Therewasnodoubtthathedidnotexchangeenvelopesandthatheburneditbeforemyveryeyes。Henowtooktheashesandemptiedthemintothebowlofwateronthesidetable。Alittleblueflameappearedonthesurfaceofthewaterafterthatforamoment，andthendisappeared。
　　Henowbroughtfromadraweranumberofslates——abouteightortensmallslateswithpaddededges。Theywerethesmallestsizeofslates，Ishouldjudge；andwiththemhebroughtanotherslate，atriflelarger，probablytwoinchesbothlongerandwider。Herequestedmetoexaminethoroughlyortocleanthemalltomyownsatisfaction，andtostackthesmallonesonthetable，oneontopoftheother；andwhenallwerethusplaced，toplacethelargeslateontopofthestack。
　　WhileIwasdoingthishecalledtohisattendantforadrinkofwater，andincidentallysteppedintothehalltoreceiveit，sothathismenialwouldnotprofanethissanctuarywithhispresence。
　　Returningtothetablehetookaseatoppositemeandplacedoneofmyhandsandoneofhisontopoftheslates。Induetimehetookuptheslatesandwefoundnothing。Hereplacedthem，andwaitedforafewmoments；thenseemingdissatisfiedwithconditions，hetookupthetopslateinhislefthandandwithhisrighthandbeganwritingamessageforme。Hedidthislikemediumsdoautomaticwriting，witheyeshalfclosed；andwhilewritinghispersonwasconvulsedafewtimes。Hethenopenedhiseyesandreadaloudwhathehadwritten，askingmeifitansweredmyquestion。I
　　repliedthatitdidnot，asitwasentirelyforeigntothesubject。
　　Thenseemingdissatisfied，hemoistenedhisfingers，erasedthewriting，andreplacedthetopslateonthestackofslates。
　　Henowplacedhishandsonthisslateagain，andafteratimeexaminedit；butitwasstillfreefromwriting。Heliftedupsomeoftheotherslates；butastherewasnowriting，hescatteredtheslatesaroundonthetableandaskedmetospreadalargeclothoverthemwhichhehandedtome。ThisIdid，andunderhisdirectionplacedmyarmsandhandsoverthis。Hewalkedtothebowlofwateronthesidetable，andgazedintoit。Iwatchedhim；
　　andIsawaratherlargeflameappearonthesurfaceofthewater，danceabout，anddisappear。
　　HeimmediatelyinformedmethathewascertainthatInowhadamessage。HeremainedatadistancewhileIexaminedtheslatesonebyone。Finally，ononeofthemIfoundamessage，neatlywrittenandcoveringtheentireslate。Itread：
　　“Mrs。Piperisagenuinemedium。Shepossessespowersofaveryunusualnature。HertestsgivenHyslopandothersaregenuine。Donotbeaskeptic。Youaremakingamistake，dearfriend。Itisallplaintomenow，andspiritisallthereis——WILL。“
　　Now，thequestionIhadwrittenwasaddressedtoaverydearfriendwhoisnowdead，andreadasfollows：
　　“WILLJ——：Inregardtothemedium，Mrs。Piper，ofwhomweconversedonyourlastvisit，Iwouldaskifshebegenuine，andifthetestsshegaveProfessorHyslopandothersweregenuine。Givemeatest。“
　　Thiswasallnicelydone，andIamsurewouldhavegreatlyimpressednearlyeveryone。Beingaperformermyself，Icouldofcoursefollowtheperformanceinminutedetail，andIamthusenabledtogivetothereadersofthispaperadetailedaccountofthemethodusedbythedoctor。IwillstatethatsincethattimeI
　　haveverysuccessfullyoperatedthissametest，minusthebowlofwaterandflameoffire；andthatIcanassureallthatitisverypracticableandthatitisverydeceptive。
　　Whenthemediumpickeduptheenvelopeinwhichtoplacemypaper，therewaswithinitaduplicatepieceofpaperfoldedthesame，andofthesamesizeoneinchandaquarterbytwoinchesastheoneIhadfolded。HekeptthefaceofthisenvelopeoppositemesoI
