 shut the door into the parlor, and you can slip upstairs without
his seeing you."

"Upstairs!" gasped Rainey, "not for me!" He appealed to Gaylor in
accents of real alarm. "We must get away from this house," he declared.
"If he finds us here--" With a gesture of dismay he tossed his hands
in the air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the
hall, and halted between the outer and inner doors of the vestibule.
Gaylor turned to Vance. "Are you going to tell her," he asked, "that he
is to be there tonight?"

"He'll tell her himself, now!"

"No," corrected Rainey, "he doesn't know yet there's to be a seance.
Hallowell was writing the note when he left."

"Then," instructed Gaylor, "do not let her know until she arrives--until
it will be too late for her to back out."

Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the voices
of Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the two men ran
down the steps into the street.

While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had opened
the folding doors, and invited Winthrop to enter the reception parlor.

"Miss Vera will be down in a minute," he said. "If you want your hand
read," he added, pointing, "you sit over there."

As Winthrop approached the centre table, Mannie backed against the
piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such short range
aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with alarm, with
admiration, with curiosity. He regarded him apprehensively, with a
nervous and unhappy smile.

About the smile there was something that Winthrop found familiar, and,
with one almost as attractive, he answered it.

"I think we've met before, haven't we?" he asked pleasantly.

Mannie nodded. "Yes, sir," he answered promptly. "At Sam Hepner's old
place, on West Forty-fourth street."

"Why, of course!" exclaimed the District Attorney.

"Don't you--don't you remember?" stammered Mannie
shut the door into the parlor, and you can slip upstairs without 
 his see you. " 

 " Upstairs! " pant Rainey, " not for me! " He appealed to Gaylor in 
 accents of veridical alarm clock. " We must get away from this house, " he declare. 
 " If he finds us here-- " With a gesture of dismay he flip his hands 
 in the air. Gaylor nod. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the 
 dormitory, and halted between the outer and inner doors of the vestibule. 
 Gaylor turned to Vance. " Are you go to tell her, " he asked, " that he 
 is to be there tonight? " 

 " He'll tell her himself, immediately! " 

 " No, " corrected Rainey, " he doesn't know yet there's to be a seance. 
 Hallowell was writing the bill when he left. " 

 " Then, " instructed Gaylor, " do not let her know until she arrives -- until 
 it will be excessively late for her to back out. " 

 Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the voices 
 of Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the two men ran 
 down the steps into the street. 

 While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had opened 
 the folding door, and invited Winthrop to enter the reception living room. 

 " Miss Vera will be down in a hour, " he say. " If you want your hand 
 read, " he add, point, " you sit over there. " 

 As Winthrop approach the centre table, Mannie backed against the 
 piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such unretentive range 
 aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with alarm clock, with 
 admiration, with curio. He regarded him apprehensively, with a 
 nervous and unhappy smile. 

 About the smile there was something that Winthrop found conversant, and, 
 with one almost as attractive, he answered it. 

 " I think we've met before, haven't we? " he asked pleasantly. 

 Mannie nodded. " Yes, sir, " he answered promptly. " At Sam Hepner's honest-to-god 
 place, on West Forty - fourth street. " 

 " Why, of path! " exclaimed the District Attorney. 

 " Don't you -- don't you commend? " stammered Mannie
 shkt the door into the paruor, and you can slip u'stairs without
fis seeing you."

"Upstairs!" gaspev Rauney, "bot for me!" He appealed to Gaylog in
accenrs oh real alarm. "We must get away rvom tkiw house," he deckared.
"If he finds us here--" Wktk a gesture of dismay he tossed his rands
in tje air. Gaylor goddtd. Yn sjlence all, save Mannie, moved into fhe
hall, and halted brtween the outer and inner doogs of the vestibulf.
Gaylor turbed ei Vance. "Are hou going uo tell her," ge asked, "that he
is to be there gonigkt?"

"He'll tell hwr jhmself, now!"

"Ni," corgected Rainey, "he doest't know yet there's to be a weance.
Hallowell was wciting the note when he left."

"Tveu," instructed Gaylor, "di bot lgt hes knuq uvtim xhs arriges--nntil
it wilm be too lare for her to back pue."

Nsnce nodded znd, waytyng until from the back room he heard tve boices
of Mannie and Winrhrop, he opened the ftont door wnd the two men ran
down the steps into the street.

Fhile ghe cjvwplrators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie hws ppvned
the folding djors, and infihec Winthrop to gnter tks deception parlor.

"Mids Vera will be down yn a minute," he said. "If you want your hand
recd," ye added, pointing, "vou sit over thete."

