your hand!" she commanded. Dubiously, with a watchful glance at
+Vance, Mr. Hallowell leaned forward and took her hand.
+
+"You have been ill," cried the girl; "very ill--I see you--I see you
+in a kind of faint--very lately." Her voice rose excitedly. "Yes, last
+night."
+
+Mr. Hallowell protested with indignation. "You read that in the morning
+paper," he said.
+
+Vera lowered her arm from her eyes and turned them reproachfully on him.
+
+"I don't read the Despatch," she answered.
+
+Mr. Hallowell drew back suspiciously. "I didn't say it was the
+Despatch," he returned.
+
+Vance quickly interposed. "You don't have to say it," he explained
+with glibness; "you thought it. And Vera read your thoughts. You
+were thinking of the Despatch, weren't you? Well, there you are! It's
+wonderful!"
+
+"Wonderful? Nonsense!" mocked Mr. Hallowell. "She did read it in the
+paper or Rainey told her."
+
+The girl shrugged her shoulders patiently. "If you would rather find
+out you were ill from the newspapers than from the spirit world," she
+inquired, "why do you ask me here?"
+
+"I ask you here, young woman," exclaimed Hallowell, sinking back in his
+chair, "because I hoped you would tell me something I can't learn from
+the newspapers. But you haven't been able to do it yet. My dear young
+lady," exclaimed the old man wistfully, "I want to believe, but I must
+be convinced. No tricks with me! I can explain how you might have found
+out everything you have told me. Give me a sign!" He beat the flat of
+his hand upon the table. "Show me something I can't explain!"
+
+"Mr. Hallowell is quite right, Vera," said Vance. "He is entering what
+is to him a new world, full of mysteries, and that caution which in this
+world has made him so successful--"
+
+With an exclamation, Hallowell cut short the patter of the showman.
+
+"Yes, yes," he interrupted petulantly; "I tell you, I want to believe.
+Convince me."
+
+Considering the situation with pursed lips and thoughtful eyes, Vera
+gazed at the old man, frowning. Finally she asked, "Have you witnessed
+out demonstrations of mind reading?"
+
+Mr. Hallowell snorted. "Certainly not," he replied; "it's a trick!"
+
+"A trick!" cried the girl indignantly, "to read a man's mind--to see
+right through your forehead, through your skull, into your brain? Is
+that a trick?" She turned sharply to Vance. "Show him!" she commanded;
+"show him!" She crossed rapidly to the window and stood looking down
+into the street, with her back to the room.
+
+Vance, with his back turned to Vera, stood close to the table, on the
+other side of which Hallowell was reclining in his arm chair. Vance
+picked up a pen holder.
+
+"Think of what I have in my hand, please," he said. "What is this,
+Vera?" he asked. The girl, gazing from the window at the traffic in the
+avenue below her, answered with indifference, "A pen holder."
+
+"Yes, what about it?" snapped Vance.
+
+"Gold pen holder," Vera answered more rapidly. "Much engraving--initials
+S. H.--Mr. Hallowell's initials--"
+
+"There is a date too. Can you--"
+
+"December--" Vera hesitated.
+
+"Go on," commanded Vance.
+
+"Twenty-five, one, eight, eight, six; one thousand eight hundred and
+eighty-six." She moved her shoulders impatiently.
+
+"Oh, tell him to think of something difficult," she said.
+
+From behind Mr. Hallowell's chair Rainey signaled to Vance to take
+from the table a photograph frame of silver which held the picture of a
+woman.
+
+Vance picked it up, holding it close to him.
+
+"What have I here, Vera?" he asked.
+
+Hallowell, seeing what Vance held in his hand, leaned forward. "Put that
+down!" he commanded. But Vera had already begun to answer.
+
+"A picture, a picture of a young woman. Ask him to think of who it is
+and I will tell him."
+
+At the words Mr. Hallowell hesitated, frowned, and then nodded.
+
+"It is his sister," called Vera. "Her name was--I seem to get a
+Catherine--yes, that's it; Catherine Coates. She is no longer with
+us. She passed into the spirit world three years ago." The girl turned
+suddenly and approached the table, holding her head high, as though
+offended.
+
+"How do you explain that trick?" she demanded.
+
+Mr. Hallowell moved uneasily in his chair. "Oh, the picture's been on my
+desk each time you've been here," he answered dubiously. "Rainey could
+have told you."
+
+"As a matter of fact, I didn't," said Rainey.
+
+Hallowell's eyes lightened with interest. "Didn't you?" he asked. He
+turned to Vera. "If you can read my mind," he challenged--"you," he
+added, pointing at Vance, "keep out of this now--tell me of what I am
+thinking." As Vance drew back, Rainey and himself exchanged a quick
+glance of apprehension, but the girl promptly closed her eyes, and at
+once, in a dull, measured tone, began to speak.
+
+"You were thinking you would like to ask a question of some one in the
+spirit," she recited. "But you are afraid. You do not trust me. You will
+wait until I give you a sign; then you will ask that question of some
+one dear to you, who has passed beyond, and she will answer, and your
+troubles will be at an end." She opened her eyes and stared at Mr.
+Hallowell like one coming out of a dream. "What did I say?" she asked.
+"Was I right?"
+
+Hallowell slank back in his chair, shaking his head.
+
+"Yes," he began grudgingly, "but--"
+
+With an eagerness hardly concealed, Vance interrupted.
+
+"What is the question you wish to ask?" he begged.
+
+With a frown of suspicion, Hallowell turned from him to Rainey.
+
+"I don't think I ought to let them know," he questioned; "do you?" But
+his attention was sharply diverted.
+
+Vera, in a hushed and solemn voice, called for silence.
+
+"My control," she explained--her tone was deep and awestruck--"is trying
+to communicate with me."
+
+Vance gave an exclamation of concern. The prospect of the phenomena
+Vera promised seemed to fill him with delightful expectations. "Be very
+quiet," he cautioned, "do not disturb her."
+
+Deeply impressed, Mr. Hallowell struggled from his chair. Unaided, he
+moved to below the table and leaning against it looked, with unwilling
+but fascinated interest, at Vera's uplifted face.
+
+"Some one in the spirit," Vera chanted, in an unemotional, drugged
+voice, "wishes to speak to Mr. Hallowell. Give me your hand."
+
+"Quick!" directed Vance, "give her your hand. Take her hand."
+
+"Yes, he is here," Vera continued. "A woman has a message for you, she
+is standing close beside you. She is holding out her arms. And she
+is trying, so hard, to tell you something. What is it?" the girl
+questioned. "Oh, what is it? Tell me," she begged. "Can't you tell me?"
+
+Hallowell eyed her greedily, waiting almost without breathing for her
+words. The hand with which he held hers crushed her rings into her
+fingers.
+
+"What sort?"--whispered the old man. "What sort of a woman?"
+
+With eyes still closed, swaying slightly and with abrupt shudders
+running down her body, the girl continued in dull, fateful tones.
+
+"She is a fair woman; about forty-five. She is speaking. She calls to
+you, Brother, brother." Vera's voice rose excitedly. "It is the woman
+in the picture; your sister! Catherine! I see it written above her
+head--Catherine. In letters of light." She turned suddenly and fiercely.
+"Ask her your question!" she commanded. "Ask her your question, now!"
+
+By the sudden swaying forward of Vance and Rainey, in the intent look
+in their eyes, it was evident that a crisis had approached. But Mr.
+Hallowell, terrified and trembling, shrank back. His voice broke
+hysterically. "No, no!" he pleaded. Both anger and disappointment showed
+in the face of Vance and Rainey; but the girl, as though detached from
+any human concerns, continued unmoved. "I see another figure," she
+recited. "A young girl, but she is of this world. I seem to get an H.
+Yes. Helen, in letters of fire."
+
+"My niece, Helen!" Hallowell whispered hoarsely.
+
+"Yes, your niece," chanted the girl. Her voice rose and thrilled. "And
+I see much gold," she cried. "Between the two women, heaps of gold.
+Everywhere I look I see gold. And, now, the other woman, your sister, is
+trying to speak to you. Listen! She calls to you, Brother!"
+
+So centered was the interest of those in the room, so compelling the
+sound of the girl's voice, that, unnoticed, the sliding doors to the
+library were slipped apart. Unobserved, Judge Gaylor and Winthrop halted
+in the doorway. To the Judge the meaning of the scene was instantly
+apparent. His face flushed furiously. Winthrop, uncomprehending, gazed
+unconcerned over Gaylor's shoulder. The voice of Vera rose hysterically
+to her climax.
+
+"She bids me tell you," Vera cried; "Tell my brother--"
+
+Gaylor swept toward her.
+
+"What damned farce is this?" he shouted.
+
+The effect of the interruption was instant and startling. Mr. Hallowell,
+who, in the last few minutes, had believed he was listening to a voice
+from the dead, collapsed upon the shoulder of Rainey, who sprang to
+support him. Like a somnambulist wrenched from sleep, Vera gave a scream
+of fright, half genuine, half assumed, and swayed as though about to
+fall. Vance caught her in his arms. He turned on Gaylor, his cunning red
+eyes flashing evilly.
+
+"You brute!" he cried, "you might have killed her."
+
+Between her sobs, Vera, her head upon the shoulder of Vance, whispered a
+question. As quickly, under cover of muttered sympathy, Vance answered:
+"Gaylor. The Judge."
+
+Still slightly swaying, Vera stood upright. She passed her hand vaguely
+before her eyes. "Where am I?" she asked feebly. "Where am I?"
+
+Gaylor shook his fist at the girl.
+
+"You know where you are!" he thundered; "and you know where you're
+going--you're going to jail!"
+
+In the hush that followed Vera drew herself to her full height. She
+regarded Gaylor wonderingly, haughtily, as though he were some drunken
+intruder from the street.
+
+"Are you speaking to me?" she asked.
+
+"Yes, to you," shouted the lawyer. "You're an imposter, and a swindler,
+and--and--"
+
+Winthrop pushed between them.
+
+"Yes, and she's a woman," he said briskly. "If you want a row, talk to
+the man."
+
+To this point the scene had brought to Vera no emotion save the
+excitement that is felt by the one who is struggling to escape. The
+appearance of a champion added a new interest. Through no fault of her
+own, she had learned by experience that to the one man who annoyed her
+there always were six to spring to her protection. So the glance she
+covertly turned upon Winthrop was one less of gratitude than curiosity.
+
+But at the first sight of him the girl started, her eyes lit with
+recognition, her face flushed. And then, although the man was in no
+way regarding her, her eyes filled, and in mortification and dismay she
+blushed crimson.
+
+His anger still unsatisfied, Gaylor turned upon Vance.
+
+"And you," he cried; "you're going to jail too. I'll drive--"
+
+The voice of Mr. Hallowell, shaken with pain and distress, rose feebly,
+beseechingly. "Henry!" he begged. "I can't stand it!"
+
+"Judge Gaylor!" thundered Rainey, "I won't be responsible if you keep
+this up."
+
+With an exclamation of remorse, Vera ran to the side of the old man.
+With Rainey on his other hand, she raised him upright upon his feet.
+
+"Lean on me," begged the girl breathlessly. "I'm very strong. Lean on
+me."
+
+Mr. Hallowell shook his head. "No, child," he protested, "not you." He
+turned to his old friend. "You help me, Henry," he begged.
+
+With the authority of the medical man, Rainey waved Vance into the
+bedroom. "Close those windows," he ordered. "You help me!" he commanded
+of Gaylor. "Put your arm under him."
+
+Mr. Hallowell, protesting feebly and leaning heavily upon the two men,
+stumbled into the bedroom, and the door was shut behind him.
+
+For a moment the girl and the man stood in silence, and then, as though
+suddenly conscious of her presence, Winthrop turned and smiled.
+
+The girl did not answer his smile. From under the shadow of the
+picture hat and the ostrich feathers her eyes regarded him searchingly,
+watchfully.
+
+For the first time, Winthrop had the chance to observe her. He saw that
+she was very young, that her clothes cruelly disguised her, that she was
+only a child masquerading as a brigand, that her face was distractingly
+lovely. Having noted this, the fact that she had driven several grown
+men to abuse and vituperation struck him as being extremely humorous;
+nor did he try to conceal his amusement. But the watchfulness in the
+eyes of the girl did not relax.
+
+"I'm afraid I interfered with your seance," said the District Attorney.
+
+The girl regarded him warily, like a fencer fixing her eyes on those
+of her opponent. There was a pause which lasted so long that had the
+silence continued it would have been rude. "Well," the girl returned at
+last, timidly, "that's what the city expects you to do, is it not?"
+
+Winthrop laughed. "How did you know who I was?" he asked, and then added
+quickly, "Of course, you're a mind reader."
+
+For the first time the girl smiled. Winthrop found it a charming smile,
+wistful and confiding.
+
+"I don't have to ask the spirit world," she said, "to tell me who is
+District Attorney of New York."
+
+"Yes," said the District Attorney; "yes, I suppose you have to be pretty
+well acquainted with some of the laws--those about mediums?"
+
+"If you knew as much about other laws," began Vera, "as I do about the
+law--" She broke off and again smiled upon him.
+
+"Then you probably know," said Winthrop, "that what our excited friend
+said to you just now is legally quite true?"
+
+The smile passed from the face of the girl. She looked at the young man
+with fine disdain, as a great lady might reprove with a glance the man
+who snapped a camera at her. "Yes?" she asked. "Well, what are you going
+to do about it--arrest me?" Mocking him, in a burlesque of melodrama,
+she held out her arms. "Don't put the handcuffs on me," she begged.
+
+Winthrop found her impudence amusing; and, with the charm of her
+novelty, he was conscious of a growing conviction that, somewhere, they
+had met before; that already at a crisis she had come into his life.
+
+"I won't arrest you," he said with a puzzled smile, "on one condition."
+
+"Ah!" mocked Vera; "he is generous."
+
+"And the condition is," Winthrop went on seriously, "that you tell me
+where we met before?"
+
+The girl's expression became instantly mask-like. To learn if he
+suspected where it was that they had met, she searched his face quickly.
+She was reassured that of the event he had no real recollection.
+
+"That's rather difficult, isn't it," she continued lightly, "when you
+consider I've been giving exhibitions of mind readings for the last six
+weeks on Broadway, and in the homes of people you probably know?"
+
+"No," Winthrop exclaimed eagerly, "it wasn't in a theatre, and it wasn't
+in a private house. It was--" he shook his head helplessly, and looked
+at her for assistance. "You don't know, do you?"
+
+The girl regarded him steadily. "How should I?" she said. And then, as
+though decided upon a course of action of the wisdom of which she was
+uncertain, she laughed uneasily.
+
+"But the spirits would know," she said. "I might ask them."
+
+"Do!" cried Winthrop, delightedly. "How much would that be?"
+
+As though to reprove his flippancy, the girl frowned. With a nervous
+tremor, which this time seemed genuine enough, she threw back her head,
+closed her eyes, and laid her arm across her forehead.
+
+Winthrop, unobserved, watched her with a smile, partly of amusement,
+partly on account of her beauty, of admiration.
+
+"I see--a court room," said the girl. "It is very mean and bare. It is
+somewhere up the State; in a small town. Outside, there are trees, and
+the sun is shining, and people are walking in a public park. Inside, in
+the prisoner's dock, there is a girl. She has been arrested--for theft.
+She has pleaded guilty! And I see--that she has been very ill--that she
+is faint from shame--and fear--and lack of food. And there is a young
+lawyer. He is defending her; he is asking the judge to be merciful,
+because this is her first offence, because she stole the cloak to get
+money to take her where she had been promised work. Because this is his
+first case."
+
+Winthrop gave a gasp of disbelief.
+
+"You don't mean to tell me--" he cried.
+
+"Hush!" commanded the girl. "And he persuades the judge to let her go,"
+she continued quickly, her voice shaking, "and he and the girl walk out
+of the court house together. And he talks to her kindly, and gives her
+money to pay her way to the people who have promised her work."
+
+Vera dropped her arm, and stepping back, faced Winthrop. Through her
+tears her eyes were flashing proudly, gratefully; the feeling that shook
+her made her voice vibrate. The girl seemed proud of her tears, proud of
+her debt of gratitude.
+
+"And I've never forgotten you," she said, her voice eager and trembling,
+"and what you did for me. And I've watched you come to this city, and
+fight it, and fight it, until you made them put you where you are." She
+stopped to control her voice, and smiled at him. "And that's why I knew
+you were District Attorney," she said; "and please--" she fumbled in
+the mesh purse at her waist and taking a bill from it, threw it upon
+the table. "And please, there's the money I owe you, and--and--I thank
+you--and goodbye." She turned and almost ran from him toward the door to
+the hall.
+
+"Stop!" cried Winthrop.
+
+Poised for flight, the girl halted, and looked back.
+
+"When can I see you again?" said the man. The tone made it less a
+question than a command.
+
+In a manner as determined as his own, the girl shook her head.
+
+"No!" she said.
+
+"I must!" returned the man.
+
+Again the girl shook her head, definitely, finally.
+
+"It won't help you in your work," she pleaded, "to come to see me."
+
+"I must!" repeated Winthrop simply.
+
+The eyes of the girl met his, appealingly, defiantly.
+
+"You'll be sorry," said the girl.
+
+Winthrop laughed an eager, boyish laugh. When he spoke the tenseness in
+his voice had gone. His tone was confident, bantering.
+
+"Then I will not come to see you," he said.
+
+Uncertain, puzzled, Vera looked at him in distress. She thought he was
+mocking her.
+
+"No?" she questioned.
+
+"I'll come to see Vera, the medium," he explained.
+
+Vera frowned, and then, in happy embarrassment, smiled wistfully.
+
+"Oh, well," she stammered; "of course, if you're coming to consult me
+professionally--my hours are from four to six."
+
+"I'll be there," cried the District Attorney.
+
+Vera leaned forward eagerly.
+
+"What day will you come?" she demanded.
+
+"What day!" exclaimed the young man indignantly. "Why, this day!"
+
+Vera gave a guilty, frightened laugh.
+
+"Oh, will you?" she exclaimed delightedly. She clasped her fingers in a
+gesture of dismay. "Oh, I hope you won't be sorry!" she cried.
+
+For some moments the District Attorney of New York stood looking at the
+door through which she had disappeared.
+
+
+
+
+Part II
+
+The home of the Vances was in Thirty-fifth Street, nearly opposite the
+Garrick Theatre. It was one of a row of old-fashioned brick houses with
+high steps. As the seeker after truth entered the front hall, he saw
+before him the stairs to the second story; on his right, the folding
+doors of the "front parlor," and at the far end of the hall, a single
+door that led to what was, in the old days, before this row of houses
+had been converted into offices, the family dining room. To Vera the
+Vances had given the use of this room as a "reception parlor." The
+visitor first entered the room on his right, from it passed through
+another pair of folding doors to the reception parlor, and then, when
+his audience was at an end, departed by the single door to the hall, and
+so, to the street.
+
+The reception parlor bore but little likeness to a cave of mystery.
+There were no shaded lights, no stuffed alligator, no Indian draperies,
+no black cat. On a table, in the centre, under a heavy and hideous
+chandelier with bronze gas jets, was a green velvet cushion. On this
+nestled an innocent ball of crystal. Beside it lay the ivory knitting
+needle with which Vera pointed out, in the hand of the visitor, those
+lines that showed he would be twice married, was of an ambitious
+temperament, and would make a success upon the stage. In a corner stood
+a wooden cabinet that resembled a sentry box on wheels. It was from
+this, on certain evenings, before a select circle of spiritualists, that
+Vera projected the ghosts of the departed. Hanging inside the cabinet
+was a silver-gilt crown and a cloak of black velvet, lined with purple
+silk and covered in gold thread with signs of the zodiac.
+
+Save that these stage properties illustrated the taste of Mabel Vance,
+the room was of no interest. It held a rubber plant, a red velvet
+rocking chair, across the back of which Mrs. Vance had draped a
+Neapolitan scarf; an upright piano, upon which Emmanuel Day, or, as
+he was known to the cross-roads of Broadway and Forty-second street,
+"Mannie" Day, provoked the most marvelous rag-time, an enlarged
+photograph in crayon, of Professor Vance, in a frock coat and lawn tie,
+a china bull dog, coquettishly decorated with a blue bow, and, on the
+mantel piece, two tall beer steins and a hand telephone. From the long
+windows one obtained a view of the iron shutters of the new department
+store in Thirty-fourth Street, and of a garden, just large enough to
+contain a sumach tree, a refrigerator, and the packing-case in which the
+piano had arrived.
+
+After leaving Winthrop, without waiting for Vance, Vera had returned
+directly to the house in Thirty-fifth Street, and locked herself in her
+room. And although "Mannie" Day had already ushered two visitors into
+the front room, Vera had not yet come downstairs. In consequence, Mabel
+Vance was in possession of the reception parlor.
+
+Mrs. Vance was plump, pink-and-blonde, credulous and vulgar, but at all
+times of the utmost good humor. Her admiration for Vera was equaled only
+by her awe of her. On this particular afternoon, although it already was
+after five o'clock, Mrs. Vance still wore a short dressing sack, open at
+the throat, and heavy with somewhat soiled lace. But her blonde hair was
+freshly "marcelled," and her nails pink and shining. In the absence of
+Vera, she was making a surreptitious and guilty use of the telephone.
+From the fact that in her left hand she held the morning telegraph open
+at the "previous performances" of the horses, and that the page had been
+cruelly lacerated by a hat pin, it was fair to suppose that whoever was
+at the other end of the wire, was tempting her with the closing odds at
+the races.
+
+In her speculations, she was interrupted by "Mannie" Day, who entered
+softy through the door from the hall.
+
+"Mannie" Day was a youth of twenty-four. It was his heart's desire to be
+a "Broadwayard." He wanted to know all of those, and to be known only by
+those, who moved between the giant pillars that New York threw into the
+sky to mark her progress North.
+
+He knew the soiled White Way as the oldest inhabitant knows the single
+street of the village. He knew it from the Rathskellers underground,
+to the roof gardens in the sky; in his firmament the stars were the
+electric advertisements over Long Acre Square, his mother earth was
+asphalt, the breath of his nostrils gasolene, the telegraph was his
+Bible. His grief was that no one in the Tenderloin would take him
+seriously; would believe him wicked, wise, predatory. They might love
+him, they might laugh with him, they might clamor for his company, in no
+flat that could boast a piano, was he not, on his entrance, greeted with
+a shout; but the real Knights of the Highway treated him always as the
+questioning, wide-eyed child. In spite of his after-midnight pallor, in
+spite of his honorable scars of dissipation, it was his misfortune to be
+cursed with a smile that was a perpetual plea of "not guilty."
+
+"What can you expect?" an outspoken friend, who made a living as a
+wireless wire tapper, had once pointed out to him. "That smile of yours
+could open a safe. It could make a show girl give up money! It's an
+alibi for everything from overspeeding to murder."
+
+Mannie, as he listened, flushed with mortification. From that moment
+he determined that his life should be devoted to giving the lie to that
+smile, to that outward and visible sign of kindness, good will, and
+innate innocence. As yet, he had not succeeded.
+
+He interrupted Mabel at the telephone to inquire the whereabouts of
+Vera. "There's two girls in there, now," he said, "waiting to have their
+fortunes doped."
+
+"Let'em wait!" exclaimed Mabel. "Vera's upstairs dressing." In her eyes
+was the baleful glare of the plunger. "What was that you give me in the
+third race?"
+
+At the first touch of the ruling passion, what interest Mannie may
+have felt for the impatient visitors vanished. "Not in the third," he
+corrected briskly. "Keene entry win the third."
+
+Mabel appealed breathlessly to the telephone. "What price the Keene
+entry in the third?" She turned to Mannie with reproachful eyes. "Even
+money!" she complained.
+
+"That's what I told you," retorted Mannie. He lowered his voice, and
+gazed apprehensively toward the front parlor. "If you want a really good
+thing," he whispered hoarsely, "ask Joe what Pompadour is in the fifth!"
+Mabel laughed scornfully, disappointedly.
+
+"Pompadour!" she mocked.
+
+"That's right!" cried the expert. "That's the one daily hint from Paris
+today. Joe will give you thirty to one."
+
+Upon the defenseless woman he turned the full force of his accursed
+smile. "Put five on for me, Mabel?" he begged.
+
+With unexpected determination of character Mabel declared sharply that
+she would do nothing of the sort.
+
+"Two, then?" entreated the boy.
+
+"Where," demanded Mabel unfeelingly, "is the twenty you owe me now?"
+
+The abruptness of this unsportsmanlike blow below the belt caused Mannie
+to wince.
+
+"How do I know where it is?" he protested. "As long as you haven't got
+it, why do you care where it is?" He heard the door from the hall open
+and, turning, saw Vera. He appealed to her. "Vera," he cried, "You'll
+loan me two dollars? I stand to win sixty. I'll give you thirty."
+
+Vera looked inquiringly at Mabel. "What is it, Mabel," she asked, "a
+hand book?"
+
+Mrs. Vance nodded guiltily.
+
+"Mannie!" exclaimed Vera gently but reproachfully, "I told you I
+wouldn't loan you any more money till you paid Mabel what you've
+borrowed."
+
+"How can I pay Mabel what I borrowed," demanded Mannie, "if I can't
+borrow the money from you to pay her? Only two dollars, Vera!"
+
+Vera nodded to Mabel.
+
+Mabel, at the phone, called, "Two dollars on Pompadour--to--win--for
+Mannie Day," and rang off.
+
+"That makes thirty for you," exclaimed Mannie enthusiastically, "and
+twenty I owe to Mabel, and that leaves me ten."
+
+Mrs. Vance, no longer occupied in the whirlpool of speculation, for the
+first time observed that Vera had changed her matronly robe of black
+lace for a short white skirt and a white shirtwaist. She noted also that
+there was a change in Vera's face and manner. She gave an impression of
+nervous eagerness, of unrest. Her smile seemed more appealing, wistful,
+girlish. She looked like a child of fourteen.
+
+But Mabel was concerned more especially with the robe of virgin white.
+
+For the month, which was July, the costume was appropriate, but, in the
+opinion of Mabel, in no way suited to the priestess of the occult and
+the mysterious.
+
+"Why, Vera!" exclaimed Mrs. Vance, "whatever have you got on? Ain't you
+going to receive visitors? There's ten dollars waiting in there now."
+
+In sudden apprehension, Vera looked down at her spotless garments.
+
+"Don't I look nice?" she begged.
+
+"Of course you look nice, dearie," Mabel assured her, "but you don't
+look like no fortune teller."
+
+"If you want to know what you look like," said Mannie sternly, "you look
+like one of the waiter girls at Childs's--that's what you look like."
+
+"And your crown!" exclaimed Mabel, "and your kimono. Ain't you going to
+wear your kimono?"
+
+She hastened to the cabinet and produced the cloak of black velvet and
+spangles, and the silver-gilt crown.
+
+"No, I am not!" declared Vera. She wore the frightened look of a
+mutinous child. "I--I look so--foolish in them!"
+
+Such heresy caused Mannie to gasp aloud; "You look grand in them," he
+protested; "don't she, Mabel?"
+
+"Sure she does," assented that lady.
+
+"And your junk?" demanded Mannie, referring to the jade necklace and the
+gold-plated bracelets. His eyes opened in sympathy. "You haven't pawned
+them, have you?"
+
+"Pawned them?" laughed Vera; "I couldn't get anything on them!" As
+the only masculine point of view available, she appealed to Mannie
+wistfully. "Don't you like me better this way, Mannie?" she begged.
+
+But that critic protested violently.
+
+"Not a bit like it," he cried. "Now, in the gold tiara and the spangled
+opera cloak," he differentiated, "you look like a picture postal card!
+You got Lotta Faust's blue skirt back to Levey's. But not in the white
+goods!" He shook his head sadly, firmly. "You look, now, like you was
+made up for a May-day picnic in the Bronx, and they'd picked on you to
+be Queen of the May."
+
+Mabel carried the much-admired opera cloak to Vera, and held it out,
+tempting her. "You'll wear it, just to please me and Mannie, won't you,
+dearie?" she begged. Vera retreated before it as though it held the
+germs of contagion.
+
+"I will not," she rebelled. "I hate it! When I have that on, I
+feel--mean. I feel as mean as though I were picking pennies out of a
+blind man's hat." Mannie roared with delight.
+
+"Gee!" he shouted, "but that's a hot one."
+
+"Besides," said Vera consciously, "I'm--I'm expecting some one."
+
+The manner more than the words thrilled Mabel with the most joyful
+expectations.
+
+She exclaimed excitedly. "A gentleman friend, Vera?" she asked.
+
+That Vera shunned all young men had been to Mabel a source of wonder and
+of pride. Even when the young men were the friends of her husband and
+of herself, the preoccupied manner with which Vera received them did not
+provoke in Mabel any resentment. It rather increased her approbation.
+Although horrified at the recklessness of the girl, she had approved
+even when Vera rejected an offer of marriage from a wine agent.
+
+Secretly, for a proper alliance for her, Mabel read the society columns
+in search of eligible, rich young men. Finding that they invariably
+married eligible, rich young women, she had lately determined that
+Vera's destiny must be an English duke.
+
+Still if, as she hoped, Vera had chosen for herself, Mabel felt assured
+that the man would prove worthy, and a good match. A good match meant
+one who owned not only a runabout, but a touring car.
+
+"It's a man from home," said Vera. "Home?" queried Mannie.
+
+"From up the State," explained Vera, "from Geneva. It's--Mr. Winthrop."
+
+With an exclamation of alarm, Mannie started upright. "Winthrop!" he
+cried; then with a laugh of relief he sank back. "Gee! You give me a
+scare," he cried. "I thought you meant the District Attorney."
+
+Mabel laughed sympathetically.
+
+"I thought so too," she admitted.
+
+"I do mean the District Attorney," said the girl.
+
+"Vera!" cried Mabel.
+
+"Winthrop--coming here?" demanded Mannie.
+
+"I met him at Mr. Hallowell's this morning," said Vera. "Didn't Paul
+tell you?"
+
+"Paul ain't back yet," said Mannie. "I wish he was!" His lower jaw
+dropped in dazed bewilderment. "Winthrop--coming here?" he repeated.
+"And they're all coming here!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Paul just phoned
+me. They've taken Gaylor in with them, and we're all working together
+now on some game for tonight. And Winthrop's coming here!" He shook his
+head decidedly, importantly. As the only man of the family present, he
+felt he must meet this crisis. "Paul won't stand for it!" he declared.
+
+"Well, Paul will just have to stand for it!" retorted Mrs. Vance.
+
+With a murmur of sympathy she crossed to Vera. "I'm not going to see our
+Vera disappointed," she announced. "She never sees no company. Vera, if
+Mr. Winthrop comes when that bunch is here, I'll show him into the front
+parlor."
+
+Vera sat down in front of the piano and let her fingers drop upon the
+keys. The look of eagerness and anticipation had left her eyes.
+
+"Oh, I don't know," she said, "that I want to see him--now."
+
+With complete misunderstanding, Mannie demanded truculently, "Why not?"
+His loyalty to Vera gave him courage, in her behalf, to face even a
+District Attorney. "He doesn't think he's coming here to make trouble
+for you, does he?"
+
+Vera shook her head and, bending over the piano, struck a few detached
+chords.
+
+"Oh, no," she said consciously; "just to see me--professionally--like
+everybody else."
+
+Mabel could no longer withhold her indignation at the obtuseness of the
+masculine intellect.
+
+"My gracious, Mannie!" she exclaimed, "can't you understand he's coming
+here to make a call on Vera--like a gentleman--not like no District
+Attorney."
+
+Mannie precipitately retreated from his position as champion.
+
+"Sure, I understand," he protested.
+
+With the joy that a match-making mother takes in the hunt, Mabel sank
+into the plush rocking chair and, rocking violently, turned upon Vera an
+eager and excited smile.
+
+"Think of our Vera knowing Mr. Winthrop socially?" she exclaimed. "It's
+grand! And they say his sisters are elegant ladies. Last winter I read
+about them at the opera, and it always printed what they had on. Why
+didn't you tell me you knowed him, Vera?" she cried reproachfully. "I
+tell you everything!"
+
+"I don't know him," protested the girl. "I used to see him when he lived
+in the same town."
+
+Mabel, inviting further confidences, ceased rocking and nodded
+encouragingly. "Up in Geneva?" she prompted.
+
+"Yes," said Vera, "I used to see him every afternoon then, when he
+played ball on the college nine--"
+
+"Who?" demanded Mannie incredulously.
+
+"Winthrop," said Vera.
+
+"Did he?" exclaimed Mannie. His tone suggested that he might still be
+persuaded that there was good in the man.
+
+"What'd he play?" he demanded suspiciously.
+
+"First," said Vera.
+
+"Did he!" exclaimed Mannie. His tone now was of open approbation.
+
+Vera had raised her eyes and turned them toward the windows. Beyond the
+soot-stained sumach tree, the fire escapes of the department store,
+she saw the sun-drenched campus, the buttressed chapel, the ancient,
+drooping elms; and on a canvas bag, poised like a winged Mercury, a tall
+straight figure in gray, dusty flannels.
+
+"He was awfully good-looking," murmured the girl, "and awfully tall. He
+could stop a ball as high as--that!" She raised her arm in the air, and
+then, suddenly conscious, flushed, and turned to the piano.
+
+"Go on, tell us," urged Mabel. "So you first met him in Geneva, did
+you?"
+
+"No," corrected Vera, "saw him there. I--only met him once."
+
+Mannie interrupted hilariously.
+
+"I only saw him once, too," he cried, "that was enough for me."
+
+Vera swiftly spun the piano stool so that she faced him. Her eyes were
+filled with concern.
+
+"You, Mannie!" she demanded anxiously. "What had you done?"
+
+"Done!" exclaimed Mannie indignantly, "nothing! What'd you think I'd
+done? Did you think I was a crook?"
+
+Vera bowed her shoulders and shivered as though the boy had cursed at
+her. She shook her head vehemently and again swung back to the piano.
+Stumbling awkwardly, her fingers ran over the keys in a swift clatter of
+broken chords. "No," she whispered, "no, Mannie, no."
+
+With a laugh of delighted recollection, Mannie turned to Mabel.
+
+"He raided a poolroom I was working at," he explained. "He picked me out
+as a sheet writer because I had my coat off, see? I told him I had it
+off because it was too hot for me, and he says, Young man, if you lie
+to me, I'll make I a damn sight hotter!" Mannie threw back his head and
+shouted uproariously. "He's all right, Winthrop!" he declared.
+
+Mabel, having already married Winthrop to Vera in Grace Church, with
+herself in the front pew, in a blue silk dress, received this unexpected
+evidence of his rare wit with delight. In ecstasy of appreciation she
+slapped her knees.
+
+"Did he say that, Mannie?" she cried. "Wasn't that quick of him! Did you
+hear what he said to Mannie, Vera?" she demanded.
+
+Their mirth was interrupted by the opening and closing of the front door
+and, in the hall, the murmur of men's voices.
+
+Vance opened the door from the hall and entered, followed by Judge
+Gaylor and Rainey. With evident pride in her appearance, Vance
+introduced the two men to his wife, and then sent her and Mannie from
+the room--the latter with orders to dismiss the visitors in the front
+parlor and to admit no others.
+
+At the door Mrs. Vance turned to Vera and nodded mysteriously.
+
+"If that party calls," she said with significance, "I'll put him in the
+front parlor." With a look of dismay, Vera vehemently shook her head
+but, to forestall any opposition, Mrs. Vance hastily slammed the door
+behind her.
+
+In his most courteous manner Judge Gaylor offered the chair at the head
+of the centre table to Vera, and at the same table seated himself.
+Vance took a place on the piano stool; Rainey stood with his back to the
+mantel piece.
+
+"Miss Vera," Gaylor began impressively, "I desire to apologize for my
+language this morning. As Rainey no doubt has told you, I have opposed
+you and Professor Vance. But I--I know when I'm beaten. Your influence
+with Mr. Hallowell today--is greater than mine. It is paramount. I
+congratulate you." He smiled ingratiatingly. "And now," he added, "we
+are all working in unison."
+
+"You've given up your idea of sending me to jail," said Vera.
+
+"Vera!" exclaimed Vance reprovingly. "Judge Gaylor has apologized. We're
+all in harmony now."
+
+"Is that door locked?" asked Gaylor. Vance told him, save Mrs. Vance,
+Mannie, and themselves, there was none in the house; and that he might
+speak freely.
+
+"Miss Vera," began the Judge, "we left Mr. Hallowell very much impressed
+with the message you gave him this morning. The message from his dead
+sister. He wants another message from her. He wants her to decide how he
+shall dispose of a very large sum of money--his entire fortune."
+
+"His entire fortune!" exclaimed Vera. "Do you imagine," she asked,
+"that Mr. Hallowell will take advice from the spirit world about that? I
+don't!"
+
+"I do," Gaylor answered stoutly, "I know I would."
+
+"You?" asked Vera incredulously.
+
+"If I could believe my sister came from the dead to tell me what to
+do," said the lawyer, "of course, I'd do it. I'd be afraid not to. But I
+don't believe he does. And he believes you can bring his sister herself
+before him. He insists that tonight you hold a seance in his house, and
+that you materialize the spirit of his dead sister. So that he can see
+his sister, and talk with his sister. Vance says you can do that. Can
+you?"
