CHAPTER XV
An Interview
"Well, Mr. Douglas, what can I do for you?"
Benjamin Crane spoke cordially, and smiled genially at the young man whohad called on him in his home.
"You can turn me down, sir, if you like, or, if you'll be so kind, youcan give me a few details of these strange experiences of yours inoccult matters."
"Are you a reporter?"
"I am, but also I want to be something more than that. And in this caseI want to write up these things for a special article, and a personalinterview would help a lot."
"Well, my boy, you impress me pleasantly, and, as I like nothing betterthan to talk on my favorite subject, I'll give you a fifteen-minutechat. More than that I cannot spare time for."
"Then let's confine our talk to the phase that interests me most. I canget your beliefs and experiences from your book, you know. And yourpersonality," Douglas gave him a humorously appraising glance, "I amgathering as we go along. First, will you tell me your attitude, mentaland spiritual, regarding the loss of your son? I mean, though I fear Iput it crudely, are you entirely reconciled to his death because of thecomfort you receive from his--er--communications and all that?"
"A difficult question to answer," Crane paused a moment, "but I think Imay say yes. I bow to the will of a Higher Power in the death of my son,and I am grateful to that same Higher Power for the comfort that is minein the communion I have with my boy."
"Then you do not really grieve over his loss?"
"Not now--no. At first, of course, both his mother and I were crushed,but when he came to us, in the spirit, we took heart, and now we areperfectly satisfied--more than satisfied to accept our life conditionsjust as they are."
"You have frequent communication with the spirit of your departed son?"
"Almost daily."
"With the same medium always?"
"Nowadays, yes. I tried various ones, but I rely on Madame Parlato. Shehas had the greatest success, and now can readily get into communicationwith my son at almost any time."
"Excuse me, Mr. Crane, if I am indiscreet, but have you never felt thatshe might be--not entirely--honest?"
Benjamin Crane smiled benignly. "Don't hesitate to put your doubt intowords. I am quite ready to answer that question. I have no doubts ofany sort concerning the medium's honesty, sincerity and genuineness. Ihave no doubt that the communications she obtains are really from my sonPeter. That his spirit speaks to me through her. This has been proved tome in many ways, but a far greater proof is the conviction in my soul ofthe reality of it all. My wife believes as implicitly as I do, and noamount of scoffing from outsiders can in any way shake our faith."
"You have had material proofs?"
"Yes; here is a letter from my son himself. Here is a tobacco pouch thatI know was his. Here is his handkerchief."
With a calm pride Benjamin Crane took these articles from a table drawerand showed them.
Douglas was deeply impressed, examined the articles and watched Crane ashe returned them to the drawer.
"You see," said Crane, "it is not only difficult but impossible toaccount for those things except by supernatural explanation, so whyrefuse the logical truth?"
"That's so. And, I understand now, why you are so happy in your beliefs,for it all gives your life a continual and absorbing interest. You arewriting another book, are you not?"
"Yes; it contains the detailed account of my _seances_, and will, Itrust, prove an additional source of information and education on thegreat subject of survival."
"And your daughter? Does she, too, subscribe to all your theories?"
"Almost entirely. She is not so absorbed in the subject as Mrs. Craneand myself, but she has become persuaded of many truths."
"And now, my time is nearly up, may I ask you a word regarding the Blaircase. Do you think McClellan Thorpe is the guilty man?"
"No! a thousand times no! I am trying by every means in my power toprove that he isn't. I hope to succeed, too. But we mustn't go into thatsubject, as I have an important appointment to keep. Come to see meagain, Mr. Douglas, if you like. I'm not unaccustomed to such calls, andI'll be glad to see you again. By appointment, though, for I'm a busyman."
Tom Douglas went back, over to Brooklyn, and, going to a hotel, askedfor one John Harrison.
In a short time Peter Boots was eagerly listening to the report of themessenger he had sent to his father.
"I learned a lot, Mr. Harrison," the visitor began. "I think I can giveyou quite a bit of the local color you need for your novel."
