The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-03
MYSTERIOUS MUSIC

MYSTERIOUS MUSIC.
Soon afterward members Of the church
reported that they had heard mysterious
bre&things of the organ at night in pass
ing the church. and inquired whether l
Was practicing. l assured them that I
was not This occurred several times
and, as il could not be satisfactorily ex-
planned, it aroused a deal of comment
and some Of the more superstitious began
to whisper that the church was haunted
and that the spirit of a former organist
was at the bottom of it. AS the mystery
was beginning to tell Oh the nerves of
the neighborhOCd, as well as my own. I
determined to ferret it out. The music
would generally sound as if someone were
touching the keys with one finger. al
though sometimes a number of KEYS
would be depressed simultaneously; but
whenever l would enter the church 1
would lind no one there. The organ, how
ever, would be open, though l had left it
closed when I last used it.
EOne evening | determined to make a
night of it and solve the mystery if it was
possible. L accordingly took up a conceal
ed position in the church shortly after
dark. 1 was assisted somewhat by the
TACT that the moon shone into the build
ing and illuminated small space around
the organ. 1t was no sooner dark than l
heard slight rustic and moment later
saw none other than my old friend the
b.acksnake wriggle his way up on the
music stool. He was not alone, but was
followed by half a dozen or more of his
companions, who formed shiny black
mass upon the stool. You can imagine
that l was amazed, as 1 had never been
before, but resolved to await develop
ments. The next move 1 noticed was that
all the snakes, apparently under the di-
rection of my old acquaintance put their
oC-4
together, it went up as easily as if I lifted
1t myself. Then all the other snakes got
down, His musical snakeshipf then. let
down coil and. graSped. "a lever that
started the water motor that did the
pumping, and everything was ready.
Then, seated coiled on the stool, he, be-
gan to press the keys with his head, and
OF course, produced the corresponding
notes of the instrument. Sometimes to
vary this he would Jump bodily upon the
F Palnhk Of keys and, wriggle along, produc-
ing most weird and curious tumble oe
sounds As he proceeded he becanS,- more
and more excited and violent, and the
other snakes danced and writhed around
until could imagine what 1t must be To
nave del1rlum tfemens. i was so inter-
ested that L let them go for a full hour
When suddenly making a noise they all
scurr1ed away. l pretended to the mem
pers OF the congregation that I had not
round out what it was. and thus was en-
apled to enjoy this novel spectacle sue
ceedfng evenings. When 1 finally told
them no one would believe me, ard I
think that it. was partly on this account
mat ! soon after lost my place How
ever. by placing a lock on the organ and
stopping up all holes by which the snakes
could enter the church l put an end to
the nocturnal concert and the people were
satisfied that the ghosts or whatever it
was had ceased to walk After such ar
experience nobody can convince me that
snakes do not have a love for music and
a taste for it,"