In the morning Esther and Jane were both very weak, particularly Esther.  She, however, got up when her sister did, and lay down on the sofa in the parlor.  At breakfast they all agreed that a doctor had better be called in.  So in the afternoon Dan left the factory early and went to see Dr. Caritte.  The doctor laughed when Dan told him what had occurred.  He said he would call in the evening and remain until one in the morning if necessary, but did not hesitate to say that what Dan had told him was all nonsense, remarking that he knew no such tomfoolery would occur while he was in the house.

As the hands of the clock pointed to ten, in walked the doctor.  Bidding everybody a hearty good evening, he took a seat near Esther, who had been in bed since nine o’clock, but as yet had not been afflicted with one of her strange attacks.  The doctor felt her pulse, looked at her tongue, and then told the family that she seemed to be suffering from nervous excitement and had evidently received a tremendous shock of some kind.  Just as he had said these words, the pillow from under her head left the bed, with the exception of one corner, which remained under her head, straightened itself out as if filled with air, and then went back to its place again.  The doctor’s large, blue eyes opened to their utmost capacity, as he asked in a low tone:  “Did you all see that; it went back again.”

“So it did,” remarked John Teed, “but if it moves out again it will not go back, for I intend to hold on to it, even if it did bang me over the head last night.”

John had no sooner spoken these words than out came the pillow from under Esther’s head as before.  He waited until it had just started back again, and then grasped it with both hands, and held on with all his strength.  The pillow, however, was pulled from him by some invisible power stronger than himself.  As he felt it being pulled away, his hair actually stood on end.

“How wonderful!” exclaimed Dr. Caritte.

Just as the doctor arose from his chair, the reports under the bed commenced, as on the previous night.  The doctor looked beneath the bed, but failed to ascertain what caused the sounds.  When he walked to the door the sounds followed him, being now produced on the floor of the room.  In about a minute after this, off went the bed clothes again, and before they had been put back on the bed, the sound as of some person writing on the wall with a sharp instrument was heard.  All looked at the wall whence the sound of writing came, when to their great astonishment there was seen written, near the head of the bed, in large characters, these words:  “Esther Cox, you are mine to kill.”  Everybody could see the writing plainly, and yet only a moment before nothing was to be seen but the blank wall.

The reader can imagine their utter amazement at what had just taken place.  There they stood around the bed of this wonderful girl, each watching the other to see that there was no deception.  They knew these marvellous things had taken place, for all heard them with their own ears and beheld them with their own eyes.  Still, they could not believe their own senses, it was all so strange.  But the writing on the wall—­what did it mean, and how came it there?  God only knew.