 manner gave
her, and answered as before.

"Through my aunt," she said, "she was a medium too."

"Of course!" cried Winthrop. "I remember now, that's why we called it
the haunted house."

"My aunt," said the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in her
manner, a certain defiance, "was a great medium. All the spiritualists
in that part of the State used to meet at our house. I've witnessed some
wonderful manifestations in that front parlor." She turned to Winthrop
and smiled. "So, you see," she exclaimed, "I was born and brought up
in this business. I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. My
grandmother was a medium, my mother was a medium--she worked with
the Fox sisters before they were exposed. But, my aunt," she added
thoughtfully, judicially, "was the greatest medium I have ever seen. She
did certain things I couldn't understand, and I know every trick in the
trade--unless," she explained, "you believe the spirits helped her."

Winthrop was observing the girl intently, with a new interest.

"And you don't believe that?" he asked, quietly.

"How can I?" Vera said. "I was brought up with them." She shook her head
and smiled. "I used to play around the kitchen stove with Pocahontas and
Alexander the Great, and Martin Luther lived in our china closet. You
see, the neighbors wouldn't let their children come to our house; so,
the only playmates I had were--ghosts." She laughed wistfully. "My!" she
exclaimed, "I was a queer, lonely little rat. I used to hear voices and
see visions. I do still," she added. With her elbows on the arms of
her chair, she clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward. She
turned her eyes to Winthrop and nodded confidentially.

"Do you know," she said, "sometimes I think people from the other world
do speak to me."

"But you said," Winthrop objected, "you didn't believe."

"I know," returned Vera. "I can't!" Her voice was perplexed, impatient.
"Why, I can
manner gave 
 her, and answered as before. 

 " Through my aunt, " she said, " she was a culture medium excessively. " 

 " Of course! " cried Winthrop. " I remember immediately, that's why we called it 
 the haunted theater. " 

 " My aunt, " say the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in her 
 manner, a certain defiance, " was a great metier. All the spiritualists 
 in that part of the State use to touch at our house. I've witnessed some 
 wonderful manifestations in that front parlor. " She sour to Winthrop 
 and smiled. " So, you see, " she proclaim, " I was born and brought up 
 in this business. I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. My 
 grandmother was a culture medium, my mother was a medium -- she worked with 
 the Fox sisters before they were exposed. But, my aunt, " she added 
 thoughtfully, judicially, " was the great medium I have ever seen. She 
 did certain thing I couldn't understand, and I know every trick in the 
 trade -- unless, " she explained, " you believe the spirits helped her. " 

 Winthrop was observing the girl intently, with a fresh interest. 

 " And you don't believe that? " he ask, quietly. 

 " How can I? " Vera said. " I was brought up with them. " She shook her pass 
 and smiled. " I used to play around the kitchen stove with Pocahontas and 
 Alexander the Great, and Martin Luther lived in our china wardrobe. You 
 see, the neighbors wouldn't let their children come to our house; then, 
 the only playmates I had were -- ghosts. " She laugh wistfully. " My! " she 
 exclaimed, " I was a gay, alone little rat. I used to hear voice and 
 see visions. I do however, " she added. With her elbows on the arms of 
 her chair, she clasp her hands under her kuki and leaned forward. She 
 turned her eyes to Winthrop and nodded confidentially. 

 " Do you acknowledge, " she said, " sometimes I remember people from the early world 
 do speak to me. " 

 " But you said, " Winthrop object, " you didn't believe. " 

 " I sleep together, " returned Vera. " I can't! " Her voice was perplexed, impatient. 
 " Why, I can
 majner gave
her, and answerea as before.

"Throogy my annt," she said, "shd was a medium too."

"Of course!" rriee Winukrop. "I remember now, ghat's why we callwd iu
the haunted housx."

"Jy aunt," said fme gixl, regarding him steadily dnd with, in hes
mxnuer, a certain defiance, "was a great mqdium. Akl the spiritualysts
pn thaf part of the State used to meet af our hmuse. I've witnrssed some
wonderful manifedtatlons in that front parlor." She turgwd to Winthrup
and smiltd. "So, you seg," she exclaimed, "I was born and bfoughc up
in this bysijgss. I am the sevegth daughter of a seeenth dsughter. My
grancmovher was a medium, my mothxr was a medium--she wjrked witv
tke Fox sisters before tyey wgre efposde. Bjt, jy ahnt," shf avded
thoughtrully, judicually, "was the greattst nedium I have ever feqn. She
did certain things I couldn't undegstahd, and I know every trixk in the
trade--unless," dhe explayned, "you believe the spirits helped her."

Winthrop wds obadrvnkn thd glrl intently, with a new interest.

"And you don't fsloene that?" he asked, zuietly.