　　couldnotseethatsideofit。Onthefaceofitwasahorizontalslitcutwithaknife。Thisslitwasabouttwoincheslongandwassituatedabouthalfwaydownthefaceoftheenvelope。Theduplicatefoldedpaperwasplacedverticallyintheenvelopeatitscenter，sothatitscenterwaslocatedagainsttheslit。Thispieceofpaperwasheldinpositionbyatouchofpasteatapointoppositetheslit，whichcausedittoadheretotheinsideofthebackoftheenvelope。
　　Whenhepickedupthispreparedenvelopewithhislefthand，hedidsowiththeslitsideorfaceinhispalmnexttothefingersofhislefthand。Thisenvelopelayslitsidedownbeforehepickeditup；sothatIdidnotseethefaceoftheenvelopeatall，andhekeptthatsideoftheenvelopefrommeduringtheentiretrick。
　　Thepaperwithintheenvelopehadbeenplacedfarenoughdownsothatitstoppartwasnotexposedtomyview。Theenvelopethusappearedperfectlynatural，asanordinaryonewithnothinginit。
　　Hethusheldtheenvelopeinhislefthand，flapopenwide，withthebacksideoftheenvelopelatertobesealed，facingme。Nowhereallyinsertedmypaperinthisenvelopewithhisrighthandashetookitfromme；butinfact，hepusheditdownjustbehindthehiddenslipofpaperwithintheenvelope。Imeanthatheinserteditbetweentheconcealedslipandthefaceorslitsideoftheenvelope；andashedidthishecausedthelowerendofmyslipofpapertopassthroughtheslitinthecenterofthefrontoftheenvelope。Thelowerportionofmyslipwasthusoutoftheenvelopeonitsrearside，betweenthefrontoftheenvelopeandthefingersofhislefthand；althoughIcouldseenothingofthis。
　　Hepusheditdownsothatthetopstillremainedinviewwiththebentcornerexposed，andthensealedtheflapoverit。
　　Holdingtheenvelopetowardthewindow，hecalledtomynoticethefactthatmypaperwaswithin，andthatIcouldseeitplainly。I
　　couldseetheshadowofthetwopapers，whichappearedasone，andthushisstatementseemedcorrect。OfcoursehedidnotshowmetherearsideORFACEoftheenvelope，withmypaperprotruding，whichwasimmediatelybehindtheduplicate，sothattheshadowofitwasalsotheshadowoftheduplicate。
　　Thisshadowalsohidfrommyviewtheshadowoftheslit。Theenvelopewassealedfairly。
　　Nowwithhisrighthandhemovedasmallvesselonthetabletowardhimself。Thentakingtheenvelopeinhisrighthand，slitsidedownward，hehelditclosetothisvessel；atthesametimewithhislefthandhetookamatchfromhispocketandproceededtoburntheenvelope。Thismoveconcealedthetrick；anditwasverydeceivingandcleverlydone。Ashetooktheenvelopefromhislefthandwithhisrighthand，he，withhisleftfingerstouchingtheprotrudingportionofmyslip，causedittoremaininhislefthandandtobedrawnentirelyoutoftheslit。Hiseyesfollowedtheenvelopeashisrighthandtookit；whichnaturallycausedmyeyestofollowit，ashisattentionseemedcenteredontheenvelopeanditappearedtooccupythestageofaction。Thismovewasexecutedinamoment，notrequiringanytimeworthmentioning，althoughittakessolongtodescribeitonpaperintelligibly。Nowwhilehiseyesandofcourseminefollowedtheenvelope，withoutpausehislefthandwentintohisleftpocketinanaturalmannertogetthematch。He，ofcourse，leftmyslipinhispocketwithhissurplusmatches；andwhenheretiredforthedrinkofwater，hereadmyquestion。
　　Astotheslatetrick，allwasfairuntilhepickedupthetopslate，wroteanautomaticmessage，apparentlyreaditaloudtome，andthenuponmyinforminghimthatthemessagedidnotanswermyquestion，heseemeddissatisfied，apparentlyerasedthemessage，andreplacedthelargeslateontopofthestackofslates。Whathereallydidwastopickupthelargetopslate，bottomsidetowardhimself，andatthesametimetocarrywithitasmallslatepressedtightlyagainstitsunderside。Heheldthelargeslatewithitsundersidetiltedfromme，soIcouldnotseethissmallslate。Therebeingsomanysmallslatesinthestack，thetemporaryabsenceofonefromthestackattractednonotice。