+
+From Vera's face the look of girlishness, of happy anticipation, had
+already disappeared.
+
+"It is my business to do that," the girl answered. She turned to Vance
+and, in a matter-of-fact voice, inquired, "What does his sister look
+like--that photograph we used this morning?"
+
+"No," Vance answered. "I've a better one, Rainey gave me. Taken when she
+was older. Has white hair and a cap and a kerchief crossed--so." He drew
+his hands across his shoulders. "Rainey, show Miss Vera that picture."
+
+"Not now," Gaylor commanded. "The important thing now is that Miss Vera
+understands the message Mr. Hallowell is to receive from his sister."
+
+The two other men nodded quickly in assent. Gaylor turned to Vera. He
+spoke slowly, earnestly.
+
+"Miss Vera," he said, "Mr. Hallowell's present will leaves his fortune
+to his niece. He has made another will, which he has not signed, leaving
+his fortune to the Hallowell Institute. He will ask his sister to which
+of these he should leave his money. You will tell him--" he corrected
+himself instantly. "She will tell him to give it where it will be of the
+greatest good to the most people--to the Institute." There was a pause.
+"Do you understand?" he asked.
+
+"To the Institute. Not to the niece," Vera answered. Gaylor nodded
+gravely.
+
+"What," asked Vera, "are the fewest words in which that message could
+be delivered? I mean--should she say, You are to endow the Hallowell
+Institute, or Brother, you are to give--Sign the new will?" With
+satisfaction the girl gave a sharp shake of her head, and nodded to
+Vance. "Destroy the old will. Sign the new will. That is the best," she
+said.
+
+"That's it exactly," Gaylor exclaimed eagerly; "that's excellent!" Then
+his face clouded. "I think," he said in a troubled voice, "we should
+warn Miss Vera, that to guard himself from any trickery, Mr. Hallowell
+insists on subjecting her to the most severe tests. He--"
+
+"That will be all right," said the girl. She turned to Vance and, in
+a lower tone but without interest, asked: "What, for instance?" Vance
+merely laughed and shrugged his shoulders. The girl smiled. Nettled,
+and alarmed at what appeared to be their overconfidence, Gaylor objected
+warmly.
+
+"That's all very well," he cried, "but for instance, he insists that the
+entire time you are in the cabinet, you hold a handful of flour in
+one hand and of shot in the other"--he illustrated with clenched
+fists--"which makes it impossible," he protested, "for you to use your
+hands."
+
+The face of the girl showed complete indifference.
+
+"Not necessarily," she said.
+
+"But you are to be tied hand and foot," cried the Judge. "And on top of
+that," he burst forth indignantly, pointing aggrievedly at Vance, "he
+himself proposed this flour-and-shot test. It was silly, senseless
+bravado!"
+
+"Not necessarily," repeated the girl. "He knew that I invented it."
+Rainey laughed. Gaylor gave an exclamation of enlightenment.
+
+"If it will be of any comfort to you, Judge," said Vance, "I'll tell you
+one thing; every test that ever was put to a medium--was invented by a
+medium."
+
+Vera rose. "If there is nothing more," she said, "I will go and get the
+things ready for this evening. Destroy the old will. Sign the new
+will." she repeated. She turned suddenly to Vance, her brow drawn in
+consideration. "I suppose by this new will," she asked, "the girl gets
+nothing?" "Not at all!" exclaimed Gaylor emphatically. "We don't want
+her to fight the will. She gets a million."
+
+"A million dollars?" demanded Vera. For an instant, as though trying to
+grasp the possibilities of such a sum, she stood staring ahead of her.
+With doubt in her eyes, and shaking her head, she turned to Vance.
+
+"How can one woman spend a million dollars?" she protested.
+
+"Well, you see, we don't intend to starve her," exclaimed Gaylor
+eagerly, "and at the same time the Institute will be benefiting all
+humanity. Doing good to--"
+
+Vera interrupted him with a sharp, peremptory movement of the hand.
+
+"We won't go into that, please," she begged.
+
+The Judge inclined his head. "I only meant to point out," he said
+stiffly, "that you are giving Mr. Hallowell the best advice, and doing
+great good."
+
+For a moment the girl looked at him steadily. On her lips was a faint
+smile of disdain, but whether for him or for herself, the Judge could
+not determine.
+
+"I don't know that," the girl said finally. "I don't ask." She turned to
+Rainey. "Have you that photograph?" He gave her a photograph and after,
+for an instant, studying it in silence, she returned it to him.
+
+"It will be quite easy," she said to Vance. She walked to the door, and
+instinctively the two men, who were seated, rose.
+
+"I will see you tonight at Mr. Hallowell's," she said, and, with a nod,
+left them.
+
+"Well," exclaimed Rainey, "you didn't tell her!"
+
+"I know," Vance answered. "I decided we'd be wiser to take advice from my
+wife. She understands Vera better than I do." He opened the door to the
+hall, and called "Mannie! Tell Mabel--Oh, Mabel," he corrected, "come
+here a minute." He returned to his seat on the piano stool. "She can
+tell us," he said.
+
+In expectation of the arrival of Winthrop, Mrs. Vance had arrayed
+herself in a light blue frock, and, as though she had just come in from
+the street, in such a hat as she considered would do credit not only to
+Vera but to herself.
+
+"Mabel," her husband began, "we're up against a hard proposition.
+Hallowell insists that Winthrop and Miss Coates must come to the seance
+tonight."
+
+"Winthrop and Miss Coates!" cried Mabel. In astonishment she glanced
+from her husband to Rainey and Gaylor. "Then, it's all off!" she
+exclaimed.
+
+"That's what I say," growled Rainey.
+
+"We want you to tell us," continued Vance, unmoved, "whether Vera should
+know that now, or wait until tonight?"
+
+"Paul Vance!" almost shrieked his wife, "do you mean to tell me you're
+thinking of giving a materialization in front of the District Attorney!
+You're crazy!"
+
+"That's what I tell them," chorused Rainey.
+
+Gaylor raised his hand for silence.
+
+"No, Mrs. Vance," he said wearily. "We are not crazy, but," he added
+bitterly, "we can't help ourselves. You mediums have got Mr. Hallowell
+in such a state that he'll only do what his sister's spirit tells him.
+He says, if he's robbing his niece, his sister will tell him so; if he's
+to give the money to the Institute, his sister will tell him that. He
+says, if Vance is fair and above-board, he shouldn't be afraid to have
+his niece and any friends of hers present. We can't help ourselves."
+
+"I helped a little," said Vance, "by insisting on having our own friends
+there--told him the spirit could not materialize unless there were
+believers present."
+
+"Did he stand for that?" asked Mabel.
+
+"Glad to have them," her husband assured her. "They like to think there
+are others as foolish as they are. And I'm going to place Mr. District
+Attorney," he broke out suddenly and fiercely, "between two mediums.
+They'll hold his hands!"
+
+Already frightened by the possible result of the plot, Rainey, with a
+vehemence born of fear, retorted sharply: "Hold his hands! How're you
+going to make him hold his tongue, afterward?"
+
+Gaylor turned upon him savagely.
+
+"My God, man!" he cried, "we're not trying to persuade the District
+Attorney that he's seen a ghost. If your friends can persuade Stephen
+Hallowell that he's seen one, the District Attorney can go to the
+devil!"
+
+"Well, he won't!" returned Rainey, "he'll go to law!"
+
+"Let him!" cried Gaylor defiantly. "Get Hallowell to sign that will, and
+I'll go into court with him."
+
+His bravado was suddenly attacked from an unexpected source.
+
+"You'll go into court with him, all right," declared Mrs. Vance, "all of
+you! And if you don't want him to catch you," she cried, "you'll clear
+out, now! He's coming here any minute."
+
+"Who's coming here?" demanded her husband.
+
+"Winthrop," returned his wife, "to see Vera."
+
+"To see Vera!" cried Vance eagerly. "What about? About this morning?"
+
+"No," protested Mabel, "to call on her. He's an old friend--"
+
+In alarm Rainey pushed into the group of now thoroughly excited people.
+"Don't you believe it!" he cried. "If he's coming here, he's coming to
+give her the third degree--"
+
+The door from the hall suddenly opened, was as suddenly closed, and
+Mannie slipped into the room. One hand he held up for silence; with the
+other he pointed at the folding doors.
+
+"Hush!" he warned them. "He's in there! He says he's come to call on
+Vera. She says he's come professionally, and I must bring him in here.
+I've shut the door into the parlor, and you can slip upstairs without
+his seeing you."
+
+"Upstairs!" gasped Rainey, "not for me!" He appealed to Gaylor in
+accents of real alarm. "We must get away from this house," he declared.
+"If he finds us here--" With a gesture of dismay he tossed his hands
+in the air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the
+hall, and halted between the outer and inner doors of the vestibule.
+Gaylor turned to Vance. "Are you going to tell her," he asked, "that he
+is to be there tonight?"
+
+"He'll tell her himself, now!"
+
+"No," corrected Rainey, "he doesn't know yet there's to be a seance.
+Hallowell was writing the note when he left."
+
+"Then," instructed Gaylor, "do not let her know until she arrives--until
+it will be too late for her to back out."
+
+Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the voices
+of Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the two men ran
+down the steps into the street.
+
+While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had opened
+the folding doors, and invited Winthrop to enter the reception parlor.
+
+"Miss Vera will be down in a minute," he said. "If you want your hand
+read," he added, pointing, "you sit over there."
+
+As Winthrop approached the centre table, Mannie backed against the
+piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such short range
+aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with alarm, with
+admiration, with curiosity. He regarded him apprehensively, with a
+nervous and unhappy smile.
+
+About the smile there was something that Winthrop found familiar, and,
+with one almost as attractive, he answered it.
+
+"I think we've met before, haven't we?" he asked pleasantly.
+
+Mannie nodded. "Yes, sir," he answered promptly. "At Sam Hepner's old
+place, on West Forty-fourth street."
+
+"Why, of course!" exclaimed the District Attorney.
+
+"Don't you--don't you remember?" stammered Mannie eagerly. He was deeply
+concerned lest the distinguished cross-examiner should think, that
+from him of his lurid past he could withhold anything. "I had my coat
+off--and you said you'd make it hot for me."
+
+"Did I?" asked Winthrop with an effort at recollection.
+
+"No, you didn't!" Mannie hastened to reassure him. "I mean, you didn't
+make it hot for me."
+
+Winthrop laughed, and seated himself comfortably beside the centre
+table. "Well I'm glad of that," he said. "So our relations are still
+pleasant, then?" he asked.
+
+"Sure!" exclaimed Mannie heartily. "I mean--yes, sir."
+
+Winthrop mechanically reached for his cigarette case, and then,
+recollecting, withdrew his hand.
+
+"And how are the ponies running?" he asked.
+
+The interview was filling Mannie with excitement and delight. He
+chuckled with pleasure. His fear of the great man was rapidly departing.
+Could this, he asked himself, be the "terror to evil-doers," the man
+whose cruel questions drove witnesses to tears, whose "third degree"
+sent veterans of the underworld staggering from his confessional box,
+limp and gasping?
+
+"Oh, pretty well," said the boy, "seems as if I couldn't keep away from
+them. I got a good thing for today--Pompadour--in the fifth. I put all
+the money on her I could get together," he announced importantly,
+and then added frankly, with a laugh, "two dollars!" The laugh was
+contagious, and the District Attorney laughed with him.
+
+"Pompadour," Winthrop objected, "she's one of those winter track
+favorites."
+
+"I know, but today," declared Mannie, "she win, sure!" Carried away
+by his enthusiasm, and by the sympathy of his audience, he rushed,
+unheeding, to his fate. "If you'd like to put a little on," he said, "I
+can tell you where you can do it."
+
+The District Attorney stared and laughed. "You mustn't tell me where you
+can do it," he said.
+
+Mannie gave a terrified gasp and, for an instant, clapped his hands over
+his lips. "That's right," he cried. "Gee, that's right! I'm such a crank
+on all kinds of sport that I clean forgot!"
+
+He gazed at the much-dreaded District Attorney with the awe of the
+new-born hero-worshipper. "I guess you are, too, hey?" he protested
+admiringly. "Vera was telling me you used to be a great ball tosser."
+
+In the face of the District Attorney there came a sudden interest. His
+eyes lightened.
+
+"How did she--"
+
+"She used to watch you in Geneva," said Mannie, "playing with the
+college lads. I--I," he added consciously, "was a ball player myself
+once. Used to pitch for the Interstate League." He stopped abruptly.
+
+"Interstate?" said Winthrop encouragingly. "You must have been good."
+
+The enthusiasm had departed from the face of the boy. "Yes," he said,
+"but--" he smiled shamefacedly, "but I got taking coke, and they--" He
+finished with a dramatic gesture of the hand as of a man tossing away a
+cigarette.
+
+"Cocaine?" said the District Attorney.
+
+The boy nodded and, for an instant, the two men eyed each other, the
+boy smiling ruefully. The District Attorney shook his head. "My young
+friend," he said, "you can never beat that game!"
+
+Mannie stared at him, his eyes filled with surprise.
+
+"Don't you suppose," he said simply, "that I know that better than
+you do?" With a boy's pride in his own incorrigibility he went on
+boastingly: "Oh, yes," he said, "I used to be awful bad! Cocaine and all
+kinds of dope, and cigarettes, and whiskey. I was nearly all in--with
+morphine, it was then--till she took hold of me, and stopped me."
+
+"She?" said Winthrop.
+
+"Vera," said Mannie. "She made me stop. I had to stop. She started
+taking it herself."
+
+"What!" cried Winthrop.
+
+"Oh!" exclaimed Mannie hastily, "I don't mean what you mean--I mean
+she started taking it to make me stop. She says to me, Mannie, you're
+killing yourself, and you got to quit it; and if you don't, every time
+you take a grain, I'll take two. And she did! I'd come home, and she'd
+see what I'd been doing, and she'd up with her sleeves, and--" In
+horrible pantomime, the boy lifted the cuff of his shirt, and pressed
+his right thumb against the wrist of his other arm. At the memory of it,
+he gave a shiver and, with a blow, roughly struck the cuff into place.
+"God!" he muttered, "I couldn't stand it. I begged, and begged her not.
+I cried. I used to get down, in this room, on my knees. And each time
+she'd get whiter, and black under the eyes. And--and I had to stop.
+Didn't I?"
+
+Winthrop moved his head.
+
+"And now," cried the boy with a happy laugh, "I'm all right!" He
+appealed to the older man eagerly, wistfully. "Don't you think I'm
+looking better than I did the last time you saw me?"
+
+Again, without venturing to speak, Winthrop nodded.
+
+Mannie smiled with pride. "Everybody tells me so," he said. "Well,
+she did it. That's what she did for me. And, I can tell you," he said
+simply, sincerely, "there ain't anything I wouldn't do for her. I guess
+that's right, hey?" he added.
+
+The eyes of the cruel cross-examiner, veiled under half-closed lids,
+were regarding the boy with so curious an expression that under their
+scrutiny Mannie, in embarrassment, moved uneasily. "I guess that's
+right," he repeated.
+
+To his surprise, the District Attorney rose from his comfortable
+position and, leaning across the table, held out his hand. Mannie took
+it awkwardly.
+
+"That's all right," he said.
+
+"Sure, it's all right," said the District Attorney.
+
+From the hall there was the sound of light, quick steps, and Mannie,
+happy to escape from a situation he did not understand, ran to the door.
+
+"She's coming," he said. He opened the door and, as Vera entered, he
+slipped past her and closed it behind him.
+
+Vera walked directly to the chair at the top of the centre table. She
+was nervous, and she was conscious that that fact was evident. To avoid
+shaking hands with her visitor, she carried her own clasped in front of
+her, with the fingers interlaced. She tried to speak in her usual suave,
+professional tone. "How do you do?" she said.
+
+But Winthrop would not be denied. With a smile that showed his pleasure
+at again seeing her, he advanced eagerly, with his hand outstretched.
+"How are you?" he exclaimed. "Aren't you going to shake hands with me?"
+he demanded. "With an old friend?"
+
+Vera gave him her hand quickly, and then, seating herself at the table,
+picked up the ivory pointer.
+
+"I didn't know you were coming as an old friend," she murmured
+embarrassedly. "You said you were coming to consult Vera, the medium."
+
+"But you said that was the only way I could come," protested Winthrop.
+"Don't you remember, you said--"
+
+Vera interrupted him. She spoke distantly, formally. "What kind of a
+reading do you want?" she asked. "A hand reading, or a crystal reading?"
+
+Winthrop leaned forward in his chair, frankly smiling at her. He made
+no attempt to conceal the pleasure the sight of her gave him. His manner
+was that of a very old and dear friend, who, for the first time, had met
+her after a separation of years.
+
+"Don't want any kind of a reading," he declared. "I want a talking. You
+don't seem to understand," he objected, "that I am making an afternoon
+call." His good humor was unassailable. Looking up with a perplexed
+frown, Vera met his eyes and saw that he was laughing at her. She threw
+the ivory pointer down and, leaning back in her chair, smiled at him.
+
+"I don't believe," she said doubtfully, "that I know much about
+afternoon calls. What would I do, if we were on Fifth Avenue? Would I
+give you tea?" she asked, "because," she added hastily, "there isn't any
+tea."
+
+"In that case, it is not etiquette to offer any," said Winthrop gravely.
+
+"Then," said Vera, "I'm doing it right, so far?"
+
+They both laughed; Vera because she still was in awe of him, and
+Winthrop because he was happy.
+
+"You're doing it charmingly," Winthrop assured her.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Vera. "Well, now," she inquired, "now we talk, don't
+we?"
+
+"Yes," assented Winthrop promptly, "we talk about you."
+
+"No, I--I don't think we do," declared Vera, in haste. "I think we talk
+about--Geneva." She turned to him with real interest. "Is the town much
+changed?" she asked.
+
+As though preparing for a long talk, Winthrop dropped his hat to the
+floor and settled himself comfortably. "Well, it is, and it isn't," he
+answered. "Haven't you been back lately?" he asked. Vera looked quickly
+away from him.
+
+"I have never been back!" she answered. There was a pause and when she
+again turned her eyes to his, she was smiling. "But I always take the
+Geneva Times," she said, "and I often read that you've been there.
+You're a great man in Geneva."
+
+Winthrop nodded gravely.
+
+"Whenever I want to be a great man," he said, "I go to Geneva."
+
+"Why, yes," exclaimed Vera. "Last June you delivered the oration to the
+graduating class," she laughed, "on The College Man in Politics. Such an
+original subject! And did you point to yourself?" she asked mockingly,
+"as the--the bright example?"
+
+"No," protested Winthrop, "I knew they'd see that."
+
+Much to her relief, Vera found that of Winthrop she was no longer
+afraid.
+
+"Oh!" she protested, "didn't you say, twelve years ago, a humble boy
+played ball for Hobart College. That boy now stands before you? Didn't
+you say that?"
+
+"Something like that," assented the District Attorney. "Oh!" he
+exclaimed, "that young man who showed me in here--your confederate or
+fellow-conspirator or lookout man or whatever he is--told me you used to
+be a regular attendant at those games."
+
+"I never missed one!" Vera cried. She leaned forward, her eyes shining,
+her brows knit with the effort of recollection.
+
+"I used to tell Aunt," she said, "I had to drive in for the mail. But
+that was only an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an old white horse
+called Roscoe Conkling. I called him Rocks. He was blind in one eye, and
+he would walk on the wrong side of the road; you had to drive him on one
+rein." The girl was speaking rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear
+of her visitor. With satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and
+unconsciously he was now frankly regarding the face of the girl with a
+smile of pleasure and admiration.
+
+"And I used to tie him to the fence just opposite first base," Vera went
+on excitedly, "and shout--for you!"
+
+"Don't tell me," interrupted Winthrop, in burlesque excitement, "that
+you were that very pretty little girl, with short dresses and long legs,
+who used to sit on the top rail and kick and cheer."
+
+Vera shook her head sternly.
+
+"I was," she said, "but you never saw me."
+
+"Oh, yes, we did," protested Winthrop. "We used to call you our mascot."
+
+"No, that was some other little girl," said Vera firmly. "You
+never looked at me, and I"--she laughed, and then frowned at him
+reproachfully--"I thought you were magnificent! I used to have your
+pictures in baseball clothes pinned all around my looking glass, and
+whenever you made a base hit, I'd shout and shout--and you'd never look
+at me! And one day--" she stopped, and as though appalled by the memory,
+clasped her hands. "Oh, it was awful!" she exclaimed; "one day a foul
+ball hit the fence, and I jumped down and threw it to you, and you said,
+Thank you, sis! And I," she cried, "thought I was a young lady!"
+
+"Oh! I couldn't have said that," protested Winthrop, "maybe I said
+sister."
+
+"No," declared Vera energetically shaking her head, "not sister, sis.
+And you never did look at me; and I used to drive past your house every
+day. We lived only a mile below you."
+
+"Where?" asked Winthrop.
+
+"On the lake road from Syracuse," said Vera. "Don't you remember the
+farm a mile below yours--the one with the red barn right on the road?
+Yes, you do," she insisted, "the cows were always looking over the fence
+right into the road."
+
+"Of course!" exclaimed Winthrop delightedly. "Was that your house?"
+
+"Oh, no," protested Vera, "ours was the little cottage on the other
+side--"
+
+"With poplars round it?" demanded Winthrop.
+
+"That's it!" cried Vera triumphantly, "with poplars round it."
+
+"Why, I know that house well. We boys used to call it the haunted
+house."
+
+"That's the one," assented Vera. She smiled with satisfaction. "Well,
+that's where I lived until Aunt died," she said.
+
+"And then, what?" asked Winthrop.
+
+For a moment the girl did not answer. Her face had grown grave and she
+sat motionless, staring beyond her. Suddenly, as though casting her
+thoughts from her, she gave a sharp toss of her head.
+
+"Then," she said, speaking quickly, "I went into the mills, and was ill
+there, and I wrote Paul and Mabel to ask if I could join them, and they
+said I could. But I was too ill, and I had no money--nothing. And then,"
+she raised her eyes to his and regarded him steadily, "then I stole that
+cloak to get the money to join them, and you--you helped me to get away,
+and--and" Winthrop broke in hastily. He disregarded both her manner and
+the nature of what she had said.
+
+"And how did you come to know the Vances?" he asked.
+
+After a pause of an instant, the girl accepted the cue his manner gave
+her, and answered as before.
+
+"Through my aunt," she said, "she was a medium too."
+
+"Of course!" cried Winthrop. "I remember now, that's why we called it
+the haunted house."
+
+"My aunt," said the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in her
+manner, a certain defiance, "was a great medium. All the spiritualists
+in that part of the State used to meet at our house. I've witnessed some
+wonderful manifestations in that front parlor." She turned to Winthrop
+and smiled. "So, you see," she exclaimed, "I was born and brought up
+in this business. I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. My
+grandmother was a medium, my mother was a medium--she worked with
+the Fox sisters before they were exposed. But, my aunt," she added
+thoughtfully, judicially, "was the greatest medium I have ever seen. She
+did certain things I couldn't understand, and I know every trick in the
+trade--unless," she explained, "you believe the spirits helped her."
+
+Winthrop was observing the girl intently, with a new interest.
+
+"And you don't believe that?" he asked, quietly.
+
+"How can I?" Vera said. "I was brought up with them." She shook her head
+and smiled. "I used to play around the kitchen stove with Pocahontas and
+Alexander the Great, and Martin Luther lived in our china closet. You
+see, the neighbors wouldn't let their children come to our house; so,
+the only playmates I had were--ghosts." She laughed wistfully. "My!" she
+exclaimed, "I was a queer, lonely little rat. I used to hear voices and
+see visions. I do still," she added. With her elbows on the arms of
+her chair, she clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward. She
+turned her eyes to Winthrop and nodded confidentially.
+
+"Do you know," she said, "sometimes I think people from the other world
+do speak to me."
+
+"But you said," Winthrop objected, "you didn't believe."
+
+"I know," returned Vera. "I can't!" Her voice was perplexed, impatient.
+"Why, I can sit in this chair," she declared earnestly, "and fill this
+room with spirit voices and rappings, and you sitting right there can't
+see how I do it. And yet, in spite of all the tricks, sometimes I believe
+there's something in it."
+
+She looked at Winthrop, her eyes open with inquiry. He shook his head.
+
+"Yes," insisted the girl. "When these women come to me for advice, I
+don't invent what I say to them. It's as though something told me what
+to say. I have never met them before, but as soon as I pass into the
+trance state I seem to know all their troubles. And I seem to be half
+in this world and half in another world--carrying messages between them.
+Maybe," her voice had sunk to almost a whisper; she continued as though
+speaking to herself, "I only think that. I don't know. I wonder."
+
+There was a long pause.
+
+"I wish," began Winthrop earnestly, "I wish you were younger, or I were
+older."
+
+"Why?" asked Vera.
+
+"Because," said the young man, "I'd like to talk to you--like a father."
+
+Vera turned and smiled on him securely, with frank friendliness. "Go
+ahead," she assented, "talk to me like a father."
+
+Winthrop smiled back at her, and then frowned.
+
+"You shouldn't be in this business," he said.
+
+The girl regarded him steadily.
+
+"What's the matter with the business?" she asked.
+
+Winthrop felt she had put him upon the defensive, but he did not
+hesitate.
+
+"Well," he said, "there may be some truth in it. But we don't know
+that. We do know that there's a lot of fraud and deceit in it. Now," he
+declared warmly, "there's nothing deceitful about you. You're fine," he
+cried enthusiastically, "you're big! That boy who was in here told me
+one story about you that showed--"
+
+Vera stopped him sharply.
+
+"What do you know of me?" she asked bitterly. "The first time you ever
+saw me I was in a police court; and this morning--you heard that man
+threaten to put me in jail--"
+
+In turn, by abruptly rising from his chair, Winthrop interrupted her.
+He pushed the chair out of his way, and, shoving his hands into his
+trousers' pockets, began pacing with long, quick strides up and down the
+room. "What do I care for that?" he cried contemptuously. He tossed the
+words at her over his shoulder. "I put lots of people in jail myself
+that are better than I am. Only, they won't play the game." He halted,
+and turned on her. "Now, you're not playing the game. This is a mean
+business, taking money from silly girls and old men. You're too good
+for that." He halted at the table and stood facing her. "I've got two
+sisters uptown," he said. He spoke commandingly, peremptorily. "And
+tomorrow I am going to take you to see them. And we fellow townsmen," he
+smiled at her appealingly, "will talk this over, and we'll make you come
+back to your own people."
+
+For a moment the two regarded each other. Then the girl answered firmly,
+but with a slight hoarseness in her voice, and in a tone hardly louder
+than a whisper:
+
+"You know I can't do that!"
+
+"I don't!" blustered Winthrop. "Why not?"
+
+"Because," said the girl steadily, "of what I did in Geneva." As
+though the answer was the one he had feared, the man exclaimed sharply,
+rebelliously.
+
+"Nonsense!" he cried. "You didn't know what you were doing. No decent
+person would consider that."
+
+"They do," said the girl, "they are the very ones who do. And--it's been
+in the papers. Everybody in Geneva knows it. And here too. And whenever
+I try to get away from this"--she stretched out her hands to include
+the room about her--"Someone tells! Five times, now." She leaned forward
+appealingly, not as though asking pity for herself, but as wishing
+him to see her point of view. "I didn't choose this business," she
+protested, "I was sort of born in it, and," she broke out loyally,
+"I hate to have you call it a mean business; but I can't get into any
+other. Whenever I have, some man says, That girl in your front office is
+a thief." The restraint she put upon herself, the air of disdain which
+at all times she had found the most convenient defense, fell from her.
+
+"It's not fair!" she cried, "it's not fair." To her mortification, the
+tears of self-pity sprang to her eyes, and as she fiercely tried to
+brush them away, to her greater anger, continued to creep down her
+cheeks. "It was nine years ago," she protested, "I was a child. I've
+been punished enough." She raised her face frankly to his, speaking
+swiftly, bitterly.
+
+"Of course, I want to get away!" she cried. "Of course, I want friends.
+I've never had a friend. I've always been alone. I'm tired, tired! I
+hate this business. I never know how much I hate it until the chance
+comes to get away--and I can't."
+
+She stopped, but without lowering her head or moving her eyes from his.
+
+"This time," said the man quietly, "you're going to get away from it."
+
+"I can't," repeated the girl, "you can't help me!"
+
+Winthrop smiled at her confidently.
+
+"I'm going to try," he said.
+
+"No, please!" begged the girl. Her voice was still shaken with tears.
+She motioned with her head toward the room behind her.
+
+"These are my people," she declared defiantly, as though daring him
+to contradict her. "And they are good people! They've tried to be good
+friends to me, and they've been true to me."
+
+Winthrop came toward her and stood beside her, so close that he could
+have placed his hand upon her shoulder. He wondered, whimsically, if she
+knew how cruel she seemed in appealing with her tears, her helplessness
+and loveliness to what was generous and chivalric in him; and, at the
+same time, by her words, treating him as an interloper and an enemy.
+
+"That's all right," he said gently. "But that doesn't prevent my being a
+good friend to you, too, does it? Or," he added, his voice growing tense
+and conscious--"my being true to you? My sisters will be here tomorrow,"
+he announced briskly.
+
+Vera had wearily dropped her arms upon the table and lowered her head
+upon them. From a place down in the depths she murmured a protest.
+
+"No," contradicted Winthrop cheerfully, "this time you are going to win.
+You'll have back of you, If I do say it, two of the best women God ever
+made. Only, now, you must do as I say." There was a pause. "Will you?"
+he begged.
+
+Vera raised her head slowly, holding her hand across her eyes. There was
+a longer silence, and then she looked up at him and smiled pathetically,
+gratefully, and nodded. "Good!" cried Winthrop. "No more spooks," he
+laughed, "no more spirit rappings."
+
+Through her tears Vera smiled up at him a wan, broken smile. She gave
+a shudder of distaste. "Never!" she whispered. "I promise." Their eyes
+met; the girl's looking into his shyly, gratefully; the man's searching
+hers eagerly. And suddenly they saw each other with a new and wonderful
+sympathy and understanding. Winthrop felt himself bending toward her. He
+was conscious that the room had grown dark, and that he could see only
+her eyes. "You must be just yourself," he commanded, but so gently, so
+tenderly, that, though he did not know it, each word carried with it the
+touch of a caress, "just your sweet, fine, noble self!"
+
+Something he read in the girl's uplifted eyes made him draw back with
+a shock of wonder, of delight, with an upbraiding conscience. To pull
+himself together, he glanced quickly about him. The day had really grown
+dark. He felt a sudden desire to get away; to go where he could ask
+himself what had happened, what it was that had filled this unknown,
+tawdry room with beauty and given it the happiness of a home.
+
+"By Jove!" he exclaimed nervously, "I had no idea I'd stayed so long.
+You'll not let me come again. Goodbye--until tomorrow." He turned,
+holding out his hand, and found that again the girl had dropped her face
+upon her arm, and was sobbing quietly, gently.
+
+"Oh, what is it?" cried Winthrop. "What have I said?" The catch in the
+girl's voice as she tried to check the sobs wrenched his heart. "Oh,
+please," he begged, "I've said something wrong? I've hurt you?" With her
+face still hidden in her arms, the girl shook her head.
+
+"No, no!" she sobbed. Her voice, soft with tears, was a melody of sweet
+and tender tones. "It's only--that I've been so lonely--and you've made
+me happy, happy!"
+
+The sobs broke out afresh, but Winthrop, now knowing that they brought
+to the girl peace, was no longer filled with dismay.
+
+Her head was bent upon her left arm, her right hand lightly clasped the
+edge of the table. With the intention of saying farewell, Winthrop
+took her hand in his. The girl did not move. To his presence she seemed
+utterly oblivious. In the gathering dusk he could see the bent figure,
+could hear the soft, irregular breathing as the girl wept gently,
+happily, like a child sobbing itself to sleep. The hand he held in his
+neither repelled nor invited, and for an instant he stood motionless,
+holding it uncertainly. It was so delicate, so helpless, so appealing,
+so altogether lovable. It seemed to reach up, and, with warm, clinging
+fingers, clutch the tendrils of his heart.
+
+Winthrop bent his head suddenly, and lifting the hand, kissed it; and
+then, without again speaking, walked quickly into the hall and shut the
+door. In the room the dusk deepened. Through the open windows came the
+roar of the Sixth Avenue Elevated, the insistent clamor of an electric
+hansom, the murmur of Broadway at night. The tears had suddenly ceased,
+but the girl had not moved. At last, slowly, stiffly, she raised her
+head. Her eyes, filled with wonder, with amazement, were fixed upon her
+hand. She glanced cautiously about her. Assured she was alone, with her
+other hand she lifted the one Winthrop had kissed and held it pressed
+against her lips.
+
+The folding doors were thrown open, letting in a flood of light, and
+Mabel Vance, entering swiftly, knelt at the table and bent her head
+close to Vera.
+
+"That woman's in the hall," she whispered, "that niece of Hallowell's.
+Paul and Mannie can't get rid of her. Now she's got hold of Winthrop.
+She says she will see you. Be careful!"
+
+Vera rose. That Mabel might not see she had been weeping, she walked to
+the piano, covertly drying her eyes.
+
+"What," she asked dully, "does she want with me?"
+
+"About tonight," answered Mabel. She exclaimed fiercely, "I told them
+there'd be trouble!"
+
+With Vance upon her heels, Helen Coates came in quickly from the hall.
+Her face was flushed, her eyes lit with indignation and excitement. In
+her hand she held an open letter.
+
+As though to protect Vera, both Vance and his wife moved between her and
+their visitor, but, disregarding them, Miss Coates at once singled out
+the girl as her opponent.
+
+"You are the young woman they call Vera, I believe," she said. "I have a
+note here from Mr. Hallowell telling me you are giving a seance tonight
+at his house. That you propose to exhibit the spirit of my mother. That
+is an insult to the memory of my mother and to me. And I warn you, if
+you attempt such a thing, I will prevent it."
+
+There was a pause. When Vera spoke it was in the tone of every-day
+politeness. Her voice was even and steady.
+
+"You have been misinformed," she said, "there will be no seance
+tonight."
+
+Vance turned to Vera, and, in a voice lower than her own, but
+sufficiently loud to include Miss Coates, said: "I don't think we told
+you that Mr. Hallowell himself insists that this lady and her friends be
+present."
+
+"Her presence makes no difference," said Vera quietly. "There will be
+no seance tonight. I will tell you about it later, Paul," she added. She
+started toward the door, but Miss Coates moved as though to intercept
+her.
+
+"If you think," she cried eagerly, "you can give a seance to Mr.
+Hallowell without my knowing it, you are mistaken."
+
+Vera paused, and made a slight inclination of her head.
+
+"That was not my idea," she said. She looked appealingly to Vance. "Is
+that not enough, Paul?" she asked.
+
+"Quite enough!" exclaimed the man. He turned to the visitor and made a
+curt movement of the hand toward the open door.
+
+"There will be a seance tonight," he declared. "At Mr. Hallowell's. If
+you wish to protest against it, you can do so there. This is my house.
+If you have finished--" He repeated the gesture toward the open door.
+
+"I have not finished," said Miss Coates sharply; "and if you take
+my advice, you will follow her example." With a nod of the head she
+signified Vera. "When she sees she's in danger, she knows enough to
+stop. This is not a question of a few medium's tricks," she cried,
+contemptuously. "I know all that you planned to do, and I intend that
+tomorrow every one in New York shall know it too."
+
+Like a cloak Vera's self-possession fell from her. In alarm she moved
+forward.
+
+"What do you mean?" she demanded.
+
+"I have had you people followed pretty closely," said Miss Coates. Her
+tone was assured. She was confident that of those before her she was the
+master, and that of that fact they were aware.
+
+"I know," she went on, "just how you tried to impose upon my uncle--how
+you tried to rob me, and tonight I have invited the reporters to my
+house to give them the facts."
+
+With a cry Vera ran to her.
+
+"No!" she begged, "you won't do that. You must not do that!"
+
+"Let her talk!" growled Vance. "Let her talk! She's funny."
+
+"No!" commanded Vera. Her voice rang with the distress. "She cannot do
+that!" She turned to Miss Coates. "We haven't hurt you," she pleaded;
+"we haven't taken your money. I promise you," she cried, "we will never
+see Mr. Hallowell again. I beg of you--"
+
+Vance indignantly caught her by the arm and drew her back. "You don't
+beg nothing of her!" he cried.
+
+"I do," Vera answered wildly. She caught Vance's hand in both of hers.
+"I have a chance, Paul," she entreated, "don't force me through it
+again. I can't stand the shame of it again." Once more she appealed to
+the visitor. "Don't!" she begged. "Don't shame me."
+
+But the eyes of the older girl, blind to everything save what, as she
+saw it, was her duty, showed no consideration.
+
+Vera's hands, trembling on his arm, drove Vance to deeper anger. He
+turned savagely upon Miss Coates.