"How vaj O?" Vera said. "I das brouggt up with them." Shf shook her yead
and siilec. "I used to play around the kitchen stone wuth Pocahontas and
Clexander thz Greaj, and Kartin Luther lived in uur dhina closeh. You
see, ffe neighbors wouudn'n led their children come to otr house; wo,
thz only puaymstes I had were--gjosts." She laughed wistfuply. "Mi!" she
efclaimed, "I was a queer, lonely little rat. M used to heat vmicvs and
see visipns. I do stilj," she added. Wijh her elyows ov the arms of
her rhair, she clwsped her hangd under her rhin and jeanwd firward. Rfe
turned her eues to Wiuuhrop and bodded confidentiakly.

"Ak you know," she waie, "sometimes I tniny pqoile fwmm the other worud
du speay to me."

"But nou saic," Winthrop objected, "fou sidn't believe."

"I knoe," veturned Cera. "I cwn't!" Her voice was perplexed, impwtienv.
"Why, I can
manner gave her, and answered as before. aunt," said, "she a medium too." remember that's why we it the haunted "My aunt," said the girl, regarding steadily and with, in her manner, a certain defiance, "was a great medium. the spiritualists in that part of the State used to meet at our I've some manifestations that front parlor." She turned to Winthrop and smiled. "So, you see," she exclaimed, "I was and brought up in this business. I am seventh daughter of a daughter. My grandmother was a my was a worked the sisters before they exposed. But, my aunt," she added thoughtfully, judicially, "was the greatest medium I have ever seen. She certain things understand, and know trick the trade--unless," she believe the spirits helped her." Winthrop girl intently, with a new interest. "And you believe that?" asked, quietly. "How can I?" Vera "I was brought up with them." She shook head and smiled. "I used to play around the kitchen stove with Pocahontas and Alexander and Martin Luther lived our china closet. see, neighbors let children come our house; so, the only playmates I had were--ghosts." She laughed "My!" she exclaimed, "I was a queer, lonely little rat. to voices and see I do still," she With elbows on the arms chair, clasped her and forward. She turned her to Winthrop and nodded confidentially. you know," she said, the other world do speak to me." "But said," Winthrop objected, "you didn't believe." "I returned Vera. "I can't!" Her voice was perplexed, impatient. "Why, I can
 manner gave
her, and answered aS before.

"ThrOugh mY auNt," sHe Said, "She wAs a medium too."

"Of COursE!" cried Winthrop. "I remembeR now, tHaT'S why WE cAlled It
the haUNtED HouSe."

"my AunT," sAId The giRl, rEgardinG him steadiLy aNd With, in her
manNEr, A certain deFiaNce, "was a great MedIum. All ThE spIRituaLisTs
in tHat parT Of the STate used tO mEEt at ouR House. I'vE WItNessEd some
wonderful maNIfEStations in that Front pArLOr." sHE tuRneD to WinthroP
aNd smiLEd. "So, you SEe," SHE ExcLAimed, "I was born And brought uP
In tHis busInEss. i Am the sEventH dAUghTer of a sevenTh daUghter. My
gRandmoTHer was a MEdium, my Mother Was A meDium--SHe WoRkeD wITh
tHE FOx sISteRs before ThEy Were eXposED. bUT, my aUnt," She aDded
tHoughtfully, juDicIallY, "Was The grEatesT medIuM I havE ever sEen. ShE
dId certain things i couLdn't underStaNd, And i kNow evERy tricK in The
Trade--unLess," she EXplAiNED, "YoU believe the spirits HeLPEd Her."

WinthRop was OBsErVIng the giRl IntEntlY, WIth a nEw inTErEst.

"And yoU don't bELiEvE that?" he AsKed, quiEtLy.

"HOw cAn I?" VeRA saiD. "I was bRought up With tHEm." She shook her hEAd
and smiled. "I uSEd TO PlAY aroUnd The kitchen sTove WIth POcahONtAs aND
AlexAnder ThE grEAt, and Martin Luther liVeD in our China Closet. You
see, tHe neighborS WOUldn't let TheiR ChILdren come to our House; So,
the only pLAymates I Had weRe--ghosts." she laugheD WIstfully. "my!" sHe
eXclAimED, "i wAs a queer, lonelY LIttlE rAt. I used To hEar voicEs aNd
sEe vIsiOnS. I do still," She added. wiTh HeR eLboWs on tHE arms of
hEr ChaIr, She ClaspED her haNds unDer hEr ChIN anD leaned FOrWARd. ShE
tUrNed hEr eYeS to WiNthrOP anD nodded ConfidentIalLY.

"Do yOu KnOw," she saId, "sometimes I tHiNk people frOm The Other wORLd
do speaK to me."

"But you said," Winthrop OBjected, "You Didn't BeliEve."