"Not so much local color as mental attitude," Peter returned. "You see,in writing a psychological novel the author has to be careful of shadesof feeling in his delineation of the characters. And as this Mr. Craneseemed to be just the type I want to study, I'm glad to have you tell meall the things he said, as nearly as you can recollect his ownlanguage."
"Yes, I know. And I was mighty interested on my own account, too."
"He was willing you should write an article about him?"
"Oh, yes, and asked me to come again."
"Go on, tell me all he said--how he looked and acted and everything thathappened."
And so the young reporter and free-lance writer told Peter Boots allabout his father, under the impression that he was talking to one whohad never seen Benjamin Crane.
"He's a wonderful man, Mr. Harrison," the other said, enthusiastically."He must be fifty-five at least, maybe more, but he's so alert andquick-witted, and so full of his subject, that he seems a much youngerman."
"And he seems happy?"
"Happy! I should say so! Perfectly reconciled to his son's death,because of these communications he gets from him! I say, Mr. Harrison, Ican't stand for it! It gets me to see how that man is gulled, and hesuch a clear-headed, sane sort! Had proofs, too--all sorts of things. Doyou believe it, Mr. Harrison? Do you believe that the spirit of Mr.Crane's dead son talks to him through a medium?"
"I do not," said Peter Crane, endeavoring not to speak too emphatically."I didn't want you to get that interview in the interests of Spiritismat all, but to tell me of the condition, mentally and physically, of Mr.Crane."
"Yes, I know. Well, the old guy is O.K. physically, fit as a fiddle. Andsound mentally, you bet, except that he's nutty on the supernatural.Why, he showed me the tobacco pouch--you know he tells about that in hisbook----"
Peter nodded.
"Showed me, too, a handkerchief of his dead son's----"
"That's not so remarkable."
"Yes, it is; 'cause it's one of a set that the chap took away with him,embroidered by his best girl, I believe."
Peter started. One of those handkerchiefs Carly gave him! Where in theworld could that fool medium have got hold of that?
"Also a note from son, in his own handwriting," Douglas went on.
"Did you see it?"
"Yep. Commonplace looking note, advising his sister to drop acquaintancewith Thorpe--he's the man they arrested in the Blair case."
"Where did the note come from?"
"Materialized--out of thin air."
"At a _seance_?"
"No; the brother kindly left it on sister's bureau, I believe."
Peter Crane was bewildered indeed. What sort of performances were goingon, anyhow. And who was at the bottom of all this?
Clearly, he must look into things a little more before he did his finaldisappearance!
"Well, Mr. Douglas, you've helped me a whole lot. Now, as I say, I wantmental impressions. Tell me everything you can think of about theatmosphere of the whole house, the--did you see Mrs. Crane?"
"No, only the old man. There seemed to be quite a lot of people about,coming and going. We had our interview in Mr. Crane's study, orlibrary----"
"I know, the small room at the back of the house----"
"Been there?" Douglas looked up quickly.
"Read of it in the book," said Peter, quietly, annoyed at himself forthe slip.
"Yes. Well, there's a
table in the middle of the room, and in the drawerof that table Mr. Crane keeps all the things' materialized by themedium. I think he expects to get a big collection."
"Oh, Lord!" groaned Peter, "_what_ a mess!"
"Yes, isn't it?" Douglas assumed that the whole subject of Spiritism wasthus referred to.
"Suppose anything happened to shake Mr. Crane's faith?"
"I don't think anything _could_ do that. He's absolutely gullible. He'dswallow anything. I say, how _do_ you explain it? Why is it thatbig-brained, well-balanced men fall for this rot?"
"They can't be really well-balanced,--and then, too, it's largely theeagerness to believe, the desire for the comfort it brings them thatmakes them think they do believe. And a clever medium can do much."
"Sure. But those materializations! Where'd she get the goods?"
"Give it up. Tell me more about Mr. Crane."
So Douglas patiently recounted and repeated all the words of Peter'sfather and told of his appearance and manner, under the impression thathe was helping an author with data for a psychological story.
Peter had found Douglas by merely making inquiry for a bright youngreporter, and had made an agreement, satisfactory to both, for him totry to get the interview with Benjamin Crane, and they would both profitby it.