　　Hekeptthissmallslatenexttohimoutofmyview，andreallywrotethemessageonthesmallslatewhichwasnexttohim，andwhichwasconcealedfrommyviewbythelargerslate。Hedidnotreadaloudwhathehadactuallywritten，butmerelypretendedtodoso，repeatingsomethingentirelyforeigntothesubjectinstead。
　　Whathehadwrittenreallyansweredmyquestionfully。Whenheappearedtoerasethemessage，hismovementswerebutapretense；
　　andhedidnoteraseitatall。Whenhereplacedthelargeslateonthestackofslates，he，ofcourse，replacedthesmallonewhichwasconcealedunderit，messagesidedown。
　　Itmustberememberedthattheoperator，atthebeginningoftheslatetrick，firsttookupandexaminedthelargeslateatimeorsoforamessage；andfindingnone，seemeddisappointed，andfinallywrotetheautomaticmessage；thenonbeinginformedthatitdidnotapplytothecase，heseemeddissatisfiedandappearedtoeraseit。
　　Afterthemessagewaswrittenandtheslatesreplaced，heexaminedthetopslateatimeorso，andevenliftedoffafewsmallslateslookingforwriting，butdidnotturnthemover；thenseeingnothing，hescatteredtheslatesaroundonthetable，leavingtheirsamesidesdownward；andhandingmethecover，herequestedmetocoverthemandplacemyhandsonthem。
　　Thetrickwasnowpracticallydone。Astheslateshadbeenexaminedsomanytimesandnothingfoundonthem，evenaftertheautomaticwriting，themajorityofpersonswouldtestifythattherewaspositivelynothingontheslateswhenthemediumleftthetable。Themajorityofpersonswouldneverrememberthatheatonetimewroteonthelargeslateanderasedit。Themessagebeingonasmallslate，andthesebeingspreadaround，fewwouldhaveknownthatthismessagereallyappearedontheparticularsmallslatethatwasoriginallynextthetopofthestack。
　　Mostpeoplewouldhavecertifiedthattheycleanedalloftheslatesthemselves，thatthemediumnevertouchedanyofthesmallones，andthatheonlylaidhishandsontopofthestackafewtimes。Somewouldevenforgetthatthemediumhandledtheirwritingatallbeforeburningit。
　　Iamsurethatthenickeledtubethatcarriedthedrippingwaterintothespaceovertheglassbowl，hadasecondtubewithinit；
　　throughwhichhisassistantfromtheadjoiningroomeitherblew，orsentbysomemechanism，thechemicalsprobablypotassiumthatwouldtakefireandburnonstrikingthewater……
　　WhenIperformtheslatetrickdescribedabove，afterwritingthe“automatic“message，apparentlyerasingit，andreplacingtheslates，Idonotscattertheslatesaroundonthetableasthismediumdid。Instead，IproceedasIwillnowdescribe。
　　Weplaceourpalmsonthestack，andafteratimeexaminethelargeslateforamessage，butfindnone。Imayincidentallyremarkthatthislastexaminationunconsciouslyverifiesinthesitter’smindthefactthatIactuallyerasedwhatIwrote“automatically。“
　　Inowlookonsomeofthesmallerslatesforamessage，butfindnone。WhenIdothisIdonotturntheseslatesoverandlookontheirundersides，butmerelytakeoffthetopslatetoseeiftherebeamessageontheuppersurfaceoftheoneunderit。I
　　merelyremark，“Well，thereisnothingonthatslate，“indicatingthesecondonefromthetop；andatthesametimeIdropthetopslatenowinmyhandonthetablebesidethestack。I
