ood
it, was Mrs. Steinert. On Mrs. Towne's right sat Dr. Paul and Professor
Franks, my friend. Within the circle Towne had set a small table, on
which were placed pencils and paper. The chain was formed by locking our
little fingers tightly. If we may depend on the word of those present,
this chain of hands remained unbroken for two hours. The room at first
was perfectly dark.

"For half an hour we sat at ease, talking a little now and then, but
leaving the direction of the whole affair to Peters. He hinted to
us--and this I wish to particularly emphasize--that he went out of his
body. He said: 'When I think toward any one or toward a thing, I am
there. I am all around it. If I think toward a person, I am there--all
around him--inside of him.' In pursuit of this idea, I then asked: 'Are
you conscious of your body which you have left behind? Are you conscious
of being in the upper part of the room, for instance, and do you see
your body below you?'

"'No,' said he; 'I am conscious of being in a certain place, but I am
not conscious of being in two places at the same time.' He told us of
his development, which came about through attendance on a circle with
another psychic. He said he had been experimenting for about four years.
I asked him if it had affected his health in any way, and he replied:
'No, it does not weary me any more than prolonged study might do. I am
very fond of playing chess, and I find that I do not play so well after
a sitting--that's all.' He said the only sign of the special condition
which produced these phenomena was a nervous tremor in his limbs.

"The first evidence of 'the force' came in steady tappings upon Mrs.
Towne's chair. The young man said: 'This is my friend "Evans,"' and
thereupon I began to direct the sitting through 'Evans.' In answer to my
questions, he said that he would do what he could do for us. I asked him
if he would write, and he answered by tapping that he would try.

"Shortly after this promise, sounds as of hands were heard about the
table. Sheets of paper were plainly being written upon and torn off the
pad. One of these was flourished in my face, while the linked fingers of
the psychic were firmly held by Dr. Towne and his wife. All of those in
the circle excepting Mrs. Steinert and myself were new to this
business, and much impressed.

"At the precise moment when these hands were at work writing, and a
little later while they patted Mrs. Towne's cheek and tapped on