He was delighted that Crane had asked the young man to call again, andwhen they parted it was with the understanding that there should beanother interview arranged.
Peter Boots had much food for thought.
He sat thinking for hours after the food had been given to him.
What was the explanation? What _could_ be the explanation?
How could communications from a dead man be received when the man wasnot dead?
How he longed to go home, disclose himself, and run to earth thatfearful fraud! How gladly he would do so, except that it would ruin hisfather's reputation. What would the public think of a man who had beenso taken in by fraud, and had blazoned it to the world.
To be sure it was no reflection on Benjamin Crane's sincerity, yet hewould be the butt of derision for the whole country, and his discreditedhead would be bowed for the rest of his life.
Peter couldn't bring himself to do that, especially now that he haddiscovered that his loss was not a source of hopeless grief to hisparents.
"I'm not wanted in this world," he told himself, sadly, "I'm asuperfluous man. I've got to dispose of myself somehow," and he gave avery realizing sigh.
And the thought of Carly,--that tried to obtrude itself, he putresolutely from him.
"She's probably forgotten me," he assured himself, "and anyway I must dothe right thing by Mother and Dad first. If I decide that I can'tdemolish their air castle, so carefully built up, I must lightout,--that's all."
Trying hard to be cheerful, but feeling very blue and desolate he ate asolitary dinner and went again to the theater to see "Labrador Luck."
Douglas' graphic description of his home and his father had given him agreat longing to go there, to see the dear old place, the dear oldman,--and his mother, and Julie.
He felt he _must_ go. Then, he knew he couldn't go, without breaking hisfather's heart and life.
"I broke his heart when I _didn't_ go home," he thought whimsically,"now, I mustn't break it again by going home!"
He sat through the moving picture performance again, and marveled anewat the beauty of the production. It was far above the rank and file ofmoving pictures, it was adjudged by all critics the very greatestproduction ever put upon the screen.
Shelby's name had become famous, his work was applauded everywhere, andPeter yearned to see him and renew their friendship.
But he knew he mustn't think of those things. First of all he had todecide whether or not he was to come back to life, and if not,--and hehad a conviction that that would be his decision,--he must not dallywith tempting thoughts and hopes of any sort.
But it was hard! Blair dead, Shelby famous, and he, Peter, unable totalk things over with any relative, chum or friend.
He must talk to somebody, and on his way out of the theater he spoke tothe box office man.
"Wonderful show," he said, smiling at him. "Who's this Shelby?"
"He's the big push of to-day," was the enthusiastic reply. "He's amarvel of efficiency and generalship. And a big author, too."
"He wrote the play as well as produced it, I see."
"Yes. Oh, he can do anything."
"Married man?"
"No; but I've heard he's engaged to a girl,--a Miss Harper, I believe."
Peter choked. The last straw! But he might have known,--he, himself,supposed dead, Blair dead, what more natural than that Carly should turnto old Kit?
With a mere nod to the man who had unwittingly dealt him this finalblow, Peter walked out into the night.
And he walked and walked. Up Broadway to the Circle, on up and intoRiverside Drive, and along the Hudson as far as he could go.
Thinking deeply, planning desperately, only to be confronted with theawful picture of his father's consternation at the shattering of hisbeliefs and the collapse of his celebrity.
At times he would tell himself he was absurdly apprehensive, that anyparents would rather have their lost son restored than to have theapplause and notoriety of public fame. And, then, he would realize thatwhile that might be generally true, yet this was a peculiar case. Hisfather was a proud, sensitive nature. Perhaps--Peter shuddered,--perhapshe wouldn't love a son who by his return made him the most laughed atman in the whole world!
Peter longed to go to some one for advice. Shelby, now,--his bigefficient mind would know at once what was best to do.
But he couldn't disclose himself to Kit and not to any one else. Kitcouldn't keep that a secret, even if he wanted to do so.
And-- Kit was engaged to Carly! He never wanted to see either of themagain!