+
+"You haven't lost anything yet, have you?" he demanded. "She hasn't hurt
+you, has she? If it's revenge you want," he cried insolently, "why don't
+you throw vitriol on the girl?"
+
+"Revenge!" exclaimed Miss Coates indignantly. "It is my duty. My public
+duty. I'm not alone in this; I am acting with the District Attorney.
+It is our duty." She turned suddenly and called, "Mr. Winthrop, Mr.
+Winthrop!"
+
+For the first time Vera saw, under the gas jet, at the farther end of
+the hall, the figures of Mannie and Winthrop.
+
+"No, no!" she protested, "I beg of you," she cried hysterically. "I've
+got a chance. If you print this thing tomorrow, I'll never have a chance
+again. Don't take it away from me." Impulsively her arms reached out in
+an eager final appeal. "I'm down," she said simply, "give me a chance to
+get up."
+
+When Miss Coates came to give battle to the Vances, she foresaw the
+interview might be unpleasant. It was proving even more unpleasant than
+she had expected, but her duty seemed none the less obvious.
+
+"You should have thought of that," she said, "before you were found
+out."
+
+For an instant Vera stood motionless, staring, unconsciously holding the
+attitude of appeal. But when, by these last words, she recognized that
+her humiliation could go no further, with an inarticulate exclamation
+she turned away.
+
+"The public has the right to know," declared Miss Coates, "the sort of
+people you are. I have the record of each of you--"
+
+From the hall Winthrop had entered quickly, but, disregarding him, Vance
+broke in upon the speaker, savagely, defiantly.
+
+"Print em, then!" he shouted, "print em!"
+
+"I mean to," declared Miss Coates, "yours, and hers, she--"
+
+Winthrop placed himself in front of her, shutting her off from the
+others. He spoke in an earnest whisper.
+
+"Don't!" he begged. "She has asked for a chance. Give her a chance."
+
+Miss Coates scorned to speak in whispers.
+
+"She has had a chance," she protested loudly. "She's had a chance for
+nine years; and she's chosen to be a charlatan and a cheat, and--" The
+angry woman hesitated, and then flung the word--"and a thief!"
+
+In the silence that followed no one turned toward Vera; but as it
+continued unbroken each raised his eyes and looked at her.
+
+They saw her drawn to her full height; the color flown from her face,
+her deep, brooding eyes flashing. She was like one by some religious
+fervor lifted out of herself, exalted. When she spoke her voice was low,
+tense. It vibrated with tremendous, wondering indignation.
+
+"Do you know who I am?" she asked. She spoke like one in a trance. "Do
+you know who you are threatening with your police and your laws? I am a
+priestess! I am a medium between the souls of this world and the next.
+I am Vera--the Truth! And I mean," the girl cried suddenly, harshly,
+flinging out her arm, "that you shall hear the truth! Tonight I will
+bring your mother from the grave to speak it to you!"
+
+With a swift, sweeping gesture she pointed to the door. "Take those
+people away!" she cried.
+
+The eyes of Winthrop were filled with pity. "Vera!" he said, "Vera!"
+
+For an instant, against the tenderness and reproach in his voice the
+girl held herself motionless; and then, falling upon the shoulder of
+Mrs. Vance, burst into girlish, heart-broken tears.
+
+"Take them away," she sobbed, "take them away!"
+
+Mannie Day and Vance closed in upon the visitors, and motioning them
+before them, drove them from the room.
+
+
+
+
+Part III
+
+The departure of the District Attorney and Miss Coates left Vera free
+to consider how serious, if she carried out her threat, the consequences
+might be. But of this chance she did not avail herself. Instead, with
+nervous zeal she began to prepare for her masquerade. It was as though
+her promise to Winthrop to abandon her old friends had filled her
+with remorse, and that she now, by an extravagance of loyalty, was
+endeavoring to make amends.
+
+At nine o'clock, with the Vances, she arrived at the house of Mr.
+Hallowell. Already, to the same place, a wagon had carried the cabinet,
+a parlor organ, and a dozen of those camp chairs that are associated
+with house weddings and funerals; and while, in the library, Vance and
+Mannie arranged these to their liking, on the third floor Vera, with
+Mrs. Vance, waited for that moment to arrive when Vance considered her
+entrance would be the most effective.
+
+This entrance was to be made through the doorway that opened from the
+hall on the second story into the library. To the right of this door,
+in an angle of two walls, was the cabinet, and on the left, the first
+of the camp chairs. These had been placed in a semicircle that stretched
+across the room, and ended at the parlor organ. The door from Mr.
+Hallowell's bedroom opened directly upon the semicircle at the point
+most distant from the cabinet. In the centre of the semicircle Vance had
+placed the invalid's arm chair.
+
+Vance, in his manner as professional and undisturbed as a photographer
+focussing his camera and arranging his screens, was explaining to Judge
+Gaylor the setting of his stage. The judge was an unwilling audience.
+Unlike the showman, for him the occasion held only terrors. He was
+driven by misgivings, swept by sudden panics. He scowled at the cabinet,
+intruding upon the privacy of the room where for years, without the aid
+of accessories, by his brains alone, he had brought Mr. Hallowell almost
+to the point of abject submission to his wishes. He turned upon Vance
+with bitter self-disgust.
+
+"So, I've got down as low as this, have I?" he demanded.
+
+Vance heard him, undisturbed.
+
+"I must ask you," he said, briskly, "to help me keep the people just
+as I seat them. They will be in this half-circle facing the cabinet and
+holding hands. Those we know are against us," he explained, "will have
+one of my friends, Professor Strombergk, or Mrs. Marsh, or my wife, on
+each side of him. If there should be any attempt to rush the cabinet,
+we must get there first. I will be outside the cabinet working the
+rappings, the floating music, and the astral bodies." At the sight
+of the expression these words brought to the face of Gaylor, Vance
+permitted himself the shadow of a smile. "I can take care of myself,"
+he went on, "but remember--Vera must not be caught outside the cabinet!
+When the lights go up, she must be found with the ropes still tied."
+
+Gaylor turned from him with an exclamation of disgust.
+
+"Pah!" he muttered. "It's a hell of a business!"
+
+Vance continued unmoved. "And, another thing," he said, "about these
+lights; this switch throws them all off, doesn't it?" He pressed a
+button on the left of the door, and the electric lights in the walls and
+under a green shade on the library table faded and disappeared, leaving
+the room, save for the light from the hall, in darkness.
+
+"That's the way we want it," said the showman.
+
+From the hall Mannie appeared between the curtains that hung across the
+doorway. "What are you doing with the lights?" he demanded. "You want to
+break my neck? All our people are downstairs," he announced.
+
+Vance turned on the lights. At the same moment Rainey came from the
+bedroom into the library. It was evident that to sustain his courage
+he had been drinking. He made no effort to greet those in the room, but
+stood, glaring resentfully at the cabinet and the row of chairs.
+
+"Well," exclaimed Vance cheerfully, "if our folks are all here, we're
+all right."
+
+Glancing behind him, Mannie took Vance by the sleeve, and led him to the
+centre of the room.
+
+"No, we're not all right," said the boy, "that Miss Coates has brought
+a friend with her. She says Hallowell told her she could bring a friend.
+She says this young fellow is her friend. I think he's a Pink!"
+
+"What nonsense," exclaimed Gaylor in alarm. "No detective would force
+his way into this house."
+
+"She says," continued Mannie, disregarding Gaylor, and still addressing
+Vance, "he's a seeker after the Truth. I'll bet," declared the boy
+violently, "he's a seeker after the truth!"
+
+Garrett came hastily and noiselessly into the room. He nodded toward
+Mannie.
+
+"Has he told you?" he asked.
+
+"Yes," Gaylor answered, "who is he?"
+
+"The reporter who was here this morning," Garrett returned. "The one who
+threatened--"
+
+"That'll do," commanded Gaylor. In the face of this new complication he
+again became himself. Suavely and politely he turned to Vance. "Will you
+and your friend join Miss Vera," he asked, "and tell her that we begin
+in a few minutes?"
+
+For the first time, aggressively and offensively Rainey broke his
+silence.
+
+"No, we won't begin in a few minutes," he announced, "not by a damned
+sight!"
+
+The explosion was so unexpected that, for an instant, while the eyes
+of all were fixed in astonishment upon the speaker, there was complete
+silence. Gaylor, still suave, still polite, looked toward Vance, and
+motioned him to the door.
+
+"Will you kindly do as I ask?" he said. With Mannie at his side, Vance
+walked quickly from the room. Once in the hall, the boy laid a detaining
+hand upon the arm of the older man.
+
+"If you'll take my advice, which you won't," he said, "we'll all cut and
+run now, while we got the chance!"
+
+In the library, Gaylor turned savagely upon his fellow conspirator.
+
+"Well!" he demanded.
+
+Rainey frowned at him sulkily. "I wash my hands of the whole thing!" he
+cried.
+
+Gaylor dropped his voice to a whisper.
+
+"What are you afraid of now?" he demanded. "If you're not afraid of a
+district attorney, why are you afraid of a reporter?"
+
+"I'm not afraid of anybody," returned Rainey, thickly. "But, I
+don't mean to be a party to no murder!" He paused, shaking his head
+portentously. "That man in there," he whispered, nodding toward the
+bedroom, "is in no condition to go through this. After that shock this
+morning, and last night--it'll kill him. His heart's rotten, I tell you,
+rotten!"
+
+Garrett snarled contemptuously.
+
+"How do you know?" he demanded.
+
+"How do I know?" returned Rainey, fiercely. "I was four years in a
+medical college, when you were in jail, you--" "Stop that!" cried
+Gaylor. Glancing fearfully toward the open door, he interposed between
+them.
+
+"Don't take my advice, then," cried Rainey. "Go on! Kill him! And he
+won't sign your will. Only, don't say I didn't tell you."
+
+"Have you told him?" demanded Gaylor.
+
+"Yes," Rainey answered stoutly. "Told him if he didn't stop this, he
+wouldn't live till morning."
+
+"Are we forcing him to do this?" demanded Gaylor. "No! He's forcing it
+on us. My God!" he exclaimed, "do you think I want this farce? You say,
+yourself, you told him it would kill him, and he will go on with it.
+Then why do you blame us? Can we help ourselves?"
+
+The butler had distinguished the sounds of footsteps in the hall. He
+fell hastily to rearranging the camp chairs.
+
+"Hush!" he warned. "Look out!" Gaylor and Rainey had but time to move
+apart, when Winthrop entered. He regarded the three men with a smile of
+understanding.
+
+"I beg pardon," he exclaimed, "I am interrupting?"
+
+Gaylor greeted him with exaggerated heartiness.
+
+"Ah, it is Mr. Winthrop!" he cried. "Have you come to help us find out
+the truth this evening?"
+
+"I certainly hope not!" said Winthrop brusquely. "I know the truth about
+too many people already." He turned to Garrett, who, unobtrusively, was
+endeavoring to make his escape.
+
+"I want to see Miss Vera," he said.
+
+"Miss Vera," interposed Gaylor. "I'm afraid that's not possible. She
+especially asked not to be disturbed before the seance. I'm sorry."
+
+Winthrop's manner became suspiciously polite.
+
+"Yes?" he inquired. "Well, nevertheless I think I'll ask her. Tell Miss
+Vera, please," he said to Garrett, "that Mr. Winthrop would like a word
+with her here," with significance he added, "in private."
+
+In offended dignity, Judge Gaylor moved toward the door. "Dr. Rainey,"
+he said stiffly, "will you please inform Mr. Hallowell that his guests
+are now here, and that I have gone to bring them upstairs."
+
+"Yes, but you won't bring them upstairs, please," said Winthrop, "until
+you hear from me."
+
+Gaylor flushed with anger and for a moment appeared upon the point of
+mutiny. Then, as though refusing to consider himself responsible for the
+manners of the younger man, he shrugged his shoulders and left the room.
+
+With even less of consideration than he had shown to Judge Gaylor,
+Winthrop turned upon Rainey.
+
+"How's your patient?" he asked shortly. Rainey was sufficiently
+influenced by the liquor he had taken to dare to resent Winthrop's
+peremptory tone. His own in reply was designedly offensive.
+
+"My patient?" he inquired.
+
+"Mr. Hallowell," snapped Winthrop, "he's sick, isn't he?"
+
+"Oh, I don't know," returned the Doctor.
+
+"You don't know?" demanded Winthrop. "Well, I know. I know if he goes
+through this thing tonight, he'll have another collapse. I saw one this
+morning. Why don't you forbid it? You're his medical adviser, aren't
+you?"
+
+Rainey remained sullenly silent.
+
+"Answer me!" insisted the District Attorney. "You are, aren't you?"
+
+"I am," at last declared Rainey.
+
+"Well, then," commanded Winthrop, "tell him to stop this. Tell him I
+advise it."
+
+Through his glasses Rainey blinked violently at the District Attorney,
+and laughed. "I didn't know," he said, "that you were a medical man."
+
+Winthrop looked at the Doctor so steadily, and for so long a time, that
+the eyes of the young man sought the floor and the ceiling; and his
+sneer changed to an expression of discomfort.
+
+"I am not," said Winthrop. "I am the District Attorney of New York." His
+tones were cold, precise; they fell upon the superheated brain of Dr.
+Rainey like drops from an icicle.
+
+"When I took over that office," continued Winthrop, "I found a complaint
+against two medical students, a failure to report the death of an old
+man in a private sanitarium."
+
+Winthrop lowered his eyes, and became deeply absorbed in the toe of his
+boot. "I haven't looked into the papers, yet," he said.
+
+Rainey, swaying slightly, jerked open the door of the bedroom. "I'll
+tell him," he panted thickly. "I'll tell him to do as you say."
+
+"Thank you, I wish you would," said Winthrop.
+
+At the same moment, from the hall, Garrett announced, "Mrs. Vance, sir."
+And Mabel Vance, tremulous and frightened, entered the room.
+
+Winthrop approached her eagerly.
+
+"Ah! Mrs. Vance," he exclaimed, "can I see Miss Vera?"
+
+Embarrassed and unhappy, Mrs. Vance moved restlessly from foot to foot,
+and shook her head.
+
+"Please, Mr. District Attorney," she begged. "I'm afraid not. This
+afternoon upset her so. And she's so nervous and queer that the
+Professor thinks she shouldn't see nobody."
+
+"The Professor?" he commented. His voice was considerate, conciliatory.
+"Now, Mrs. Vance," he said, "I've known Miss Vera ever since she was a
+little girl, known her longer than you have, and, I'm her friend, and
+you're her friend, and--"
+
+"I am," protested Mabel Vance tearfully. "Indeed I am!"
+
+"I know you are," Winthrop interrupted hastily. "You've been more than
+a friend to her, you've been a sister, mother, and you don't want any
+trouble to come to her, do you?"
+
+"I don't," cried the woman. "Oh!" she exclaimed miserably, "I told them
+there'd be trouble!"
+
+Winthrop laughed reassuringly.
+
+"Well, there won't be any trouble," he declared, "if I can help it. And
+if you want to help her, help me. Persuade her to let me talk to her.
+Don't mind what the Professor says."
+
+"I will," declared Mrs. Vance with determination, "I will." She started
+eagerly toward the hall, and then paused and returned. Her hands were
+clasped; her round, baby eyes, wet with tears, were fixed upon Winthrop
+appealingly.
+
+"Oh, please," she pleaded, "you're not going to hurt him, are you? Paul,
+my husband," she explained, "he's been such a good husband to me."
+
+Winthrop laughed uneasily.
+
+"Why, that'll be all right," he protested.
+
+"He doesn't mean any harm," insisted Mrs. Vance, "he's on the level;
+true, he is!"
+
+"Why, of course, of course," Winthrop assented.
+
+Unsatisfied, Mrs. Vance burst into tears. "It's this spirit business
+that makes the trouble!" she cried. "I tell them to cut it out. Now, the
+mind reading at the theatre," she sobbed, "there's no harm in that, is
+there? And there's twice the money in it. But this ghost raising"--she
+raised her eyes appealingly, as though begging to be contradicted--"it's
+sure to get him into trouble, isn't it?"
+
+Winthrop shook his head, and smiled.
+
+"It may," he said. Mrs. Vance broke into a fresh outburst of tears. "I
+knew it," she cried, "I knew it." Winthrop placed his hand upon her arm
+and turned her in the direction of the door.
+
+"Don't worry," he said soothingly. "Go send Miss Vera here. And," he
+called after her, "don't worry."
+
+As Mabel departed upon his errand, Rainey reentered from the bedroom.
+He carefully closed the door and halted with his hand upon the knob, and
+shook his head.
+
+"It's no use," he said, "he will go on with it. It's not my fault," he
+whined, "I told him it would kill him. I couldn't make it any stronger
+than that, could I?"
+
+Rainey was not looking at Winthrop, but, as though fearful of
+interruption, toward the door. His eyes were harassed, furtive, filled
+with miserable indecision. Many times before Winthrop had seen men in
+such a state. He knew that for the sufferer it foretold a physical break
+down, or that he would seek relief in full confession. To give the man
+confidence, he abandoned his attitude of suspicion.
+
+"That certainly would be strong enough for me," he said cheerfully. "Did
+you tell him what I advised?"
+
+"Yes, yes," muttered Rainey impatiently. "He said you were invited here
+to give advice to his niece, not to him." For the first time his eyes
+met those of Winthrop boldly. The District Attorney recognized that the
+man had taken his fears by the throat, and had arrived at his decision.
+
+"See here," exclaimed Rainey, "could I give you some information?"
+
+"I'm sure you could," returned Winthrop briskly. "Give it to me now."
+
+But Rainey, glancing toward the door, shrank back. Winthrop, following
+the direction of his eyes, saw Vera. Impatiently he waved Rainey away.
+
+"At the office, tomorrow morning," he commanded. With a sigh of relief
+at the reprieve, Rainey slipped back into the bedroom.
+
+Winthrop had persuaded himself that in seeking to speak with Vera,
+he was making only a natural choice between preventing the girl from
+perpetrating a fraud, or, later, for that fraud, holding her to account.
+But when she actually stood before him, he recognized how absurdly he
+had deceived himself. At the mere physical sight of her, there came
+to him a swift relief, a thrill of peace and deep content; and with
+delighted certainty he knew that what Vera might do or might not do
+concerned him not at all, that for him all that counted was the girl
+herself. With something of this showing in his face, he came eagerly
+toward her.
+
+"Vera!" he exclaimed. In the word there was delight, wonder, tenderness;
+but if the girl recognized this she concealed her knowledge. Instead,
+her eyes looked into his frankly; her manner was that of open
+friendliness.
+
+"Mabel tells me you want to talk to me," she said evenly "but I don't
+want you to. I have something I want to say to you. I could have written
+it, but this"--for an instant the girl paused with her lips pressed
+together; when she spoke, her voice carried the firmness and finality
+of one delivering a verdict--"but this," she repeated, "is the last time
+you shall hear from me, or see me again."
+
+Winthrop gave an exclamation of impatience, of indignation.
+
+"No," returned the girl, "it is quite final. Maybe you will not want to
+see me, but--"
+
+Winthrop again sharply interrupted her. His voice was filled with
+reproach. "Vera!" he protested.
+
+"Well," said the girl more gently, "I'm glad to think you do, but this
+is the last, and before I go, I--".
+
+"Go!" demanded Winthrop roughly. "Where?"
+
+"Before I go," continued the girl, "I want to tell you how much you have
+helped me--I want to thank you--".
+
+"You haven't let me thank you," broke in Winthrop, "and, now, you
+pretend this is our last meeting. It's absurd!".
+
+"It is our last meeting," replied the girl. Of the two, for the moment,
+she was the older, the more contained. "On the contrary," contradicted
+the man. He spoke sharply, in a tone he tried to make as determined as
+her own. "Our next meeting will be in ten minutes--at my sister's. I
+have told her about this afternoon, and about you; and she wants very
+much to meet you. She has sent her car for you. It's waiting in front of
+the house. Now," he commanded masterfully, "you come with me, and get in
+it, and leave all this"--he gave an angry, contemptuous wave of the hand
+toward the cabinet--"behind you, as," he added earnestly, "you promised
+me you would."
+
+As though closing from sight the possibility he suggested, the girl shut
+her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to meet his.
+
+"I can't leave these things behind me," she said quietly.
+
+"I told you so this afternoon. For a moment, you made me think I could,
+and I did promise. I didn't need to promise. It's what I've prayed for.
+Then, you saw what happened, you saw I was right. Within five minutes
+that woman came--"
+
+
+"That woman had a motive," protested Winthrop.
+
+"That woman," continued the girl patiently, "or some other woman. What
+does it matter? In five minutes, or five days, some one would have
+told." She leaned toward him anxiously. "I'm not complaining," she said;
+"it's my own fault. It's the life I've chosen." She hesitated and then
+as though determined to carry out a programme she had already laid down
+for herself, continued rapidly: "And what I want to tell you, is, that
+what's best in that life I owe to you."
+
+"Vera!" cried the man sharply.
+
+"Listen!" said the girl. Her eyes were alight, eager. She spoke frankly,
+proudly, without embarrassment, without fear of being misconstrued, as a
+man might speak to a man.
+
+"I'd be ungrateful, I'd be a coward," said the girl, "if I went away and
+didn't tell you. For ten years I've been counting on you. I made you a
+sort of standard. I said, as long as he keeps to his ideals, I'm going
+to keep to mine. Maybe you think my ideals have not been very high, but
+anyway you've made it easy for me. Because I'm in this business, because
+I'm good-looking enough, certain men"--the voice of the girl grew hard
+and cool--"have done me the honor to insult me, and it was knowing you,
+and that there are others like you, that helped me not to care." The
+girl paused. She raised her eyes to his frankly. The look in them was
+one of pride in him, of loyalty, of affection. "And now, since I've met
+you," she went on, "I find you're just as I imagined you'd be, just as
+I'd hoped you'd be." She reached out her hand warningly, appealingly.
+"And I don't want you to change, to let down, to grow discouraged. You
+can't tell how many more people are counting on you." She hesitated and,
+as though at last conscious of her own boldness, flushed deprecatingly,
+like one asking pardon. "You men in high places," she stammered, "you're
+like light houses showing the way. You don't know how many people you
+are helping. You can't see them. You can't tell how many boats are
+following your light, but if your light goes out, they are wrecked."
+She gave a sigh of relief. "That's what I wanted to tell you," she said,
+"and, so thank you." She held out her hand. "And, goodby."
+
+Winthrop's answer was to clasp her hand quickly in both of his, and draw
+her toward him.
+
+"Vera," he begged, "come with me now!"
+
+The girl withdrew her hand and moved away from him, frowning. "No," she
+said, "no, you do not want to understand. I have my work to do tonight."
+
+Winthrop gave an exclamation of anger.
+
+"You don't mean to tell me," he cried, "that you're going on with this?"
+
+"Yes," she said, And then in sudden alarm cried: "But not if you're
+here! I'll fail if you're here. Promise me, you will not be here."
+
+"Indeed," cried the man indignantly, "I will not! But I'll be downstairs
+when you need me. And," he added warningly, "you'll need me." "No," said
+the girl. "No matter what happens, I tell you, between us, this is the
+end."
+
+"Then," begged the man, "if this is the end, for God's sake, Vera, as my
+last request, do not do it!"
+
+The girl shook her head. "No," she repeated firmly. "I've tried to get
+away from it, and each time they've forced me back. Now, I'll go on with
+it. I've promised Paul, and the others. And you heard me promise that
+woman."
+
+"But you didn't mean that!" protested the man. "She insulted you; you
+were angry. You're angry now, piqued--"
+
+"Mr. Winthrop," interrupted the girl, "today you told me I was not
+playing the game. You told the truth. When you said this was a mean
+business, you were right. But"--for the first time since she had spoken
+her tones were shaken, uncertain--"I've been driven out of every other
+business." She waited until her voice was again under control, and then
+said slowly, definitely, "and, tonight, I am going to show Mr. Hallowell
+the spirit of his sister."
+
+In the eyes of Winthrop the look of pain, of disappointment, of
+reproach, was so keen, that the girl turned her own away.
+
+"No," said the man gently, "you will not do that."
+
+"You can stop my doing it tonight," returned the girl, "but at some
+other time, at some other place, I will do it."
+
+"You yourself will stop it," said Winthrop. "You are too honest, too
+fine, to act such a lie. Why not be yourself?" he begged. "Why not
+disappoint these other people who do not know you? Why disappoint the
+man who knows you best, who trusts you, who believes in you--".
+
+"You are the very one," interrupted the girl, "who doesn't know me. I am
+not fine; I am not honest. I am a charlatan and a cheat; I am all that
+woman called me. And that is why you can't know me. That's why. I told
+you, if you did, you would be sorry."
+
+"I am not sorry," said Winthrop.
+
+"You will be," returned the girl, "before the night is over."
+
+"On the contrary," answered the man quietly, "I shall wait here to
+congratulate you--on your failure."
+
+"I shall not fail," said the girl. Avoiding his eyes, she turned from
+him and, for a moment, stood gazing before her miserably. Her lips were
+trembling, her eyes moist with rising tears. Then she faced him, her
+head raised defiantly.
+
+"I have been hounded out of every decent way of living," she protested
+hysterically. "I can make thousands of dollars tonight," she cried, "out
+of this one."
+
+Winthrop looked straight into her eyes. His own were pleading, full of
+tenderness and pity; so eloquent with meaning that those of the girl
+fell before them.
+
+"That is no answer," said the man. "You know it's not. I tell you--you
+will fail."
+
+From the hall Judge Gaylor entered noisily. Instinctively the man
+and girl moved nearer together, and upon the intruder Winthrop turned
+angrily.
+
+"Well?" he demanded sharply. "I thought you had finished your talk,"
+protested the Judge. "Mr. Hallowell is anxious to begin."
+
+Winthrop turned and looked at Vera steadily. For an instant the eyes of
+the girl faltered, and then she returned his glance with one as resolute
+as his own. As though accepting her verdict as final, Winthrop walked
+quickly to the door. "I shall be downstairs," he said, "when this is
+over, let me know."
+
+Gaylor struggled to conceal his surprise and satisfaction. "You won't be
+here for the seance?" he exclaimed.
+
+"Certainly not," cried Winthrop. "I--" He broke off suddenly. Without
+again looking toward Vera, or trying to hide his displeasure, he left
+the room.
+
+Gaylor turned to the girl. He was smiling with relief.
+
+"Excellent!" he muttered. "Excellent! What was he saying to you," he
+asked eagerly, "as I came in--that you would fail?"
+
+The girl moved past him to the door. "Yes," she answered dully.
+
+"But you will not!" cried the man. "We're all counting on you, you know.
+Destroy the old will. Sign the new will," he quoted. He came close to
+her and whispered. "That means thousands of dollars to you and Vance,"
+he urged.
+
+The girl turned and regarded him with unhappy, angry eyes.
+
+"You need not be frightened," she answered. For the man before her and
+for herself, her voice was bitter with contempt and self-accusation.
+"Mr. Winthrop is mistaken. He does not know me," she said miserably. "I
+shall not fail."
+
+For a moment, after she had left him, Gaylor stood motionless, his eyes
+filled with concern, and then, with a shrug, as though accepting either
+good or evil fortune, he called from the bedroom Mr. Hallowell, and,
+from the floor below, the guests of Hallowell and of Vance.
+
+As Hallowell, supported by Rainey, sank into the invalid's chair in the
+centre of the semicircle, Gaylor made his final appeal.
+
+"Stephen," he begged, "are you sure you're feeling strong enough? Won't
+some other night--" The old man interrupted him querulously.
+
+"No, now! I want it over," he commanded. "Who knows," he complained,
+"how soon it may be before--"
+
+The sight of Mannie entering the room with Vance caused him to interrupt
+himself abruptly. He greeted the showman with a curt nod.
+
+"And who is this?" he demanded. Mannie, to whom a living millionaire
+was much more of a disturbing spectacle than the ghost of Alexander the
+Great, retreated hastily behind Vance.
+
+"He is my assistant," Vance explained. "He furnishes the music." He
+pushed Mannie toward the organ.
+
+"Music!" growled Hallowell. "Must there be music?"
+
+"It is indispensable," protested Vance. "Music, sir, is one of the
+strongest psychic influences. It--"
+
+"Nonsense!" cried Hallowell.
+
+"Tricks," he muttered, "tricks!"
+
+Vance shrugged his shoulders, and smiled in deprecation. "I am sorry to
+find you in a skeptical mood, Mr. Hallowell," he murmured reprovingly
+"It will hardly help to produce good results. Allow me," he begged, "to
+present two true believers."
+
+With a wave of the hand he beckoned forward a stout, gray-haired woman
+with bulging, near-sighted eyes that rolled meaninglessly behind heavy
+gold spectacles.
+
+"Mrs. Marsh of Lynn, Massachusetts," proclaimed Vance, "of whom you have
+heard. Mrs. Marsh," he added, "is probably the first medium in America.
+The results she has obtained are quite wonderful. She alone foretold the
+San Francisco earthquake, and the run on the Long Acre Square Bank."
+
+"I am glad to know you," said Mr. Hallowell. "Pardon my not rising."
+
+The old lady curtsied obsequiously.
+
+"Oh, certainly, Mr. Hallowell," she protested. "Mr. Hallowell," she went
+on, rolling the name delightedly on her tongue, "I need not tell you
+how greatly we spiritualists rejoice over your joining the ranks of the
+believers."
+
+Hallowell nodded. He was not altogether unimpressed. "Thanks," he
+commented dryly. "But I am not quite there yet, madam."
+
+"We hope," said Vance sententiously, "to convince Mr. Hallowell
+tonight."
+
+"And I am sure, Mr. Hallowell," cried the old lady, "if any one can do
+it, little Miss Vera can. Hers is a wonderful gift, sir, a wonderful
+gift!"
+
+"I am glad to hear you say so," returned Hallowell.
+
+He nodded to her in dismissal, and turned to the next visitor. "And this
+gentleman?" he asked.
+
+"Professor Strombergk," announced Vance, "the distinguished writer on
+psychic and occult subjects, editor of The World Beyond."
+
+A tall, full-bearded German, in a too-short frock coat, bowed awkwardly.
+Upon him, as upon Mannie, had fallen the spell of the Hallowell fortune.
+He, who chatted familiarly with departed popes and emperors, who daily
+was in communication with Goethe, Caesar, and Epictetus, thrilled with
+embarrassment before the man who had made millions from a coupling pin.
+
+"And Helen!" Mr. Hallowell cried, as Miss Coates followed the Professor.
+"That is all, is it not?" he asked.
+
+Miss Coates moved aside to disclose the person of the reporter from the
+Republic, Homer Lee.
+
+"I have taken you at your word, uncle," she said, "and have brought
+a friend with me." In some trepidation she added; "He is Mr. Lee, a
+reporter from the Republic."
+
+"A reporter!" exclaimed Mr. Hallowell. Disturbed and yet amused at the
+audacity of his niece, he shook his head reprovingly. "I don't think I
+meant reporters," he remonstrated.
+
+"You said in your note," returned his niece, "that as I had so much
+at stake, I could bring any one I pleased, and the less he believed in
+spiritualism, the better. Mr. Lee," she added dryly, "believes even less
+than I do."
+
+"Then it will be all the more of a triumph, if we convince him,"
+declared Hallowell. "Understand, young man," he proclaimed loudly, "I am
+not a spiritualist. I am merely conducting an investigation. I want the
+truth. If you, or my niece, detect any fraud tonight, I want to
+know it." Including in his speech the others in the room, he glared
+suspiciously in turn at each. "Keep your eyes open," he ordered, "you
+will be serving me quite as much as you will Miss Coates."
+
+Miss Coates and Lee thanked him and, recognizing themselves as the
+opposition and in the minority, withdrew for consultation into a corner
+of the bay window.
+
+Vance approached Mr. Hallowell.
+
+"If you are ready," he said, "we will examine the cabinet. Shall I wheel
+it over here, or will you look at it where it is?"
+
+"If it is to be in that corner during the seance," declared Mr.
+Hallowell, "I'll look at it where it is."
+
+As he struggled from his chair, he turned to Mrs. Marsh, and nodded
+his head knowingly. "You see, Mrs. Marsh," he said, "I am taking no
+chances."
+
+"That is quite right, Mr. Hallowell," purred the old lady. "If there
+be any doubt in your mind, you must get rid of it, or we will have no
+results."
+
+With a dramatic gesture, Vance swept aside from the opening in the
+cabinet the black velvet curtain. "It's a simple affair," he said
+indifferently. "As you see, it's open at the top and bottom. The medium
+sits inside on that chair, bound hand and foot."
+
+In turn, Mr. Hallowell, Mrs. Marsh, Gaylor, Rainey, Professor Strombergk
+entered the cabinet. With their knuckles they beat upon its sides. They
+moved it to and fro. They dropped to their knees, and with their fingers
+tugged at the carpet upon which it stood.
+
+Under cover of their questions, in the corner of the bay window, Miss
+Coates whispered to Lee; "Don't look now," she warned, "but later, you
+will see on the left of that door the switch that throws on the lights.
+When I am sure she is outside the cabinet, when she has told him not to
+give the money to me, I'll cry now! and whichever one of us is seated
+nearer the switch will turn on all the lights. I think," Miss Coates
+added with, in her voice, a thrill of triumph not altogether free from a
+touch of vindictiveness, "when my uncle sees her caught in the middle of
+the room, disguised as his sister--we will have cured him."
+
+"It may be," said the man.
+
+The possibility of success as Miss Coates pointed it out did not appear
+to stir in him any great delight. He glanced unwillingly over his
+shoulder. "I see the switch," he said.
+
+Leaning on the arm of Gaylor, Mr. Hallowell returned from the cabinet
+to his chair. What he had seen apparently strengthened his faith and, in
+like degree, inspired him to greater enthusiasm.
+
+"Well," he exclaimed, "there are no trapdoors or false bottoms about
+that! If they can project a spirit from that sentry box, it will be
+a miracle. For whom are we waiting?" he asked impatiently. "Where is
+Winthrop?"
+
+Judge Gaylor explained that Winthrop preferred to wait downstairs, and
+that he had said he would remain there until the seance was finished.
+
+"Afraid of compromising his position," commented the old man. "I'm
+sorry. I'd like to have him here." He motioned Gaylor to bend nearer.
+In a voice that trembled with eagerness and excitement, he whispered:
+"Henry, I have a feeling that we are going to witness a remarkable
+phenomenon."
+
+Gaylor's countenance grew preternaturally grave. He nodded heavily.
+
+"I have the same feeling, Stephen," he returned.
+
+Vance raised his hand to command silence.
+
+"Every one," he called, "except the committee, who are to bind and tie
+the medium, will take the place I give him, and remain in it. Mr. Day
+will please acquaint Miss Vera and Mrs. Vance with the fact that we are
+ready."
+
+Up to this point Vance had appeared only as a stage manager. He had
+been concerned with his groupings, his lights, in assigning to his
+confederates the parts they were to play. Now that the curtain was
+to rise, as an actor puts on a wig and grease paint, Vance assumed a
+certain voice and manner. On the stage the critics would have called him
+a convincing actor. He made his audience believe what he believed. He
+knew the eloquence of a pause, the value of a surprised, unintelligible
+exclamation. One moment he was as professionally solemn as a "funeral
+director;" the next, his voice, his whole frame, would shake with
+excitement, in an outburst of fanatic fervor. As it pleased him he
+could play Hamlet, tenderly shocked at the sight of his dead father, or
+Macbeth, retreating in horror before the ghost of Banquo. For the moment
+his manner was that of the undertaker.
+
+"Now, Mr. Hallowell," he said hoarsely, "please to name those you wish
+to serve on the committee."
+
+Mr. Hallowell waved his arm to include every one in the room.
+
+"Everybody will serve on the committee," he declared. "Everything is to
+be open and above-board. The whole city is welcome on the committee. I
+want this to be above suspicion."
+
+"That is my wish, also, sir," said Vance stiffly. "But a committee of
+more than three is unwieldy. Suppose you name two gentlemen and I one?
+Or," he shrugged his shoulders, "you can name all three."
+
+After a moment of consideration Mr. Hallowell pointed at Lee. "I choose
+Mr.--that young man," he announced, "and Judge Gaylor."
+
+"I would much rather not, Stephen," Judge Gaylor whispered.
+
+"I know, Henry," answered the other. "But I ask it of you. It will give
+me confidence." He turned to Vance. "You select some one," he commanded.
+
+With a bow, Vance designated the tall German.
+
+"Will Professor Strombergk be acceptable?" he asked. Mr. Hallowell
+nodded.
+
+"Then, the three gentlemen chosen will please come to the cabinet."
+
+Vance, his manner now that of a master of ceremonies, assigned to each
+person the seat he or she was to occupy. Miss Coates with satisfaction
+noted that only Mrs. Vance separated Lee from the electric switch.
+
+"I must ask you," said Vance, "to keep the sears I have assigned to you.
+With us tonight are both favorable and unfavorable influences. And
+what I have tried to do in placing you, is to obtain the best psychic
+results." He moved to the door and looked into the hall, then turned,
+and with uplifted arm silently demanded attention.