　　immediatelytakeoffthesecondslateandrepeatthissameperformance，droppingitontopofthefirstone。IkeeponwiththisperformanceuntilIhaveremovedfourorfiveoftheslates，andhavethemstackedinasecondstackbesidethefirstone。Thenseemingtogrowdiscouraged，Iremark，“Iguessthereisnomessage“；andIreplacethesecondstackonthefirststack。Thisplacesthemessageslatefourorfiveslatesdowninthestack；asthebottomslateofthesecondstack，beingthetopslateoftheoriginalstack，isnowthemessageslate。
　　Inextup-edgethesmallslatesandplacearubberbandaroundthemplacingtheminthesitter’slap。I，ofcourse，placewhatwasthetopofthestackdownwardwhenIdoso。AsthestackisonthesideedgesoftheslateswhenIfirstup-edgethem，Inextbringthemupontheendedges，whileIputthebandinplace。Itisnoweasytoplacethestackofslatesuponthesitter’slapwiththetopslatedownandtoattractnonoticetothisfact。Thisisbecausethepositionhasbeenchangedatimeorsoinplacingthebandon；andIthentakethestackinmyhandsbytheedgesoftheslates，andsimplyplacewhatwasthetopsideofthestackinthebeginning，atthebottom。
　　InduetimeItellthesubjecttomakeanexaminationforamessage，andofcoursefourorfiveslatesdownhefindsamessageontheuppersurfaceofoneoftheslates。
　　Thisseemsverymiraculous，astheslateshavebeensorepeatedlyexaminedandnothingfound。Findingthemessageontheuppersurfaceofamiddleslate，wherebutamomentbeforetherewasnothing，seemstobetrulyamarvel。Thesubjecthavingcleanedandstackedtheseslateshimself，andhavingseenthemexaminedsomanytimes，naturallyfeelsimpressedthatthemessagecomesbysomesuperhumanpower。
　　InthebookentitledPsychics：FactsandTheories，byRev。MinotJ。
　　Savage，atpage15，thefollowingaccountwillbefound：
　　“SoonIbegantohearraps，apparentlyonthefloor，andthenindifferentpartsoftheroom。Onthis，theladyremarked，simply：
　　’Evidentlythereissomeoneherewhowishestocommunicatewithyou。Letusgointothefrontparlor，whereitwillbequieter。’
　　Thiswedid，therapsfollowingus，orratherbeginningagainassoonaswewereseated。AthersuggestionIthentookpencilandpaperwhichIhappenedtohaveinmybag，andsatatonesideofamarble-toptable，whileshesatattheothersideinarockerandsomedistanceaway。Thenshesaid：’Asonewayofgettingatthematter，supposeyoudothis：Youknowwhatfriendsyouhaveinthespiritworld。Writenowalistofnames——anynamesyouplease，realorfictitious，onlyamongthemsomewhereincludethenamesofsomefriendsinthespiritworldwho，youthink，mightliketocommunicatewithyou，ifsuchathingwerepossible。’Ithenbegan。IheldapapersothatshecouldnotpossiblyhaveseenwhatIwrote，eventhoughshehadnotbeensofaraway。Itookspecialpainsthatnomovementorfacialexpressionshouldbetrayme。Meantimeshesatquietlyrockingandtalking。AsIwrote，perhapsattheeighthortenthname，Ibegantowritethenameofaladyfriendwhohadnotbeenlongdead。Ihadhardlywrittenthefirstletterbeforetherecamethreelouddistinctraps。Thenmyhostesssaid，’Thisfriendofyours，ofcourse，knowswhereshedied。Writenowalistofplaces，includinginittheplaceofherdeath，andseeifshewillrecognizeit。’ThisIdid，beginningwithVienna，andsoonwithanythatoccurredtome。AgainIhadhardlybeguntowritetherealname，whenoncemorecamethreeraps。Andsoon，concerningothermatters。Ispeakoftheseonlyasspecimens。
　　“Now，Icannotsaythatinthisparticularcasetherapswerenotcausedbythetoejointsofthelady。Thethingthatpuzzlesmeinthistheory，isastohowthetoejointshappenedtoknowthenameofmyfriend，whereshedied，etc。，whichfactstheladyherselfdidnotknow，andneverhadknown。“
　　Ithasbeenthewriter’sgoodfortunetowitnesspracticallythissameexperiment，performedbyaveryexpertmedium，Dr。