“We are ready, David,” intoned the medium. “Have you a message for us?”
To Penny’s amazement, a pair of shapely white hands slowly materialized, apparently pulling aside the curtain of the cabinet above the medium’s head. In the darkness they glowed with a weird phosphorescent light.
Next appeared a white-rimmed slate, upon which luminous words were written: “I am the Spirit of Cousin David. Is Maud here?”
“Yes, yes,” responded Mrs. Weems, quivering with excitement. “Have you a message for me?”
Again the hand wrote: “My happiness in this world beyond is disturbed. Maud, do not squander the money which I gave to you.”
“Squander it?” the housekeeper said aloud. “Why, I’ve scarcely spent a penny!”
“A trip to California is ill-advised,” wrote the hand. “Invest your money in good eight per cent securities. There are many excellent companies—the Brantwell Corporation, White and Edwards, the Bierkamp Company.”
The slate vanished and once more the jingling of the cowbell denoted that the spirit was moving away.
The medium spoke. “Contact has been broken. Shall we try to reach Cousin David again?”
“Oh, please!” pleaded Mrs. Weems. “I don’t know what to do now. I’ve planned on the western trip and I can’t understand why Cousin David should advise me to give it up.”