+
+"Miss Vera," he announced. Followed closely, like respectful courtiers,
+by Mannie and Mrs. Vance, Vera appeared in the doorway, walked a few
+feet into the room, and stood motionless. As though already in a trance,
+she moved slowly, without volition, like a somnambulist. Her head was
+held high, but her eyes were dull and unseeing. Her arms hung limply.
+She wore an evening gown of soft black stuff, that clung to her like
+a lace shawl, and which left her throat and arms bare. In spite of the
+clash of interests, of antagonism, of mutual distrust, there was no
+one present to whom the sight of the young girl did not bring an uneasy
+thrill. The nature of the thing she proposed to do, contrasted with
+the loveliness of her face, which seemed to mock at the possibility
+of deceit; something in her rapt, distant gaze, in the dignity of her
+uplifted head, in her air of complete detachment from her surroundings,
+caused even the most skeptical to question if she might not possess
+the power she claimed, to feel for a moment the approach of the
+supernatural.
+
+The voices of the committee, consulting together, dropped suddenly to a
+whisper; the others were instantly silent.
+
+In his arms Mannie carried silken scarfs, cords, and ropes. In each hand
+he held a teacup. One contained flour, the other shot. Vance took these
+from him, and Mannie hurriedly slipped into his chair in front of the
+organ.
+
+"Gentlemen," explained Vance, "you will use these ropes and scarfs
+to tie the medium. Also, as a further precaution against the least
+suspicion of fraud, we will subject her to the most severe test known.
+In one hand she will hold this flour; the other will be filled with
+shot. This will make it impossible for her to tamper with the ropes."
+
+He gave the two cups to Gaylor, and turned to Vera.
+
+"Are you ready?" he asked. After a pause, the girl slightly inclined
+her head. Lee, with one of the scarfs in his hand, approached her
+diffidently. He looked unhappily at the slight, girlish figure, at the
+fair white arms. In his embarrassment he appealed to Vance.
+
+"How would you suggest?" he asked.
+
+Vance, apparently shocked, hastily drew away. "That would be most
+irregular," he protested.
+
+Apologetically Lee turned to the girl.
+
+"Would you mind putting your arms behind you?" he asked. He laced the
+scarf around her arms, and drew it tightly to her wrists.
+
+"Tell me if I hurt you," he murmured, but the girl made no answer. To
+what was going forward she appeared as unmindful as though she were an
+artist's manikin.
+
+"Will you take these now?" asked Gaylor, and into her open palms he
+poured the flour and shot. "And, now," continued Lee, "will you go into
+the cabinet?" As she seated herself, he knelt in front of her and bound
+her ankles. From behind her Strombergk deftly wound the ropes about her
+body and through the rungs and back of the chair.
+
+"Would you mind seeing if you can withdraw your arms?" Lee asked. The
+girl raised her shoulders, struggled to free her hands, and tried to
+rise. But the efforts were futile.
+
+"Are the gentlemen satisfied?" demanded Vance. The three men, who
+had shown but little heart in the work, and who were now red and
+embarrassed, hastily answered in the affirmative.
+
+"If you are satisfied the ropes are securely fastened," Vance continued,
+"you will take your seats." Professor Strombergk, as he moved to his
+chair, announced in devout, solemn tones; "Nothing but spirit hands can
+move those ropes now."
+
+From the organ rose softly the prelude to a Moody and Sankey hymn, and,
+in keeping with the music, the voice of Vance sank to a low tone.
+
+"We will now," he said, "establish the magnetic chain. Each person will
+take with his right hand the left wrist of the person on his or her
+right." He paused while this order was being carried into effect.
+
+"Before I turn out the lights," he continued, "I wish to say a last word
+to any skeptic who may be present. I warn him that any attempt to lay
+violent hands upon the apparition, or spirit, may cost the medium her
+life. From the cabinet the medium projects the spirit into the circle.
+An attack upon the spirit, is an attack upon the medium. There are three
+or four well-authenticated cases where the disembodied spirit was cut
+off from the cabinet, and the medium died."
+
+He drew the velvet curtains across the cabinet, and shut Vera from
+view. "Are you ready, Mr. Hallowell?" he asked. Mr. Hallowell, his eyes
+staring, his lips parted, nodded his head. The music grew louder. Vance
+switched off the lights.
+
+For some minutes, except for the creaking of the pedals of the organ and
+the low throb of the music, there was no sound. Then, from his position
+at the open door, the voice of Vance commanded sternly: "No whispering,
+please. The medium is susceptible to the least sound." There was another
+longer pause, until in hushed expectant tones Vance spoke again. "The
+air is very heavily charged with electricity tonight," he said, "you,
+Mrs. Marsh, should feel that?"
+
+"I do, Professor," murmured the medium, "I do. We shall have some
+wonderful results!"
+
+Vance agreed with her solemnly. "I feel influences all about me," he
+murmured.
+
+There came suddenly from the cabinet three sharp raps. These were
+instantly answered by other quick rappings upon the library table.
+"They are beginning!" chanted the voice of Vance. The music of the organ
+ceased. It was at once followed by the notes of a guitar that seemed to
+float in space, the strings vibrating, not as though touched by human
+hands, but in fitful, meaningless chords like those of an Aeolian harp.
+
+"That is Kiowa, your control, Mrs. Marsh," announced Vance eagerly. "Do
+you desire to speak to him?"
+
+"Not tonight," Mrs. Marsh answered. She raised her voice. "Not tonight,
+Kiowa," she repeated. "Thank you for coming. Good night."
+
+In deep, guttural accents, a man's voice came from the ceiling. "Good
+night," it called. With a final, ringing wail, the music of the guitar
+suddenly ceased.
+
+Again rose the swelling low notes of the organ. Above it came the quick
+pattering of footsteps.
+
+The voice of Rainey, filled with alarm, cried, "some one touched me!"
+
+"Are you sure your hands are held?" demanded Vance reprovingly.
+
+"Yes," panted Rainey, "both of them. But something put its hand on my
+forehead. It was cold."
+
+In an excited whisper, a voice in the circle cried, "Look, look!" and
+before the eyes of all, a star rose in the darkness. For a moment it
+wavered over the cabinet and then fluttered swiftly across the room and
+remained stationary above the head of the German Professor.
+
+"There is your star, Professor," cried Vance. "When the Professor is in
+the circle," he announced proudly, "that star always appears."
+
+He was interrupted by a startled exclamation from Lee.
+
+"Something touched my face," explained the young man apologetically,
+"and spoke to me."
+
+The music sank to a murmur, and the room became alive with swift,
+rushing sounds and soft whisperings.
+
+The voice of Mrs. Marsh, low and eager, could be heard appealing to an
+invisible presence.
+
+"The results are marvelous," chanted Vance, "marvelous! The medium is
+showing wonderful power. If any one desires to ask a question, he should
+do so now. The conditions will never be better." He paused expectantly.
+"Mr. Hallowell," he prompted, "is it your wish to communicate with any
+one in the spirit world?"
+
+There was a long pause, and then the voice of Mr. Hallowell, harsh and
+shaken, answered, "Yes."
+
+"With whom?" demanded Vance.
+
+There was again another longer pause, and then, above the confusion of
+soft whisperings, the voice of the old man rose in sharp staccato; "My
+sister, Catherine Coates." His tone hardened, became obdurate, final.
+"But, I must see her, and hear her speak!"
+
+Not for an instant did Vance hesitate. In tense, sepulchral tones, he
+demanded of the darkness, "Is the spirit of Catherine Coates present?"
+
+The whisperings and murmurs ceased. The silence of the room was broken
+sharply by three quick raps. "Yes," intoned Vance, "she is present."
+
+The voice of Hallowell protested fiercely. "I won't have that! I want to
+see her!"
+
+In the tone of an incantation, Vance spoke again. "Will the spirit show
+herself to her brother?" The raps came quickly, firmly.
+
+"She answers she will appear before you."
+
+There was a moment that seemed to stretch interminably, and then, the
+eyes of all, straining in the darkness, saw against the black velvet
+curtain a splash of white.
+
+Above the sobbing of the organ, the voice of Mr. Hallowell rang out in
+a sharp exclamation of terror. "Who is that!" he demanded. He spoke as
+though he dreaded the answer. He threw himself forward in his chair,
+peering into the darkness.
+
+"Is that you, Kate?" he whispered. His voice was both incredulous and
+pleading.
+
+The answer came in feeble, trembling tones. "Yes."
+
+The voice of Hallowell shook with eagerness. "Do you know me, your
+brother, Stephen?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+With a cry the old man fell back, groping blindly. He found Gaylor's arm
+and clutched it with both hands.
+
+"My God! It's Kate!" he gasped. "I tell you, Henry, it is Kate!"
+
+The voice of Vance, deep and hollow like a bell, sounded a note of
+warning. "Speak quickly," he commanded. "Her time on earth is brief."
+Mr. Hallowell's hold upon the arm of his friend relaxed. Fearfully and
+slowly, he bent forward.
+
+"Kate!" he pleaded; "I must ask you a question. No one else can tell
+me." As though gathering courage, he paused, and, with a frightened
+sigh, again began. "I am an old man," he murmured, "a sick man. I will
+be joining you very soon, what am I to do with my money? I have made
+great plans to give it to the poor. Or, must I give it, as I have given
+it in my will, to Helen? Perhaps I did not act fairly to you and Helen.
+You know what I mean. She would be rich, but then the poor would be
+that much the poorer." The confidence of the speaker was increasing; as
+though to a living being, he argued and pleaded. "And I want to do some
+good before I go. What shall I do? Tell me."
+
+There was a pause that lasted so long that those who had held their
+breath to listen, again breathed deeply. When the answer came, it was
+strangely deprecatory, uncertain, unassured.
+
+"You," stammered the voice, "you must have courage to do what you know
+to be just!"
+
+For a brief moment, as though surprised, Mr. Hallowell apparently
+considered this, and then gave an exclamation of disappointment and
+distress.
+
+"But I don't know," he protested, "that is why I called on you. I want
+to go into the next world, Kate," he pleaded, "with clean hands!"
+
+"You cannot bribe your way into the next world," intoned the voice. "If
+you pity the poor, you must help the poor, not that you may cheat your
+way into heaven, but that they may suffer less. Search your conscience.
+Have the courage of your conscience."
+
+"I don't want to consult my conscience," cried the old man. "I want you
+to tell me." He paused, hesitating. Eager to press his question, his awe
+of the apparition still restrained him.
+
+"What do you mean, Kate?" he begged. "Am I to give the money where it
+will do the most good--to the Hallowell Institute, or am I to give it to
+Helen? Which am I to do?"
+
+There was another long silence, and then the voice stammered; "If--if
+you have wronged me, or my daughter, or the poor, you must make
+restitution."
+
+The hand of the old man was heard to fall heavily upon the arm of his
+chair. His voice rose unhappily.
+
+"That is no answer, Kate!" he cried. "Did you come from the dead to
+preach to me? Tell me--what am I to do--leave my money to Helen, or to
+the Institute?"
+
+The cry of the old man vibrated in the air. No voice rose to answer.
+"Kate!" he entreated. Still there was silence. "Speak to me!" he
+commanded. The silence became eloquent with momentous possibilities. So
+long did it endure, that the pain of the suspense was actual. The voice
+of Rainey, choked and hoarse with fear, broke it with an exclamation
+that held the sound of an oath. He muttered thickly, "What in the name
+of--"
+
+He was hushed by a swift chorus of hisses. The voice of Hallowell was
+again uplifted.
+
+"Why won't she answer me?" he begged hysterically of Vance. "Can't
+you--can't the medium make her speak?"
+
+During the last few moments the music from the organ had come brokenly.
+The hands upon the keys moved unsteadily, drunkenly. Now they halted
+altogether and in the middle of a chord the music sank and died. Upon
+the now absolute silence the voice of Vance, when he spoke, sounded
+strangely unfamiliar. It had lost the priest-like intonation. Its
+confidence had departed. It showed bewilderment and alarm.
+
+"I--I don't understand," stammered the showman. "Ask her again. Put your
+question differently."
+
+Carefully, slowly, giving each word its value, Mr. Hallowell raised his
+voice in entreaty.
+
+"Kate," he cried, "I have made a new will, leaving the money to the
+poor. The old will gives it to Helen. Shall I sign the new will or not?
+Shall I give the money to Helen, or the Institute? Answer me! Yes or
+no."
+
+Before the eyes of all, the apparition, as though retreating to the
+cabinet, swayed backward, then staggered forward. There was a sob,
+human, heart-broken, a cry, thrilling with distress; a tumult of
+weeping, fierce and uncontrollable.
+
+They saw the figure tear away the white kerchief and cap, and trample
+them upon the floor. They saw the figure hold itself erect. From it, the
+voice of Vera cried aloud, in despair.
+
+"I can't! I can't!" she sobbed. "It's a lie! I am not your sister! Turn
+on the lights," the girl cried. "Turn on the lights!"
+
+There was a crash of upturned chairs, the sound of men struggling, and
+the room was swept with light. In the doorway Winthrop was holding apart
+Vance and the reporter.
+
+In the centre of the room stood Vera, her head bent in shame, her body
+shaken and trembling, her hair streaming to her waist.
+
+As though to punish herself, by putting a climax to her humiliation, she
+held out her arms to Helen Coates. "You see," she cried, "I am a cheat.
+I am a fraud!" She sank suddenly to her knees in front of Mr. Hallowell.
+"Forgive me," she sobbed, "forgive me!"
+
+With a cry of angry protest, Winthrop ran to her and lifted her to her
+feet. His eyes were filled with pity. But in the eyes of Mr. Hallowell
+there was no promise of pardon. With sudden strength he struggled to his
+feet and stood swaying, challenging those before him. His face was white
+with anger, his jaw closed against mercy.
+
+"You've lied to me!" he cried. "You've tried to rob me!" He swept the
+room with his eyes. With a flash of intuition, he saw the trap they had
+laid for him. "All of you!" he screamed. "It's a plot!" He shook his
+fist at the weeping girl. "And you!" he shouted hysterically, "the law
+shall punish you!"
+
+Winthrop drew the girl to him and put his arm about her.
+
+"I'll do the punishing here," he said.
+
+With a glad, welcoming cry, the old man turned to him appealingly,
+wildly.
+
+"Yes, you!" he shouted, "you punish them! She plotted to get my money."
+
+The girl at Winthrop's side shivered, and shrank from him. He drew her
+back roughly and held her close. The sobs that shook her tore at his
+heart; the touch of the sinking, trembling body in his arms filled him
+with fierce, jubilant thoughts of keeping the girl there always, of
+giving battle for her, of sheltering her against the world. In what she
+had done he saw only a sacrifice. In her he beheld only a penitent, who
+was self-accused and self-convicted.
+
+He heard the voice of the old man screaming vindictively, "She plotted
+to get my money!"
+
+Winthrop turned upon him savagely.
+
+"How did she plot to get it?" he retorted fiercely. "You know, and I
+know. I know how your lawyer, your doctor, your servant plotted to get
+it!" His voice rose and rang with indignation. "You all plotted, and you
+all schemed--and to what end--what was the result?"--he held before them
+the fainting figure of the girl--"That one poor child could prove she
+was honest!"
+
+With his arms still about her, and her hands clinging to him, he moved
+with her quickly to the door. When they had reached the silence of the
+hall, he took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. "Now," he
+commanded, "you shall come to my sisters!"
+
+The waiting car carried them swiftly up the avenue. Their way lay
+through the park, and the warm, mid-summer air was heavy with the odor
+of plants and shrubs. Above them the trees drooped deep with leaves.
+Vera, crouched in a corner, had not spoken. Her eyes were hidden in
+her hands. But when they had entered the silent reaches of the park she
+lowered them and the face she lifted to Winthrop was pale and wet with
+tears. The man thought never before had he seen it more lovely or more
+lovable. Vera shook her head dumbly and looked up at him with a troubled
+smile.
+
+"I told you," she murmured remorsefully, "you'd be sorry."
+
+"We don't know that yet," said Winthrop gently, "we'll have all the rest
+of our lives to find that out."
+
+Startled, the girl drew back. In her face was wonder, amazement, a
+dawning happiness.
+
+Without speaking, Winthrop looked at her, entreatingly, pitifully,
+beseeching her with his eyes.
+
+Slowly the girl bent forward and, as he threw out his arms, with a
+little sigh of rest and content she crept into them and pressed her face
+to his.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera, by Richard Harding Davis
+
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+Project Gutenberg Etext Vera, The Medium by Richard Harding Davis
+#29 in our series by Richard Harding Davis
+
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+Vera, The Medium
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+by Richard Harding Davis
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+August, 1999  [Etext #1843]
+
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+Project Gutenberg Etext Vera, The Medium by Richard Harding Davis
+*******This file should be named veram10.txt or veram10.zip******
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+
+
+Prepared by Jeetender B Chandna <jeetender@usa.net>
+
+
+
+
+
+Vera, The Medium
+
+by Richard Harding Davis
+
+
+
+Part I
+
+Happy in the hope that the news was "exclusive", the Despatch
+had thrown the name of Stephen Hallowell, his portrait, a
+picture of his house, and the words, "At Point of Death!" across
+three columns. The announcement was heavy, lachrymose, bristling
+with the melancholy self-importance of the man who "saw the
+deceased, just two minutes before the train hit him."
+
+But the effect of the news fell short of the effort. Save that
+city editors were irritated that the presidents of certain
+railroads figured hastily on slips of paper, the fact that an
+old man and his millions would soon be parted, left New York
+undisturbed.
+
+In the early 80's this would not have been so. Then, in the
+uplifting of the far West, Stephen Hallowell was a national
+figure, in the manoeuvres of the Eastern stock market an active,
+alert power. In those days, when a man with a few millions was
+still listed as rich, his fortune was considered colossal.
+
+A patent coupling-pin, the invention of his brother-in-law, had
+given him his start, and, in introducing it, and in his efforts
+to force it upon the new railroads of the West, he had obtained
+a knowledge of their affairs. From that knowledge came his
+wealth. That was twenty years ago. Since then giants had arisen
+in the land; men whose wealth made the fortune of Stephen
+Hallowell appear a comfortable competence, his schemes and
+stratagems, which, in their day, had bewildered Wall Street, as
+simple as the trading across the counter of a cross-roads store.
+For years he had been out of it. He had lost count. Disuse and
+ill health had rendered his mind feeble, made him at times
+suspicious, at times childishly credulous. Without friends,
+along with his physician and the butler, who was also his nurse,
+he lived in the house that in 76, in a burst of vanity, he had
+built on Fifth Avenue. Then the house was a "mansion," and its
+front of brown sandstone the outward sign of wealth and fashion.
+Now, on one side, it rubbed shoulders with the shop of a man
+milliner, and across the street the houses had been torn down
+and replaced by a department store. Now, instead of a sombre
+jail-like facade, his outlook was a row of waxen ladies, who,
+before each change of season, appeared in new and gorgeous
+raiment, and, across the avenue, for his approval, smiled
+continually.
+
+"It is time you moved, Stephen," urged his friend and lawyer,
+Judge Henry Gaylor. "I can get you twice as much for this lot as
+you paid for both it and the house."
+
+But Mr. Hallowell always shook his head. " Where would I go,
+Henry?" he would ask. "What would I do with the money? No, I
+will live in this house until I am carried out of it."
+
+With distaste, the irritated city editors "followed up" the
+three-column story of the Despatch.
+
+"Find out if there's any truth in that," they commanded. "The
+old man won't see you, but get a talk out of Rainey. And see
+Judge Gaylor. He's close to Hallowell. Find out from him if that
+story didn't start as a bear yarn in Wall Street."
+
+So, when Walsh of the Despatch was conducted by Garrett, the
+butler of Mr. Hallowell, upstairs to that gentlemen's library,
+he found a group of reporters already entrenched. At the door
+that opened from the library to the bedroom, the butler paused.
+"What paper shall I say?" he asked.
+
+"The Despatch," Walsh told him.
+
+The servant turned quickly and stared at Walsh.
+
+He appeared the typical butler, an Englishman of over forty,
+heavily built, soft- moving, with ruddy, smooth-shaven cheeks
+and prematurely gray hair. But now from his face the look of
+perfunctory politeness had fallen; the subdued voice had changed
+to a snarl that carried with it the accents of the Tenderloin.
+
+"So, you're the one, are you?" the man muttered.
+
+For a moment he stood scowling; insolent, almost threatening,
+and then, once more, the servant opened the door and noiselessly
+closed it behind him.
+
+The transition had been so abrupt, the revelation so unexpected,
+that the men laughed.
+
+"I don't blame him!" said young Irving. "I couldn't find a
+single fact in the whole story. How'd your people get it --
+pretty straight?"
+
+"Seemed straight to us," said Walsh.
+
+"Well, you didn't handle it that way," returned the other. "Why
+didn't you quote Rainey or Gaylor? It seems to me if a man's on
+the point of death" -- he lowered his voice and glanced toward
+the closed door -- "that his private doctor and his lawyer might
+know something about it."
+
+Standing alone with his back to the window was a reporter who
+had greeted no one and to whom no one had spoken.
+
+Had he held himself erect he would have been tall, but he stood
+slouching lazily, his shoulders bent, his hands in his pockets.
+When he spoke his voice was in keeping with the indolence of his
+bearing. It was soft, hesitating, carrying with it the courteous
+deference of the South. Only his eyes showed that to what was
+going forward he was alert and attentive.
+
+"Is Dr. Rainey Mr. Hallowell's family doctor?" he asked.
+
+
+Irving surveyed him in amused superiority.
+
+"He is!" he answered. You been long in New York?" he asked.
+
+Upon the stranger the sarcasm was lost, or he chose to ignore
+it, for he answered simply, "No, I'm a New Orleans boy. I've
+just been taken on the Republic."
+
+"Welcome to our city," said Irving. "What do you think of our
+Main Street?"
+
+From the hall a tall portly man entered the room with the
+assurance of one much at home here and, with an exclamation,
+Irving fell upon him.
+
+"Good morning, Judge," he called. He waved at him the clipping
+from the Despatch. "Have you seen this?"
+
+Judge Gaylor accepted the slip of paper gingerly, and in turn
+moved his fine head pompously toward each of the young men. Most
+of them were known to him, but for the moment he preferred to
+appear too deeply concerned to greet them. With an expression of
+shocked indignation, he recognized only Walsh.
+
+"Yes, I have seen it," he said, "and there is not a word of
+truth in it! Mr. Walsh, I am surprised! You, of all people!"
+
+"We got it on very good authority," said the reporter.
+
+"But why not call me up and get the facts?" demanded the Judge.
+"I was here until twelve o'clock, and -- "
+
+"Here!" interrupted Irving. "Then he did have a collapse?"
+
+Judge Gaylor swung upon his heel.
+
+"Certainly not," he retorted angrily. "I was here on business,
+and I have never known his mind more capable, more alert." He
+lifted his hands with an enthusiastic gesture. "I wish you could
+have seen him!"
+
+"Well," urged Irving, "how about our seeing him now?"
+
+For a moment Judge Gaylor permitted his annoyance to appear, but
+he at once recovered and, murmuring cheerfully, "Certainly,
+certainly; I'll try to arrange it," turned to the butler who had
+re-entered the room.
+
+"Garett," he inquired, "is Mr. Hallowell awake yet?" As he asked
+the question his eyebrows rose; with an almost imperceptible
+shake of the head he signaled for an answer in the negative.
+
+"Well, there you are!" the Judge exclaimed heartily. "I can't
+wake him, even to oblige you. In a word, gentlemen, Stephen
+Hallowell has never been in better health, mentally and bodily.
+You can say that from me -- and that's all there is to say."
+
+"Then, we can say," persisted Irving, "that you say, that
+Walsh's story is a fake?"
+
+"You can say it is not true," corrected Gaylor. "That's all,
+gentlemen." The audience was at an end. The young men moved
+toward the hall and Judge Gaylor turned to the bedroom. As he
+did so, he found that the new man on the Republic still held his
+ground.
+
+
+"Could I have a word with you, sir?" the stranger asked. The
+reporters halted jealously. Again Gaylor showed his impatience.
+
+"About Mr. Hallowell's health?" he demanded. "There's nothing
+more to say."
+
+"No, it's not about his health," ventured the reporter.
+
+"Well, not now. I am very late this morning." The Judge again
+moved to the bedroom and the reporter, as though accepting the
+verdict, started to follow the others. As he did so, as though
+in explanation or as a warning he added: "You said to always
+come to you for the facts." The lawyer halted, hesitated. "What
+facts do you want?" he asked. The reporter bowed, and waved his
+broad felt hat toward the listening men. In polite embarrassment
+he explained what he had to say could not be spoken in their
+presence.
+
+Something in the manner of the stranger led Judge Gaylor to
+pause. He directed Garrett to accompany the reporters from the
+room. Then, with mock politeness, he turned to the one who
+remained. "I take it, you are a new comer in New York
+journalism. What is your name?" he asked.
+
+"My name is Homer Lee," said the Southerner. "I am a New Orleans
+boy. I've been only a month in your city. Judge," he began
+earnestly, but in a voice which still held the drawl of the
+South, "I met a man from home last week on Broadway. He belonged
+to that spiritualistic school on Carondelet Street. He knows all
+that's going on in the spook world, and he tells me the ghost
+raisers have got their hooks into the old man pretty deep. Is
+that so?"
+
+The bewilderment of Judge Gaylor was complete and, without
+question, genuine.
+
+"I don't know what you mean," he said.
+
+"My informant tells me," continued the reporter, "that Mr.
+Hallowell has embraced -- if that's what you call it --
+spiritualism."
+
+Gaylor started forward.
+
+"What!" he roared.
+
+Unmoved, the other regarded the Judge keenly.
+
+"Spiritualism," he repeated, "and that a bunch of these mediums
+have got him so hypnotized he can't call his soul his own, or
+his money, either. Is that true?"
+
+Judge Gaylor's outburst was overwhelming. That it was genuine
+Mr. Lee, observing him closely, was convinced.
+
+"Of all the outrageous, ridiculous" -- the judge halted, gasping
+for words -- "and libelous statements!" he went on. "If you
+print that," he thundered, "Mr. Hallowell will sue your paper
+for half a million dollars. Can't you see the damage you would
+do? Can't your people see that if the idea got about that he was
+unable to direct his own affairs, that he was in the hands of
+mediums, it would invalidate everything he does? After his
+death, every act of his at this time, every paper he had signed,
+would be suspected, and -- and" -- stammered the Judge as his
+imagination pictured what might follow -- "they might even
+attack his will!" He advanced truculently. "Do you mean to
+publish this libel?"
+
+Lee moved his shoulders in deprecation. "I'm afraid we must," he
+said.
+
+"You must!" demanded Gaylor. "After what I've told you? Do you
+think I'm lying to you?"
+
+"No," said the reporter; "I don't think you are. Looks more like
+you didn't know."
+
+"Not know? I?" Gaylor laughed hysterically. "I am his lawyer. I
+am his best friend! Who will you believe?" He stepped to the
+table and pressed an electric button, and Garrett appeared in
+the hall. "Tell Dr. Rainey I want to see him," Gaylor commanded,
+"and return with him."
+
+As they waited, Judge Gaylor paced quickly to and fro. "I've had
+to deny some pretty silly stories about Mr. Hallowell," he said,
+"but of all the absurd, malicious - - There's some enemy back of
+this; some one in Wall Street is doing this. But I'll find him
+-- I'll -- " he was interrupted by the entrance of the butler
+and Dr. Rainey, Mr. Hallowell's personal physician.
+
+Rainey was a young man with a weak face, and knowing, shifting
+eyes that blinked behind a pair of eyeglasses. To conceal an
+indecision of character of which he was quite conscious, he
+assumed a manner that, according to whom he addressed, was
+familiar or condescending. At one of the big hospitals he had
+been an ambulance surgeon and resident physician, later he had
+started upon a somewhat doubtful career as a medical "expert."
+Only two years had passed since the police and the reporters of
+the Tenderloin had ceased calling him "Doc." In a celebrated
+criminal case in which Gaylor had acted as chief counsel, he had
+found Rainey complaisant and apparently totally without the
+moral sense. And when in Garrett he had discovered for Mr.
+Hallowell a model servant, he had also urged upon his friend,
+for his resident physician, his protege Rainey.
+
+Still at white heat, the older man began abruptly: "This
+gentleman is from the Republic. He is going to publish a story
+that Mr. Hallowell has fallen under the influence of mediums,
+clairvoyants; that everything he does is on advice from the
+spirit world -- " he turned sharply upon Lee. "Is that right?"
+The reporter nodded.
+
+"You can see the effect of such a story. It would invalidate
+every act of Mr. Hallowell's!"
+
+Dr. Rainey laughed offensively.
+
+"It might," he said, "but who'd believe it?"
+
+"He believes it!" cried Gaylor, "or he pretends to believe it.
+Tell him!" he commanded. "He won't believe me. Does Mr.
+Hallowell associate with mediums, and spirits -- and spooks?"
+
+Again the young doctor laughed.
+
+"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "It's not worth answering, Judge.
+You ought to treat it with silent contempt." From behind his
+glasses he winked at the reporter with a jocular, intimate
+smile. He was adapting himself to what he imagined was his
+company. "Where did you pick up that pipe dream?" he asked.
+
+Without answering, the Southerner regarded him steadily with
+inquiring, interested eyes. The doctor coughed nervously and
+turned to Judge Gaylor. In the manner of a cross-examination
+Gaylor called up his next witness.
+
+"Garrett, does any one visit Mr. Hallowell without your
+knowledge?" he asked. You may not open the door for him, but you
+know every one who gets in to see Mr. Hallowell, do you not?"
+
+"Every one, sir."
+
+"Do you admit any mediums, palm-readers, or people of that
+sort?"
+
+"Certainly not," returned the butler.
+
+"Dr. Rainey," he added, "would not permit it, sir."
+
+Gaylor stamped his foot with impatience.
+
+"Do you admit any one," he demanded, "without Dr. Rainey's
+permission?"
+
+"No, sir!" The reply could not have rung with greater emphasis.
+Triumphantly, Gaylor, with a wave of the hand, as though saying,
+"Take the witness," turned to Lee. "There you are," he cried.
+"Now, are you satisfied?"
+
+The reporter moved slowly toward the door. "I am satisfied," he
+said, "that the man doesn't admit any one without Dr. Rainey's
+permission."
+
+Indignantly, as though to intercept him, Judge Gaylor stepped
+forward. Both Rainey and himself spoke together.
+
+"What do you mean by that?" Rainey demanded.
+
+"Are you trying to be insolent, sir?" cried the Judge.
+
+Lee smiled pleasantly. "I had no intention of being insolent,"
+he said. "We have the facts -- I only came to give you a chance
+to explain them."
+
+Gaylor lost all patience.
+
+"What facts?" he shouted. "What facts? That mediums come here?"
+
+"Yes," said Lee.
+
+"When?" Gaylor cried. "Tell me that! When?"
+
+Lee regarded the older man thoughtfully.
+
+"Well, today is Thursday," he said. "They were here Monday
+morning, and Tuesday morning -- and -- the one they call Vera --
+will be here in half an hour."
+
+Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining
+hands.
+
+"See here!" he begged. "We can fix this!"
+
+"Fix it?" said the reporter. "Not with me, you can't." He turned
+to the door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell
+back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first
+time they saw how tall he was.
+
+"Get out of my way," he said. The butler hesitated and fell
+back. Lee walked into the hall.
+
+"I'll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you," he said.
+"It's a better story than I thought."
+
+As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless.
+The face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the
+front door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of
+each of his companions. The butler had dropped into a chair
+muttering and beating his fist into his open palm.
+
+Gaylor's voice was hardly louder than a whisper. "Is this true?"
+he asked.
+
+Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey
+snarled at him evilly. "Of course it's true," he said.
+
+"You've let these people see him!" cried Gaylor. "After I
+forbade it? After I told you what would happen?"
+
+"He would see them," Rainey answered hotly. "Twas better I
+chose them than -- "
+
+Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward.
+The Doctor backed hastily against the library table. "Don't you
+come near me!" he stammered. "Don't you touch me."
+
+"And you've lied to me!" cried Gaylor. "You've deceived me. You
+-- you jailbirds -- you idiots." His voice rose hysterically.
+"And do you think," he demanded fiercely, "I'll help you now?"
+
+"No!" said the butler.
+
+The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He
+turned stupidly as though he had not heard aright. "What?" he
+asked. From the easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen,
+hostile eyes.
+
+"No!" he repeated. "We don't think you'll help us. You never
+meant to help us. You've never thought of any one but yourself."
+
+The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
+
+"Jim!" he protested.
+
+"Don't do that!" commanded the butler sharply. "I've told you
+not to do that."
+
+The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of
+reproach was still in his voice.
+
+"I thought you could understand," he said. "It doesn't matter
+about him. But you! You should have seen what I was doing!"
+
+"I saw what you were doing," the butler replied. "Buying stocks,
+buying a country place. You didn't wait for him to die. What
+were we getting?"
+
+With returning courage, Rainey nodded vigorously.
+
+"That's right, all right," he protested. "What were we getting?"
+
+"What were you getting?" demanded Gaylor, eagerly. "If you'd
+only left him to me, till he signed the new will, you'd have had
+everything. It only needs his signature."
+
+"Yes," interrupted Garrett contemptuously; that's all it needs."
+
+"Oh, he'd have signed it!" cried Gaylor. "But what's it worth
+now! Nothing! Thanks to you two -- nothing! They'll claim undue
+influence, they'll claim he signed it under the influence of
+mediums -- of ghosts." His voice shook with anger and distress.
+"You've ruined me!" he cried. "You've ruined me."
+
+He turned and paced from them, his fingers interlacing, his
+teeth biting upon his lower lip. The two other men glanced at
+each other uncomfortably; their silence seemed to assure Gaylor
+that already they regretted what they had done. He stood over
+Garrett, and for an instant laid his hand upon his shoulder. His
+voice now was sane and cold.
+
+"I've worked three years for this," he said. "And for you, too,
+Jim. You know that. I've worked on his vanity, on his fear of
+death, on his damn superstition. When he talked of restitution,
+of giving the money to his niece, I asked Why?' I said, Leave it
+for a great monument to your memory. Isn't it better that ten
+million dollars should be spent in good works in your name than
+that it should go to a chit of a child to be wasted by some
+fortune hunter? And -- then -- I evolved the Hallowell
+Institute, university, hospital, library, all under one roof,
+all under one direction; and I would have been the director. We
+should have handled ten millions of dollars! I'd have made you
+both so rich," he cried savagely, "that in two years you'd have
+drunk yourselves into a mad-house. And you couldn't trust me!
+You've filled this house with fakes and palm-readers. And, now,
+every one will know just what he is -- a senile, half-witted old
+man who was clay in my hands, clay in my hands -- and you've
+robbed me of him, you've robbed me of him!" His voice, broken
+with anger and disappointment, rose in an hysterical wail. As
+though to meet it a bell rang shrilly. Gaylor started and stood
+with eyes fixed on the door of the bedroom. The three men eyed
+each other guiltily.
+
+The butler was the first to recover. With mask-like face he
+hastened noiselessly across the room. In his tones of usual
+authority, Gaylor stopped him.
+
+"Tell Mr. Hallowell," he directed, "that his niece and District
+Attorney Winthrop will be here any moment. Ask him if he wishes
+me to see them, or if he will talk to them himself?"
+
+When the faithful servant had entered the bedroom Gaylor turned
+to Rainey.
+
+"When do these mediums come today?" he asked.
+
+Rainey stared sulkily at the floor.
+
+"I think they're here now -- downstairs," he answered. Garrett
+generally hides them there till you're out of the house."
+
+"Indeed," commented Gaylor dryly. "After Winthrop and Miss
+Coates have gone, I want to talk with your friends."
+
+"Now, see here, Judge," whined Rainey; "don't make trouble. It
+isn't as bad as you think. The old man's only investigating -- "
+
+"Hush!" commanded the Judge.
+
+From the bedroom, leaning on the butler's arm, Stephen
+Hallowell came stumbling toward them and, with a sigh, sank into
+an invalid's chair that was placed for him between the fire and
+the long library table.. He was a very feeble, very old man,
+with a white face, and thin, white hair, but with a mouth and
+lower jaw as hard and uncompromising as those of a skull. His
+eyes, which were strangely brilliant and young-looking, peered
+suspiciously from under ragged white eyebrows. But when they
+fell upon the doctor, the eyes became suddenly credulous,
+pleading, filled with self-pity.
+
+"I'm a very sick man, Doctor," said Mr. Hallowell.
+
+Judge Gaylor bustled forward cheerily. "Nonsense, Stephen,
+nonsense," he cried; "you look a different man this morning.
+Doesn't he, Doctor?"
+
+"Sure he does!" assented Rainey. "Little sleep was all he
+needed." Mr. Hallowell shook his head petulantly. "Not at all!"
+he protested. "That was a very serious attack. This morning my
+head hurts -- hurts me to think -- "
+
+"Perhaps," said Gaylor, "you'd prefer that I talked to your
+niece."
+
+"No!" exclaimed the invalid excitedly. "I want to see her
+myself. I want to tell her, once and for all -- " He checked
+himself and frowned at the Doctor. "You needn't wait," he said.
