are on a low
plane. I never go to those who associate with Indians."

"But mediums are all alike in this respect. I don't suppose Mrs. Smiley
realizes that 'Maudie' would be called by a doubter a falsetto disguise
of her own voice, and 'Wilbur' a shrewd and humorous personification of
her subconscious self; or, if she does, she probably ascribes it to the
process of materialization which 'takes from' the medium. Never but once
have I had the sensation of being in the presence of a real spirit
personality, and that happened to me only a few days ago."

"It must have been an extraordinary experience to have made so deep an
impression upon you," said Fowler.

"Yes, it was extraordinary. It had the personal element in it to a much
greater degree than any case I had hitherto studied, and seemed a direct
attempt at identification on the part of a powerful and original
individuality but recently 'passed out.' It came about in this way:

"I met, not long ago, at the home of a friend in a Western city, a woman
who was said to be able to produce whispers independent of her own
organs of speech. I was assured by those in whom I had confidence that
these voices could be heard in the broad light of day, in the open air,
anywhere the psychic happened to be, and that her 'work' was of an
exceptionally high character. I was keenly interested, as you may
imagine, and asked for a sitting. Mrs. Hartley, as we will call her,
fixed a day and hour in her own house for the trial, and I went to the
sitting a few days later with high expectations of her 'phase.' I found
her living in a small frame house on a pleasant street, with nothing to
indicate that it was a meeting-place of mortals and their 'spirit
guides.'

"Mrs. Hartley was quite evidently a woman of power and native
intelligence. After a few minutes of general conversation she took me up
to her study on the second floor, a sunny little den on the east side of
the house, which was not in the least suggestive of hocus-pocus. A broad
mission table, two bookcases, a few flowers, and a curious battered old
black walnut table completed the furnishing of the room, which indicated
something rather studious and thoughtful in the owner.

"Mrs. Hartley asked me to be seated, and added, 'Please write on a sheet
of paper the names of such friends as you would like to communicate
with.' She then left the room on some household errand, and while she
was gone I wrote the name of her guide, 'Dr.