Vera, The Medium | Page 6

Mr. Hallowell's!"
Dr. Rainey laughed offensively.
"It might," he said, "but who'd believe it?"
"He believes it!" cried Gaylor, "or he pretends to believe it. Tell him!" he commanded. "He won't believe me. Does Mr. Hallowell associate with mediums, and spirits -- and spooks?"
Again the young doctor laughed.
"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "It's not worth answering, Judge. You ought to treat it with silent contempt." From behind his glasses he winked at the reporter with a jocular, intimate smile. He was adapting himself to what he imagined was his company. "Where did you pick up that pipe dream?" he asked.
Without answering, the Southerner regarded him steadily with inquiring, interested eyes. The doctor coughed nervously and turned to Judge Gaylor. In the manner of a cross-examination Gaylor called up his next witness.
"Garrett, does any one visit Mr. Hallowell without your knowledge?" he asked. You may not open the door for him, but you know every one who gets in to see Mr. Hallowell, do you not?"
"Every one, sir."
"Do you admit any mediums, palm-readers, or people of that sort?"
"Certainly not," returned the butler.
"Dr. Rainey," he added, "would not permit it, sir."
Gaylor stamped his foot with impatience.
"Do you admit any one," he demanded, "without Dr. Rainey's permission?"
"No, sir!" The reply could not have rung with greater emphasis. Triumphantly, Gaylor, with a wave of the hand, as though saying, "Take the witness," turned to Lee. "There you are," he cried. "Now, are you satisfied?"
The reporter moved slowly toward the door. "I am satisfied," he said, "that the man doesn't admit any one without Dr. Rainey's permission."
Indignantly, as though to intercept him, Judge Gaylor stepped forward. Both Rainey and himself spoke together.
"What do you mean by that?" Rainey demanded.
"Are you trying to be insolent, sir?" cried the Judge.
Lee smiled pleasantly. "I had no intention of being insolent," he said. "We have the facts -- I only came to give you a chance to explain them."
Gaylor lost all patience.
"What facts?" he shouted. "What facts? That mediums come here?"
"Yes," said Lee.
"When?" Gaylor cried. "Tell me that! When?"
Lee regarded the older man thoughtfully.
"Well, today is Thursday," he said. "They were here Monday morning, and Tuesday morning -- and -- the one they call Vera -- will be here in half an hour."
Rainey ran across the room, stretching out eager, detaining hands.
"See here!" he begged. "We can fix this!"
"Fix it?" said the reporter. "Not with me, you can't." He turned to the door and found Garrett barring his exit. He halted, fell back on his heels, and straightened his shoulders. For the first time they saw how tall he was.
"Get out of my way," he said. The butler hesitated and fell back. Lee walked into the hall.
"I'll leave you gentlemen to fight it out among you," he said. "It's a better story than I thought."
As he descended to the floor below, the men remained motionless. The face of Judge Gaylor seemed to have grown older. When the front door closed, he turned and searched the countenance of each of his companions. The butler had dropped into a chair muttering and beating his fist into his open palm.
Gaylor's voice was hardly louder than a whisper. "Is this true?" he asked.
Like a cur dog pinned in a corner and forced to fight, Rainey snarled at him evilly. "Of course it's true," he said.
"You've let these people see him!" cried Gaylor. "After I forbade it? After I told you what would happen?"
"He would see them," Rainey answered hotly. "Twas better I chose them than -- "
Gaylor raised his clenched hands and took a sudden step forward. The Doctor backed hastily against the library table. "Don't you come near me!" he stammered. "Don't you touch me."
"And you've lied to me!" cried Gaylor. "You've deceived me. You -- you jailbirds -- you idiots." His voice rose hysterically. "And do you think," he demanded fiercely, "I'll help you now?"
"No!" said the butler.
The word caught the Judge in the full rush of his anger. He turned stupidly as though he had not heard aright. "What?" he asked. From the easy chair the butler regarded him with sullen, hostile eyes.
"No!" he repeated. "We don't think you'll help us. You never meant to help us. You've never thought of any one but yourself."
The face of the older man was filled with reproach.
"Jim!" he protested.
"Don't do that!" commanded the butler sharply. "I've told you not to do that."
The Judge moved his head slowly in amazement. The tone of reproach was still in his voice.
"I thought you could understand," he said. "It doesn't matter about him. But you! You should have seen what I was doing!"
"I saw what you were doing," the butler replied. "Buying stocks, buying a country place. You didn't wait for him to die. What were we getting?"
With returning courage, Rainey nodded vigorously.
"That's right, all right," he protested. "What were