"Man spirit, he say lady name Maude do as he tell," came the falsetto. "He say she be glad. He say lady must come see man from India. Man from India is medium. He tell lady—" In cut the mocking laughter. It sounded high above the blabbing voice of Little Flower. It was short — bursting forth with uncanny suddenness; consternation reigned.
Cardona, rising from his chair, edged toward the door of the gloomy room. He saw other people standing up. He heard a call for lights. The switch was turned.
The medium, pale and thoroughly frightened, was clutching the arms of her chair, staring wildly about the seance room.
Men and women were clustered near the door, where they had sprung spontaneously to escape that terrible sound which had seemed to come from all about them.
Cardona knew that the seance was ended for the night. This terrified group could stand no more. The medium was completely bewildered. She could not imagine whom to blame for the disturbance. Cardona, too, was bewildered; but for a different reason.
He knew who was responsible for the startling outburst. He was looking toward the corner of the room, and from that point he was scanning every spot. It was this search that astounded him. The hawk-faced man was no longer in the seance room! Swiftly, silently, he had departed. The Shadow had gone — laughing!
Chapter V — Through the Window
While the seance was in progress at Anita Marie's home in Philadelphia, a train from the West was nearing that city. Two men were seated in the drawing-room of the club car. They were conversing in low tones.
"The old lady is getting the bunkum to-night," said one. "I talked with Anita Marie over long distance, last night. I didn't tell her where I was. Maybe she thought I was calling from Bombay."
"That doesn't matter," said the other. "All I want to know is whether or not the lay is sure."