Poor, lonely, troubled Peter. Only one plain, sure truth abided. He_must_ do his duty, and he felt pretty sure he knew what that duty was.It was to stay out of the life he had lost.
There was no other possible course.
He turned and retraced his steps southward, and finally went acrosstown, drawn as by a magnet to his own home.
Home! What a mockery the word was!
It was two o'clock in the morning now; he had been walking or sitting ona Drive bench for hours.
He was not conscious of fatigue, he only wanted to see his old home andthen go away forever. He didn't plan his future. He was sure he couldmake a living easily enough, he felt he could build up a new life forhimself over a new name. But oh, how he longed for the old life!
He stood in front of the house and stared at it.
He walked round and round the block it was on, pausing each time hepassed the front door, and walking on, if there chanced to be apasser-by.
At last, he concluded to give up the painful pleasure of gazing at theclosed windows and go back to Brooklyn.
His gaze traveled over the windows at the various rooms,--how well heknew what they all were,--and at last he found himself looking at thefront door. How often he had let himself in with his latchkey.
Involuntarily his hand went to his pocket, where that latchkey even nowwas,--and hardly knowing what he was doing, he had the key in his handand was mounting the steps of his old home.
Still as one in a daze, and with no intention of making his presenceknown, but with an uncontrollable desire to see for the last time thosedear rooms, he silently fitted the key into place.
Noiselessly he turned it and pushed the door open.
The house was still, there were no lights on, save a low glimmer in thefront hall.
He remembered that had always been left on.
But the street lights faintly illumined the living-room, and he went in.With a wave of desperate homesickness he threw himself on the bigdavenport and buried his face into a pile of cushions.
He couldn't go away,--he _couldn't_.
But--he must!
And so, he forced himself
to put aside his emotion, he bravely foughtdown his nostalgia, and promising himself one look into his father'sstudy he vowed to go directly after.
He stepped into the little room where Douglas had been received. Hecouldn't resist the temptation to look about it, and, cautiously hesnapped on the desk light.
There was the table with the drawer in it.
Carefully, Peter opened the drawer and saw for himself the tobaccopouch, the handkerchief, and the letter, signed "Peter."
He stared at it, amazed at the similarity to his own penmanship.
"I'd like to stay, if only to ferret out the mystery of this rascallyfake!" he thought "But--oh, hang it! this rascally fake is the verybreath of life to Dad and Mother. No, Peter Boots, it can't be done!You're out of it all and out of it all you must stay. Clear out of herenow, before you get in any deeper."
He fingered the old tobacco pouch.
"Heavens and earth!" he exclaimed to himself, as a sudden thought struckhim. "That's so!"
Again he took up the letter, looking closely at the formation of thewords, studying the tenor of the message, and then, with a sigh, laidall back in the drawer and gently closed it.
"That way madness lies," he told himself, and turned to leave the roomand the house.
As he reached for the light switch, a small hand laid on his owndetained him.
Startled, he looked up and saw a witch-like, eerie face smiling at him.
"Must you go?" whispered a mocking voice, and Peter Boots, for once inhis life was absolutely stricken dumb.
Who or what was this sprite, this Brownie? What was she doing in hisfather's house? Were materialized spirits really inhabiting the place?
"Hush!" Zizi warned him, "don't speak above a whisper. Are you aburglar?"
Peter shook his head, unable to repress a smile, and his smile made thesame impression on Zizi that it had always made on everybody,--that ofabsolute pleasure.
"Who are you?" she asked, scarce breathing the words.
"John Harrison," he returned, still smiling. "I'll go now, please."
"Without further explanation?"
"Yes, please."
"All right, I'll let you out. I know all about you. You sent a chap hereto interview Mr. Crane,--and you're getting follow-up literature."
"Right! Good night."
And with a swiftness and silence born of the dire necessity of themoment, Peter went to the front door, out of it and down the street inrecord time.
He turned the first corner, and walked rapidly many blocks, beforeturning to see if he were followed.
He was not, and he went on his way to Brooklyn, his life tragedy stillahead of him, but relieved by the touch of comedy added by thatmysterious and wonderfully attractive girl.