The Meeker herald., 1909-04-03

SSooAoA - NO GAME lntO the Clu0 Qln-
ins-room. where was awaiting him.
and sat down opposite me with .
faint. brief smile.
Rand toyed with the table silver .
moment before he spoke, then he
said. CURLY: VIII you go with me
to the Disciples church tomorrow
morning! ask this because have
written DR.. Coleman a note saying
that 1t will be necessary for me to
go into the pulpit with him. and
want you to sit In the first row."
burst into hearty laugh at the
idea OF Rand's posing as a clergyman.
but neither the ethical 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 the
morning lesson"
From my seat 10 the first pey. per-
haps 20 feet from the exact spot where
the speaker was standing, l could OBJ
serve every movement that both he
and Rand might make.
u 1t was fully Is minutes before any
thing unusual occurred.
Suddenly the old clergyman's voice
took on momentarily rasping note
an inarticulate cry Of agony and des-
peration! He went on speaking me-
chemically. with his eyes closed. Rand
sat lnotionless. but with. the manner Of
tiger about to spring. He was lis
tening, and 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.
AS for me. l could not catch the
faintest sound beyond q 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 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. 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 of the
desk light. A moment later look Of
relief came over the old clergyman's
face. He opened his eyes. paused a
moment, as II to steady himself. then
went on again. and waited perhaps
80 seconds. knew from the hand to
his ear that he was still listening.
Then he turned on the light once moro
and again listened. He next said
something in low voice to DR.. Cole
man. and. settling back comfortably.
folded his arms and listened to the
sermon at his ease. He had solved
the mystery.
How I endured the half-hour till
Rand and 1 were walking down the
avenue. arm in arm. with the happy
old clergyman. do not know. DIR.
Coleman and he had already had some
explanatory words together. for the
first thing 1 heard was:
But, my dear Mr.. Rand. how did
you make SO wonderful a discovery?
l can hardly realize 1t is . mystery
no longer"
TT was really very simple. after
all, DR.. Coleman" replied Rand.
Through the Callahan men l col
lected in advance. among other things,
the musical programs from every
church on Manhattan island. BY my
microphone l discerned that 1t was
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, distance far
too great, Of course. for the natural
conveyance of sound. Instantly. how
ever, 1t flashed over me that this was
one of the old churches in which had
learned the old sounding. boards of the
Teleautic Company had been placed.
Here were the same music and the
same sounding boards-but no wiring
had been put in. looked at the base
Of the sounding-board beside me. No
wiring was there now! Yet there
must be q connection. There must
be wires-wireless reproduction being
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 q
million of a chance connection by the
electric lighting company! Rising,
turned OF the light. a. you may re-
member. and the music ceased to be
audible. turned the light on. and
the Ave Maria could be heard 70
cloae You Hara Aloha In hAaring the