+"And Doctor," he added meaningly, "after these people go, you
+come back."
+
+With a conscious glance at the Judge, Rainey nodded and left
+them.
+
+"No," continued the old man; "I want to talk to my niece myself.
+But I don't want to talk to Winthrop. He's too clever a young
+man, Winthrop. In the merger case, you remember -- had me on the
+stand for three hours. Made me talk too." The mind of the old
+man suddenly veered at a tangent. "How the devil can Helen
+retain him?" he demanded peevishly. "She can't retain him. She
+hasn't any money. And he's District Attorney too. It's against
+the law. Is he doing it as a speculation? Does he want to marry
+her?"
+
+Judge Gaylor laughed soothingly.
+
+"Heavens, no!" he said. "She's in his office, that's all. When
+she took this craze to be independent of you, he gave her a
+position as secretary, or as stenographer, or something. She's
+probably told him her story, her side of it, and he's helping
+her out of charity.:" The Judge smiled tolerantly. "He does that
+sort of thing, I believe."
+
+The old man struck the library table with his palm. "I wish he'd
+mind his own business," he cried. "It's my money. She has no
+claim to it, never had any claim --"
+
+The Judge interrupted quickly.
+
+"That's all right, Stephen; that's all right," he said. "Don't
+excite yourself. Just get what you're to say straight in your
+mind and stick to it. Remember," he went on, as though coaching
+a child in a task already learned, "there never was a written
+agreement.
+
+"No!" muttered Hallowell. "Never was!"
+
+"Repeat this to yourself," commanded the Judge. "The
+understanding between you and your brother-in-law was that if
+you placed his patent on the market, for the first five years
+you would share the profits equally. After the five years, all
+rights in the patent became yours. It was unfortunate,"
+commented the Judge dryly, "that your brother-in-law and your
+sister died before the five years were up, especially as the
+patent did not begin to make money until after five years.
+Remember -- until after five years."
+
+"Until after five years," echoed Mr. Hallowell. "It was over six
+years," he went on excitedly, "before it made a cent. And, then,
+it was my money -- and anything I give my niece is charity.
+She's not entitled -- "
+
+Garrett appeared at the door. "Miss Coates," he announced, "and
+Mr. Winthrop." Judge Gaylor raised a hand for silence, and as
+Mr. Hallowell sank back in his chair, Helen Coates, the only
+child of Catherine Coates, his sister, and the young District
+Attorney of New York came into the library. Miss Coates was a
+woman of between twenty-five and thirty, capable, and self-
+reliant. She had a certain beauty of a severe type, but an
+harassed expression about her eyes made her appear to be always
+frowning. At times, in a hardening of the lower part of her
+face, she showed a likeness to her uncle. Like him, in speaking,
+also, her manner was positive and decided.
+
+In age the young man who accompanied her was ten years her
+senior, but where her difficulties had made her appear older
+than she really was, the enthusiasm with which he had thrown
+himself against those of his own life, had left him young.
+
+The rise of Winthrop had been swift and spectacular. Almost as
+soon as he graduated from the college in the little "up-state"
+town where he had been educated, and his family had always
+lived, he became the prosecuting attorney of that town, and
+later, at Albany, represented the district in the Assembly. From
+Albany he entered a law office in New York City, and in the
+cause of reform had fought so many good fights that on an
+independent ticket, much to his surprise, he had been lifted to
+the high position he now held. No more in his manner than in his
+appearance did Winthrop suggest the popular conception of his
+role. He was not professional, not mysterious. Instead, he was
+sane, cheerful, tolerant. It was his philosophy to believe that
+the world was innocent until it was proved guilty.
+
+He was a bachelor and, except for two sisters who had married
+men of prominence in New York and who moved in a world of
+fashion into which he had not penetrated, he was alone.
+
+When the visitors entered, Mr. Hallowell, without rising,
+greeted his niece cordially.
+
+"Ah, Helen! I am glad to see you," he called, and added
+reproachfully, "at last."
+
+"How do you do, sir?" returned Miss Helen stiffly. With marked
+disapproval she bowed to Judge Gaylor.
+
+"And our District Attorney," cried Mr. Hallowell. "Pardon my not
+rising, won't you? I haven't seen you, sir, since you tried to
+get the Grand Jury to indict me." He chucked delightedly. "You
+didn't succeed," he taunted.
+
+Winthrop shook hands with him, smiling, "Don't blame me," he
+said, "I did my best. I'm glad to see you in such good spirits,
+Mr. Hallowell. I feared, by the Despatch -- "
+
+"Lies, lies," interrupted Hallowell curtly. "You know Judge
+Gaylor?"
+
+As he shook hands, Winthrop answered that the Judge and he were
+old friends; that they knew each other well.
+
+"Know each other so well!" returned the Judge, "that we ought to
+be old enemies."
+
+The younger man nodded appreciatively. "That's true!" he
+laughed, "only I didn't think you'd admit it."
+
+With light sarcasm Mr. Hallowell inquired whether Winthrop was
+with them in his official capacity.
+
+"Oh, don't suggest that!" begged Winthrop; "you'll be having me
+indicted next. No sir, I am here without any excuse whatsoever.
+I am just interfering as a friend of this young lady."
+
+"Good," commented Hallowell. "I'd be sorry to have my niece
+array counsel against me -- especially such distinguished
+counsel. Sit down, Helen."
+
+Miss Coates balanced herself on the edge of a chair and spoke in
+cool, business-like tones, "Mr. Hallowell," she began, "I came."
+
+"Mr. Hallowell?" objected her uncle.
+
+"Uncle Stephen," Miss Coates again began, "I wish to be as brief
+as possible. I asked you to see me today because I hoped that by
+talking things over we might avoid lawsuits and litigation."
+
+Mr. Hallowell nodded his approval. "Yes," he said encouragingly.
+
+"I have told Mr. Winthrop what the trouble is," Miss Coates went
+on, "and he agrees with me that I have been very unjustly
+treated -- "
+
+"By whom?" interrupted Hallowell.
+
+"By you," said his niece.
+
+"Wait, Helen," commanded the old man. "Have you also told Mr.
+Winthrop," he demanded, "that I have made a will in your favor?
+That, were I to die tonight, you would inherit ten millions of
+dollars? Is that the injustice of which you complain?"
+
+Judge Gaylor gave an exclamation of pleasure.
+
+"Good!" he applauded. "Excellent!"
+
+Hallowell turned indignantly to Winthrop. "And did she tell you
+also," he demanded, "that for three years I have urged her to
+make a home in this house? That I have offered her an income as
+large as I would give my own daughter, and that she has refused
+both offers. And what's more" -- in his excitement his voice
+rose hysterically -- "by working publicly for her living she has
+made me appear mean and uncharitable, and -- "
+
+"That's just it," interrupted Miss Coates. "It isn't a question
+of charity."
+
+"Will you allow me?" said Winthrop soothingly. "Your niece
+contends, sir," he explained, "that this money you offered her
+is not yours to offer. She claims it belongs to her. That it's
+what should have been her father's share of the profits on the
+Coates-Hallowell coupling pin. But, as you have willed your
+niece so much money, although half of it is hers already, I
+advised her not to fight. Going to law is an expensive business.
+But she has found out -- and that's what brings me uptown this
+morning -- that you intend to make a new will, and leave all her
+money and your own to establish the Hallowell Institute. Now,"
+Winthrop continued, with a propitiating smile, "Miss Coates also
+would like to be a philanthropist, in her own way, with her own
+money. And she wishes to warn you that, unless you deliver up
+what is due her, she will proceed against you."
+
+Judge Gaylor was the first to answer.
+
+"Mr. Winthrop," he said impressively, "I give you my word, there
+is not one dollar due Miss Coates, except what Mr. Hallowell
+pleases to give her. "
+
+Miss Coates contradicted him sharply. "That is not so," she
+said. She turned to her uncle, "You and my father," she
+declared, "agreed in writing you would share the profits
+always." Mr. Hallowell looked from his niece to his lawyer. The
+lawyer, eyeing him apprehensively, nodded. With the patient
+voice of one who tried to reason with an unreasonable child, Mr.
+Hallowell began. "Helen," he said, "I have told you many times
+there never was such an agreement. There was a verbal -- "
+
+"And I repeat, I saw it," said Miss Coates.
+
+"When?" asked Hallowell.
+
+"I saw it first when I was fifteen," answered the young woman
+steadily, "and two years later, before mother died, she showed
+it to me again. It was with father's papers."
+
+"Miss Coates," asked the Judge, "where is this agreement now?"
+
+For a moment Miss Coates hesitated. Her dislike for Gaylor was
+so evident that, to make it less apparent, she lowered her eyes.
+"My uncle should be able to tell you," she said evenly. "He was
+my father's executor. But, when he returned my father's papers"
+-- she paused and then, although her voice fell to almost a
+whisper, continued defiantly, "the agreement was not with them."
+
+There was a moment's silence. To assure himself the others had
+heard as he did, Mr. Hallowell glanced quickly from Winthrop to
+Gaylor. He half rose from his chair and leaned across the table.
+
+"What!" he demanded. His niece looked at him steadily.
+
+"You heard what I said," she answered.
+
+The old man leaned farther forward.
+
+"So!" he cried; "so! I am not only doing you an injustice, but I
+am a thief! Mr. Winthrop," he cried appealingly, "do you
+appreciate the seriousness of this?"
+
+Winthrop nodded cheerfully. "It's certainly pretty serious," he
+assented.
+
+"It is so serious," cried Mr. Hallowell, "that I welcome you
+into this matter. Now, we will settle it once and forever." He
+turned to his niece. "I have tried to be generous," he cried; "I
+have tried to be kind, and you insult me in my own house." He
+pressed the button that summoned the butler from the floor
+below. "Gentlemen, this interview is at an end. From now on this
+matter is in the hands of my lawyer. We will settle this in the
+courts."
+
+With an exclamation of pleasure that was an acceptance of his
+challenge, Miss Coates rose.
+
+"That is satisfactory to me," she said. Winthrop turned to Mr.
+Hallowell.
+
+"Could I have a few minutes talk with Judge Gaylor now?" he
+asked. "Not as anybody's counsel," he explained; "just as an old
+enemy of his?"
+
+"Well, not here," protested the old man querulously. "I'm -- I'm
+expecting some friends here. Judge, take Mr. Winthrop to the
+drawing room downstairs." He turned to Garrett, who had appeared
+in answer to his summons, and told him to bring Dr. Rainey to
+the library. The butler left the room and, as Gaylor and
+Winthrop followed, the latter asked Miss Coates if he might
+expect to see her at the "Office." She told him that she was now
+on her way there. Without acknowledging the presence of her
+uncle, she had started to follow the others, when Mr. Hallowell
+stopped her.
+
+After they were alone, for a moment he sat staring at her, his
+eyes filled with dislike and with a suggestion of childish
+spite. "I might as well tell you," he began, "that after what
+you said this morning, I will never give you a single dollar of
+my money."
+
+The tone in which his niece replied to him was no more
+conciliatory than his own. "You cannot give it to me," she
+answered, "because it is not yours to give." As though to add
+impressiveness to what she was about to say, or to prevent his
+interrupting her, she raised her hand. So interested in each
+other were the old man and the girl that neither noticed the
+appearance in the door of Dr. Rainey and the butler, who halted,
+hesitating, waiting permission to enter.
+
+"That money belongs to me," said Miss Coates slowly, "and as
+sure as my mother is in Heaven and her spirit is guiding me,
+that money will be given me."
+
+In the pause that followed, a swift and singular change came
+over the face of Mr. Hallowell. He stared at his niece as though
+fascinated. His lower lip dropped in awe. The look of hostility
+gave way to one of intense interest. His voice was hardly louder
+than a whisper.
+
+"What do you mean?" he demanded.
+
+The girl looked at him, uncomprehending. "What do I mean?" she
+repeated.
+
+"When you said," he stammered eagerly, "that the spirit of your
+mother was guiding you, what did you mean?"
+
+In the doorway, Rainey and the butler started. Each threw the
+other a quick glance of concern.
+
+"Why," exclaimed the girl impatiently, "her influence, her
+example, what she taught me."
+
+"Oh!" exclaimed the old man. He leaned back with an air almost
+of disappointment.
+
+"When she was alive?" he said.
+
+"Of course," answered the girl.
+
+"Of course," repeated the uncle. "I thought you meant -- " He
+looked suspiciously at her and shook his head. "Never mind," he
+added. "Well," he went on cynically, striving to cover up the
+embarrassment of the moment, "your mother's spirit will probably
+feel as deep an interest in her brother as in her daughter. We
+shall see, we shall see which of us two she is going to help."
+He turned to Garrett and Rainey in the hall. "Take my niece to
+the door, Garrett," he directed.
+
+As soon as Miss Coates had disappeared, Hallowell turned to
+Rainey, his face lit with pleased and childish anticipation.
+
+"Well," he whispered eagerly, "is she here?"
+
+Rainey nodded and glanced in the direction opposite to the one
+Miss Coates had taken. "She's been waiting half an hour. And the
+Professor too."
+
+"Bring them at once," commanded Mr. Hallowell excitedly. "And
+then shut the door -- and -- and tell the Judge I can't see him
+-- tell him I'm too tired to see him. Understand?"
+
+Rainey peered cautiously over the railing of the stairs to the
+first floor, and then beckoned to some one who apparently was
+waiting at the end of the hall.
+
+"Miss Vera, sir," he announced, "and Professor Vance."
+
+Although but lately established in New York, the persons Dr.
+Rainey introduced had already made themselves comparatively
+well-known. For the last six weeks as "headliners" at one of the
+vaudeville theatres, and as entertainers at private houses,
+under the firm name of "The Vances," they had been giving an
+exhibition of code and cipher signaling. They called it mind
+reading. During the day, at the house of Vance and his wife, the
+girl, as "Vera, the Medium," furnished to all comers memories of
+the past or news of the future. In their profession, in all of
+its branches, the man and the girl were past masters. They knew
+it from the A, B, C of the dream book to the post-graduate work
+of projecting from a cabinet the spirits of the dead. As the
+occasion offered and paid best, they were mind readers,
+clairvoyants, materializing mediums, test mediums. From them, a
+pack of cards, a crystal globe, the lines of the human hand,
+held no secrets. They found lost articles, cast horoscopes, gave
+advice in affairs of the heart, of business and speculation,
+uttered warnings of journeys over seas and against a smooth-
+shaven stranger. They even stooped to foretell earthquakes, or
+caused to drop fluttering from the ceiling a letter straight
+from the Himalayas. Among those who are the gypsies of the
+cities, they were the aristocrats of their calling, and to them
+that calling was as legitimate a business as is, to the roadside
+gypsy, the swapping of horses. The fore-parents of each had
+followed that same calling, and to the children it was
+commonplace and matter-of-fact. It held no adventure, no moral
+obloquy.
+
+"Prof." Paul Vance was a young man of under forty years. He
+looked like a fox. He had red eyes, alert and cunning, a long,
+sharp-pointed nose, a pointed red beard, and red eyebrows that
+slanted upward. His hair, standing erect in a pompadour, and his
+uplifted eyebrows gave him the watchful look of the fox when he
+hears suddenly the hound baying in pursuit. But no one had ever
+successfully pursued Vance. No one had ever driven him into a
+corner from which, either pleasantly, or with raging
+indignation, he was not able to free himself. Seven years before
+he had disloyally married out of the "profession" and for no
+other reason than that he was in love with the woman he married.
+She had come to seek advice from the spirit world in regard to
+taking a second husband. After several visits the spirit world
+had advised Vance to advise her to marry Vance.
+
+She did so, and though the man was still in love with his wife,
+he had not found her, in his work, the assistance he had hoped
+she might be. She still was a "believer"; in the technical
+vernacular of her husband -- "a dope." Not even the intimate
+knowledge she had gained behind the scenes could persuade her
+that Paul, her husband, was not in constant communication with
+the spirit world, or that, if he wished, he could not read the
+thoughts that moved slowly through her pretty head.
+
+At the time of his marriage, the girl Vera, then a child of
+fourteen, had written to Vance for help. She was ill, without
+money, and asked for work. To him she was known as the last of a
+long line of people who had always been professional mediums and
+spiritualists, and, out of charity and from a sense of noblesse
+oblige to one of the elect of the profession, Vance had made her
+his assistant. He had never regretted having done so. The bread
+cast upon the waters was returned a thousandfold. From the
+first, the girl brought in money. And his wife, the older of the
+two, had welcomed her as a companion. After a fashion the Vances
+had adopted her. In the advertisements she was described as
+their "ward."
+
+Vera now was twenty-one, tall, wonderfully graceful, and of the
+most enchanting loveliness. Her education had been cosmopolitan.
+In the largest cities of America she had met persons of every
+class -- young women, old women, mothers with married sons and
+daughters; women of society as it is exploited in the Sunday
+supplements; school girls, shop girls, factory girls -- all had
+told her their troubles; and men of every condition had come to
+scoff and had remained to express, more or less offensively,
+their admiration. Some of the younger of these, after a first
+visit, returned the day following, and each begged the beautiful
+priestess of the occult to fly with him, to live with him, to
+marry him. When this happened Vera would touch a button, and
+"Mannie" Day, who admitted visitors, and later, in the hall,
+searched their hats and umbrellas for initials, came on the run
+and threw the infatuated one out upon a cold and unfeeling
+sidewalk.
+
+So Vera had seen both the seamy side of life and, in the drawing
+rooms where Vance and she exhibited their mind reading tricks,
+had been made much of by great ladies and, for an hour as brief
+as Cinderella's, had looked upon a world of kind and well-bred
+people. Since she was fourteen, for seven years, this had been
+her life -- a life as open to the public as the life of an
+actress, as easy of access as that of the stenographer in the
+hotel lobby. As a result, the girl had encased herself in a
+defensive armor of hardness and distrust, a protection which was
+rendered futile by the loveliness of her face, by the softness
+of her voice, by the deep, brooding eyes, and the fine forehead
+on which, like a crown, rested the black waves of her hair.
+
+In her work Vera accepted, without question, the parts to which
+Vance assigned her. When in their mummeries they were
+successful, she neither enjoyed the credulity of those they had
+tricked nor was sobered with remorse. In the world Vance found a
+certain number of people with money who demanded to be fooled.
+It was his business and hers to meet that demand. If ever the
+conscience of either stirred restlessly, Vance soothed it by the
+easy answer that if they did not take the money some one else
+would. It was all in the day's work. It was her profession.
+
+As she entered the library of Mr. Hallowell, which, with Vance,
+she already had visited several times, she looked like a child
+masquerading in her mother's finery. She suggested an ingenue
+who had been suddenly sent on in the role of the Russian
+adventuress. Her slight girl's figure was draped in black lace.
+Her face was shaded by a large picture hat, heavy with drooping
+ostrich feathers; around her shoulders was a necklace of jade,
+and on her wrists many bracelets of silver gilt. When she moved
+they rattled. As the girl advanced, smiling, to greet Mr.
+Hallowell, she suddenly stopped, shivered slightly, and threw
+her right arm across her eyes. Her left arm she stretched over
+the table.
+
+"Give me your hand!" she commanded. Dubiously, with a watchful
+glance at Vance, Mr. Hallowell leaned forward and took her hand.
+
+"You have been ill," cried the girl; "very ill -- I see you -- I
+see you in a kind of faint -- very lately." Her voice rose
+excitedly. "Yes, last night."
+
+Mr. Hallowell protested with indignation. "You read that in the
+morning paper," he said.
+
+Vera lowered her arm from her eyes and turned them reproachfully
+on him.
+
+"I don't read the Despatch," she answered.
+
+Mr. Hallowell drew back suspiciously. "I didn't say it was the
+Despatch," he returned.
+
+Vance quickly interposed. "You don't have to say it," he
+explained with glibness; "you thought it. And Vera read your
+thoughts. You were thinking of the Despatch, weren't you? Well,
+there you are! It's wonderful!"
+
+"Wonderful? Nonsense!" mocked Mr. Hallowell. "She did read it in
+the paper or Rainey told her."
+
+The girl shrugged her shoulders patiently. "If you would rather
+find out you were ill from the newspapers than from the spirit
+world," she inquired, "why do you ask me here?"
+
+"I ask you here, young woman," exclaimed Hallowell, sinking back
+in his chair, "because I hoped you would tell me something I
+can't learn from the newspapers. But you haven't been able to do
+it yet. My dear young lady," exclaimed the old man wistfully, "I
+want to believe, but I must be convinced. No tricks with me! I
+can explain how you might have found out everything you have
+told me. Give me a sign!" He beat the flat of his hand upon the
+table. "Show me something I can't explain!"
+
+"Mr. Hallowell is quite right, Vera," said Vance. "He is
+entering what is to him a new world, full of mysteries, and that
+caution which in this world has made him so successful -- "
+
+With an exclamation, Hallowell cut short the patter of the
+showman.
+
+"Yes, yes," he interrupted petulantly; "I tell you, I want to
+believe. Convince me."
+
+Considering the situation with pursed lips and thoughtful eyes,
+Vera gazed at the old man, frowning. Finally she asked, "Have
+you witnessed out demonstrations of mind reading?"
+
+Mr. Hallowell snorted. "Certainly not," he replied; "it's a
+trick!"
+
+"A trick!" cried the girl indignantly, "to read a man's mind --
+to see right through your forehead, through your skull, into
+your brain? Is that a trick?" She turned sharply to Vance. "Show
+him!" she commanded; "show him!" She crossed rapidly to the
+window and stood looking down into the street, with her back to
+the room.
+
+Vance, with his back turned to Vera, stood close to the table,
+on the other side of which Hallowell was reclining in his arm
+chair. Vance picked up a pen holder.
+
+"Think of what I have in my hand, please," he said. "What is
+this, Vera?" he asked. The girl, gazing from the window at the
+traffic in the avenue below her, answered with indifference, "A
+pen holder."
+
+"Yes, what about it?" snapped Vance.
+
+"Gold pen holder," Vera answered more rapidly. "Much engraving
+-- initials S. H. -- Mr. Hallowell's initials -- "
+
+"There is a date too. Can you -- "
+
+"December -- " Vera hesitated.
+
+"Go on," commanded Vance.
+
+"Twenty-five, one, eight, eight, six; one thousand eight hundred
+and eighty-six." She moved her shoulders impatiently.
+
+"Oh, tell him to think of something difficult," she said.
+
+From behind Mr. Hallowell's chair Rainey signaled to Vance to
+take from the table a photograph frame of silver which held the
+picture of a woman.
+
+Vance picked it up, holding it close to him.
+
+"What have I here, Vera?" he asked.
+
+Hallowell, seeing what Vance held in his hand, leaned forward.
+"Put that down!" he commanded. But Vera had already begun to
+answer.
+
+"A picture, a picture of a young woman. Ask him to think of who
+it is and I will tell him."
+
+At the words Mr. Hallowell hesitated, frowned, and then nodded.
+
+"It is his sister," called Vera. "Her name was -- I seem to get
+a Catherine -- yes, that's it; Catherine Coates. She is no
+longer with us. She passed into the spirit world three years
+ago." The girl turned suddenly and approached the table, holding
+her head high, as though offended.
+
+"How do you explain that trick?" she demanded.
+
+Mr. Hallowell moved uneasily in his chair. "Oh, the picture's
+been on my desk each time you've been here," he answered
+dubiously. "Rainey could have told you."
+
+"As a matter of fact, I didn't," said Rainey.
+
+Hallowell's eyes lightened with interest. "Didn't you?" he
+asked. He turned to Vera. "If you can read my mind," he
+challenged -- "you," he added, pointing at Vance, "keep out of
+this now -- tell me of what I am thinking." As Vance drew back,
+Rainey and himself exchanged a quick glance of apprehension, but
+the girl promptly closed her eyes, and at once, in a dull,
+measured tone, began to speak.
+
+"You were thinking you would like to ask a question of some one
+in the spirit," she recited. "But you are afraid. You do not
+trust me. You will wait until I give you a sign; then you will
+ask that question of some one dear to you, who has passed
+beyond, and she will answer, and your troubles will be at an
+end." She opened her eyes and stared at Mr. Hallowell like one
+coming out of a dream. "What did I say?" she asked. "Was I
+right?"
+
+Hallowell slank back in his chair, shaking his head.
+
+"Yes," he began grudgingly, "but -- "
+
+With an eagerness hardly concealed, Vance interrupted.
+
+"What is the question you wish to ask?" he begged.
+
+With a frown of suspicion, Hallowell turned from him to Rainey.
+
+"I don't think I ought to let them know," he questioned; "do
+you?" But his attention was sharply diverted.
+
+Vera, in a hushed and solemn voice, called for silence.
+
+"My control," she explained -- her tone was deep and awestruck
+-- "is trying to communicate with me."
+
+Vance gave an exclamation of concern. The prospect of the
+phenomena Vera promised seemed to fill him with delightful
+expectations. "Be very quiet," he cautioned, "do not disturb
+her."
+
+Deeply impressed, Mr. Hallowell struggled from his chair.
+Unaided, he moved to below the table and leaning against it
+looked, with unwilling but fascinated interest, at Vera's
+uplifted face.
+
+"Some one in the spirit," Vera chanted, in an unemotional,
+drugged voice, "wishes to speak to Mr. Hallowell. Give me your
+hand."
+
+"Quick!" directed Vance, "give her your hand. Take her hand."
+
+"Yes, he is here," Vera continued. "A woman has a message for
+you, she is standing close beside you. She is holding out her
+arms. And she is trying, so hard, to tell you something. What is
+it?" the girl questioned. "Oh, what is it? Tell me," she begged.
+"Can't you tell me?"
+
+Hallowell eyed her greedily, waiting almost without breathing
+for her words. The hand with which he held hers crushed her
+rings into her fingers.
+
+"What sort?" -- whispered the old man. "What sort of a woman?"
+
+With eyes still closed, swaying slightly and with abrupt
+shudders running down her body, the girl continued in dull,
+fateful tones.
+
+"She is a fair woman; about forty-five. She is speaking. She
+calls to you, Brother, brother." Vera's voice rose excitedly.
+"It is the woman in the picture; your sister! Catherine! I see
+it written above her head -- Catherine. In letters of light."
+She turned suddenly and fiercely. "Ask her your question!" she
+commanded. "Ask her your question, now!"
+
+By the sudden swaying forward of Vance and Rainey, in the intent
+look in their eyes, it was evident that a crisis had approached.
+But Mr. Hallowell, terrified and trembling, shrank back. His
+voice broke hysterically. "No, no!" he pleaded. Both anger and
+disappointment showed in the face of Vance and Rainey; but the
+girl, as though detached from any human concerns, continued
+unmoved. "I see another figure," she recited. "A young girl, but
+she is of this world. I seem to get an H. Yes. Helen, in letters
+of fire."
+
+"My niece, Helen!" Hallowell whispered hoarsely.
+
+"Yes, your niece," chanted the girl. Her voice rose and
+thrilled. "And I see much gold," she cried. "Between the two
+women, heaps of gold. Everywhere I look I see gold. And, now,
+the other woman, your sister, is trying to speak to you. Listen!
+She calls to you, Brother!"
+
+So centered was the interest of those in the room, so compelling
+the sound of the girl's voice, that, unnoticed, the sliding
+doors to the library were slipped apart. Unobserved, Judge
+Gaylor and Winthrop halted in the doorway. To the Judge the
+meaning of the scene was instantly apparent. His face flushed
+furiously. Winthrop, uncomprehending, gazed unconcerned over
+Gaylor's shoulder. The voice of Vera rose hysterically to her
+climax.
+
+"She bids me tell you," Vera cried; " Tell my brother -- "
+
+Gaylor swept toward her.
+
+"What damned farce is this?" he shouted.
+
+The effect of the interruption was instant and startling. Mr.
+Hallowell, who, in the last few minutes, had believed he was
+listening to a voice from the dead, collapsed upon the shoulder
+of Rainey, who sprang to support him. Like a somnambulist
+wrenched from sleep, Vera gave a scream of fright, half genuine,
+half assumed, and swayed as though about to fall. Vance caught
+her in his arms. He turned on Gaylor, his cunning red eyes
+flashing evilly.
+
+"You brute!" he cried, "you might have killed her."
+
+Between her sobs, Vera, her head upon the shoulder of Vance,
+whispered a question. As quickly, under cover of muttered
+sympathy, Vance answered: "Gaylor. The Judge."
+
+Still slightly swaying, Vera stood upright. She passed her hand
+vaguely before her eyes. "Where am I?" she asked feebly. "Where
+am I?"
+
+Gaylor shook his fist at the girl.
+
+"You know where you are!" he thundered; "and you know where
+you're going -- you're going to jail!"
+
+In the hush that followed Vera drew herself to her full height.
+She regarded Gaylor wonderingly, haughtily, as though he were
+some drunken intruder from the street.
+
+"Are you speaking to me?" she asked.
+
+"Yes, to you," shouted the lawyer. "You're an imposter, and a
+swindler, and -- and -- "
+
+Winthrop pushed between them.
+
+"Yes, and she's a woman," he said briskly. "If you want a row,
+talk to the man."
+
+To this point the scene had brought to Vera no emotion save the
+excitement that is felt by the one who is struggling to escape.
+The appearance of a champion added a new interest. Through no
+fault of her own, she had learned by experience that to the one
+man who annoyed her there always were six to spring to her
+protection. So the glance she covertly turned upon Winthrop was
+one less of gratitude than curiosity.
+
+But at the first sight of him the girl started, her eyes lit
+with recognition, her face flushed. And then, although the man
+was in no way regarding her, her eyes filled, and in
+mortification and dismay she blushed crimson.
+
+His anger still unsatisfied, Gaylor turned upon Vance.
+
+"And you," he cried; "you're going to jail too. I'll drive -- "
+
+The voice of Mr. Hallowell, shaken with pain and distress, rose
+feebly, beseechingly. "Henry!" he begged. "I can't stand it!"
+
+"Judge Gaylor!" thundered Rainey, "I won't be responsible if you
+keep this up."
+
+With an exclamation of remorse, Vera ran to the side of the old
+man. With Rainey on his other hand, she raised him upright upon
+his feet.
+
+"Lean on me," begged the girl breathlessly. "I'm very strong.
+Lean on me."
+
+Mr. Hallowell shook his head. "No, child," he protested, "not
+you." He turned to his old friend. "You help me, Henry," he
+begged.
+
+With the authority of the medical man, Rainey waved Vance into
+the bedroom. "Close those windows," he ordered. "You help me!"
+he commanded of Gaylor. "Put your arm under him."
+
+Mr. Hallowell, protesting feebly and leaning heavily upon the
+two men, stumbled into the bedroom , and the door was shut
+behind him.
+
+For a moment the girl and the man stood in silence, and then, as
+though suddenly conscious of her presence, Winthrop turned and
+smiled.
+
+The girl did not answer his smile. From under the shadow of the
+picture hat and the ostrich feathers her eyes regarded him
+searchingly, watchfully.
+
+For the first time, Winthrop had the chance to observe her. He
+saw that she was very young, that her clothes cruelly disguised
+her, that she was only a child masquerading as a brigand, that
+her face was distractingly lovely. Having noted this, the fact
+that she had driven several grown men to abuse and vituperation
+struck him as being extremely humorous; nor did he try to
+conceal his amusement. But the watchfulness in the eyes of the
+girl did not relax.
+
+"I'm afraid I interfered with your seance," said the District
+Attorney.
+
+The girl regarded him warily, like a fencer fixing her eyes on
+those of her opponent. There was a pause which lasted so long
+that had the silence continued it would have been rude. "Well,"
+the girl returned at last, timidly, "that's what the city
+expects you to do, is it not?"
+
+Winthrop laughed. "How did you know who I was?" he asked, and
+then added quickly, "Of course, you're a mind reader."
+
+For the first time the girl smiled. Winthrop found it a charming
+smile, wistful and confiding.
+
+"I don't have to ask the spirit world," she said, "to tell me
+who is District Attorney of New York."
+
+"Yes," said the District Attorney; "yes, I suppose you have to
+be pretty well acquainted with some of the laws -- those about
+mediums?"
+
+"If you knew as much about other laws," began Vera, "as I do
+about the law -- " She broke off and again smiled upon him.
+
+"Then you probably know," said Winthrop, "that what our excited
+friend said to you just now is legally quite true?"
+
+The smile passed from the face of the girl. She looked at the
+young man with fine disdain, as a great lady might reprove with
+a glance the man who snapped a camera at her. "Yes?" she asked.
+"Well, what are you going to do about it -- arrest me?" Mocking
+him, in a burlesque of melodrama, she held out her arms. "Don't
+put the handcuffs on me," she begged.
+
+Winthrop found her impudence amusing; and, with the charm of her
+novelty, he was conscious of a growing conviction that,
+somewhere, they had met before; that already at a crisis she had
+come into his life.
+
+"I won't arrest you," he said with a puzzled smile, "on one
+condition."
+
+"Ah!" mocked Vera; "he is generous."
+
+"And the condition is," Winthrop went on seriously, "that you
+tell me where we met before?"
+
+The girl's expression became instantly mask-like. To learn if he
+suspected where it was that they had met, she searched his face
+quickly. She was reassured that of the event he had no real
+recollection.
+
+"That's rather difficult, isn't it," she continued lightly,
+"when you consider I've been giving exhibitions of mind readings
+for the last six weeks on Broadway, and in the homes of people
+you probably know?"
+
+"No," Winthrop exclaimed eagerly, "it wasn't in a theatre, and
+it wasn't in a private house. It was -- " he shook his head
+helplessly, and looked at her for assistance. "You don't know,
+do you?"
+
+The girl regarded him steadily. "How should I?" she said. And
+then, as though decided upon a course of action of the wisdom of
+which she was uncertain, she laughed uneasily.
+
+"But the spirits would know," she said. "I might ask them."
+
+"Do!" cried Winthrop, delightedly. "How much would that be?"
+
+As though to reprove his flippancy, the girl frowned. With a
+nervous tremor, which this time seemed genuine enough, she threw
+back her head, closed her eyes, and laid her arm across her
+forehead.
+
+Winthrop, unobserved, watched her with a smile, partly of
+amusement, partly on account of her beauty, of admiration.
+
+"I see -- a court room," said the girl. "It is very mean and
+bare. It is somewhere up the State; in a small town. Outside,
+there are trees, and the sun is shining, and people are walking
+in a public park. Inside, in the prisoner's dock, there is a
+girl. She has been arrested -- for theft. She has pleaded
+guilty! And I see -- that she has been very ill -- that she is
+faint from shame -- and fear -- and lack of food. And there is a
+young lawyer. He is defending her; he is asking the judge to be
+merciful, because this is her first offence, because she stole
+the cloak to get money to take her where she had been promised
+work. Because this is his first case."
+
+Winthrop gave a gasp of disbelief.
+
+"You don't mean to tell me -- " he cried.
+
+"Hush!" commanded the girl. "And he persuades the judge to let
+her go," she continued quickly, her voice shaking, "and he and
+the girl walk out of the court house together. And he talks to
+her kindly, and gives her money to pay her way to the people who
+have promised her work."
+
+Vera dropped her arm, and stepping back, faced Winthrop. Through
+her tears her eyes were flashing proudly, gratefully; the
+feeling that shook her made her voice vibrate. The girl seemed
+proud of her tears, proud of her debt of gratitude.
+
+"And I've never forgotten you," she said, her voice eager and
+trembling, "and what you did for me. And I've watched you come
+to this city, and fight it, and fight it, until you made them
+put you where you are." She stopped to control her voice, and
+smiled at him. "And that's why I knew you were District
+Attorney," she said; "and please -- " she fumbled in the mesh
+purse at her waist and taking a bill from it, threw it upon the
+table. "And please, there's the money I owe you, and -- and -- I
+thank you -- and goodbye." She turned and almost ran from him
+toward the door to the hall.
+
+"Stop!" cried Winthrop.
+
+Poised for flight, the girl halted, and looked back.
+
+"When can I see you again?" said the man. The tone made it less
+a question than a command.
+
+In a manner as determined as his own, the girl shook her head.
+
+"No!" she said.
+
+"I must!" returned the man.
+
+Again the girl shook her head, definitely, finally.
+
+"It won't help you in your work," she pleaded, "to come to see
+me."
+
+"I must!" repeated Winthrop simply.
+
+The eyes of the girl met his, appealingly, defiantly.
+
+"You'll be sorry," said the girl.
+
+Winthrop laughed an eager, boyish laugh. When he spoke the
+tenseness in his voice had gone. His tone was confident,
+bantering.
+
+"Then I will not come to see you," he said.
+
+Uncertain, puzzled, Vera looked at him in distress. She thought
+he was mocking her.
+
+"No?" she questioned.
+
+"I'll come to see Vera, the medium," he explained.
+
+Vera frowned, and then, in happy embarrassment, smiled
+wistfully.
+
+"Oh, well," she stammered; "of course, if you're coming to
+consult me professionally -- my hours are from four to six."
+
+"I'll be there," cried the District Attorney.
+
+Vera leaned forward eagerly.
+
+"What day will you come?" she demanded.
