Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-03-09

bors. While We were talking one Of the
bells rang. saslss .a...,--..,....
"Hello!'' said Harry. ''that's pool.
Wha: does he want, l wonder?'' Then
followed series Of clicks.
have game Of billiards tomorrow even.
ing. shall say I have friend staying
with me- Click click click. HE says
Bring your friend with you.' "What
say you, Mark? Will you goi'
~ have no objection" answered.
Click, click, click, went the machine
for some time; aud then Harry came and
sat down, saying, 'Hc says; All right ;
he shall expect u.s.
After time We Joined tho ladies
III the drawing.room, and had some
music and singing, as Miss Denbigh had
a very finc voice; she and Harry sang
some duets together, and appeared so
much ACCUSTOMED to it that they must
have had great deal Of practice. In the
room was nice little organ, on which
Harry gave very creditablc perform.
ance. He explained to me that it was
blown by water.power. He had fixed q
horizontal Windmill on top Of the house,
which pumped up the water and from the
height to which it was raised he got sui.
ficient power to work a small water.cn.
CINE to blow his organ. When he had
finished playing he remarked, *'Perhaps
You are not aware that this is sclfact.
ing organ!" j.
:What do you mean = I said. "Can
you wind it up like a clock, and make it
play by means Of a barrel
':Nothing OF the kind, can assure
you; it has neither barrel nor spring."
And now, to my great establishment, a
sonata by Beethoven peeled forth from
the instrument; the keycs went down
lust as though the fingers pressed them.
But no fingers were there! could not
understand it oil.
At length Harry let me into the secret.
He had musical friend who lived only 4
few hundred yards distant, and who had
an organ exactly like this one. Between
wires was laid, and on drawing out a ccr-
tain stop the current passed from one to
the other, so that when note in one or
gan was struck. the corresponding note
was drawn down by an electromagnetic in
the other. Thus the piece Harry had
just played had been produced simnlta.
neously on the other organ, and the
friend was performing on his. and this
was repeating it. Several pieces were
played in this way, Harry between times.
holding conversation with his friend, and
making suggestions by means Of tele.
graph. When it begaDto get late, Miss
Denbigh declared she mast be going; and
Harry walked home with her, leaving me
to the tender mcrcies Of bliss Gradient.
When we were left alone she began ask.
ing me if I had seen anything Of mission
ary labors during my residence abroad.
I then told her had not. She then said
she took!great interest in such matters,
and was now at work on some gauze
frocks for negro children, thinking they
would be cool and pleasant to wear.
was next cross.auestioncd as to the moral
character Of the people where l had been
staying. l thought Harry (thc rogue)
would never come back, and made up nv
mind that he must 5e flirting With Miss
Dcnbigh, or he would have returned
for he had remarked that she
lived close by. However, be came at
last; and, after a glass of grog and one
pipe of tobacco, We went to bed. Before
we did so, however, Harry told ME of
one more Of his contrivances; this was to
prevent the entrance Of burglars.
"Bctwcen the kitchen and the front
part Of the house," he explained, sis a
pair of swing.doors, on which are two
brass handles these are connected with
an induction coil, and when I 60 to bed
l turn on the battery power by small
winch in my room. Now, woe betide any
one who tries to open these doors in the
night If he takes hold of these small
handles, Inc Immediately receives ire.
mendous shaking, and the muscles of his
fingers so contract that he cannot open
his hands to release himself, but must
grin and endure it until choose to turn
off the battery power
"But suppose you didn't hear him, he
might stand there all night,'
''Oh, but if any one touches this ar
bell Immediately rings in
my room.''
We now went up to bed, Harry bid.
ding me good night at the room door,
but saying if I wanted anything I could
speak to him through the tube. I was
very soon in bed,. and almost as soon
asleep and dreaming that was in the
train, and that the engine was shrieking
maoly. 1 awoke and found Harry was
blowing the whistle through the tube close
by my ear. 1drew out the whistle and
asked him what he wanted.
''Only to inquire if you are all right,
and to say We breakfast at o'clock.
l answered, rather pettishly, am
afraid. II scas all right Just new. Tor /
vas fast asleep. Good night, old fellow :;
don't wake me up again."
1t was all very we'll to say don't wake
ne up again, but I could not 20 to sleep,
10 what l would. At length, after toss
ing and tumbling about, l determined to
play Harry the same trick he had played
ne. seized the tube, blew through it,
md listened.
"Wcll!' camc the answer in rather a
sleepy tone.
81 can't 60 to sleep, wish you would
come to my room, or let me 70 to yours
| think you had better come here. and
you can sleep in the little bed, as you
81! proposed nothing Of the sort,
and you know it, you base, abandoned
wretch! shall tell my brother Of your
conduct in the morning."
oh, horror! I had caught up the
wrong tube, and had been speaking to
Miss Gradient. What should l do? l
;ried to explain. "My dear madam, 1
assure you it was all a mistake; I
thought was speaking to your brother"
But got no answer. '.Madam,''I said,
do you hear me 90 Still no answer; she
had evidently put down the tube, and
would hear nothing more had to say. l
put in the whistle, and dropped my end
# the pipe, and threw myself back on
The bed to think. =. e.
The bare idea Of me saying such a
hing to that stiff old lady was awful to
How could 1 meet her at
breakfast At last determined must
wake up Harry and explain matters at
'nce. l caught up the pipe, blew the
whistle, and presently got an answer.
'Oh. have made such a mistake"
laid. 81 wanted you to come and sleep
here, but 1 got hold Of the tube that goes
70 Miss Gradients room. and asked hor