etically 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 positio