Part 36 (1/2)
”No,” and Aunt Abby spoke with deep solemnity, ”a materialized spirit is evident to our senses--one or another of them. In this case I discerned it by all five senses, which is unusual--possibly unique; but I am very psychic--very sensitive to spiritual manifestations.”
”You have seen ghosts before, then?”
”Oh, yes. I have visions often. But never such a strange one.”
”And where did this spirit disappear to?”
”It just faded. It seemed to waft on across the room. I closed my eyes involuntarily, and when I opened them again it was gone.”
”Leaving no trace behind?”
”The faint odor of gasoline--and the taste of raspberry jam on my tongue.”
Fibsy snickered, but suppressed it at once, and said, ”And he left the little dropper-thing beside your bed?”
”Yes, boy! You seem clairvoyant yourself! He did. It was Sanford, of course; he had killed himself with the poison, and he tried to tell me so--but he couldn't make any communication--they rarely can--so he left the tiny implement, that we might know and understand.”
”H'm, yes;” and Stone sat thinking. ”Now, Miss Ames, you must not be offended at what I'm about to say. I don't disbelieve your story at all. You tell it too honestly for that. I fully believe you saw what you call a 'vision.' But you have thought over it and brooded over it, until you think you saw more than you did--or less! But, leaving that aside for the moment, I want you to realize that your theory of suicide, based on the 'vision' is not logical. Supposing your niece were guilty--as the detectives think--might not Mr. Embury's spirit have pursued the same course?”
Aunt Abby pondered. Then, her eyes flas.h.i.+ng, she cried, ”Do you mean he put the dropper in my room to throw suspicion on me, instead of on his wife?”
”There is a chance for such a theory.”
”Sanford wouldn't do such a thing! He was truly fond of me!”
”But to save his wife?”
”I never thought of all that. Maybe he did--or, maybe he dropped the thing accidentally--”
”Maybe.” Stone spoke preoccupiedly.
Mason Elliott, too, sat in deep thought. At last he said:
”Aunt Abby, if I were you, I wouldn't tell that yarn to anybody else.
Let's all forget it, and call it merely a dream.”
”What do you mean, Mason?” The old lady bridled, having no wish to hear her marvelous experience belittled. ”It wasn't a dream--not an ordinary dream--it was a true appearance of Sanford, after his death.
You know such things do happen--look at that son of Sir Oliver Lodge.
You don't doubt that, do you?”
”Never mind those things. But I earnestly beg of you, Aunt Abby, to forget the episode--or, at least, to promise me you'll not repeat it to any one else.”
”Why?”
”I think it wiser for all concerned--for all concerned--that the tale shall not become public property.”
”But why?”
”Oh, my land!” burst out Fibsy; ”don't you see? The ghost was Mrs.
Embury!”