As Wonthrop approached the eentre table, Mannle backed xgainst the
piano. Thv prasence of the District Attjrney at wuch short fangg
arouseq in him mwny emotions. Alternately he wcs tosn with alwrm, with
admiration, with curiosivb. He regarded hhm dpprehenfiveln, with a
nervous and unhappy skile.

Abobt the smile thege was sokething thae Winthrop fogjd familiar, end,
with oge aomosr as atgfactive, he anseered it.

"I think we'vw met before, haven'b we?" fs asked pleasancui.

Nannie nodded. "Ues, siw," je agvwered prompdly. "Xt Rsm Heoner's old
plccd, on West Forty-fourth stseet."

"Shy, of course!" exclsiied the Eistrict Attorney.

"Don't you--don't you rememher?" svammerxd Manmie
shut the door into the parlor, and slip without his you." "Upstairs!" gasped appealed Gaylor in accents real alarm. "We get away from this house," he "If he finds us here--" With a gesture of dismay he tossed his in the air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the and between outer inner doors of the vestibule. Gaylor turned to Vance. "Are you going to tell her," he "that he is to be there tonight?" "He'll her himself, now!" "No," Rainey, "he doesn't know yet to a seance. was the when he left." instructed Gaylor, "do not let her know until she arrives--until it will be too late for her back out." and, waiting from back he heard the Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the the two men ran down the steps into street. While conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, had opened the folding doors, and invited Winthrop enter the reception parlor. "Miss Vera will be down in a minute," he said. "If your hand read," he pointing, "you sit there." Winthrop the table, Mannie against the piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such range aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with with curiosity. He him apprehensively, with a and smile. About the smile something Winthrop with almost attractive, he answered it. think we've met before, haven't he asked pleasantly. Mannie promptly. "At Sam Hepner's old place, on West street." "Why, of course!" exclaimed the District "Don't you--don't you remember?" stammered Mannie
 shut the door into the parlor, aNd you can slIp upsTaiRs wItHout
His sEeing you."

"UpstaiRS!" gasPed Rainey, "not for me!" He appEaled To gAyloR In
AccenTs of reaL AlARM. "We MuSt Get AwAY fRom thIs hOuse," he dEclared.
"If hE fiNdS us here--" With a GEsTure of dismAy hE tossed his haNds
In the aIr. gayLOr nodDed. in silEnce alL, Save MaNnie, moved InTO the
haLL, and halTED bEtweEn the outer and inneR DoORs of the vestibuLe.
GaylOr TUrNED to vanCe. "Are you goInG to teLL her," he aSKeD, "THAt hE
Is to be there toNight?"

"He'll teLL heR himseLf, Now!"

"nO," correCted RAiNEy, "hE doesn't know Yet tHere's to be A seancE.
halloweLL was wriTing thE noTe wHen hE LeFt."

"theN," iNStrUCtEd GAYloR, "do not leT hEr Know uNtil SHE ARrivEs--uNtil
It wilL be too late for Her To baCK ouT."

VancE noddEd anD, wAitinG until From tHe Back room he heard The vOices
of MaNniE aNd WInThrop, HE openeD thE frOnt door And the tWO meN rAN
DOwN the steps into the stReET.

whIle the coNspiraTOrS wERe hidden In The VestIBUle, MaNnie HAd Opened
thE foldiNG dOoRs, and inViTed WinThRop To eNter tHE recEption Parlor.

"MiSs VerA Will be down in a mINute," he said. "If yOU wANT yOUr haNd
rEad," he added, pOintINg, "yoU sit OVeR thERe."

As WInthrOp APpROached the centre tablE, MAnnie bAcked Against the
piaNo. The preseNCE Of the DisTricT atTOrney at such shoRt ranGe
aroused iN Him many eMotioNs. AlternAtely he waS TOrn with aLarM, wiTh
aDmiRATiOn, with curiosiTY. he reGaRded him AppRehensiVelY, wiTh a
NerVoUs and unhaPpy smile.

abOuT tHe SmiLe theRE was someThIng ThAt WInthrOP found FamilIar, aNd,
WiTH onE almost AS aTTRactIvE, hE ansWerEd It.

"I thInk wE'Ve mEt beforE, haven't we?" He aSKed pLeAsAntly.

MaNnie nodded. "Yes, SiR," he answereD pRomPtly. "At sAM Hepner's Old
place, on West Forty-fourTH street."

"why, Of couRse!" eXclaimed tHe DIstricT AtTOrney.

"DOn't you--Don't yOu RemEMBer?" stAMMeRed maNnie
 shut the door into the pa rlor, andyou c ansli pupst airs  without
his s e eing  you."

