The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-27
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By BROUGHTON BRANDENBURC

She was waiting for me when |
got down to the Office that morning.
! remember 1t vas a Monday late in
May, and my stenographer 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 nr
more ghostly effect than that of her
snowy hair, pallid face and d%eep-sunk
eyes all in relief from a severe black
dress, 1t would be difficult to mag
inc, and | confess that | started the
merest trile as she came forward out
of the shadowy anteroom corner, her
thin hands extended toward me.
q hope this is Mr.. Lawrence Randi"
she said, In a low, eager voice.
NO, madam, these are Mr.. Rand's
Offices, and am Mr.. Duncan, one of
his TaTrrrrs.'>
Il am Mrs. Dwight Stokes Coleman,
and it is concerning a 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. l must have help at once or I
shall go mad myself, Ny family physi-
clan, DR.. Bowles, in Seventy-second
street, came to us at our request yes
terday afternoon and recommended me
to Mr.. Rand. He says that it is a mat
ter outside the bounds of any profess
sion except Mr.. Rand's, which seems
to be the rendering commonplace of
things apparently most extraordinary
Perhaps If you state the case ! may
be able to assist you, and l can at
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 80 intense that | was
touched, for the tears were constantly
yelling to her eyes, and she could
scarcely steady her voice as she went
on to relate her trouble.
Relieved Of her indirection of state
ment and put In the proper proportion,
her story was as follows: A most mys-
FERROUS circumstance vas weighing so
hea 7ily on her husbands mind that she
feared he was about to lose his reason,
IL 1t was not already impaired. He had
obtained a metropolitan parish only
that year, was overcoming some bit
ter opposition among his church mem
bers, and was completing the last vol.
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 at stake.
On Sunday, the 14th of April, a few
minutes after he had begun his morn
ing sermon, he heard distinctly a
choir singing an anthem. He thought
it a triie unusual, there being no
church in the neighborhood from
which the music could come with such
clearness. The music was very good,
and, after the service, he mentioned
ii 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 a sound to interrupt the sermon.
AS a matter of curiosity, the organist
and DR., Coleman together laughingly
questioned the members of the choir,
All were positive that they had heard
singing. A horrible fear struck a
chill to the old clergyman's heart.
Was his mind giving way? Were
the anthem and the unseen choir the
Authorization, the harbinger of
mental confusion, and the first
sign of the horrible night of the mind?
On several succeeding Sundays the
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
a detailed account of the whole
affair. when he came IL Tuesday night.
Bright and early on Wednesday
morning we were at DIR. Coleman's
house. In going over the case again,
however, w 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
note from the pastor to the sexton,
went to the church at II o'clock,
and, posing as an interior decorators
estimate clerks, we slowly inspected
every inch of the interior.
1t was four o'clock in the afternoon
when we left, and all that we had
'ound can be told in a few words.
The church, more than 80 years old,
vas deadly commonplace In its de-
.ails. 1t had plain old pews, wide and
leavy, an old-fcshioned organ and
oft, in front of which extended a
'emicircular rostrum with steps at
he right side, a reading desk at the
ront edge Of the rostrum, and, behind
t. the usual shell-shaped sounding