The Shadow World

eves and four tacks were used at each wrist. Her feet were tied separately in the middle of a long tape, and the ends brought together, carried back beneath her chair, and tack

s of paper specially marked and d

th experiment. I was delighted to have the circle narrow down, for Fowler was a good investigator and a man of vast experience in psychic matters

palms grew moist. She said she found it difficult to submit to our touch. She asked us to put our fingers above hers, and soon a

he psychic's lips, asking us to move the table farther away. This I did, leaving it at least twelve inches from the utmost tips of her fingers.

t, almost immediately, tapping came upon the cone keeping time to our singing. Later, sounds were produced like the beating of a ket

g; the tapping on the cone was inexplicable on the basis of any normal action of the

d his own disappointment. "However," he added, philosophically, "w

me; "it is because of the larger fact that one phenomenon supports another that one comes to believe. Thus

he drumming takes place. I want to hear he

a little later we returned to the room where

" said: "Mr. Mitchell says take the ta

the cone. The psychic then passed through a period of suffering, of effort, but nothing took place. Again "Maudie" spoke, asking us to restore th

gh some one were lightly beating the cone with a key. These clicks answered our questions. It was "Wilbur" once more. I asked him if he were going to be able to speak to us, and he tapped "Yes." Soon afte

assed into what seemed like a

s, Mrs. Smiley?

hat tim

ast eight. Ho

old," she answer

remarked. "You've been sit

esent?" she as

es, 'Wilbur' is here-or was a few momen

e resumed general conversation with us. It was noticeable to me all through this sitting, as at others, that

oing to the psychic's side. I don't like this long-distance exp

privilege," was th

l I g

wly forward and took a seat at Mrs. Smiley's right hand. "I am very close to the ultimate mystery, Mrs

reach of the psychic, but no voice came from it! This was a disappointment to me, as well as to Fowler, and I banteringly said: "You know this failure is suspicious, Wilbur.' It see

to the chair), the loose leaves of the paper in the centre of the table were whisked away to the lef

are you controlling

othing to do w

those papers was very ghostly indeed. We had demons

forward?"

as the deci

want me to change with Fowler

"Yes" was ra

as we are," remarked Fowler. "Did you mean y

e of raps followed

most furiously, describing wide circles entirely out of Mrs. Smiley's reach. This action was another perfectly convincing test of the psychic's supernormal powers. As the same movement had taken place with each of us in control of the psychic, each was absolved from any complicity in the

e the proof you want." Upon this hint I acted. Taking a large kerchief from my pocket, I tied it tightly around her mouth,

arently very much muffled and blurred. "You are not

y, more sharply than ever before. "

at's better," I said. "Your

lozenge," he whimsically retorted, expressi

ow does she handle the cone? We will suppose she is a marvellous ventriloquist. How does she write on the pads on th

t really looks, so far as anything in the dark can look, like spirits, but

ing to escape the spirit h

I want to examine that gag, and I want to hold

wler offered an explanation: "We h

t you should prove to me that your voice is not dependent upon the vocal cho

voice sounding very faint and muffled throug

ging I am going to insist on 'Wilbur's' speaking. Will you do that, 'W

e on the part of the ghostly voices, and a moment later she

"I am sorry we didn't get the voices. I am sure we can if we try again. Plea

d: "I think we will postpone further experim

eaf, too, but that often happens. M

nd is perfec

t seems

and then, with the small end jangling inside the larger one, was carried over the table and back to t

ust through the writing. "Wilbur" had scrawled his name, Mrs. Fowler's father's name was signed to a message, and there were other signatures unknown to any of us. The pencil was on the carpet, forty inches from Mrs. Smiley's hand. The leaves of paper, at the moment when they were grasped and lifted, were more than forty inches from her finger-tips. How this was done I do not know: but of this I am absolutely sure: the psychic did not remove them from the table by means of her ordinary, material limbs. Barring the failure to disassociate her voice from that of "W

r that both of the psychic's hands could be controlled at the same time that Mrs. Fowler's were secur

t strict enough. At any rate, the final and most conclusive sitting came three days later. It was held in Fowler's house. W

We will call him Frank. Fowler and I took entire charge of the psychic, and her bonds were ev

. Mitchell wishes the thread fastened to m

movement of the psychic would be plainly and instantly detected. We then returned to our seats, and, though conditions seemed favorabl

go down to supper. Mr. Mitchell says he will be a

rove the voices independent of the psychic's vocal organs, and at

nd over her mouth," I said to

l believe in spirits?" he

mise that, but I confess it woul

get something more c

r at least movement, with every hand controlled; and, second, the

But the unexpected is what usuall

table, while Frank and Mrs. Fowler sat close together at the end opposite Mrs. Smiley. I ask the reader to recall that the psychic's ankles were encircled with tape which was nailed to the floor behind her chair. Two bands of tape, after being s

e co-operation of the spirit world in the great work to which I was devoting myself. He directed his exhortation to me, as usual; and for the benefit of those who think the spirits are always trivial or foolish, I wish to say that "Mitchell's"

red me, "are working as hard from our side as you are from yours, equally intent upon opening up channels of communication between

hell' will do what Mr. Garland so much desires. Please be very careful not to touch mama until I tell you. Keep as far apart as you can as you go up to her. When you reach my mama

ckster would permit such rigorous control as that toward which we were now invited. I was sorry that Miller was not present to share with me the satisfaction of the moment. My admiratio

said: "Mr. Garland may put his right hand on top of mama's head and his left hand on her wrist. Mr. Fowler may place his left

hand is on the psychic's he

hich is on the psychic's head, and my own right hand is on

l yard away, rose with a sharp, metallic, scraping sound, and remained in the air for fully half a minute, during which I called out, sh

s hands in mine

ic. She was absolutely not concerned in any known way with that movement. Save for a curious throbbing, wave-like mot

e cone in any way known to biology. If she produced the voices, they too must have been examples of supernormal v

ther voices spoke to us. Fowler, now that I had admitted telekinesis, wanted me to go fur

ered. "I must have the voices through the co

ng all we can, and we will yet be able

ecure the voice of the psychic and your voice at th

position high in the air; but no voices came. Hidden forces seemed to be struggling for escape beneath our hands; the woman's brain seemed a powerful dynamo. I could not rid myself of a sense that there was an actual externalization of t

ucceed. Mrs. Smiley spoke almost at the same moment but never precisely synchronous with Wilbur's whisper. She answered all my questions perfectly unconcerned and unexcited, lending herself to my experiments. All in vain. At no time did I succeed in

me in my belief that the entire process, while ine

ree inches from the nearest leg of the table. We carefully examined the tapes which were sewed to her sleeves. They were tied, and the doubled ends tacked precisely as d

land. I feel myself growing weaker, and 'Mitchell' tells me I would better stop for the present. I feel that my power belong

, and we are deeply in your debt. I am sorry Miller was not with us to-night; he would have been convinced of your supernormal power at least. Have no fear of my r

s spirit w

TNO

ould see the gleam of light along its entire side. At last it came softly down and laid itself across my shoulder. In order to satisfy myself of its presence, I bent and touched it with my forehead. The touch seemed to disturb conditions, to br