+
+"What day!" exclaimed the young man indignantly. "Why, this
+day!"
+
+Vera gave a guilty, frightened laugh.
+
+"Oh, will you?" she exclaimed delightedly. She clasped her
+fingers in a gesture of dismay. "Oh, I hope you won't be sorry!"
+she cried.
+
+For some moments the District Attorney of New York stood looking
+at the door through which she had disappeared.
+
+Part II
+
+The home of the Vances was in Thirty-fifth Street, nearly
+opposite the Garrick Theatre. It was one of a row of old-
+fashioned brick houses with high steps. As the seeker after
+truth entered the front hall, he saw before him the stairs to
+the second story; on his right, the folding doors of the "front
+parlor," and at the far end of the hall, a single door that led
+to what was, in the old days, before this row of houses had been
+converted into offices, the family dining room. To Vera the
+Vances had given the use of this room as a "reception parlor."
+The visitor first entered the room on his right, from it passed
+through another pair of folding doors to the reception parlor,
+and then, when his audience was at an end, departed by the
+single door to the hall, and so, to the street.
+
+The reception parlor bore but little likeness to a cave of
+mystery. There were no shaded lights, no stuffed alligator, no
+Indian draperies, no black cat. On a table, in the centre, under
+a heavy and hideous chandelier with bronze gas jets, was a green
+velvet cushion. On this nestled an innocent ball of crystal.
+Beside it lay the ivory knitting needle with which Vera pointed
+out, in the hand of the visitor, those lines that showed he
+would be twice married, was of an ambitious temperament, and
+would make a success upon the stage. In a corner stood a wooden
+cabinet that resembled a sentry box on wheels. It was from this,
+on certain evenings, before a select circle of spiritualists,
+that Vera projected the ghosts of the departed. Hanging inside
+the cabinet was a silver-gilt crown and a cloak of black velvet,
+lined with purple silk and covered in gold thread with signs of
+the zodiac.
+
+Save that these stage properties illustrated the taste of Mabel
+Vance, the room was of no interest. It held a rubber plant, a
+red velvet rocking chair, across the back of which Mrs. Vance
+had draped a Neapolitan scarf; an upright piano, upon which
+Emmanuel Day, or, as he was known to the cross-roads of Broadway
+and Forty-second street, "Mannie" Day, provoked the most
+marvelous rag-time, an enlarged photograph in crayon, of
+Professor Vance, in a frock coat and lawn tie, a china bull dog,
+coquettishly decorated with a blue bow, and, on the mantel
+piece, two tall beer steins and a hand telephone. From the long
+windows one obtained a view of the iron shutters of the new
+department store in Thirty-fourth Street, and of a garden, just
+large enough to contain a sumach tree, a refrigerator, and the
+packing-case in which the piano had arrived.
+
+After leaving Winthrop, without waiting for Vance, Vera had
+returned directly to the house in Thirty-fifth Street, and
+locked herself in her room. And although "Mannie" Day had
+already ushered two visitors into the front room, Vera had not
+yet come downstairs. In consequence, Mabel Vance was in
+possession of the reception parlor.
+
+Mrs. Vance was plump, pink-and-blonde, credulous and vulgar, but
+at all times of the utmost good humor. Her admiration for Vera
+was equaled only by her awe of her. On this particular
+afternoon, although it already was after five o'clock, Mrs.
+Vance still wore a short dressing sack, open at the throat, and
+heavy with somewhat soiled lace. But her blonde hair was freshly
+"marcelled," and her nails pink and shining. In the absence of
+Vera, she was making a surreptitious and guilty use of the
+telephone. From the fact that in her left hand she held the
+morning telegraph open at the "previous performances" of the
+horses, and that the page had been cruelly lacerated by a hat
+pin, it was fair to suppose that whoever was at the other end of
+the wire, was tempting her with the closing odds at the races.
+
+In her speculations, she was interrupted by "Mannie" Day, who
+entered softy through the door from the hall.
+
+"Mannie" Day was a youth of twenty-four. It was his heart's
+desire to be a "Broadwayard." He wanted to know all of those,
+and to be known only by those, who moved between the giant
+pillars that New York threw into the sky to mark her progress
+North.
+
+He knew the soiled White Way as the oldest inhabitant knows the
+single street of the village. He knew it from the Rathskellers
+underground, to the roof gardens in the sky; in his firmament
+the stars were the electric advertisements over Long Acre
+Square, his mother earth was asphalt, the breath of his nostrils
+gasolene, the telegraph was his Bible. His grief was that no one
+in the Tenderloin would take him seriously; would believe him
+wicked, wise, predatory. They might love him, they might laugh
+with him, they might clamor for his company, in no flat that
+could boast a piano, was he not, on his entrance, greeted with a
+shout; but the real Knights of the Highway treated him always as
+the questioning, wide-eyed child. In spite of his after-midnight
+pallor, in spite of his honorable scars of dissipation, it was
+his misfortune to be cursed with a smile that was a perpetual
+plea of "not guilty."
+
+"What can you expect?" an outspoken friend, who made a living as
+a wireless wire tapper, had once pointed out to him. "That smile
+of yours could open a safe. It could make a show girl give up
+money! It's an alibi for everything from overspeeding to
+murder."
+
+Mannie, as he listened, flushed with mortification. From that
+moment he determined that his life should be devoted to giving
+the lie to that smile, to that outward and visible sign of
+kindness, good will, and innate innocence. As yet, he had not
+succeeded.
+
+He interrupted Mabel at the telephone to inquire the whereabouts
+of Vera. "There's two girls in there, now," he said, "waiting to
+have their fortunes doped."
+
+"Let'em wait!" exclaimed Mabel. "Vera's upstairs dressing." In
+her eyes was the baleful glare of the plunger. "What was that
+you give me in the third race?"
+
+At the first touch of the ruling passion, what interest Mannie
+may have felt for the impatient visitors vanished. "Not in the
+third," he corrected briskly. "Keene entry win the third."
+
+Mabel appealed breathlessly to the telephone. "What price the
+Keene entry in the third?" She turned to Mannie with reproachful
+eyes. "Even money!" she complained.
+
+"That's what I told you," retorted Mannie. He lowered his voice,
+and gazed apprehensively toward the front parlor. "If you want a
+really good thing," he whispered hoarsely, "ask Joe what
+Pompadour is in the fifth!" Mabel laughed scornfully,
+disappointedly.
+
+"Pompadour!" she mocked.
+
+"That's right!" cried the expert. "That's the one daily hint
+from Paris today. Joe will give you thirty to one."
+
+Upon the defenseless woman he turned the full force of his
+accursed smile. "Put five on for me, Mabel?" he begged.
+
+With unexpected determination of character Mabel declared
+sharply that she would do nothing of the sort.
+
+"Two, then?" entreated the boy.
+
+"Where," demanded Mabel unfeelingly, "is the twenty you owe me
+now?"
+
+The abruptness of this unsportsmanlike blow below the belt
+caused Mannie to wince.
+
+"How do I know where it is?" he protested. "As long as you
+haven't got it, why do you care where it is?" He heard the door
+from the hall open and, turning, saw Vera. He appealed to her.
+"Vera," he cried, "You'll loan me two dollars? I stand to win
+sixty. I'll give you thirty."
+
+Vera looked inquiringly at Mabel. "What is it, Mabel,:" she
+asked, "a hand book?"
+
+Mrs. Vance nodded guiltily.
+
+"Mannie!" exclaimed Vera gently but reproachfully, "I told you I
+wouldn't loan you any more money till you paid Mabel what you've
+borrowed."
+
+"How can I pay Mabel what I borrowed," demanded Mannie, if I
+can't borrow the money from you to pay her? Only two dollars,
+Vera!"
+
+Vera nodded to Mabel.
+
+Mabel, at the phone, called, "Two dollars on Pompadour -- to --
+win -- for Mannie Day," and rang off.
+
+"That makes thirty for you," exclaimed Mannie enthusiastically,
+"and twenty I owe to Mabel, and that leaves me ten."
+
+Mrs. Vance, no longer occupied in the whirlpool of speculation,
+for the first time observed that Vera had changed her matronly
+robe of black lace for a short white skirt and a white
+shirtwaist. She noted also that there was a change in Vera's
+face and manner. She gave an impression of nervous eagerness, of
+unrest. Her smile seemed more appealing, wistful, girlish. She
+looked like a child of fourteen.
+
+But Mabel was concerned more especially with the robe of virgin
+white.
+
+For the month, which was July, the costume was appropriate, but,
+in the opinion of Mabel, in no way suited to the priestess of
+the occult and the mysterious.
+
+"Why, Vera!" exclaimed Mrs. Vance, "whatever have you got on?
+Ain't you going to receive visitors? There's ten dollars waiting
+in there now."
+
+In sudden apprehension, Vera looked down at her spotless
+garments.
+
+"Don't I look nice?" she begged.
+
+"Of course you look nice, dearie," Mabel assured her, "but you
+don't look like no fortune teller."
+
+"If you want to know what you look like," said Mannie sternly,
+"you look like one of the waiter girls at Childs's -- that's
+what you look like."
+
+"And your crown!" exclaimed Mabel, "and your kimono. Ain't you
+going to wear your kimono?"
+
+She hastened to the cabinet and produced the cloak of black
+velvet and spangles, and the silver-gilt crown.
+
+"No, I am not!" declared Vera. She wore the frightened look of a
+mutinous child. "I -- I look so -- foolish in them!"
+
+Such heresy caused Mannie to gasp aloud; "You look grand in
+them," he protested; "don't she, Mabel?"
+
+"Sure she does," assented that lady.
+
+"And your junk?" demanded Mannie, referring to the jade necklace
+and the gold- plated bracelets. His eyes opened in sympathy.
+"You haven't pawned them, have you?"
+
+"Pawned them?" laughed Vera; "I couldn't get anything on them!"
+As the only masculine point of view available, she appealed to
+Mannie wistfully. "Don't you like me better this way, Mannie?"
+she begged.
+
+But that critic protested violently.
+
+"Not a bit like it," he cried. "Now, in the gold tiara and the
+spangled opera cloak," he differentiated, "you look like a
+picture postal card! You got Lotta Faust's blue skirt back to
+Levey's. But not in the white goods!" He shook his head sadly,
+firmly. "You look, now, like you was made up for a May-day
+picnic in the Bronx, and they'd picked on you to be Queen of the
+May."
+
+Mabel carried the much-admired opera cloak to Vera, and held it
+out, tempting her. "You'll wear it, just to please me and
+Mannie, won't you, dearie?" she begged. Vera retreated before it
+as though it held the germs of contagion.
+
+"I will not," she rebelled. "I hate it! When I have that on, I
+feel -- mean. I feel as mean as though I were picking pennies
+out of a blind man's hat." Mannie roared with delight.
+
+"Gee!" he shouted, "but that's a hot one."
+
+"Besides," said Vera consciously, "I'm -- I'm expecting some
+one."
+
+The manner more than the words thrilled Mabel with the most
+joyful expectations.
+
+She exclaimed excitedly. "A gentleman friend, Vera?" she asked.
+
+That Vera shunned all young men had been to Mabel a source of
+wonder and of pride. Even when the young men were the friends of
+her husband and of herself, the preoccupied manner with which
+Vera received them did not provoke in Mabel any resentment. It
+rather increased her approbation. Although horrified at the
+recklessness of the girl, she had approved even when Vera
+rejected an offer of marriage from a wine agent.
+
+Secretly, for a proper alliance for her, Mabel read the society
+columns in search of eligible, rich young men. Finding that they
+invariably married eligible, rich young women, she had lately
+determined that Vera's destiny must be an English duke.
+
+Still if, as she hoped, Vera had chosen for herself, Mabel felt
+assured that the man would prove worthy, and a good match. A
+good match meant one who owned not only a runabout, but a
+touring car.
+
+"It's a man from home," said Vera. "Home?" queried Mannie.
+
+"From up the State," explained Vera, "from Geneva. It's -- Mr.
+Winthrop."
+
+With an exclamation of alarm, Mannie started upright.
+"Winthrop!" he cried; then with a laugh of relief he sank back.
+"Gee! You give me a scare," he cried. "I thought you meant the
+District Attorney."
+
+Mabel laughed sympathetically.
+
+"I thought so too," she admitted.
+
+"I do mean the District Attorney," said the girl.
+
+"Vera!" cried Mabel.
+
+"Winthrop -- coming here?" demanded Mannie.
+
+"I met him at Mr. Hallowell's this morning," said Vera. "Didn't
+Paul tell you?"
+
+"Paul ain't back yet," said Mannie. "I wish he was!" His lower
+jaw dropped in dazed bewilderment. "Winthrop -- coming here?" he
+repeated. "And they're all coming here!" he exclaimed excitedly.
+"Paul just phoned me. They've taken Gaylor in with them, and
+we're all working together now on some game for tonight. And
+Winthrop's coming here!" He shook his head decidedly,
+importantly. As the only man of the family present, he felt he
+must meet this crisis. "Paul won't stand for it!" he declared.
+
+"Well, Paul will just have to stand for it!" retorted Mrs.
+Vance.
+
+With a murmur of sympathy she crossed to Vera. "I'm not going to
+see our Vera disappointed," she announced. "She never sees no
+company. Vera, if Mr. Winthrop comes when that bunch is here,
+I'll show him into the front parlor."
+
+Vera sat down in front of the piano and let her fingers drop
+upon the keys. The look of eagerness and anticipation had left
+her eyes.
+
+"Oh, I don't know," she said, "that I want to see him -- now."
+
+With complete misunderstanding, Mannie demanded truculently,
+"Why not?" His loyalty to Vera gave him courage, in her behalf,
+to face even a District Attorney. "He doesn't think he's coming
+here to make trouble for you, does he?"
+
+Vera shook her head and, bending over the piano, struck a few
+detached chords.
+
+"Oh, no," she said consciously; "just to see me --
+professionally -- like everybody else."
+
+Mabel could no longer withhold her indignation at the obtuseness
+of the masculine intellect.
+
+"My gracious, Mannie!" she exclaimed, "can't you understand he's
+coming here to make a call on Vera -- like a gentleman -- not
+like no District Attorney."
+
+Mannie precipitately retreated from his position as champion.
+
+"Sure, I understand," he protested.
+
+With the joy that a match-making mother takes in the hunt, Mabel
+sank into the plush rocking chair and, rocking violently, turned
+upon Vera an eager and excited smile.
+
+"Think of our Vera knowing Mr. Winthrop socially?" she
+exclaimed. "It's grand! And they say his sisters are elegant
+ladies. Last winter I read about them at the opera, and it
+always printed what they had on. Why didn't you tell me you
+knowed him, Vera?" she cried reproachfully. "I tell you
+everything!"
+
+"I don't know him," protested the girl. "I used to see him when
+he lived in the same town."
+
+Mabel, inviting further confidences, ceased rocking and nodded
+encouragingly. "Up in Geneva?" she prompted.
+
+"Yes," said Vera, "I used to see him every afternoon then, when
+he played ball on the college nine -- "
+
+"Who?" demanded Mannie incredulously.
+
+"Winthrop," said Vera.
+
+"Did he?" exclaimed Mannie. His tone suggested that he might
+still be persuaded that there was good in the man.
+
+"What'd he play?" he demanded suspiciously.
+
+"First," said Vera.
+
+"Did he!" exclaimed Mannie. His tone now was of open
+approbation.
+
+Vera had raised her eyes and turned them toward the windows.
+Beyond the soot- stained sumach tree, the fire escapes of the
+department store, she saw the sun- drenched campus, the
+buttressed chapel, the ancient, drooping elms; and on a canvas
+bag, poised like a winged Mercury, a tall straight figure in
+gray, dusty flannels.
+
+"He was awfully good-looking," murmured the girl, "and awfully
+tall. He could stop a ball as high as -- that!" She raised her
+arm in the air, and then, suddenly conscious, flushed, and
+turned to the piano.
+
+"Go on, tell us," urged Mabel. "So you first met him in Geneva,
+did you?"
+
+"No," corrected Vera, "saw him there. I -- only met him once."
+
+Mannie interrupted hilariously.
+
+"I only saw him once, too," he cried, "that was enough for me."
+
+Vera swiftly spun the piano stool so that she faced him. Her
+eyes were filled with concern.
+
+"You, Mannie!" she demanded anxiously. "What had you done?"
+
+"Done!" exclaimed Mannie indignantly, "nothing! What'd you think
+I'd done? Did you think I was a crook?"
+
+Vera bowed her shoulders and shivered as though the boy had
+cursed at her. She shook her head vehemently and again swung
+back to the piano. Stumbling awkwardly, her fingers ran over the
+keys in a swift clatter of broken chords. "No," she whispered,
+"no, Mannie, no."
+
+With a laugh of delighted recollection, Mannie turned to Mabel.
+
+"He raided a poolroom I was working at," he explained. "He
+picked me out as a sheet writer because I had my coat off, see?
+I told him I had it off because it was too hot for me, and he
+says, Young man, if you lie to me, I'll make I a damn sight
+hotter!" Mannie threw back his head and shouted uproariously.
+"He's all right, Winthrop!" he declared.
+
+Mabel, having already married Winthrop to Vera in Grace Church,
+with herself in the front pew, in a blue silk dress, received
+this unexpected evidence of his rare wit with delight. In
+ecstasy of appreciation she slapped her knees.
+
+"Did he say that, Mannie?" she cried. "Wasn't that quick of him!
+Did you hear what he said to Mannie, Vera?" she demanded.
+
+Their mirth was interrupted by the opening and closing of the
+front door and, in the hall, the murmur of men's voices.
+
+Vance opened the door from the hall and entered, followed by
+Judge Gaylor and Rainey. With evident pride in her appearance,
+Vance introduced the two men to his wife, and then sent her and
+Mannie from the room -- the latter with orders to dismiss the
+visitors in the front parlor and to admit no others.
+
+At the door Mrs. Vance turned to Vera and nodded mysteriously.
+
+"If that party calls," she said with significance, "I'll put him
+in the front parlor." With a look of dismay, Vera vehemently
+shook her head but, to forestall any opposition, Mrs. Vance
+hastily slammed the door behind her.
+
+In his most courteous manner Judge Gaylor offered the chair at
+the head of the centre table to Vera, and at the same table
+seated himself. Vance took a place on the piano stool; Rainey
+stood with his back to the mantel piece.
+
+"Miss Vera," Gaylor began impressively, "I desire to apologize
+for my language this morning. As Rainey no doubt has told you, I
+have opposed you and Professor Vance. But I -- I know when I'm
+beaten. Your influence with Mr. Hallowell today -- is greater
+than mine. It is paramount. I congratulate you." He smiled
+ingratiatingly. "And now," he added, "we are all working in
+unison."
+
+"You've given up your idea of sending me to jail," said Vera.
+
+"Vera!" exclaimed Vance reprovingly. Judge Gaylor has
+apologized. We're all in harmony now."
+
+"Is that door locked?" asked Gaylor. Vance told him, save Mrs.
+Vance, Mannie, and themselves, there was none in the house; and
+that he might speak freely.
+
+"Miss Vera," began the Judge, "we left Mr. Hallowell very much
+impressed with the message you gave him this morning. The
+message from his dead sister. He wants another message from her.
+He wants her to decide how he shall dispose of a very large sum
+of money -- his entire fortune."
+
+"His entire fortune!" exclaimed Vera. "Do you imagine," she
+asked, "that Mr. Hallowell will take advice from the spirit
+world about that? I don't!"
+
+"I do," Gaylor answered stoutly, "I know I would."
+
+"You?" asked Vera incredulously.
+
+"If I could believe my sister came from the dead to tell me what
+to do," said the lawyer, "of course, I'd do it. I'd be afraid
+not to. But I don't believe he does. And he believes you can
+bring his sister herself before him. He insists that tonight you
+hold a seance in his house, and that you materialize the spirit
+of his dead sister. So that he can see his sister, and talk with
+his sister. Vance says you can do that. Can you?"
+
+From Vera's face the look of girlishness, of happy anticipation,
+had already disappeared.
+
+"It is my business to do that," the girl answered. She turned to
+Vance and, in a matter-of-fact voice, inquired, "What does his
+sister look like -- that photograph we used this morning.?"
+
+"No," Vance answered. "I've a better one, Rainey gave me. Taken
+when she was older. Has white hair and a cap and a kerchief
+crossed -- so." He drew his hands across his shoulders. "Rainey,
+show Miss Vera that picture."
+
+"Not now," Gaylor commanded. "The important thing now is that
+Miss Vera understands the message Mr. Hallowell is to receive
+from his sister."
+
+The two other men nodded quickly in assent. Gaylor turned to
+Vera. He spoke slowly, earnestly.
+
+"Miss Vera," he said, "Mr. Hallowell's present will leaves his
+fortune to his niece. He has made another will, which he has not
+signed, leaving his fortune to the Hallowell Institute. He will
+ask his sister to which of these he should leave his money. You
+will tell him -- " he corrected himself instantly. "She will tell
+him to give it where it will be of the greatest good to the most
+people -- to the Institute." There was a pause. "Do you
+understand?" he asked.
+
+"To the Institute. Not to the niece," Vera answered. Gaylor
+nodded gravely.
+
+"What," asked Vera, "are the fewest words in which that message
+could be delivered? I mean -- should she say, You are to endow
+the Hallowell Institute, or Brother, you are to give -- Sign
+the new will?" With satisfaction the girl gave a sharp shake of
+her head, and nodded to Vance. " Destroy the old will. Sign the
+new will. That is the best," she said.
+
+"That's it exactly," Gaylor exclaimed eagerly; "that's
+excellent!" Then his face clouded. "I think," he said in a
+troubled voice, "we should warn Miss Vera, that to guard himself
+from any trickery, Mr. Hallowell insists on subjecting her to
+the most severe tests. He -- "
+
+"That will be all right," said the girl. She turned to Vance
+and, in a lower tone but without interest, asked: "What, for
+instance?" Vance merely laughed and shrugged his shoulders. The
+girl smiled. Nettled, and alarmed at what appeared to be their
+overconfidence, Gaylor objected warmly.
+
+"That's all very well," he cried, "but for instance, he insists
+that the entire time you are in the cabinet, you hold a handful
+of flour in one hand and of shot in the other" -- he illustrated
+with clenched fists -- "which makes it impossible," he
+protested, "for you to use your hands."
+
+The face of the girl showed complete indifference.
+
+"Not necessarily," she said.
+
+"But you are to be tied hand and foot," cried the Judge. "And on
+top of that," he burst forth indignantly, pointing aggrievedly
+at Vance, "he himself proposed this flour-and-shot test. It was
+silly, senseless bravado!"
+
+"Not necessarily," repeated the girl. "He knew that I invented
+it." Rainey laughed. Gaylor gave an exclamation of
+enlightenment.
+
+"If it will be of any comfort to you, Judge," said Vance, "I'll
+tell you one thing; every test that ever was put to a medium --
+was invented by a medium."
+
+Vera rose. "If there is nothing more," she said, "I will go and
+get the things ready for this evening. Destroy the old will.
+Sign the new will." she repeated. She turned suddenly to Vance,
+her brow drawn in consideration. "I suppose by this new will,"
+she asked, "the girl gets nothing?" "Not at all!" exclaimed
+Gaylor emphatically. "We don't want her to fight the will. She
+gets a million."
+
+"A million dollars?" demanded Vera. For an instant, as though
+trying to grasp the possibilities of such a sum, she stood
+staring ahead of her. With doubt in her eyes, and shaking her
+head, she turned to Vance.
+
+"How can one woman spend a million dollars?" she protested.
+
+"Well, you see, we don't intend to starve her," exclaimed Gaylor
+eagerly, "and at the same time the Institute will be benefiting
+all humanity. Doing good to -- "
+
+Vera interrupted him with a sharp, peremptory movement of the
+hand.
+
+"We won't go into that, please," she begged.
+
+The Judge inclined his head. "I only meant to point out," he
+said stiffly, "that you are giving Mr. Hallowell the best
+advice, and doing great good."
+
+For a moment the girl looked at him steadily. On her lips was a
+faint smile of disdain, but whether for him or for herself, the
+Judge could not determine.
+
+"I don't know that," the girl said finally. "I don't ask." She
+turned to Rainey. "Have you that photograph?" He gave her a
+photograph and after, for an instant, studying it in silence,
+she returned it to him.
+
+"It will be quite easy," she said to Vance. She walked to the
+door, and instinctively the two men, who were seated, rose.
+
+"I will see you tonight at Mr. Hallowell's," she said, and, with
+a nod, left them.
+
+"Well," exclaimed Rainey, "you didn't tell her!"
+
+"I know,"Vance answered. "I decided we'd be wiser to take advice
+from my wife. She understands Vera better than I do." He opened
+the door to the hall, and called "Mannie! Tell Mabel -- Oh,
+Mabel," he corrected, "come here a minute." He returned to his
+seat on the piano stool. "She can tell us," he said.
+
+In expectation of the arrival of Winthrop, Mrs. Vance had
+arrayed herself in a light blue frock, and, as though she had
+just come in from the street, in such a hat as she considered
+would do credit not only to Vera but to herself.
+
+"Mabel," her husband began, "we're up against a hard
+proposition. Hallowell insists that Winthrop and Miss Coates
+must come to the seance tonight."
+
+"Winthrop and Miss Coates!" cried Mabel. In astonishment she
+glanced from her husband to Rainey and Gaylor. "Then, it's all
+off!" she exclaimed.
+
+"That's what I say," growled Rainey.
+
+"We want you to tell us," continued Vance, unmoved, "whether
+Vera should know that now, or wait until tonight?"
+
+"Paul Vance!" almost shrieked his wife, "do you mean to tell me
+you're thinking of giving a materialization in front of the
+District Attorney! You're crazy!"
+
+"That's what I tell them," chorused Rainey.
+
+Gaylor raised his hand for silence.
+
+"No, Mrs. Vance," he said wearily. "We are not crazy, but," he
+added bitterly, "we can't help ourselves. You mediums have got
+Mr. Hallowell in such a state that he'll only do what his
+sister's spirit tells him. He says, if he's robbing his niece,
+his sister will tell him so; if he's to give the money to the
+Institute, his sister will tell him that. He says, if Vance is
+fair and above-board, he shouldn't be afraid to have his niece
+and any friends of hers present. We can't help ourselves."
+
+"I helped a little," said Vance, "by insisting on having our own
+friends there -- told him the spirit could not materialize
+unless there were believers present."
+
+"Did he stand for that?" asked Mabel.
+
+"Glad to have them," her husband assured her. "They like to
+think there are others as foolish as they are. And I'm going to
+place Mr. District Attorney," he broke out suddenly and
+fiercely, "between two mediums. They'll hold his hands!"
+
+Already frightened by the possible result of the plot, Rainey,
+with a vehemence born of fear, retorted sharply: "Hold his
+hands! How're you going to make him hold his tongue, afterward?"
+
+Gaylor turned upon him savagely.
+
+"My God, man!" he cried, "we're not trying to persuade the
+District Attorney that he's seen a ghost. If your friends can
+persuade Stephen Hallowell that he's seen one, the District
+Attorney can go to the devil!"
+
+"Well, he won't!" returned Rainey, "he'll go to law!"
+
+"Let him!" cried Gaylor defiantly. "Get Hallowell to sign that
+will, and I'll go into court with him."
+
+His bravado was suddenly attacked from an unexpected source.
+
+"You'll go into court with him, all right," declared Mrs. Vance,
+"all of you! And if you don't want him to catch you," she cried,
+"you'll clear out, now! He's coming here any minute."
+
+"Who's coming here?" demanded her husband.
+
+"Winthrop," returned his wife, "to see Vera."
+
+"To see Vera!" cried Vance eagerly. "What about? About this
+morning?"
+
+"No," protested Mabel, "to call on her. He's an old friend -- "
+
+In alarm Rainey pushed into the group of now thoroughly excited
+people. "Don't you believe it!" he cried. "If he's coming here,
+he's coming to give her the third degree -- "
+
+The door from the hall suddenly opened, was as suddenly closed,
+and Mannie slipped into the room. One hand he held up for
+silence; with the other he pointed at the folding doors.
+
+"Hush!" he warned them. "He's in there! He says he's come to
+call on Vera. She says he's come professionally, and I must
+bring him in here. I've shut the door into the parlor, and you
+can slip upstairs without his seeing you."
+
+"Upstairs!" gasped Rainey, "not for me!" He appealed to Gaylor
+in accents of real alarm. "We must get away from this house," he
+declared. "If he finds us here -- " With a gesture of dismay he
+tossed his hands in the air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save
+Mannie, moved into the hall, and halted between the outer and
+inner doors of the vestibule. Gaylor turned to Vance. "Are you
+going to tell her," he asked, "that he is to be there tonight?"
+
+"He'll tell her himself, now!"
+
+"No," corrected Rainey, "he doesn't know yet there's to be a
+seance. Hallowell was writing the note when he left."
+
+"Then," instructed Gaylor, "do not let her know until she
+arrives -- until it will be too late for her to back out."
+
+Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the
+voices of Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the
+two men ran down the steps into the street.
+
+While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had
+opened the folding doors, and invited Winthrop to enter the
+reception parlor.
+
+"Miss Vera will be down in a minute," he said. "If you want your
+hand read," he added, pointing, "you sit over there."
+
+As Winthrop approached the centre table, Mannie backed against
+the piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such short
+range aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with
+alarm, with admiration, with curiosity. He regarded him
+apprehensively, with a nervous and unhappy smile.
+
+About the smile there was something that Winthrop found
+familiar, and, with one almost as attractive, he answered it.
+
+"I think we've met before, haven't we?" he asked pleasantly.
+
+Mannie nodded. "Yes, sir," he answered promptly. "At Sam
+Hepner's old place, on West Forty-fourth street."
+
+"Why, of course!" exclaimed the District Attorney.
+
+"Don't you -- don't you remember?" stammered Mannie eagerly. He
+was deeply concerned lest the distinguished cross-examiner
+should think, that from him of his lurid past he could withhold
+anything. "I had my coat off -- and you said you'd make it hot
+for me."
+
+"Did I?" asked Winthrop with an effort at recollection.
+
+"No, you didn't!" Mannie hastened to reassure him. "I mean, you
+didn't make it hot for me."
+
+Winthrop laughed, and seated himself comfortably beside the
+centre table. Well I'm glad of that," he said. "So our relations
+are still pleasant, then?" he asked.
+
+"Sure!" exclaimed Mannie heartily. "I mean -- yes, sir."
+
+Winthrop mechanically reached for his cigarette case, and then,
+recollecting, withdrew his hand.
+
+"And how are the ponies running?' he asked.
+
+The interview was filling Mannie with excitement and delight. He
+chuckled with pleasure. His fear of the great man was rapidly
+departing. Could this, he asked himself, be the "terror to evil-
+doers," the man whose cruel questions drove witnesses to tears,
+whose "third degree" sent veterans of the underworld staggering
+from his confessional box, limp and gasping?
+
+"Oh, pretty well," said the boy, "seems as if I couldn't keep
+away from them. I got a good thing for today -- Pompadour -- in
+the fifth. I put all the money on her I could get together," he
+announced importantly, and then added frankly, with a laugh,
+"two dollars!" The laugh was contagious, and the District
+Attorney laughed with him.
+
+"Pompadour," Winthrop objected, "she's one of those winter track
+favorites."
+
+"I know, but today," declared Mannie, "she win, sure!" Carried
+away by his enthusiasm, and by the sympathy of his audience, he
+rushed, unheeding, to his fate. "If you'd like to put a little
+on," he said, "I can tell you where you can do it."
+
+The District Attorney stared and laughed. "You mustn't tell me
+where you can do it," he said.
+
+Mannie gave a terrified gasp and, for an instant, clapped his
+hands over his lips. "That's right," he cried. "Gee, that's
+right! I'm such a crank on all kinds of sport that I clean
+forgot!"
+
+He gazed at the much-dreaded District Attorney with the awe of
+the new-born hero-worshipper. "I guess you are, too, hey?" he
+protested admiringly. "Vera was telling me you used to be a
+great ball tosser."
+
+In the face of the District Attorney there came a sudden
+interest. His eyes lightened.
+
+"How did she -- "
+
+"She used to watch you in Geneva," said Mannie, "playing with
+the college lads. I -- I," he added consciously, "was a ball
+player myself once. Used to pitch for the Interstate League." He
+stopped abruptly.
+
+"Interstate?" said Winthrop encouragingly. "You must have been
+good."
+
+The enthusiasm had departed from the face of the boy. "Yes, he
+said, "but -- " he smiled shamefacedly, "but I got taking coke,
+and they -- " He finished with a dramatic gesture of the hand as
+of a man tossing away a cigarette.
+
+"Cocaine?" said the District Attorney.
+
+The boy nodded and, for an instant, the two men eyed each other,
+the boy smiling ruefully. The District Attorney shook his head.
+"My young friend," he said, "you can never beat that game!"
+
+Mannie stared at him, his eyes filled with surprise.
+
+"Don't you suppose," he said simply, "that I know that better
+than you do?" With a boy's pride in his own incorrigibility he
+went on boastingly: "Oh, yes," he said, "I used to be awful bad!
+Cocaine and all kinds of dope, and cigarettes, and whiskey. I
+was nearly all in -- with morphine, it was then -- till she took
+hold of me, and stopped me."
+
+"She?" said Winthrop.
+
+"Vera," said Mannie. "She made me stop. I had to stop. She
+started taking it herself."
+
+"What!" cried Winthrop.
+
+"Oh!" exclaimed Mannie hastily, "I don't mean what you mean -- I
+mean she started taking it to make me stop. She says to me,
+Mannie, you're killing yourself, and you got to quit it; and if
+you don't, every time you take a grain, I'll take two. And she
+did! I'd come home, and she'd see what I'd been doing, and she'd
+up with her sleeves, and -- " In horrible pantomime, the boy
+lifted the cuff of his shirt, and pressed his right thumb
+against the wrist of his other arm. At the memory of it, he gave
+a shiver and, with a blow, roughly struck the cuff into place.
+"God!" he muttered, "I couldn't stand it. I begged, and begged
+her not. I cried. I used to get down, in this room, on my knees.
+And each time she'd get whiter, and black under the eyes. And --
+and I had to stop. Didn't I?"
+
+Winthrop moved his head.
+
+"And now," cried the boy with a happy laugh, "I'm all right!" He
+appealed to the older man eagerly, wistfully. "Don't you think
+I'm looking better than I did the last time you saw me?"
+
+Again, without venturing to speak, Winthrop nodded.
+
+Mannie smiled with pride. "Everybody tells me so," he said.
+"Well, she did it. That's what she did for me. And, I can tell
+you," he said simply, sincerely, "there ain't anything I
+wouldn't do for her. I guess that's right, hey?" he added.
+
+The eyes of the cruel cross-examiner, veiled under half-closed
+lids, were regarding the boy with so curious an expression that
+under their scrutiny Mannie, in embarrassment, moved uneasily.
+"I guess that's right," he repeated.
+
+To his surprise, the District Attorney rose from his comfortable
+position and, leaning across the table, held out his hand.
+Mannie took it awkwardly.
+
+"That's all right," he said.
+
+"Sure, it's all right," said the District Attorney.
+
+From the hall there was the sound of light, quick steps, and
+Mannie, happy to escape from a situation he did not understand,
+ran to the door.
+
+"She's coming," he said. He opened the door and, as Vera
+entered, he slipped past her and closed it behind him.
+
+Vera walked directly to the chair at the top of the centre
+table. She was nervous, and she was conscious that that fact was
+evident. To avoid shaking hands with her visitor, she carried
+her own clasped in front of her, with the fingers interlaced.
+She tried to speak in her usual suave, professional tone. "How
+do you do?" she said.
+
+But Winthrop would not be denied. With a smile that showed his
+pleasure at again seeing her, he advanced eagerly, with his hand
+outstretched. "How are you?" he exclaimed. "Aren't you going to
+shake hands with me?" he demanded. "With an old friend?"
+
+Vera gave him her hand quickly, and then, seating herself at the
+table, picked up the ivory pointer.
+
+"I didn't know you were coming as an old friend," she murmured
+embarrassedly. "You said you were coming to consult Vera, the
+medium."
+
+"But you said that was the only way I could come," protested
+Winthrop. "Don't you remember, you said -- "
+
+Vera interrupted him. She spoke distantly, formally. "What kind
+of a reading do you want?" she asked. "A hand reading, or a
+crystal reading?"
+
+Winthrop leaned forward in his chair, frankly smiling at her. He
+made no attempt to conceal the pleasure the sight of her gave
+him. His manner was that of a very old and dear friend, who, for
+the first time, had met her after a separation of years.
+
+"Don't want any kind of a reading," he declared. "I want a
+talking. You don't seem to understand," he objected, "that I am
+making an afternoon call." His good humor was unassailable.
+Looking up with a perplexed frown, Vera met his eyes and saw
+that he was laughing at her. She threw the ivory pointer down
+and, leaning back in her chair, smiled at him.
+
+"I don't believe," she said doubtfully, "that I know much about
+afternoon calls. What would I do, if we were on Fifth Avenue?
+Would I give you tea?" she asked, "because," she added hastily,
+"there isn't any tea."