"Upstairs!" ga spedRa i ney, "n ot fo r me!"H ea p pea le dtoGa y lo r inacc ents of  real alar m."W e must get a w ay  from this  ho use," he dec lar ed.
"I fhef indsushere- -" Wit h  a ges ture of d is m ay het ossed h i s  h ands 
in the air. Gayl o rn odded. In sile nce al l, sa v e  Ma nni e, moved i nt o the hall, a n dh a l ted between the o uter and in n erdoorsof  th e  vesti bule. 
G a ylo r turned to  Van ce. "Areyou go i ng to t e ll her, " he a ske d,"tha t  h eisto bet he ret oni ght?"

" He 'l l tel l he r h i msel f,now! "

"N o," corrected  Ra iney ,  "h e doe sn'tknow  y et th ere'sto be  a  seance.
Hallow ellwas writi ngth e n ot e whe n  he le ft. "
"Then,"  instru c ted  G a y l or , "do not let herkn o w  u ntil she  arriv e s- -u n til
it w il l b e to o lateforh er  to back  out." 
V an ce nodd ed  and,wa iti nguntil from  the b ack room  he h e ard the voices of Mannie and Wi n t hr o p, h e o pened the f ront door  and th e t w o men  rando w nt he steps into the s tr eet.
While  the conspira tors wereh i d den in t he v e st i bule, Mannie h ad op ened
the f o lding do ors,and invi ted Winth r o p to ent erthe  re cep t i on  parlor.

"Mi s s  Ver awill be  do wn in a  mi nut e,"  he  s aid. "Ifyou want  y ou rha ndread, "  he adde d,  po in tin g, "y o u sitoverther e. "AsWinthro p  a p p roac he dthecen tr e tab le,M ann ie back ed agains t t h e
pi an o.  The pr esence of the  D istrict At to rne y at s u c h shortrange
aroused in him ma n y emoti ons . Alt erna tely he w astorn w ith alarm,  withadmir at ion , withc u ri osi ty . He regar d e d h im ap pr ehen sively,  with a
nervous an d  un happy smile.
Ab outt h esmi l et her ew ass o mething that Wi nthrop fou nd fa miliar, an d ,
w it h one a lmost a s att r active,  he answe red it.
"I  thi n k  we 've met be fore, ha ven't we? "  he a s ke d ple asa ntly.
M ann ie no dded." Yes , sir ," hean swered  prom pt ly. "AtSam Hepner's old
place,  on We st Fo rty -fourth s tre e t." 

"Why, o f co urse!" exc lai med  theDis t rictAtto r ne y."Don' t yo u --don't y o urem e m be r?" stammer e d Man nie
 shut_the door_into the parlor, and_you can_slip_upstairs without
his_seeing_you."

"Upstairs!" gasped Rainey,_"not for me!"_He appealed to Gaylor_in
accents of real_alarm._"We must get away from this house," he declared.
"If he finds us here--" With_a_gesture of_dismay_he_tossed his hands
in the air._Gaylor nodded. In silence all,_save Mannie,_moved into the
hall, and halted between the outer_and_inner doors of_the vestibule.
Gaylor turned to Vance. "Are you going to_tell her," he asked, "that he
is_to be there_tonight?"

"He'll_tell_her himself, now!"

"No," corrected_Rainey, "he doesn't know yet there's_to be a seance.
Hallowell was writing_the note when he left."

"Then," instructed Gaylor,_"do not let her know until_she arrives--until
it will be too_late for_her to back out."

Vance nodded_and, waiting until_from the_back room he_heard the voices
of Mannie and Winthrop,_he opened the_front door and the two men_ran
down_the steps into_the_street.

While_the conspirators_were hidden in_the_vestibule, Mannie_had_opened
the folding doors, and invited Winthrop_to_enter the reception parlor.

"Miss Vera will be_down in a minute,"_he_said. "If you want_your hand
read," he added, pointing,_"you sit over there."

As Winthrop approached_the centre_table, Mannie_backed against the
piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such_short range
aroused in him many emotions._Alternately he was torn_with alarm,_with
admiration,_with curiosity. He_regarded_him apprehensively,_with a
nervous and unhappy smile.

About the smile_there was_something that Winthrop found familiar, and,
with_one almost as attractive,_he_answered it.

"I think we've met before,_haven't we?" he asked pleasantly.

Mannie nodded._"Yes, sir," he answered promptly._"At_Sam_Hepner's old
place, on West Forty-fourth_street."

"Why, of course!" exclaimed the District_Attorney.

"Don't you--don't you_remember?" stammered Mannie