Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-08-08
Mrs. Todd shook her head helpless

AT 1T again last night" Knox con-
tinued. Il shut of the gas and stuffed
h globe with absorbent cotton. That
stopped 1t. Then ! got curious and too
1t out. Every time I unloaded the cot
ton. off 1T would go like the whine Of
a cello Sometimes it swelled and
sometimes it sank. Deuced if l could
find out what made it. Pm not a bit
superstitious, but I'll tell you frankly
l somehow don't enjoy It,"
Again Mrs. Todd shook her head. She
half expected him to pay his rent n
leave, as h rest had done. But Knox
was of a different caliber and said:
'Ill buy another globe see if
1t makes any difference"
Mrs. Todd frightened up.
The next day Knox brought up .
similar globe and placed it over the
gas burner. A few days later he again
knocked at the parlor door
Todd thought he looked a trifle pale.
Somehow this thing gets hold of me
Can't reason 1t out, you know. Funny
thing, too. / don't seem to want to
smash those globes. There's some sort
of fascination listening to that WHINE"
Il know how it is" said Mrs. Todd.
n she shivered.. .Is it all the time?"
No. Seems to take it's own sweet
will. It's liable to tune up any o
of the day or night"
MIR. Knox Mrs. Todd spoke with
great effort, there's a story that once,
before l ook this house, a musician
had that room. He went insane and
used to sit for hours playing one note
on a 'cello-now loud, now soft. After
wards, he shot hilnself-there in that
very room. They say he'd play the
keynot Of a requiem, n every now
n then he'd stop and listen for an
echo,~ and laugh to himself. 1t may be
eXaggerated2
It's rot" said Knox, shortly, and
Yet. when the globe started up its
drone early that evening, ne felt cold
chills running up n down his spine.
What a timid ass you're getting to
be, my boy" he said to himself as he
rose and lighted a pipe with 2 hand
that was a trife unsteady. played
the keynote" he said, musingly. "Rath-
keynoteABy George!" He stopped and
laid aside the pipe. Suddenly he
whipped of the globe, and donning his
hat and 6vercOat ne rushed down stairs
carrying the troublesome globe under
his arm. 1t was q frosty evening and
the wind was blowing briskly.. He hur-
ried to a store on the avenue and asked
for q globes. A number OF the ordi-
nary shape were laid before him. He
took a pencil from his pocket and
sounded first his own globe and then
the others. Presently he found one
which rang a full note lower than his
own. This he purchased and with 1t
fastened back to h house.
He placed the original globe over the
burner. In y moment 1t m out .
low whine. Then he tried his purchase.
1t was silent. He went down stairs
and called Mrs. Todd.
III have it,: said he. and displayed
the two globes. Then another inspira-
tfon came to him..
Where's the skylfght? % he asked.
and showed him a ladder running up
wards. This he ascended, and went
u on the roof. Presently he was back
with q sigh OF relief.
Our ghOstly musician" said he, .is
a lot of wires running across the roof.
There's q standard holding them just
overhead. When it's windy. they be-
gin to hum, and one of them 5drones the
keynote of the gas globe here, and the
/ vibrations, carried along the wall, act
the globe going. That first globe
| bought rang the same note as the orig
inal one, 50 you see that's why 1t tuned
up also. This n il somewhat lower
most Of them. I found, were pitched
like the first - that's why II
| doesn't sing. Glad I know what it Is"
8 am /" said Mrs. Todd ~sfervent-
They were silent for q moment. Then
Knox spOke:s
Must have been creepy to see him
do that. though. l wonder II he really