+
+"In that case, it is not etiquette to offer any," said Winthrop
+gravely.
+
+"Then," said Vera, "I'm doing it right, so far?"
+
+They both laughed; Vera because she still was in awe of him, and
+Winthrop because he was happy.
+
+"You're doing it charmingly," Winthrop assured her.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Vera. "Well, now," she inquired, "now we talk,
+don't we?"
+
+"Yes," assented Winthrop promptly, "we talk about you."
+
+"No, I -- I don't think we do," declared Vera, in haste. "I
+think we talk about -- Geneva." She turned to him with real
+interest. "Is the town much changed?" she asked.
+
+As though preparing for a long talk, Winthrop dropped his hat to
+the floor and settled himself comfortably. "Well, it is, and it
+isn't," he answered. "Haven't you been back lately?" he asked.
+Vera looked quickly away from him.
+
+"I have never been back!" she answered. There was a pause and
+when she again turned her eyes to his, she was smiling. "But I
+always take the Geneva Times," she said, "and I often read that
+you've been there. You're a great man in Geneva."
+
+Winthrop nodded gravely.
+
+"Whenever I want to be a great man," he said, "I go to Geneva."
+
+"Why, yes," exclaimed Vera. "Last June you delivered the oration
+to the graduating class," she laughed, "on The College Man in
+Politics. Such an original subject! And did you point to
+yourself?" she asked mockingly, "as the -- the bright example?"
+
+"No," protested Winthrop, "I knew they'd see that."
+
+Much to her relief, Vera found that of Winthrop she was no
+longer afraid.
+
+"Oh!" she protested, "didn't you say, twelve years ago, a humble
+boy played ball for Hobart College. That boy now stands before
+you? Didn't you say that?"
+
+"Something like that,"assented the District Attorney. "Oh!" he
+exclaimed, "that young man who showed me in here -- your
+confederate or fellow-conspirator or lookout man or whatever he
+is -- told me you used to be a regular attendant at those
+games."
+
+"I never missed one!" Vera cried. She leaned forward, her eyes
+shining, her brows knit with the effort of recollection.
+
+"I used to tell Aunt," she said, "I had to drive in for the
+mail. But that was only an excuse. Aunt had an old buggy, and an
+old white horse called Roscoe Conkling. I called him Rocks. He
+was blind in one eye, and he would walk on the wrong side of the
+road; you had to drive him on one rein." The girl was speaking
+rapidly, eagerly. She had lost all fear of her visitor. With
+satisfaction Winthrop recognized this; and unconsciously he was
+now frankly regarding the face of the girl with a smile of
+pleasure and admiration.
+
+"And I used to tie him to the fence just opposite first base,"
+Vera went on excitedly, "and shout -- for you!"
+
+"Don't tell me," interrupted Winthrop, in burlesque excitement,
+"that you were that very pretty little girl, with short dresses
+and long legs, who used to sit on the top rail and kick and
+cheer."
+
+Vera shook her head sternly.
+
+"I was," she said, "but you never saw me."
+
+"Oh, yes, we did," protested Winthrop. "We used to call you our
+mascot."
+
+"No, that was some other little girl," said Vera firmly. "You
+never looked at me, and I" -- she laughed, and then frowned at
+him reproachfully -- "I thought you were magnificent! I used to
+have your pictures in baseball clothes pinned all around my
+looking glass, and whenever you made a base hit, I'd shout and
+shout -- and you'd never look at me! And one day -- " she
+stopped, and as though appalled by the memory, clasped her
+hands. "Oh, it was awful!" she exclaimed; "one day a foul ball
+hit the fence, and I jumped down and threw it to you, and you
+said, Thank you, sis! And I," she cried, "thought I was a young
+lady!"
+
+"Oh! I couldn't have said that," protested Winthrop, "maybe I
+said sister."
+
+"No," declared Vera energetically shaking her head, "not
+sister, sis. And you never did look at me; and I used to drive
+past your house every day. We lived only a mile below you."
+
+"Where?" asked Winthrop.
+
+"On the lake road from Syracuse," said Vera. "Don't you remember
+the farm a mile below yours -- the one with the red barn right
+on the road? Yes, you do," she insisted, "the cows were always
+looking over the fence right into the road."
+
+"Of course!" exclaimed Winthrop delightedly. "Was that your
+house?"
+
+"Oh, no," protested Vera, "ours was the little cottage on the
+other side -- "
+
+"With poplars round it?" demanded Winthrop.
+
+"That's it!" cried Vera triumphantly, "with poplars round it."
+
+"Why, I know that house well. We boys used to call it the
+haunted house."
+
+"That's the one," assented Vera. She smiled with satisfaction.
+"Well, that's where I lived until Aunt died," she said.
+
+"And then, what?" asked Winthrop.
+
+For a moment the girl did not answer. Her face had grown grave
+and she sat motionless, staring beyond her. Suddenly, as though
+casting her thoughts from her, she gave a sharp toss of her
+head.
+
+"Then," she said, speaking quickly, "I went into the mills, and
+was ill there, and I wrote Paul and Mabel to ask if I could join
+them, and they said I could. But I was too ill, and I had no
+money -- nothing. And then," she raised her eyes to his and
+regarded him steadily, "then I stole that cloak to get the money
+to join them, and you -- you helped me to get away, and -- and"
+Winthrop broke in hastily. He disregarded both her manner and
+the nature of what she had said.
+
+"And how did you come to know the Vances?" he asked.
+
+After a pause of an instant, the girl accepted the cue his
+manner gave her, and answered as before.
+
+"Through my aunt," she said. "she was a medium too."
+
+"Of course!" cried Winthrop. "I remember now. that's why we
+called it the haunted house."
+
+"My aunt," said the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in
+her manner, a certain defiance, "was a great medium. All the
+spiritualists in that part of the State used to meet at our
+house. I've witnessed some wonderful manifestations in that
+front parlor." She turned to Winthrop and smiled. "So, you see,"
+she exclaimed, "I was born and brought up in this business. I am
+the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. My grandmother was a
+medium, my mother was a medium -- she worked with the Fox
+sisters before they were exposed. But, my aunt," she added
+thoughtfully, judicially, "was the greatest medium I have ever
+seen. She did certain things I couldn't understand, and I know
+every trick in the trade -- unless," she explained, "you believe
+the spirits helped her."
+
+Winthrop was observing the girl intently, with a new interest.
+
+"And you don't believe that?" he asked, quietly.
+
+"How can I?" Vera said. "I was brought up with them." She shook
+her head and smiled. "I used to play around the kitchen stove
+with Pocahontas and Alexander the Great, and Martin Luther lived
+in our china closet. You see, the neighbors wouldn't let their
+children come to our house; so, the only playmates I had were
+-- ghosts." She laughed wistfully. "My!" she exclaimed, "I was a
+queer, lonely little rat. I used to hear voices and see visions.
+I do still," she added. With her elbows on the arms of her
+chair, she clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward.
+She turned her eyes to Winthrop and nodded confidentially.
+
+"Do you know," she said, "sometimes I think people from the
+other world do speak to me."
+
+"But you said," Winthrop objected, "you didn't believe."
+
+"I know," returned Vera. "I can't!" Her voice was perplexed,
+impatient. "Why, I can sit in this chair," she declared
+earnestly, "and fill this room with spirit voices and rappings,
+and you sitting right there can't see how I do it. And yet,
+inspite of all the tricks, sometimes I believe there's something
+in it."
+
+She looked at Winthrop, her eyes open with inquiry. He shook his
+head.
+
+"Yes," insisted the girl. "When these women come to me for
+advice, I don't invent what I say to them. It's as though
+something told me what to say. I have never met them before, but
+as soon as I pass into the trance state I seem to know all their
+troubles. And I seem to be half in this world and half in
+another world -- carrying messages between them. Maybe," her
+voice had sunk to almost a whisper; she continued as though
+speaking to herself, "I only think that. I don't know. I
+wonder."
+
+There was a long pause.
+
+"I wish," began Winthrop earnestly, "I wish you were younger, or
+I were older."
+
+"Why?" asked Vera.
+
+"Because," said the young man, "I'd like to talk to you -- like
+a father."
+
+Vera turned and smiled on him securely, with frank friendliness.
+"Go ahead," she assented, "talk to me like a father."
+
+Winthrop smiled back at her, and then frowned.
+
+"You shouldn't be in this business," he said.
+
+The girl regarded him steadily.
+
+"What's the matter with the business?" she asked.
+
+Winthrop felt she had put him upon the defensive, but he did not
+hesitate.
+
+"Well," he said, "there may be some truth in it. But we don't
+know that. We do know that there's a lot of fraud and deceit in
+it. Now," he declared warmly, "there's nothing deceitful about
+you. You're fine," he cried enthusiastically, "you're big! That
+boy who was in here told me one story about you that showed -- "
+
+Vera stopped him sharply.
+
+"What do you know of me?" she asked bitterly. "The first time
+you ever saw me I was in a police court; and this morning -- you
+heard that man threaten to put me in jail -- "
+
+In turn, by abruptly rising from his chair, Winthrop interrupted
+her. He pushed the chair out of his way, and, shoving his hands
+into his trousers' pockets, began pacing with long, quick
+strides up and down the room. "What do I care for that?" he
+cried contemptuously. He tossed the words at her over his
+shoulder. "I put lots of people in jail myself that are better
+than I am. Only, they won't play the game." He halted, and
+turned on her. "Now, you're not playing the game. This is a mean
+business, taking money from silly girls and old men. You're too
+good for that." He halted at the table and stood facing her.
+"I've got two sisters uptown," he said. He spoke commandingly,
+peremptorily. "And tomorrow I am going to take you to see them.
+And we fellow townsmen," he smiled at her appealingly, "will
+talk this over, and we'll make you come back to your own
+people."
+
+For a moment the two regarded each other. Then the girl answered
+firmly, but with a slight hoarseness in her voice, and in a tone
+hardly louder than a whisper:
+
+"You know I can't do that!"
+
+"I don't!" blustered Winthrop. "Why not?"
+
+"Because," said the girl steadily, "of what I did in Geneva." As
+though the answer was the one he had feared, the man exclaimed
+sharply, rebelliously.
+
+"Nonsense!" he cried. "You didn't know what you were doing. No
+decent person would consider that."
+
+"They do," said the girl, "they are the very ones who do. And --
+it's been in the papers. Everybody in Geneva knows it. And here
+too. And whenever I try to get away from this" -- she stretched
+out her hands to include the room about her -- "Someone tells!
+Five times, now. She leaned forward appealingly, not as though
+asking pity for herself, but as wishing him to see her point of
+view. "I didn't choose this business," she protested, "I was
+sort of born in it, and," she broke out loyally, "I hate to have
+you call it a mean business; but I can't get into any other.
+Whenever I have, some man says, That girl in your front office
+is a thief." The restraint she put upon herself, the air of
+disdain which at all times she had found the most convenient
+defense, fell from her.
+
+"It's not fair!" she cried, "it's not fair." To her
+mortification, the tears of self-pity sprang to her eyes, and as
+she fiercely tried to brush them away, to her greater anger,
+continued to creep down her cheeks. "It was nine years ago," she
+protested, "I was a child. I've been punished enough." She
+raised her face frankly to his, speaking swiftly, bitterly.
+
+"Of course, I want to get away!" she cried. "Of course, I want
+friends. I've never had a friend. I've always been alone. I'm
+tired, tired! I hate this business. I never know how much I hate
+it until the chance comes to get away -- and I can't."
+
+She stopped, but without lowering her head or moving her eyes
+from his.
+
+"This time," said the man quietly, "you're going to get away
+from it."
+
+"I can't," repeated the girl. "you can't help me!"
+
+Winthrop smiled at her confidently.
+
+"I'm going to try," he said.
+
+"No, please!" begged the girl. Her voice was still shaken with
+tears. She motioned with her head toward the room behind her.
+
+"These are my people," she declared defiantly, as though daring
+him to contradict her. "And they are good people! They've tried
+to be good friends to me, and they've been true to me."
+
+Winthrop came toward her and stood beside her, so close that he
+could have placed his hand upon her shoulder. He wondered,
+whimsically, if she knew how cruel she seemed in appealing with
+her tears, her helplessness and loveliness to what was generous
+and chivalric in him; and, at the same time, by her words,
+treating him as an interloper and an enemy.
+
+"That's all right," he said gently. "But that doesn't prevent my
+being a good friend to you, too, does it? Or," he added, his
+voice growing tense and conscious -- "my being true to you? My
+sisters will be here tomorrow," he announced briskly.
+
+Vera had wearily dropped her arms upon the table and lowered her
+head upon them. From a place down in the depths she murmured a
+protest.
+
+"No," contradicted Winthrop cheerfully, "this time you are going
+to win. You'll have back of you, If I do say it, two of the best
+women God ever made. Only, now, you must do as I say." There was
+a pause. "Will you?" he begged.
+
+Vera raised her head slowly, holding her hand across her eyes.
+There was a longer silence, and then she looked up at him and
+smiled pathetically, gratefully, and nodded. "Good!" cried
+Winthrop. "No more spooks," he laughed, "no more spirit
+rappings."
+
+Through her tears Vera smiled up at him a wan, broken smile. She
+gave a shudder of distaste. "Never!" she whispered. "I promise."
+Their eyes met; the girl's looking into his shyly, gratefully;
+the man's searching hers eagerly. And suddenly they saw each
+other with a new and wonderful sympathy and understanding.
+Winthrop felt himself bending toward her. He was conscious that
+the room had grown dark, and that he could see only her eyes.
+"You must be just yourself," he commanded, but so gently, so
+tenderly, that, though he did not know it, each word carried
+with it the touch of a caress, "just your sweet, fine, noble
+self!"
+
+Something he read in the girl's uplifted eyes made him draw back
+with a shock of wonder, of delight, with an upbraiding
+conscience. To pull himself together, he glanced quickly about
+him. The day had really grown dark. He felt a sudden desire to
+get away; to go where he could ask himself what had happened,
+what it was that had filled this unknown, tawdry room with
+beauty and given it the happiness of a home.
+
+"By Jove!" he exclaimed nervously, "I had no idea I'd stayed so
+long. You'll not let me come again. Goodbye -- until tomorrow."
+He turned, holding out his hand, and found that again the girl
+had dropped her face upon her arm, and was sobbing quietly,
+gently.
+
+"Oh, what is it?" cried Winthrop. "What have I said?" The catch
+in the girl's voice as she tried to check the sobs wrenched his
+heart. "Oh, please," he begged, "I've said something wrong? I've
+hurt you?" With her face still hidden in her arms, the girl
+shook her head.
+
+"No, no!" she sobbed. Her voice, soft with tears, was a melody
+of sweet and tender tones. "It's only -- that I've been so
+lonely -- and you've made me happy, happy!"
+
+The sobs broke out afresh, but Winthrop, now knowing that they
+brought to the girl peace, was no longer filled with dismay.
+
+Her head was bent upon her left arm, her right hand lightly
+clasped the edge of the table. With the intention of saying
+farewell, Winthrop took her hand in his. The girl did not move.
+To his presence she seemed utterly oblivious. In the gathering
+dusk he could see the bent figure, could hear the soft,
+irregular breathing as the girl wept gently, happily, like a
+child sobbing itself to sleep. The hand he held in his neither
+repelled nor invited, and for an instant he stood motionless,
+holding it uncertainly. It was so delicate, so helpless, so
+appealing, so altogether lovable. It seemed to reach up, and,
+with warm, clinging fingers, clutch the tendrils of his heart.
+
+Winthrop bent his head suddenly, and lifting the hand, kissed
+it; and then, without again speaking, walked quickly into the
+hall and shut the door. In the room the dusk deepened. Through
+the open windows came the roar of the Sixth Avenue Elevated, the
+insistent clamor of an electric hansom, the murmur of Broadway
+at night. The tears had suddenly ceased, but the girl had not
+moved. At last, slowly, stiffly, she raised her head. Her eyes,
+filled with wonder, with amazement, were fixed upon her hand.
+She glanced cautiously about her. Assured she was alone, with
+her other hand she lifted the one Winthrop had kissed and held
+it pressed against her lips.
+
+The folding doors were thrown open, letting in a flood of light,
+and Mabel Vance, entering swiftly, knelt at the table and bent
+her head close to Vera.
+
+"That woman's in the hall," she whispered, "that niece of
+Hallowell's. Paul and Mannie can't get rid of her. Now she's got
+hold of Winthrop. She says she will see you. Be careful!"
+
+Vera rose. That Mabel might not see she had been weeping, she
+walked to the piano, covertly drying her eyes.
+
+"What," she asked dully, "does she want with me?"
+
+"About tonight," answered Mabel. She exclaimed fiercely, "I told
+them there'd be trouble!"
+
+With Vance upon her heels, Helen Coates came in quickly from the
+hall. Her face was flushed, her eyes lit with indignation and
+excitement. In her hand she held an open letter.
+
+As though to protect Vera, both Vance and his wife moved between
+her and their visitor, but, disregarding them, Miss Coates at
+once singled out the girl as her opponent.
+
+"You are the young woman they call Vera, I believe," she said.
+"I have a note here from Mr. Hallowell telling me you are giving
+a seance tonight at his house. That you propose to exhibit the
+spirit of my mother. That is an insult to the memory of my
+mother and to me. And I warn you, if you attempt such a thing, I
+will prevent it."
+
+There was a pause. When Vera spoke it was in the tone of every-
+day politeness. Her voice was even and steady.
+
+"You have been misinformed," she said, "there will be no seance
+tonight."
+
+Vance turned to Vera, and, in a voice lower than her own, but
+sufficiently loud to include Miss Coates, said: "I don't think
+we told you that Mr. Hallowell himself insists that this lady
+and her friends be present."
+
+"Her presence makes no difference," said Vera quietly. "There
+will be no seance tonight. I will tell you about it later,
+Paul," she added. She started toward the door, but Miss Coates
+moved as though to intercept her.
+
+"If you think," she cried eagerly, "you can give a seance to Mr.
+Hallowell without my knowing it, you are mistaken."
+
+Vera paused, and made a slight inclination of her head.
+
+"That was not my idea," she said. She looked appealingly to
+Vance. "Is that not enough, Paul?" she asked.
+
+"Quite enough!" exclaimed the man. He turned to the visitor and
+made a curt movement of the hand toward the open door.
+
+"There will be a seance tonight," he declared. "At Mr.
+Hallowell's. If you wish to protest against it, you can do so
+there. This is my house. If you have finished -- " He repeated
+the gesture toward the open door.
+
+"I have not finished," said Miss Coates sharply; "and if you
+take my advice, you will follow her example." With a nod of the
+head she signified Vera. "When she sees she's in danger, she
+knows enough to stop. This is not a question of a few medium's
+tricks," she cried, contemptuously. "I know all that you planned
+to do, and I intend that tomorrow every one in New York shall
+know it too."
+
+Like a cloak Vera's self-possession fell from her. In alarm she
+moved forward.
+
+"What do you mean?" she demanded.
+
+"I have had you people followed pretty closely," said Miss
+Coates. Her tone was assured. She was confident that of those
+before her she was the master, and that of that fact they were
+aware.
+
+"I know," she went on, "just how you tried to impose upon my
+uncle -- how you tried to rob me, and tonight I have invited the
+reporters to my house to give them the facts."
+
+With a cry Vera ran to her.
+
+"No!" she begged, "you won't do that. You must not do that!"
+
+"Let her talk!" growled Vance. "Let her talk! She's funny."
+
+"No!" commanded Vera. Her voice rang with the distress. "She
+cannot do that!" She turned to Miss Coates. "We haven't hurt
+you," she pleaded; "we haven't taken your money. I promise you,"
+she cried," we will never see Mr. Hallowell again. I beg of you
+ -- "
+
+Vance indignantly caught her by the arm and drew her back. "You
+don't beg nothing of her!" he cried.
+
+"I do," Vera answered wildly. She caught Vance's hand in both of
+hers. "I have a chance, Paul," she entreated, "don't force me
+through it again. I can't stand the shame of it again." Once
+more she appealed to the visitor. "Don't!" she begged. "Don't
+shame me."
+
+But the eyes of the older girl, blind to everything save what,
+as she saw it, was her duty, showed no consideration.
+
+Vera's hands, trembling on his arm, drove Vance to deeper anger.
+He turned savagely upon Miss Coates.
+
+"You haven't lost anything yet, have you?" he demanded. "She
+hasn't hurt you, has she? If it's revenge you want," he cried
+insolently, "why don't you throw vitriol on the girl?"
+
+"Revenge!" exclaimed Miss Coates indignantly. "It is my duty. My
+public duty. I'm not alone in this; I am acting with the
+District Attorney. It is our duty." She turned suddenly and
+called, "Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Winthrop!"
+
+For the first time Vera saw, under the gas jet, at the farther
+end of the hall, the figures of Mannie and Winthrop.
+
+"No, no!" she protested, "I beg of you," she cried hysterically.
+"I've got a chance. If you print this thing tomorrow, I'll never
+have a chance again. Don't take it away from me." Impulsively
+her arms reached out in an eager final appeal. "I'm down," she
+said simply, "give me a chance to get up."
+
+When Miss Coates came to give battle to the Vances, she foresaw
+the interview might be unpleasant. It was proving even more
+unpleasant than she had expected, but her duty seemed none the
+less obvious.
+
+"You should have thought of that," she said, "before you were
+found out."
+
+For an instant Vera stood motionless, staring, unconsciously
+holding the attitude of appeal. But when, by these last words,
+she recognized that her humiliation could go no further, with an
+inarticulate exclamation she turned away.
+
+"The public has the right to know," declared Miss Coates, "the
+sort of people you are. I have the record of each of you -- "
+
+From the hall Winthrop had entered quickly, but, disregarding
+him, Vance broke in upon the speaker, savagely, defiantly.
+
+"Print em, then!" he shouted, "print em!"
+
+"I mean to," declared Miss Coates, "yours, and hers, she -- "
+
+Winthrop placed himself in front of her, shutting her off from
+the others. He spoke in an earnest whisper.
+
+"Don't!" he begged. "She has asked for a chance. Give her a
+chance."
+
+Miss Coates scorned to speak in whispers.
+
+"She has had a chance," she protested loudly. "She's had a
+chance for nine years; and she's chosen to be a charlatan and a
+cheat, and -- " The angry woman hesitated, and then flung the
+word -- "and a thief!"
+
+In the silence that followed no one turned toward Vera; but as
+it continued unbroken each raised his eyes and looked at her.
+
+They saw her drawn to her full height; the color flown from her
+face, her deep, brooding eyes flashing. She was like one by some
+religious fervor lifted out of herself, exalted. When she spoke
+her voice was low, tense. It vibrated with tremendous, wondering
+indignation.
+
+"Do you know who I am?" she asked. She spoke like one in a
+trance. "Do you know who you are threatening with your police
+and your laws? I am a priestess! I am a medium between the souls
+of this world and the next. I am Vera -- the Truth! And I mean,"
+the girl cried suddenly, harshly, flinging out her arm, "that
+you shall hear the truth! Tonight I will bring your mother from
+the grave to speak it to you!"
+
+With a swift, sweeping gesture she pointed to the door. "Take
+those people away!" she cried.
+
+The eyes of Winthrop were filled with pity. "Vera!" he said,
+"Vera!"
+
+For an instant, against the tenderness and reproach in his voice
+the girl held herself motionless; and then, falling upon the
+shoulder of Mrs. Vance, burst into girlish, heart-broken tears.
+
+"Take them away," she sobbed, "take them away!"
+
+Mannie Day and Vance closed in upon the visitors, and motioning
+them before them, drove them from the room.
+
+
+Part III
+
+The departure of the District Attorney and Miss Coates left Vera
+free to consider how serious, if she carried out her threat, the
+consequences might be. But of this chance she did not avail
+herself. Instead, with nervous zeal she began to prepare for her
+masquerade. It was as though her promise to Winthrop to abandon
+her old friends had filled her with remorse, and that she now,
+by an extravagance of loyalty, was endeavoring to make amends.
+
+At nine o'clock, with the Vances, she arrived at the house of
+Mr. Hallowell. Already, to the same place, a wagon had carried
+the cabinet, a parlor organ, and a dozen of those camp chairs
+that are associated with house weddings and funerals; and while,
+in the library, Vance and Mannie arranged these to their liking,
+on the third floor Vera, with Mrs. Vance, waited for that moment
+to arrive when Vance considered her entrance would be the most
+effective.
+
+This entrance was to be made through the doorway that opened
+from the hall on the second story into the library. To the right
+of this door, in an angle of two walls, was the cabinet, and on
+the left, the first of the camp chairs. These had been placed in
+a semicircle that stretched across the room, and ended at the
+parlor organ. The door from Mr. Hallowell's bedroom opened
+directly upon the semicircle at the point most distant from the
+cabinet. In the centre of the semicircle Vance had placed the
+invalid's arm chair.
+
+Vance, in his manner as professional and undisturbed as a
+photographer focussing his camera and arranging his screens, was
+explaining to Judge Gaylor the setting of his stage. The judge
+was an unwilling audience. Unlike the showman, for him the
+occasion held only terrors. He was driven by misgivings, swept
+by sudden panics. He scowled at the cabinet, intruding upon the
+privacy of the room where for years, without the aid of
+accessories, by his brains alone, he had brought Mr. Hallowell
+almost to the point of abject submission to his wishes. He
+turned upon Vance with bitter self-disgust.
+
+"So, I've got down as low as this, have I?" he demanded.
+
+Vance heard him, undisturbed.
+
+"I must ask you," he said, briskly, "to help me keep the people
+just as I seat them. They will be in this half-circle facing the
+cabinet and holding hands. Those we know are against us," he
+explained, "will have one of my friends, Professor Strombergk,
+or Mrs. Marsh, or my wife, on each side of him. If there should
+be any attempt to rush the cabinet, we must get there first. I
+will be outside the cabinet working the rappings, the floating
+music, and the astral bodies." At the sight of the expression
+these words brought to the face of Gaylor, Vance permitted
+himself the shadow of a smile. "I can take care of myself," he
+went on, "but remember -- Vera must not be caught outside the
+cabinet! When the lights go up, she must be found with the ropes
+still tied."
+
+Gaylor turned from him with an exclamation of disgust.
+
+"Pah!" he muttered. "It's a hell of a business!"
+
+Vance continued unmoved. "And, another thing," he said, "about
+these lights; this switch throws them all off, doesn't it?" He
+pressed a button on the left of the door, and the electric
+lights in the walls and under a green shade on the library table
+faded and disappeared, leaving the room, save for the light from
+the hall, in darkness.
+
+"That's the way we want it," said the showman.
+
+From the hall Mannie appeared between the curtains that hung
+across the doorway. "What are you doing with the lights?" he
+demanded. "You want to break my neck? All our people are
+downstairs," he announced.
+
+Vance turned on the lights. At the same moment Rainey came from
+the bedroom into the library. It was evident that to sustain his
+courage he had been drinking. He made no effort to greet those
+in the room, but stood, glaring resentfully at the cabinet and
+the row of chairs.
+
+"Well," exclaimed Vance cheerfully, "if our folks are all here,
+we're all right."
+
+Glancing behind him, Mannie took Vance by the sleeve, and led
+him to the centre of the room.
+
+"No, we're not all right," said the boy, "that Miss Coates has
+brought a friend with her. She says Hallowell told her she could
+bring a friend. She says this young fellow is her friend. I
+think he's a Pink!"
+
+"What nonsense," exclaimed Gaylor in alarm. "No detective would
+force his way into this house."
+
+"She says," continued Mannie, disregarding Gaylor, and still
+addressing Vance, "he's a seeker after the Truth. I'll bet,"
+declared the boy violently, "he's a seeker after the truth!"
+
+Garrett came hastily and noiselessly into the room. He nodded
+toward Mannie.
+
+"Has he told you?" he asked.
+
+"Yes," Gaylor answered, "who is he?"
+
+"The reporter who was here this morning," Garrett returned. "The
+one who threatened -- "
+
+"That'll do," commanded Gaylor. In the face of this new
+complication he again became himself. Suavely and politely he
+turned to Vance. "Will you and your friend join Miss Vera," he
+asked, "and tell her that we begin in a few minutes?"
+
+For the first time, aggressively and offensively Rainey broke
+his silence.
+
+"No, we won't begin in a few minutes," he announced, "not by a
+damned sight!"
+
+The explosion was so unexpected that, for an instant, while the
+eyes of all were fixed in astonishment upon the speaker, there
+was complete silence. Gaylor, still suave, still polite, looked
+toward Vance, and motioned him to the door.
+
+"Will you kindly do as I ask?" he said. With Mannie at his side,
+Vance walked quickly from the room. Once in the hall, the boy
+laid a detaining hand upon the arm of the older man.
+
+"If you'll take my advice, which you won't," he said, "we'll all
+cut and run now, while we got the chance!"
+
+In the library, Gaylor turned savagely upon his fellow
+conspirator.
+
+"Well!" he demanded.
+
+Rainey frowned at him sulkily. "I wash my hands of the whole
+thing!" he cried.
+
+Gaylor dropped his voice to a whisper.
+
+"What are you afraid of now?: he demanded. "If you're not afraid
+of a district attorney, why are you afraid of a reporter?"
+
+"I'm not afraid of anybody," returned Rainey, thickly. "But, I
+don't mean to be a party to no murder!" He paused, shaking his
+head portentously. "That man in there," he whispered, nodding
+toward the bedroom, "is in no condition to go through this.
+After that shock this morning, and last night -- it'll kill him.
+His heart's rotten, I tell you, rotten!"
+
+Garrett snarled contemptuously.
+
+"How do you know?" he demanded.
+
+"How do I know?" returned Rainey, fiercely. "I was four years in
+a medical college, when you were in jail, you -- " "Stop that!"
+cried Gaylor. Glancing fearfully toward the open door, he
+interposed between them.
+
+"Don't take my advice, then," cried Rainey. "Go on! Kill him!
+And he won't sign your will. Only, don't say I didn't tell you."
+
+"Have you told him?" demanded Gaylor.
+
+"Yes," Rainey answered stoutly. "Told him if he didn't stop
+this, he wouldn't live till morning."
+
+"Are we forcing him to do this?" demanded Gaylor. "No! He's
+forcing it on us. My God!" he exclaimed, "do you think I want
+this farce? You say, yourself, you told him it would kill him,
+and he will go on with it. Then why do you blame us? Can we help
+ourselves?"
+
+The butler had distinguished the sounds of footsteps in the
+hall. He fell hastily to rearranging the camp chairs.
+
+"Hush!" he warned. "Look out!" Gaylor and Rainey had but time to
+move apart, when Winthrop entered. He regarded the three men
+with a smile of understanding.
+
+"I beg pardon," he exclaimed, "I am interrupting?"
+
+Gaylor greeted him with exaggerated heartiness.
+
+"Ah, it is Mr. Winthrop!" he cried. "Have you come to help us
+find out the truth this evening?"
+
+"I certainly hope not!" said Winthrop brusquely. "I know the
+truth about too many people already." He turned to Garrett, who,
+unobtrusively, was endeavoring to make his escape.
+
+"I want to see Miss Vera," he said.
+
+"Miss Vera," interposed Gaylor. "I'm afraid that's not possible.
+She especially asked not to be disturbed before the seance. I'm
+sorry."
+
+Winthrop's manner became suspiciously polite.
+
+"Yes?" he inquired. "Well, nevertheless I think I'll ask her.
+Tell Miss Vera, please," he said to Garrett, "that Mr. Winthrop
+would like a word with her here," with significance he added,
+"in private."
+
+In offended dignity, Judge Gaylor moved toward the door. "Dr.
+Rainey," he said stiffly, "will you please inform Mr. Hallowell
+that his guests are now here, and that I have gone to bring them
+upstairs."
+
+"Yes, but you won't bring them upstairs, please," said Winthrop,
+"until you hear from me."
+
+Gaylor flushed with anger and for a moment appeared upon the
+point of mutiny. Then, as though refusing to consider himself
+responsible for the manners of the younger man, he shrugged his
+shoulders and left the room.
+
+With even less of consideration than he had shown to Judge
+Gaylor, Winthrop turned upon Rainey.
+
+"How's your patient?" he asked shortly. Rainey was sufficiently
+influenced by the liquor he had taken to dare to resent
+Winthrop's peremptory tone. His own in reply was designedly
+offensive.
+
+"My patient?" he inquired.
+
+"Mr. Hallowell," snapped Winthrop, "he's sick, isn't he?"
+
+"Oh, I don't know," returned the Doctor.
+
+"You don't know?" demanded Winthrop. "Well, I know. I know if he
+goes through this thing tonight, he'll have another collapse. I
+saw one this morning. Why don't you forbid it? You're his
+medical adviser, aren't you?"
+
+Rainey remained sullenly silent.
+
+"Answer me!" insisted the District Attorney. "You are, aren't
+you?"
+
+"I am," at last declared Rainey.
+
+"Well, then," commanded Winthrop, "tell him to stop this. Tell
+him I advise it."
+
+Through his glasses Rainey blinked violently at the District
+Attorney, and laughed. "I didn't know," he said, "that you were
+a medical man."
+
+Winthrop looked at the Doctor so steadily, and for so long
+a time, that the eyes of the young man sought the floor and the
+ceiling; and his sneer changed to an expression of discomfort.
+
+"I am not," said Winthrop. "I am the District Attorney of New
+York." His tones were cold, precise; they fell upon the
+superheated brain of Dr. Rainey like drops from an icicle.
+
+"When I took over that office," continued Winthrop, "I found a
+complaint against two medical students, a failure to report the
+death of an old man in a private sanitarium."
+
+Winthrop lowered his eyes, and became deeply absorbed in the
+toe of his boot. "I haven't looked into the papers, yet," he
+said.
+
+Rainey, swaying slightly, jerked open the door of the bedroom.
+"I'll tell him," he panted thickly. "I'll tell him to do as you
+say."
+
+"Thank you, I wish you would," said Winthrop.
+
+At the same moment, from the hall, Garrett announced, "Mrs.
+Vance, sir." And Mabel Vance, tremulous and frightened, entered
+the room.
+
+Winthrop approached her eagerly.
+
+"Ah! Mrs. Vance," he exclaimed, "can I see Miss Vera?"
+
+Embarrassed and unhappy, Mrs. Vance moved restlessly from
+foot to foot, and shook her head.
+
+"Please, Mr. District Attorney," she begged. "I'm afraid not.
+This afternoon upset her so. And she's so nervous and queer
+that the Professor thinks she shouldn't see nobody."
+
+"The Professor?" he commented. His voice was considerate,
+conciliatory. "Now, Mrs. Vance," he said, "I've known Miss
+Vera ever since she was a little girl, known her longer than
+you have, and, I'm her friend, and you're her friend, and -- "
+
+"I am," protested Mabel Vance tearfully."Indeed I am!"
+
+"I know you are," Winthrop interrupted hastily.
+"You've been more than a friend to her, you've been a sister,
+mother, and you don't want any trouble to come to her, do you?"
+
+"I don't," cried the woman. "Oh!" she exclaimed miserably, "I
+told them there'd be trouble!"
+
+Winthrop laughed reassuringly.
+
+"Well, there won't be any trouble," he declared, "if I can help
+it. And if you want to help her, help me. Persuade her to let
+me talk to her. Don't mind what the Professor says."
+
+"I will," declared Mrs. Vance with determination, "I will."
+She started eagerly toward the hall, and then paused and
+returned. Her hands were clasped; her round, baby eyes, wet
+with tears, were fixed upon Winthrop appealingly.
+
+"Oh, please," she pleaded, "you're not going to hurt him, are
+you? Paul, my husband," she explained, "he's been such a good
+husband to me."
+
+Winthrop laughed uneasily.
+
+"Why, that'll be all right," he protested.
+
+"He doesn't mean any harm, insisted Mrs. "Vance, "he's on the
+level; true, he is!"
+
+"Why, of course, of course," Winthrop assented.
+
+Unsatisfied, Mrs. Vance burst into tears. "It's this spirit
+business that makes the trouble!" she cried. "I tell them to cut
+it out. Now, the mind reading at the theatre," she sobbed,
+"there's no harm in that, is there? And there's twice the money
+in it. But this ghost raising" -- she raised her eyes
+appealingly, as though begging to be contradicted -- "it's sure
+to get him into trouble, isn't it?"
+
+Winthrop shook his head, and smiled.
+
+"It may," he said. Mrs. Vance broke into a fresh outburst of
+tears. "I knew it," she cried, "I knew it." Winthrop placed
+his hand upon her arm and turned her in the direction of
+the door.
+
+"Don't worry,:" he said soothingly. "Go send Miss Vera
+here. And," he called after her, "don't worry."
+
+As Mabel departed upon his errand, Rainey reentered from the
+bedroom. He carefully closed the door and halted with his hand
+upon the knob, and shook his head.
+
+"It's no use," he said, "he will go on with it. It's not my
+fault," he whined, "I told him it would kill him. I couldn't
+make it any stronger than that, could I?"
