The Meeker herald., 1909-04-03
THE INVISIBLE
CHOIR

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She was waiting for me when
got down to the ONCE that morning.
| remember 1t was q 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 winter or
more ghostly effect than that Of her
snowy hair. pallid face and deep-sunk
eyes all In relief from . severe black
dress, It would be dihicult to imag-
inc. and confess that ] started the
merest trifle as she came forward out
OF the shadowy anteroom corner. her
thin hands extended toward me.
az hope this is Mr.. Lawrence Randi"
she said, In q low. eager voice.
mo, madam, these are Mr.. Rand's
onices, and l am Mr. Duncan. one Of
his partners"
Il am Mrs. Dwight Stokes Coleman,
and 1t is 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 M.
Rand. must have help at once or !
shall go mad myself. My family physi-
clan, Dr. Bowles, In Seventy-second
street, came to US at our request yes
.erday afternoon and recommended me
to Mr. Rand. He says that it Is 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 I 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 SO intense that l 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 a. follows: A most mys-
terious circumstance was Weighing SO
heavily on her husbands mind that she
feared he was about to lose his reason,
Il 1t 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 at stake.
On Sunday. the 18th Of April. few
minutes after he had begun his morn
Ing sermon, he heard distinctly a
choir singing an anthem. He thought
II . trifie 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
1t 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 . matter of curiosity, the organist
and DR.. Coleman together laughingly
questioned the members Of the choir.
All wer1 positive that they had heard
NO 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
frst hallucination, the harbinger of
coming mental confusion, and the first
sign Of the horrible night of the mind?
On several succeeding Sundays the
same mysterious music was heard by
tho doctor, but by NO one else. and he
was now ON the verge of nervous pros
tration.
1 assured Mrs. Coleman We would
take up the matter Immediately. wired
Rand to insure his return. and gave
him . detailed account Of the whole
affair, when he came In Tuesday night.
Bright and early on Wednesday
morning We were at DR.. Coleman
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
tn6 vOlC01 WeEo Always SAo o<>AAaS' 49,
music was different each time. With
q note from the pastor to the sexton,
We went to the church At II o'clock.
and, posing ~ an interior decorators
estimate clerks, we slowly inspected
every inch of the interior:
It 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.
vas deadly commonplace In its de-
tails. 1t had plain old pews. wide and
heavy, an oldfashioned orsan and
loft. in front Of which extended
semicircuIar rostrum with steps at
the right side. reading desk at the
front edge Of the rostrum, and, behind
4, the usual sheilshaped sounding
board. The nttinss around the pull