The Lamar register., 1908-04-22
want you to Sit IN he i,rst row"

Idea OF Rand's posing as a clergyman.
but neither the sthical nor humorous
phases of the situation seemed to
strike him.
The next morning Rand appeared
In church in clerical garb. The strick-
\ en- clergyman. his white head bowed on
his hand as he leaned on the arm of
his chair. never looked up. after pre-
senting Rand as Rev. DR.. Carleton
Smith of Chicago, who would read tie
morning lesson"
/ From my scat in the first pew, per
haps 20 feet from the exact spot where
the speaker was standing, could OBJ
serve every movement that both he
and Rand might make.
1t was fully 15 minutes before any
thing unusual occurred.
Suddenly the old clergyman's voice
took on q momentarily rasping note
an inarticulate cry Of agony and des-
peration! He went on speaking me-
chemically. with his eyes closed. Rand
sat motionless. but with the manner o!
tiger about to spring. He was lis
tening, and l could tell from his face
that he also was hearing what was
beating in DR.. Coleman's ears-the
rolling anthem Of the unseen singers.
AZ for me. could not catch the
faintsst sound beyond low. confused
murmur. Rand removed the micro
phone. which he always carried for
magnifying sounds, once or twice
after few seconds. then quietly drew
some sheets. apparently q small set Of
notes, from his pocket, found some
thing. folded the pages. and instantly
was lost In the most profound thought.
DR.. Coleman was staggering. struggling
through his address. I stood ready to
rush to catch him should he reel and
fall forward from the pulpit. There
were evident signs Of deep concern for
him In the congregation. Perhaps 1t
was only two minutes. but 1t
seemed an hour that this situation
held.
Then Rand. rising unobtrusively,
reached forward and turned on the
desk light A moment later look OF
relief came over the old clergyman's
!. face. He opened his eyes. paused
moment, as IL to steady himself then
went on again. and waited perhaps
30 seconds. knew from the hand to
his ear that he was still listening
Then he turned on the light once more
and again listened. He naxt said
something in low voice to Dr. Cole
nan. and. settling back comfortably
folded his arms and listened TO the
sermon at his ease. He had solyec
the mystery.
How endured the half-hour till
Rand and were walking down the
avenue, arm in arm. with the happJ
old clergyman, do not know DIR
Coleman and he had already had some
explanatory words together. for til.
nyst thing l heard was:
But, my dear Mr.. Rand, how die
you make SO wonderful a discovery.
can hardly realize 1t il a myster,
no longer"
at was really very simple. afteI
all. DIR. Coleman" replied Rand
Through the Callahan men col
lected in advance. among other things
the musical programs from every
church on Manhattan island. By my
microphone I discerned that 1t wat
Pfeisters Ave Maria that was being
sung somewhere this morning. its
echoes apparently audible to your ears
alone. From my indexed notes
found that the only church where this
number was being sung was the
Church Of the Revelation, on the
West side, = mile away, q distance.faf
too great Of course. for the natural
conveyance of sound. Instantly, how
ever, 1t flashed over me that this wa.
one of the old churches in which hat
learned the old seundins-boards Of. thu
Teleautic Company had been placed
Here were the same music and thu
, same sounding boards-but no wiring
had been put in. looked at the bast
Of the sounding-board beside me. M
, wiring was, there now! Yet thers
must be connection. There mus
be wires-wireless reproduction beins
eminently absurd. As I sat absorbed
In thought I raised my eyes and
CHANGED to see that the electric wires
, to the desk light ran over the top Of
the sounding board. One chance in
million of chance connection by tn,
electric lighting company! Rising, !
turned of the Hight, as you may re
member, and the music ceased to BIZ
audible. I turned the light on, and
the Ave Maria could be heard to
close. You were alone in hearing the
faint sound-waves so clearly. because
your ears were In the exact focus OF
the radii of the sounding-board no
ticed yesterday that the other church
services began at 11:15, and I will
guarantee, without visiting the audi
torium Of the Church Of the Revela-
ton, that the other board is SO placed
that the choir sings directly into 1t
II you were in the habit Of Keeping
your desk light burning all through
the service, and II you stood just.
where you preach. you would, hear
the other sermon and all the rest OF
the music"
We visited the ether church afte'
lunch snd found an the details fitte,.
Kand's theory to . nicely. The NOV
ing OF q plug IN the Edison distrie.
PLANT one-thirty-socond Of an Inc
forever hushed he voices OF the VI
'ssecn singers.