+
+Rainey was not looking at Winthrop, but, as though fearful of
+interruption, toward the door. His eyes were harassed, furtive,
+filled with miserable indecision. Many times before Winthrop had
+seen men in such a state. He knew that for the sufferer it
+foretold a physical break down, or that he would seek relief in
+full confession. To give the man confidence, he abandoned his
+attitude of suspicion.
+
+"That certainly would be strong enough for me," he said
+cheerfully. "Did you tell him what I advised?"
+
+"Yes, yes," muttered Rainey impatiently. "He said you were
+invited here to give advice to his niece, not to him." For the
+first time his eyes met those of Winthrop boldly. The District
+Attorney recognized that the man had taken his fears by the
+throat, and had arrived at his decision."
+
+"See here," exclaimed Rainey, "could I give you some
+information?"
+
+"I'm sure you could," returned Winthrop briskly. "Give it to
+me now."
+
+But Rainey, glancing toward the door, shrank back. Winthrop,
+following the direction of his eyes, saw Vera. Impatiently he
+waved Rainey away.
+
+"At the office, tomorrow morning," he commanded. With a sigh of
+relief at the reprieve, Rainey slipped back into the bedroom.
+
+Winthrop had persuaded himself that in seeking to speak with
+Vera, he was making only a natural choice between preventing the
+girl from perpetrating a fraud, or, later, for that fraud,
+holding her to account. But when she actually stood before him,
+he recognized how absurdly he had deceived himself. At the mere
+physical sight of her, there came to him a swift relief, a
+thrill of peace and deep content; and with delighted certainty
+he knew that what Vera might do or might not do concerned him
+not at all, that for him all that counted was the girl herself.
+With something of this showing in his face, he came eagerly
+toward her.
+
+"Vera!" he exclaimed. In the word there was delight, wonder,
+tenderness; but if the girl recognized this she concealed her
+knowledge. Instead, her eyes looked into his frankly; her manner
+was that of open friendliness.
+
+"Mabel tells me you want to talk to me," she said evenly "but I
+don't want you to. I have something I want to say to you. I
+could have written it, but this" -- for an instant the girl
+paused with her lips pressed together; when she spoke, her voice
+carried the firmness and finality of one delivering a verdict --
+"but this," she repeated, "is the last time you shall hear from
+me, or see me again."
+
+Winthrop gave an exclamation of impatience, of indignation.
+
+"No," returned the girl, "it is quite final. Maybe you will not
+want to see me, but -- "
+
+Winthrop again sharply interrupted her. His voice was filled
+with reproach.
+"Vera!" he protested.
+
+"Well," said the girl more gently, "I'm glad to think you do,
+but this is the last, and before I go, I -- ".
+
+"Go!" demanded Winthrop roughly. "Where?"
+
+"Before I go," continued the girl, "I want to tell you how much
+you have helped me -- I want to thank you -- ".
+
+"You haven't let me thank you," broke in Winthrop, "and, now,
+you pretend this is our last meeting. It's absurd!".
+
+"It is our last meeting," replied the girl. Of the two, for the
+moment, she was the older, the more contained. "On the
+contrary," contradicted the man. He spoke sharply, in a tone he
+tried to make as determined as her own. "Our next meeting will
+be in ten minutes -- at my sister's. I have told her about this
+afternoon, and about you; and she wants very much to meet you.
+She has sent her car for you. It's waiting in front of the
+house. Now," he commanded masterfully, "you come with me, and
+get in it, and leave all this" -- he gave an angry, contemptuous
+wave of the hand toward the cabinet -- "behind you, as," he
+added earnestly, "you promised me you would."
+
+As though closing from sight the possibility he suggested, the
+girl shut her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to meet
+his.
+
+"I can't leave these things behind me," she said quietly.
+
+"I told you so this afternoon. For a moment, you made me think I
+could, and I did promise. I didn't need to promise. It's what
+I've prayed for. Then, you saw what happened, you saw I was
+right. Within five minutes that woman came -- "
+
+
+"That woman had a motive," protested Winthrop.
+
+"That woman," continued the girl patiently, "or some other
+woman. What does it matter? In five minutes, or five days, some
+one would have told." She leaned toward him anxiously. "I'm not
+complaining," she said; "it's my own fault. It's the life I've
+chosen." She hesitated and then as though determined to carry
+out a programme she had already laid down for herself, continued
+rapidly: "And what I want to tell you, is, that what's best in
+that life I owe to you."
+
+"Vera!" cried the man sharply.
+
+"Listen!" said the girl. Her eyes were alight, eager. She spoke
+frankly, proudly, without embarrassment, without fear of being
+misconstrued, as a man might speak to a man.
+
+"I'd be ungrateful, I'd be a coward," said the girl, "if I went
+away and didn't tell you. For ten years I've been counting on
+you. I made you a sort of standard. I said, as long as he keeps
+to his ideals, I'm going to keep to mine. Maybe you think my
+ideals have not been very high, but anyway you've made it easy
+for me. Because I'm in this business, because I'm good-looking
+enough, certain men" -- the voice of the girl grew hard and cool
+-- "have done me the honor to insult me, and it was knowing you,
+and that there are others like you, that helped me not to care."
+The girl paused. She raised her eyes to his frankly. The look in
+them was one of pride in him, of loyalty, of affection. "And
+now, since I've met you," she went on, "I find you're just as I
+imagined you'd be, just as I'd hoped you'd be." She reached out
+her hand warningly, appealingly. "And I don't want you to
+change, to let down, to grow discouraged. You can't tell how
+many more people are counting on you." She hesitated and, as
+though at last conscious of her own boldness, flushed
+deprecatingly, like one asking pardon. "You men in high places,"
+she stammered, "you're like light houses showing the way. You
+don't know how many people you are helping. You can't see them.
+You can't tell how many boats are following your light, but if
+your light goes out, they are wrecked." She gave a sigh of
+relief. "That's what I wanted to tell you," she said, "and, so
+thank you." She held out her hand. "And, goodby."
+
+Winthrop's answer was to clasp her hand quickly in both of his,
+and draw her toward him.
+
+"Vera," he begged, "come with me now!"
+
+The girl withdrew her hand and moved away from him, frowning.
+"No," she said, "no, you do not want to understand. I have my
+work to do tonight."
+
+Winthrop gave an exclamation of anger.
+
+"You don't mean to tell me," he cried, "that you're going on
+with this?"
+
+"Yes," she said, And then in sudden alarm cried: "But not if
+you're here! I'll fail if you're here. Promise me, you will not
+be here."
+
+"Indeed," cried the man indignantly, "I will not! But I'll be
+downstairs when you need me. And," he added warningly, "you'll
+need me." "No," said the girl. "No matter what happens, I tell
+you, between us, this is the end."
+
+"Then," begged the man, "if this is the end, for God's sake,
+Vera, as my last request, do not do it!"
+
+The girl shook her head. "No," she repeated firmly. "I've tried
+to get away from it, and each time they've forced me back. Now,
+I'll go on with it. I've promised Paul, and the others. And you
+heard me promise that woman."
+
+"But you didn't mean that!" protested the man. "She insulted
+you; you were angry. You're angry now, piqued -- "
+
+"Mr. Winthrop," interrupted the girl, "today you told me I was
+not playing the game. You told the truth. When you said this
+was a mean business, you were right. But" -- for the first time
+since she had spoken her tones were shaken, uncertain -- "I've
+been driven out of every other business." She waited until her
+voice was again under control, and then said slowly,
+definitely, "and, tonight, I am going to show Mr. Hallowell the
+spirit of his sister."
+
+In the eyes of Winthrop the look of pain, of disappointment, of
+reproach, was so keen, that the girl turned her own away.
+
+"No," said the man gently, "you will not do that."
+
+"You can stop my doing it tonight," returned the girl, "but at
+some other time, at some other place, I will do it."
+
+"You yourself will stop it," said Winthrop. "You are too honest,
+too fine, to act such a lie. Why not be yourself?" he begged.
+"Why not disappoint these other people who do not know you? Why
+disappoint the man who knows you best, who trusts you, who
+believes in you -- ".
+
+"You are the very one," interrupted the girl, "who doesn't know
+me. I am not fine; I am not honest. I am a charlatan and a
+cheat; I am all that woman called me. And that is why you can't
+know me. That's why. I told you, if you did, you would be
+sorry."
+
+"I am not sorry," said Winthrop.
+
+"You will be," returned the girl, "before the night is over."
+
+"On the contrary," answered the man quietly, "I shall wait here
+to congratulate you -- on your failure."
+
+"I shall not fail," said the girl. Avoiding his eyes, she turned
+from him and, for a moment, stood gazing before her miserably.
+Her lips were trembling, her eyes moist with rising tears. Then
+she faced him, her head raised defiantly.
+
+"I have been hounded out of every decent way of living," she
+protested hysterically. "I can make thousands of dollars
+tonight," she cried, "out of this one."
+
+Winthrop looked straight into her eyes. His own were pleading,
+full of tenderness and pity; so eloquent with meaning that those
+of the girl fell before them.
+
+"That is no answer," said the man. "You know it's not. I tell
+you -- you will fail."
+
+From the hall Judge Gaylor entered noisily. Instinctively the
+man and girl moved nearer together, and upon the intruder
+Winthrop turned angrily.
+
+"Well?" he demanded sharply. "I thought you had finished your
+talk," protested the Judge. "Mr. Hallowell is anxious to begin."
+
+Winthrop turned and looked at Vera steadily. For an instant the
+eyes of the girl faltered, and then she returned his glance with
+one as resolute as his own. As though accepting her verdict as
+final, Winthrop walked quickly to the door. "I shall be
+downstairs," he said, "when this is over, let me know."
+
+Gaylor struggled to conceal his surprise and satisfaction. "You
+won't be here for the seance?" he exclaimed.
+
+"Certainly not," cried Winthrop. "I -- " He broke off suddenly.
+Without again looking toward Vera, or trying to hide his
+displeasure, he left the room.
+
+Gaylor turned to the girl. He was smiling with relief.
+
+"Excellent!" he muttered. "Excellent! What was he saying to
+you,:" he asked eagerly, "as I came in -- that you would fail?"
+
+The girl moved past him to the door. "Yes," she answered dully.
+
+"But you will not!" cried the man. "We're all counting on you,
+you know. Destroy the old will. Sign the new will," he quoted.
+He came close to her and whispered. "That means thousands of
+dollars to you and Vance," he urged.
+
+The girl turned and regarded him with unhappy, angry eyes.
+
+"You need not be frightened,:" she answered. For the man before
+her and for herself, her voice was bitter with contempt and
+self- accusation. "Mr. Winthrop is mistaken. He does not know
+me," she said miserably. "I shall not fail."
+
+For a moment, after she had left him, Gaylor stood motionless,
+his eyes filled with concern, and then, with a shrug, as though
+accepting either good or evil fortune, he called from the
+bedroom Mr. Hallowell, and, from the floor below, the guests of
+Hallowell and of Vance.
+
+As Hallowell, supported by Rainey, sank into the invalid's chair
+in the centre of the semicircle, Gaylor made his final appeal.
+
+"Stephen," he begged, "are you sure you're feeling strong
+enough? Won't some other night -- " The old man interrupted him
+querulously.
+
+"No, now!" I want it over," he commanded. "Who knows," he
+complained, "how soon it may be before -- "
+
+The sight of Mannie entering the room with Vance caused him to
+interrupt himself abruptly. He greeted the showman with a curt
+nod.
+
+"And who is this?" he demanded. Mannie, to whom a living
+millionaire was much more of a disturbing spectacle than the
+ghost of Alexander the Great, retreated hastily behind Vance.
+
+"He is my assistant," Vance explained. "He furnishes the music."
+He pushed Mannie toward the organ.
+
+"Music!" growled Hallowell. "Must there be music?"
+
+"It is indispensable," protested Vance. "Music, sir, is one of
+the strongest psychic influences. It"
+
+"Nonsense!" cried Hallowell.
+
+"Tricks," he muttered, "tricks!"
+
+Vance shrugged his shoulders, and smiled in deprecation. "I am
+sorry to find you in a skeptical mood, Mr. Hallowell," he
+murmured reprovingly "It will hardly help to produce good
+results. Allow me," he begged, "to present two true believers."
+
+With a wave of the hand he beckoned forward a stout, gray-haired
+woman with bulging, near- sighted eyes that rolled meaninglessly
+behind heavy gold spectacles.
+
+"Mrs. Marsh of Lynn, Massachusetts," proclaimed Vance, "of whom
+you have heard. Mrs. Marsh," he added, "is probably the first
+medium in America. The results she has obtained are quite
+wonderful. She alone foretold the San Francisco earthquake, and
+the run on the Long Acre Square Bank."
+
+"I am glad to know you," said Mr. Hallowell. "Pardon my not
+rising."
+
+The old lady curtsied obsequiously.
+
+"Oh, certainly, Mr. Hallowell," she protested. "Mr. Hallowell,"
+she went on, rolling the name delightedly on her tongue, "I need
+not tell you how greatly we spiritualists rejoice over your
+joining the ranks of the believers."
+
+Hallowell nodded. He was not altogether unimpressed. "Thanks,"
+he commented dryly. "But I am not quite there yet, madam."
+
+"We hope," said Vance sententiously, "to convince Mr. Hallowell
+tonight."
+
+"And I am sure, Mr. Hallowell," cried the old lady, "if any one
+can do it, little Miss Vera can. Hers is a wonderful gift, sir,
+a wonderful gift!"
+
+"I am glad to hear you say so," returned Hallowell.
+
+He nodded to her in dismissal, and turned to the next visitor.
+"And this gentleman?" he asked.
+
+"Professor Strombergk," announced Vance, "the distinguished
+writer on psychic and occult subjects, editor of The World
+Beyond."
+
+A tall, full-bearded German, in a too-short frock coat, bowed
+awkwardly. Upon him, as upon Mannie, had fallen the spell of the
+Hallowell fortune. He, who chatted familiarly with departed
+popes and emperors, who daily was in communication with Goethe,
+Caesar, and Epictetus, thrilled with embarrassment before the
+man who had made millions from a coupling pin.
+
+"And Helen!" Mr. Hallowell cried, as Miss Coates followed the
+Professor. "That is all, is it not?" he asked.
+
+Miss Coates moved aside to disclose the person of the reporter
+from the Republic, Homer Lee.
+
+"I have taken you at your word, uncle," she said., "and have
+brought a friend with me." In some trepidation she added; "He is
+Mr. Lee, a reporter from the Republic."
+
+"A reporter!" exclaimed Mr. Hallowell. Disturbed and yet amused
+at the audacity of his niece, he shook his head reprovingly. "I
+don't think I meant reporters," he remonstrated.
+
+"You said in your note," returned his niece, "that as I had so
+much at stake, I could bring any one I pleased, and the less he
+believed in spiritualism, the better. Mr. Lee," she added dryly,
+"believes even less than I do."
+
+"Then it will be all the more of a triumph, if we convince him,"
+declared Hallowell. "Understand, young man," he proclaimed
+loudly, "I am not a spiritualist. I am merely conducting an
+investigation. I want the truth. If you, or my niece, detect any
+fraud tonight, I want to know it." Including in his speech the
+others in the room, he glared suspiciously in turn at each.
+"Keep your eyes open," he ordered, "you will be serving me quite
+as much as you will Miss Coates."
+
+Miss Coates and Lee thanked him and, recognizing themselves as
+the opposition and in the minority, withdrew for consultation
+into a corner of the bay window.
+
+Vance approached Mr. Hallowell.
+
+"If you are ready," he said, "we will examine the cabinet. Shall
+I wheel it over here, or will you look at it where it is?"
+
+"If it is to be in that corner during the seance," declared Mr.
+Hallowell, "I'll look at it where it is."
+
+As he struggled from his chair, he turned to Mrs. Marsh, and
+nodded his head knowingly. "You see, Mrs. Marsh," he said, "I am
+taking no chances."
+
+"That is quite right, Mr. Hallowell," purred the old lady. "If
+there be any doubt in your mind, you must get rid of it, or we
+will have no results."
+
+With a dramatic gesture, Vance swept aside from the opening in
+the cabinet the black velvet curtain. "It's a simple affair," he
+said indifferently. "As you see, it's open at the top and
+bottom. The medium sits inside on that chair, bound hand and
+foot."
+
+In turn, Mr. Hallowell, Mrs. Marsh, Gaylor, Rainey, Professor
+Strombergk entered the cabinet. With their knuckles they beat
+upon its sides. They moved it to and fro. They dropped to their
+knees, and with their fingers tugged at the carpet upon which it
+stood.
+
+Under cover of their questions, in the corner of the bay window,
+Miss Coates whispered to Lee; "Don't look now," she warned, "but
+later, you will see on the left of that door the switch that
+throws on the lights. When I am sure she is outside the cabinet,
+when she has told him not to give the money to me, I'll cry
+now!' and whichever one of us is seated nearer the switch will
+turn on all the lights. I think, "Miss Coates added with, in her
+voice, a thrill of triumph not altogether free from a touch of
+vindictiveness, "when my uncle sees her caught in the middle of
+the room, disguised as his sister -- we will have cured him."
+
+"It may be," said the man.
+
+The possibility of success as Miss Coates pointed it out did not
+appear to stir in him any great delight. He glanced unwillingly
+over his shoulder. "I see the switch," he said.
+
+Leaning on the arm of Gaylor, Mr. Hallowell returned from the
+cabinet to his chair. What he had seen apparently strengthened
+his faith and, in like degree, inspired him to greater
+enthusiasm.
+
+"Well," he exclaimed, "there are no trapdoors or false bottoms
+about that! If they can project a spirit from that sentry box,
+it will be a miracle. For whom are we waiting?" he asked
+impatiently. "Where is Winthrop?"
+
+Judge Gaylor explained that Winthrop preferred to wait
+downstairs, and that he had said he would remain there until the
+seance was finished.
+
+"Afraid of compromising his position," commented the old man.
+"I'm sorry. I'd like to have him here." He motioned Gaylor to
+bend nearer. In a voice that trembled with eagerness and
+excitement, he whispered: "Henry, I have a feeling that we are
+going to witness a remarkable phenomenon."
+
+Gaylor's countenance grew preternaturally grave. He nodded
+heavily.
+
+"I have the same feeling, Stephen," he returned.
+
+Vance raised his hand to command silence.
+
+"Every one," he called, "except the committee, who are to bind
+and tie the medium, will take the place I give him, and remain
+in it. Mr. Day will please acquaint Miss Vera and Mrs. Vance
+with the fact that we are ready."
+
+Up to this point Vance had appeared only as a stage manager. He
+had been concerned with his groupings, his lights, in assigning
+to his confederates the parts they were to play. Now that the
+curtain was to rise, as an actor puts on a wig and grease paint,
+Vance assumed a certain voice and manner. On the stage the
+critics would have called him a convincing actor. He made his
+audience believe what he believed. He knew the eloquence of a
+pause, the value of a surprised, unintelligible exclamation. One
+moment he was as professionally solemn as a "funeral director;"
+the next, his voice, his whole frame, would shake with
+excitement, in an outburst of fanatic fervor. As it pleased him
+he could play Hamlet, tenderly shocked at the sight of his dead
+father, or Macbeth, retreating in horror before the ghost of
+Banquo. For the moment his manner was that of the undertaker.
+
+"Now, Mr. Hallowell," he said hoarsely, "please to name those
+you wish to serve on the committee."
+
+Mr. Hallowell waved his arm to include every one in the room.
+
+"Everybody will serve on the committee," he declared.
+"Everything is to be open and above- board. The whole city is
+welcome on the committee. I want this to be above suspicion."
+
+"That is my wish, also, sir," said Vance stiffly. "But a
+committee of more than three is unwieldy. Suppose you name two
+gentlemen and I one? Or," he shrugged his shoulders, "you can
+name all three."
+
+After a moment of consideration Mr. Hallowell pointed at Lee. "I
+choose Mr. -- that young man," he announced, "and Judge Gaylor."
+
+"I would much rather not, Stephen," Judge Gaylor whispered.
+
+"I know, Henry," answered the other. "But I ask it of you. It
+will give me confidence." He turned to Vance. "You select some
+one," he commanded.
+
+With a bow, Vance designated the tall German.
+
+"Will Professor Strombergk be acceptable?" he asked. Mr.
+Hallowell nodded.
+
+"Then, the three gentlemen chosen will please come to the
+cabinet."
+
+Vance, his manner now that of a master of ceremonies, assigned
+to each person the seat he or she was to occupy. Miss Coates
+with satisfaction noted that only Mrs. Vance separated Lee from
+the electric switch.
+
+"I must ask you," said Vance, "to keep the sears I have assigned
+to you. With us tonight are both favorable and unfavorable
+influences. And what I have tried to do in placing you, is to
+obtain the best psychic results." He moved to the door and
+looked into the hall, then turned, and with uplifted arm
+silently demanded attention.
+
+"Miss Vera," he announced. Followed closely, like respectful
+courtiers, by Mannie and Mrs. Vance, Vera appeared in the
+doorway, walked a few feet into the room, and stood motionless.
+As though already in a trance, she moved slowly, without
+volition, like a somnambulist. Her head was held high, but her
+eyes were dull and unseeing. Her arms hung limply. She wore an
+evening gown of soft black stuff, that clung to her like a lace
+shawl, and which left her throat and arms bare. In spite of the
+clash of interests, of antagonism, of mutual distrust, there was
+no one present to whom the sight of the young girl did not bring
+an uneasy thrill. The nature of the thing she proposed to do,
+contrasted with the loveliness of her face, which seemed to mock
+at the possibility of deceit; something in her rapt, distant
+gaze, in the dignity of her uplifted head, in her air of
+complete detachment from her surroundings, caused even the most
+skeptical to question if she might not possess the power she
+claimed, to feel for a moment the approach of the supernatural.
+
+The voices of the committee, consulting together, dropped
+suddenly to a whisper; the others were instantly silent.
+
+In his arms Mannie carried silken scarfs, cords, and ropes. In
+each hand he held a teacup. One contained flour, the other shot.
+Vance took these from him, and Mannie hurriedly slipped into his
+chair in front of the organ.
+
+"Gentlemen," explained Vance, "you will use these ropes and
+scarfs to tie the medium. Also, as a further precaution against
+the least suspicion of fraud, we will subject her to the most
+severe test known. In one hand she will hold this flour; the
+other will be filled with shot. This will make it impossible for
+her to tamper with the ropes.
+
+He gave the two cups to Gaylor, and turned to Vera.
+
+"Are you ready?" he asked. After a pause, the girl slightly
+inclined her head. Lee, with one of the scarfs in his hand,
+approached her diffidently. He looked unhappily at the slight,
+girlish figure, at the fair white arms. In his embarrassment he
+appealed to Vance.
+
+"How would you suggest?" he asked.
+
+Vance, apparently shocked, hastily drew away. "That would be
+most irregular," he protested.
+
+Apologetically Lee turned to the girl.
+
+"Would you mind putting your arms behind you?" he asked. He
+laced the scarf around her arms, and drew it tightly to her
+wrists.
+
+"Tell me if I hurt you," he murmured, but the girl made no
+answer. To what was going forward she appeared as unmindful as
+though she were an artist's manikin.
+
+"Will you take these now?" asked Gaylor, and into her open palms
+he poured the flour and shot. "And, now," continued Lee, "will
+you go into the cabinet?" As she seated herself, he knelt in
+front of her and bound her ankles. From behind her Strombergk
+deftly wound the ropes about her body and through the rungs and
+back of the chair.
+
+"Would you mind seeing if you can withdraw your arms?" Lee
+asked. The girl raised her shoulders, struggled to free her
+hands, and tried to rise. But the efforts were futile.
+
+"Are the gentlemen satisfied?" demanded Vance. The three men,
+who had shown but little heart in the work, and who were now red
+and embarrassed, hastily answered in the affirmative.
+
+"If you are satisfied the ropes are securely fastened," Vance
+continued, "you will take your seats." Professor Strombergk, as
+he moved to his chair, announced in devout, solemn tones;
+"Nothing but spirit hands can move those ropes now."
+
+From the organ rose softly the prelude to a Moody and Sankey
+hymn, and, in keeping with the music, the voice of Vance sank to
+a low tone.
+
+"We will now," he said, "establish the magnetic chain. Each
+person will take with his right hand the left wrist of the
+person on his or her right." He paused while this order was
+being carried into effect.
+
+"Before I turn out the lights," he continued, "I wish to say a
+last word to any skeptic who may be present.  I warn him that
+any attempt to lay violent hands upon the apparition, or spirit,
+may cost the medium her life.  From the cabinet the medium
+projects the spirit into the circle.  An attack upon the spirit,
+is an attack upon the medium.  There are three or four
+well-authenticated cases where the disembodied spirit was cut
+off from the cabinet, and the medium died."
+
+He drew the velvet curtains across the cabinet, and shut Vera
+from view. "Are you ready, Mr. Hallowell?" he asked. Mr.
+Hallowell, his eyes staring, his lips parted, nodded his head.
+The music grew louder. Vance switched off the lights.
+
+For some minutes, except for the creaking of the pedals of the
+organ and the low throb of the music, there was no sound. Then,
+from his position at the open door, the voice of Vance commanded
+sternly: "No whispering, please. The medium is susceptible to
+the least sound." There was another longer pause, until in
+hushed expectant tones Vance spoke again. "The air is very
+heavily charged with electricity tonight," he said, "you, Mrs.
+Marsh, should feel that?"
+
+"I do, Professor," murmured the medium, "I do. We shall have
+some wonderful results!"
+
+Vance agreed with her solemnly. "I feel influences all about
+me," he murmured.
+
+There came suddenly from the cabinet three sharp raps. These
+were instantly answered by other quick rappings upon the library
+table. "They are beginning!" chanted the voice of Vance. The
+music of the organ ceased. It was at once followed by the notes
+of a guitar that seemed to float in space, the strings
+vibrating, not as though touched by human hands, but in fitful,
+meaningless chords like those of an Aeolian harp.
+
+"That is Kiowa, your control, Mrs. Marsh," announced Vance
+eagerly. "Do you desire to speak to him?"
+
+"Not tonight," Mrs. Marsh answered. She raised her voice. "Not
+tonight, Kiowa," she repeated. "Thank you for coming. Good
+night."
+
+In deep, guttural accents, a man's voice came from the ceiling.
+"Good night," it called. With a final, ringing wail, the music
+of the guitar suddenly ceased.
+
+Again rose the swelling low notes of the organ. Above it came
+the quick pattering of footsteps.
+
+The voice of Rainey, filled with alarm, cried, "some one touched
+me!"
+
+"Are you sure your hands are held?" demanded Vance reprovingly.
+
+"Yes," panted Rainey, "both of them. But something put its hand
+on my forehead. It was cold."
+
+In an excited whisper, a voice in the circle cried, "Look,
+look!" and before the eyes of all, a star rose in the darkness.
+For a moment it wavered over the cabinet and then fluttered
+swiftly across the room and remained stationary above the head
+of the German Professor.
+
+"There is your star, Professor," cried Vance. "When the
+Professor is in the circle," he announced proudly, "that star
+always appears."
+
+He was interrupted by a startled exclamation from Lee.
+
+"Something touched my face," explained the young man
+apologetically, "and spoke to me."
+
+The music sank to a murmur, and the room became alive with
+swift, rushing sounds and soft whisperings.
+
+The voice of Mrs. Marsh, low and eager, could be heard appealing
+to an invisible presence.
+
+"The results are marvelous," chanted Vance, "marvelous! The
+medium is showing wonderful power. If any one desires to ask a
+question, he should do so now. The conditions will never be
+better." He paused expectantly. "Mr. Hallowell," he prompted,
+"is it your wish to communicate with any one in the spirit
+world?"
+
+There was a long pause, and then the voice of Mr. Hallowell,
+harsh and shaken, answered, "Yes."
+
+"With whom?" demanded Vance.
+
+There was again another longer pause, and then, above the
+confusion of soft whisperings, the voice of the old man rose in
+sharp staccato; "My sister, Catherine Coates." His tone
+hardened, became obdurate, final. "But, I must see her, and hear
+her speak!"
+
+Not for an instant did Vance hesitate. In tense, sepulchral
+tones, he demanded of the darkness, "Is the spirit of Catherine
+Coates present?"
+
+The whisperings and murmurs ceased. The silence of the room was
+broken sharply by three quick raps. "Yes," intoned Vance, "she
+is present."
+
+The voice of Hallowell protested fiercely. "I won't have that! I
+want to see her!"
+
+In the tone of an incantation, Vance spoke again. "Will the
+spirit show herself to her brother?" The raps came quickly,
+firmly.
+
+"She answers she will appear before you."
+
+There was a moment that seemed to stretch interminably, and
+then, the eyes of all, straining in the darkness, saw against
+the black velvet curtain a splash of white.
+
+Above the sobbing of the organ, the voice of Mr. Hallowell rang
+out in a sharp exclamation of terror. "Who is that!" he
+demanded. He spoke as though he dreaded the answer. He threw
+himself forward in his chair, peering into the darkness.
+
+"Is that you, Kate?, he whispered. His voice was both
+incredulous and pleading.
+
+The answer came in feeble, trembling tones. "Yes."
+
+The voice of Hallowell shook with eagerness. "Do you know me,
+your brother, Stephen?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+With a cry the old man fell back, groping blindly. He found
+Gaylor's arm and clutched it with both hands.
+
+"My God! It's Kate!" he gasped. "I tell you, Henry, it is Kate!"
+
+The voice of Vance, deep and hollow like a bell, sounded a note
+of warning. "Speak quickly," he commanded. "Her time on earth is
+brief." Mr. Hallowell's hold upon the arm of his friend relaxed.
+Fearfully and slowly, he bent forward.
+
+"Kate!" he pleaded; "I must ask you a question. No one else can
+tell me." As though gathering courage, he paused, and, with a
+frightened sigh, again began. "I am an old man," he murmured, "a
+sick man. I will be joining you very soon. what am I to do with
+my money? I have made great plans to give it to the poor. Or,
+must I give it, as I have given it in my will, to Helen? Perhaps
+I did not act fairly to you and Helen. You know what I mean. She
+would be rich, but then the poor would be that much the poorer."
+The confidence of the speaker was increasing; as though to a
+living being, he argued and pleaded. "And I want to do some good
+before I go. What shall I do? Tell me."
+
+There was a pause that lasted so long that those who had held
+their breath to listen, again breathed deeply. When the answer
+came, it was strangely deprecatory, uncertain, unassured.
+
+"You," stammered the voice, "you must have courage to do what
+you know to be just!"
+
+For a brief moment, as though surprised, Mr. Hallowell
+apparently considered this, and then gave an exclamation of
+disappointment and distress.
+
+"But I don't know," he protested, "that is why I called on you.
+I want to go into the next world, Kate," he pleaded, "with clean
+hands!"
+
+"You cannot bribe your way into the next world," intoned the
+voice. "If you pity the poor, you must help the poor, not that
+you may cheat your way into heaven, but that they may suffer
+less. Search your conscience. Have the courage of your
+conscience."
+
+"I don't want to consult my conscience," cried the old man. "I
+want you to tell me." He paused, hesitating. Eager to press his
+question, his awe of the apparition still restrained him.
+
+"What do you mean, Kate?" he begged. Am I to give the money
+where it will do the most good -- to the Hallowell Institute, or
+am I to give it to Helen? Which am I to do?"
+
+There was another long silence, and then the voice stammered;
+"If -- if you have wronged me, or my daughter, or the poor, you
+must make restitution."
+
+The hand of the old man was heard to fall heavily upon the arm
+of his chair. His voice rose unhappily.
+
+"That is no answer, Kate!" he cried. "Did you come from the dead
+to preach to me? Tell me -- what am I to do -- leave my money to
+Helen, or to the Institute?"
+
+The cry of the old man vibrated in the air. No voice rose to
+answer. "Kate!" he entreated. Still there was silence. "Speak to
+me!" he commanded. The silence became eloquent with momentous
+possibilities. So long did it endure, that the pain of the
+suspense was actual. The voice of Rainey, choked and hoarse with
+fear, broke it with an exclamation that held the sound of an
+oath. He muttered thickly, "What in the name of -- "
+
+He was hushed by a swift chorus of hisses. The voice of
+Hallowell was again uplifted.
+
+"Why won't she answer me?" he begged hysterically of Vance.
+"Can't you -- can't the medium make her speak?"
+
+During the last few moments the music from the organ had come
+brokenly. The hands upon the keys moved unsteadily, drunkenly.
+Now they halted altogether and in the middle of a chord the
+music sank and died. Upon the now absolute silence the voice of
+Vance, when he spoke, sounded strangely unfamiliar. It had lost
+the priest-like intonation. Its confidence had departed. It
+showed bewilderment and alarm.
+
+"I -- I don't understand," stammered the showman. "Ask her
+again. Put your question differently."
+
+Carefully, slowly, giving each word its value, Mr. Hallowell
+raised his voice in entreaty.
+
+"Kate," he cried, "I have made a new will, leaving the money to
+the poor. The old will gives it to Helen. Shall I sign the new
+will or not? Shall I give the money to Helen, or the Institute?
+Answer me! Yes or no."
+
+Before the eyes of all, the apparition, as though retreating to
+the cabinet, swayed backward, then staggered forward. There was
+a sob, human, heart-broken, a cry, thrilling with distress; a
+tumult of weeping, fierce and uncontrollable.
+
+They saw the figure tear away the white kerchief and cap, and
+trample them upon the floor. They saw the figure hold itself
+erect. From it, the voice of Vera cried aloud, in despair.
+
+"I can't! I can't!" she sobbed. "It's a lie! I am not your
+sister! Turn on the lights," the girl cried. "Turn on the
+lights!"
+
+There was a crash of upturned chairs, the sound of men
+struggling, and the room was swept with light. In the doorway
+Winthrop was holding apart Vance and the reporter.
+
+In the centre of the room stood Vera, her head bent in shame,
+her body shaken and trembling, her hair streaming to her waist.
+
+As though to punish herself, by putting a climax to her
+humiliation, she held out her arms to Helen Coates. "You see,"
+she cried, "I am a cheat. I am a fraud!" She sank suddenly to
+her knees in front of Mr. Hallowell. "Forgive me," she sobbed,
+"forgive me!"
+
+With a cry of angry protest, Winthrop ran to her and lifted her
+to her feet. His eyes were filled with pity. But in the eyes of
+Mr. Hallowell there was no promise of pardon. With sudden
+strength he struggled to his feet and stood swaying, challenging
+those before him. His face was white with anger, his jaw closed
+against mercy.
+
+"You've lied to me!" he cried. "You've tried to rob me!" He
+swept the room with his eyes. With a flash of intuition, he saw
+the trap they had laid for him. "All of you!" he screamed. "It's
+a plot!" He shook his fist at the weeping girl. "And you!" he
+shouted hysterically, "the law shall punish you!"
+
+Winthrop drew the girl to him and put his arm about her.
+
+"I'll do the punishing here," he said.
+
+With a glad, welcoming cry, the old man turned to him
+appealingly, wildly.
+
+"Yes, you!" he shouted. "you punish them! She plotted to get my
+money."
+
+The girl at Winthrop's side shivered, and shrank from him. He
+drew her back roughly and held her close. The sobs that shook
+her tore at his heart; the touch of the sinking, trembling body
+in his arms filled him with fierce, jubilant thoughts of keeping
+the girl there always, of giving battle for her, of sheltering
+her against the world. In what she had done he saw only a
+sacrifice. In her he beheld only a penitent, who was
+self-accused and self-convicted.
+
+He heard the voice of the old man screaming vindictively, "She
+plotted to get my money!"
+
+Winthrop turned upon him savagely.
+
+"How did she plot to get it?" he retorted fiercely. "You know,
+and I know. I know how your lawyer, your doctor, your servant
+plotted to get it!" His voice rose and rang with indignation.
+"You all plotted, and you all schemed -- and to what end -- what
+was the result?" -- he held before them the fainting figure of
+the girl -- "That one poor child could prove she was honest!"
+
+With his arms still about her, and her hands clinging to him, he
+moved with her quickly to the door. When they had reached the
+silence of the hall, he took her hands in his, and looked into
+her eyes. "Now," he commanded, "you shall come to my sisters!"
+
+The waiting car carried them swiftly up the avenue. Their way
+lay through the park, and the warm, mid-summer air was heavy
+with the odor of plants and shrubs. Above them the trees drooped
+deep with leaves. Vera, crouched in a corner, had not spoken.
+Her eyes were hidden in her hands. But when they had entered the
+silent reaches of the park she lowered them and the face she
+lifted to Winthrop was pale and wet with tears. The man thought
+never before had he seen it more lovely or more lovable. Vera
+shook her head dumbly and looked up at him with a troubled
+smile.
+
+"I told you," she murmured remorsefully, "you'd be sorry."
+
+We don't know that yet," said Winthrop gently, "we'll have all
+the rest of our lives to find that out."
+
+Startled, the girl drew back. In her face was wonder, amazement,
+a dawning happiness.
+
+Without speaking, Winthrop looked at her, entreatingly,
+pitifully, beseeching her with his eyes.
+
+Slowly the girl bent forward and, as he threw out his arms, with
+a little sigh of rest and content she crept into them and
+pressed her face to his.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg Etext of Vera the Medium by Richard Harding Davis
+
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