At last Aunt Josephine, influenced by Elaine’s pleadings and Bennett’s suggestion, gave in and agreed to join in the visit.

A few moments later, in the Dodge car, Elaine, the medium, and her two escorts started for the Chinese quarter.

. . . . . . . .

At the house, the medium opened the door with her key and ushered in her three visitors.

Long Sin who had been watching for their arrival from the window now hastily withdrew from the seance room and disappeared behind the black curtains.

Entering the room the medium at once prepared for the seance by pulling down the window shades.  Then she seated herself in a chair beside the cabinet, and appeared to fall off slowly into a trance.

Her strange proceedings were watched with the greatest curiosity by Elaine as well as Aunt Josephine and Bennett, who had taken seats placed at one side of the room.

The room itself was dimly lighted, and the curtains of the cabinet seemed, in the obscurity, to sway back and forth as if stirred by some ghostly breeze.

All of them were now quite on edge with excitement.

Suddenly an indistinct face was seen to be peering through the black curtains, as it were.

The guitar, as if lifted by an invisible hand, left the cabinet, floated about close to the ceiling, and returned again.  It was eerie.

At last a voice, deep, sepulchral, was heard in slow and solemn tones.

“I am Eeko—­the spirit of Taylor Dodge.  I will give no message until one named Josephine leaves the room.”

No sooner had the words been uttered than the medium came writhing out of her trance.

“What happened?” she asked, looking at Elaine.

Elaine reported the spirit’s words.

“We can get nothing if your Aunt stays here,” Savetsky added, insisting that Aunt Josephine must go.  “Your father cannot speak while she is present.”

Aunt Josephine, annoyed by what she had heard, indignantly refused to go and was deaf to all Elaine’s pleadings.

“I think it will be all right,” finally acquiesced Bennett, seeing how bent Elaine was on securing the message.  “I’ll stay and protect her.”

Aunt Josephine finally agreed.  “Very well, then,” she protested, marching out of the room in a high state of indignation.

She had scarcely left the house, however, when she began to suspect that all was not as it ought to be.  In fact, the idea had no sooner occurred to her than she decided to call on Kennedy and she ordered the chauffeur to take her as quickly as possible to the laboratory.

. . . . . . . .

Kennedy had not been in the laboratory all the day, after my experience with the acid and I was impatiently awaiting his arrival.  At last there came a knock at the door and I opened it hurriedly.  There was a messenger boy who handed me a note.  I tore it open.  It was from Kennedy and read, “I shall probably be away for two or three days.  Call up Elaine and tell her to beware of a certain Madame Savetsky.”