The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-25

mind.
 Maybe" he decided, 'Ill see something of that seance."
 Mir. Cray challenged his acquaintance, Major Hartopp to a game of billiards that evening after dinner. The latter, after one game, in which he gave his opponent 125 out of 250 and beat him by 60, put up his cue and declined to play any more
 T am going to bed," he said shortly.
 MT. Cray glanced at the clock.
 Wont you find the seance little dis turbing?" he asked. Besides, the only pleasant thing about these shows is that they are silent. Spooks don't seem to care about noise."
 The two men parted. MT. Cray also went to his room, but he emerged few minutes later by the back entrance and found his way into the grounds. The night was dark, and slight mistral was blowing from the hills. He made his way silently round until he reached the walk in front of Hartopp's suite. Here he made a care- ful examination of his Surroundings So far as it was possible to tell he was the only person Who was seeking this illicit means of ODIolAllS lA1OImdtlOu as LO CNG Seance. From the chinks in the gayly lighted win- dows of the main building of the hotel came the sound of the orchestra playing dance music in the lounge. Every now and then he could even distinguish fragments of con- versation from the numerous bridge parties. Inside the room, through the inch or two of gaping blind which was his only means of observation, everything at first seemed shielded by a wall of deep black.
 Presently, however, one by one the white faces of those who sat around the table blurred and imperceptible in detail, still be- came faintly recognizable. Every now and then there was low murmuring, which he had learned to tabulate in his mind as the spirit voice of the medium. Everyone seemed deeply stirred, tragically interested. He heard Homer's raucous, trembling voice.
 "If am to have comfort, must see her. Let me see her for one moment"
 Again there came Mrs. Hartopp's voice, faint and weary, yet always with it's sug- gestive, unearthly note
 'I will try. Look away from me, every one, while try"
 
 It was at this point that MT. Cray be- came vastly interested. From the direction of the voice, he gathered that Mrs. Hartopp had been lying upon couch drawn up close to screen. Without being able to trace any movement, the white blur of her face seemed to disappear.
 An intense silence followed. The win- dows of the bedroom on the other side of the door was softly pushed open. Almost immediately the door itself opened several inches.
 MT. Cray in those moments forgot his wariness. Through the window stepped an indistinguishable form bearing bundle on its arm. Through the door come shadowy figure. And just then, on the top of his head, MT. Cray received a soft, resonant crack. It was considerably later when he found himself lying on the gravel ter race, looking up at the stars.
 Very slowly he scrambled to his feet. His head was still aching and was remarkably sore. From the sitting room window, few yards away, lights were now burning, all though most of the lights in the hotel had been extinguished. He struck a match and looked at his watc.,. It was II o'clock, which meant he had been lying there for nearly an hour. He staggered to his feet, shook the dust from his clothes, re-entered the hotel by the back way and made his way to his room.
 It was very grim Mir. Cray, however, who strolled out on the terrace the fol- lowing morning and made his way with a certain ominous deliberation to the little sunny corner where Mrs. Hartopp usually held her court. The corner was more