The Lamar register., 1908-04-22
THE INVISIBLE
CHOIR

~ Broushton Br.ndsnburs

- .ASo01eOA 8A8A.eeeAs0ess0
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
CCopyrght.)
She was waiting for me whom
got down to the ONCE that morning.
remember Il was q Monday late In
May. and my stenogrupher had not ar
rived. In her place beside the door
did not see her Immediately, and
only her trembling efforts to rise At
tracted my attention. A whittier or
more ghostly effect than that of her
snowy hair. pallid face and deep-sunk
eyes all In relief from q severe black
dress. It would be difficult to imag-
Inc. and I confess that started the
merest trifie as she came forward out
Of the shadowy antsroom corner. her
thin hands extended toward me.
II hope this ID Mr.. Lawrence Randf
she said. In . low, eager voice.
mo, madam. these are Mr.. Rand's
ofices, and 1 am Mr.. Duncan, one OF
his partners"
Il am Mrs. Dwight Stokes Coleman,
and 1t il concerning . most important
and peculiar matter. which has to do
with my husband. DR.. Coleman, the
pastor Of the Fifth Avenue Disciples
church, that have come to see Mr..
Rand. I must have help at once or ]
shall 90 mad myself. My family physf-
clan. DR.. Bowles, In Seventy-second
street. came to us at our request yes
terday afternoon and recommended me
70 Mr.. Rand. He says that 1t is a mat
tor outside the bounds Of any profess
sion except Mr.. Rand's, which seems
to be the rendering commonplace OF
things apparently most extraordinary.
Perhaps II you state the case may
be able to assist you, and I can ct
least restate 1t to Mr.. Rand on his
return from Boston tomorrow"
He will not be here till tomorrow"
The note Of disappointment In her
voice was so intense that was
touched. for the tears were constantly
yelling to her eyes, and she, could
scarcely steady her voice Is she went
on to relate her trouble.
Relieved of her indirect1on of state
ment and put In the proper proportion,
her story was - follows: A most mys-
tsrious circumstance was weighing 90
hsawily on her husbands mind that she
feared he was about to lose his reason.
II II was not already impaired. He had
obtained . metropolitan parish only
that year. was overcoming some bit
ter opposition among his church mem
bers. and was completing the last vol
ume of an Important historical work.
Altogether, he was at the critical point
Of his career. and. with two sons and
two daughters not yet out of college,
everything was 1t stake.
On Sunday. the 18th of April. few
minutes after he had begun his morn
ing sermon. he heard distinctly
choir singing an anthem. He thought
II . tribe unusual, there being no
which the music could come with such
clearnsss. The music was very good.
and. after the service, he mentioned
It to the organist. who sat In the organ
loft Immediately behind the pulpit
The organist was certain that he had
heard NO music. saying there had not
been q sound to interrupt the sermon.
As q matter Of curiosity. the organist
and DR.. Coleman together laughingly
questioned the members Of the choir.
All were positive that they had heard
NO singing. A horrible fear struck
chill to the old clergyman's heart
Was his mind giving wayf Were
the anthem and the unseen choir the
first hallucination. the harbinger OF
coming mental confusion. and the firs'
sign of the horrible night Of the mind :?
On several succeeding Sundays the
same mysterious music was heard by
the doctor. but by no one else, and he
was now on the verge of nervous pros
tration. =
/ assured Mrs. Coleman we would
take up the matter Immediately, wired
Rand to insure his return, and gave
him a detailed account of the whole
affair. when he came in Tuesday night
Bright and early on Wednesday
morning we we're at DR.. Coleman's
house. In going over the case again.
however. we found nothing to be In
any way different from the facts al
ready in hand. except that although
the voices were always the same, the
music was different each time. with
We went to the church 1t IL o'clock.
and. posing as An interior decorators
estimate clerks. We slowly inspected
every Inch of the interior.
II was four O'Clock IN the afternoon
whom we left. and all that We had
found can be told in . few words
The church. more than 80 years old,
was deadly commonplace In its de-
tails. It had plain old psws. wide and
heavy, an old-fashioned organ and
loft, in front Of which extended q
semicircular rostrum with steps at
the right side. reading desk at the
front edge Of the rostrum, and, behind
It, the usual shellshaped sounding
board. The fittings around the pull
pit were all very plain and simple, al
though rich In their massiveness.
The only really new things were
these: the furnace heating appliances
had been changed to steam heat, and
[ the gas fixtures to electric wiring md
lights.