lly, or which
have survived from some early period when our natural gifts had not been
smothered by civilization."

And, to make our position clear, that is today the attitude of the
Neighborhood Club. The supernormal, as I said at the beginning, not the
supernatural, is our explanation.

Sperry's notes were alphabetical.

(a) At 9:15, or somewhat earlier, on Monday night a week ago Arthur
Wells killed himself, or was killed. At 9:30 on that same evening by Mr.
Johnson's watch, consulted at the time, Miss Jeremy had described such a
crime. (Here he elaborated, repeating the medium's account.)

(b) At midnight, Sperry, reaching home, had found a message summoning
him to the Wells house. The message had been left at 9:35. He had
telephoned me, and we had gone together, arriving at approximately
12:30.

(c) We had been unable to enter, and, recalling the medium's description
of a key on a nail among the vines, had searched for and found such a
key, and had admitted ourselves. Mrs. Wells, a governess, a doctor, and
two policemen were in the house. The dead man lay in the room in which
he had died. (Here he went at length into the condition of the room,
the revolver with one chamber empty, and the blood-stained sponge and
razorstrop behind the bathtub. We had made a hasty examination of the
ceiling, but had found no trace of a second shot.)

(d) The governess had come in at just after the death. Mr. Horace
Johnson had had a talk with her. She had left the front door unfastened
when she went out at eight o'clock. She said she had gone out to
telephone about another position, as she was dissatisfied. She had
phoned from, Elliott's pharmacy on State Avenue. Later that night Mr.
Johnson had gone to Elliott's. She had lied about the message. She
had really telephoned to a number which the pharmacy clerk had already
discovered was that of the Ellingham house. The message was that Mr.
Ellingham was not to come, as Mr. and Mrs. Wells were going out. It was
not the first time she had telephoned to that number.

There was a stir in the room. Something which we had tacitly avoided had
come suddenly into the open. Sperry raised his hand.

"It is necessary to be explicit," he said, "that the Club may see where
it stands. It is, of course, not necessary to remind ourselves that this
evening's disclosures are of the most secret nature. I urge that
the Club jump to no hasty conclusions, and that there shall be no
interruptions unt