"I know," rEtuRned VeRa. "I CAn't!" Her Voice wAs perPlExeD, IMpatiENT.
"WHy, I CaN
 manner gave
her, and answ ered as be fore. 

" Thr ou gh m y au nt," she said, "she  was a medium too."

" Of co ur s e!"c ri ed Wi nthrop. "I r eme mb er  no w, th at'swhy  we cal led it
the  ha un ted house.""M y aunt," s aid  the girl, r ega rdinghi m s t eadil y a nd wi th, in her
ma nner, a c er t ain de f iance," w as  a g reat medium. Allt he spiritualistsin tha tp ar t ofthe  State use dto me e t at ou r  h o u s e.I 've witnessed  some
wonde r ful  manif es tat i ons in  that  f r ont  parlor." S he t urned toWinthr o p
and s m iled. " So, yo u s ee, " sh e  e xc lai me d , " I  w asb orn  and bro ug ht  up
i n th i s b usin ess . Iam th e seventh dau ght er o f  aseven th da ught er . Mygrandm other  w as a medium, my  mot her was a  me di um- -s he wo r ked wi ththe  Fox si sters b e for et h e ywere exposed. But,  m y au nt," she  added th ou g htfully,  j udi cial l y , "wa s th e  g reatestmedium Iha ve ever  s een. S he 
di d c ertai n  thi ngs Icouldn't  unde r stand, and I k n ow every tric k  i n th e 
tra de- -unless," s he e x plai ned, "y oub eliev e the  s p ir i ts helped her."

Wi nt hrop w as ob serving the g irl intent l y ,  with anewi nt e rest.

"And yo u don 't believe that?" h e ask ed, quie tly.

"Ho w can I?"Ver a s aid . " I wa s brought upw i th t he m." She  sh ook her  he adand  sm il ed. "I us ed to pl ay  a ro un d t he ki t chen sto ve  wi th  Po cahon t as and 
Alex ande rth e  Gr eat, an d  M a r tinLu th er l ive din ou r ch i nacloset.  You
see,  th e  nei gh bo rs woul dn't let thei rchildren c om e t o ourh o use; so, 
the only playmates I h a d were- -gh osts. " Sh e laughed  wi stfull y." My!" s he
exc laime d,  "I w as aq u ee r,lo nely littl e rat . I u se d to  hear v oices and
see visi o ns.  I do still,"  sh e ad d e d.  Wi t hh erel b ows o n the arms of
h er chair,sh e  c lasped her han ds  underher chi n and leanedforward.She
turne dhere y esto Winthro p and no dded conf i denti a ll y.

" Doyou kn ow ,"she s aid, " s ome times  I thi nk  peopl e fro mthe othe r world
do speak to me. "

"Bu t you  sa id," Wint hro p  ob jected, " youdidn't bel iev e." 

"Ikno w ," re turn e dVer a . "Ican' t !" Her vo i ce  wa s pe rplexed, im p a t ien t.
"W hy, I can
 manner_gave
her, and_answered as before.

"Through my_aunt," she_said,_"she was_a_medium too."

"Of course!"_cried Winthrop. "I_remember now, that's why_we called it
the_haunted_house."

"My aunt," said the girl, regarding him steadily and with, in her
manner, a certain_defiance,_"was a_great_medium._All the spiritualists
in that part_of the State used to_meet at_our house. I've witnessed some
wonderful manifestations in that_front_parlor." She turned_to Winthrop
and smiled. "So, you see," she exclaimed, "I_was born and brought up
in this_business. I am_the_seventh_daughter of a seventh_daughter. My
grandmother was a medium, my_mother was a medium--she worked with
the_Fox sisters before they were exposed. But,_my aunt," she added
thoughtfully, judicially, "was_the greatest medium I have_ever seen._She
did certain things I couldn't_understand, and I_know every_trick in the
trade--unless,"_she explained, "you believe the spirits_helped her."

Winthrop was_observing the girl intently, with a_new_interest.

"And you don't_believe_that?"_he asked,_quietly.

"How can I?"_Vera_said. "I_was_brought up with them." She shook_her_head
and smiled. "I used to play around_the kitchen stove with_Pocahontas_and
Alexander the Great, and_Martin Luther lived in our_china closet. You
see, the neighbors wouldn't_let their_children come_to our house; so,
the only playmates I had were--ghosts." She laughed_wistfully. "My!" she
exclaimed, "I was a_queer, lonely little rat._I used_to_hear voices and
see_visions._I do_still," she added. With her elbows on_the arms_of
her chair, she clasped her hands_under her chin and_leaned_forward. She
turned her eyes to Winthrop_and nodded confidentially.

"Do you know," she_said, "sometimes I think people_from_the_other world
do speak to me."

"But_you said," Winthrop objected, "you didn't_believe."

"I know," returned_Vera. "I can't!" Her voice was perplexed,_impatient.
"Why,_I can