of an interest which
laid hold on the most secret hopes and fears of the youngest and shook
the eldest with an elemental dread and longing. It was as if the
flood-gates of a sea of doubt and wonder had been turned in upon a
dozen minds hitherto as well kept as lawns. Questions popped like
corks and answers were as vivacious as the gurgle of wine, but the
topic remained indeterminate--the argument inconclusive.

On their way home, Serviss said to his sister: "Did you notice how
profound the silence became when Ralph started that discussion of the
occult?"

"It is always so."

"Is it, really? I hadn't noticed it particularly."

"That's because people are afraid to talk such things before you
scientists. Why, every woman there has been to a palmist or
mind-reader or something."

"You astonish me. Have you?"

"Of course! I go every little while just for fun. We all pretend that
we don't believe in it, but we do. I'm scared blue every time I go to
a new one--they're all such creepy creatures. The last one I went to
was positively weird."

Serviss was severe. "Kate, I am ashamed of you. To think that you, a
woman of penetration, associating with people of rare intelligence
like myself--"

"But why don't you people of rare intelligence look into these things?
Why do you leave us poor untrained emotional creatures to suffer
befoolment when you could so easily instruct us and shield us?"

"Because, while we could easily prove you befooled, you would still
follow after your saw-dust idols. We prefer to save you from your
_bodily_ infirmities and contagions, and so react on your minds."

She laughed. "That's very clever of you, and very decent. Stay with
your germs, rob us of our diseases, but leave us, oh, leave us our
delicious _thrills_!" She became grave. "The fact is, Morton, we all
have moments when we feel the presence of the dead. I do. Father and
mother never seem away off in our Graceland vault; sometimes they seem
to be in the room with me. It's all a fancy, you'll say, and very
foolish, but I believe mother actually comes to help me with Georgie
when he is ill. Sometimes in the deep of the night I thrill as if she
touched me."

He was not unsympathetic as he said: "You never hinted at this
before."

"I was afraid to do so. If mother exists somewhere, and in some
etherealized form, why can't she come back? Why couldn't her mind act
on mine and produce the sensation of her presence?"

"Perhaps it could