The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-18
By JAMES I. MONTAGUE

I had got through the market re- ports and was listening, fascinated. to the bedtime story when I mo- tioed that the air about me was suf- fused with pungent odor of brim- stone.
 Why birthstone I couldn't ina zine. Outside the night was cool and starlit--no sign of a thunderstorm anywhere. The Italians had held their quarterly fireworks exhibition the week before. The trolley cars were rolling smoothly by with no grinding of brakes. tSill the brim- stone smell persisted.
 I laid down the radio receiver and began to sniff the air. Some people can use all their senses at the same time. I can't. If I want to listen smell can't listen.
 T suppose I'm the odor that's troubling you." said voice that ap- particular. Its my hands, or rath- CT my wrists: I haven't got my hands any more."
 "Who are you?" I inquired little testify. dislike to hold conversa- ton with people I can't see, espe- cially when 1t is evident from the proximity of their voices that they are right in the room with me.
 I'm just ghost" said the voice, Tor rather what is left of a ghost. I made a mistake that's all. It was a mistake any ghost might have made, but unfortunately for me l happened to be the ghost that made 1t. Just when I was having a most entrancing time, too. Maybe you'd like to hear about it."
 l was interested, acd said so. l had not known before that ghosts could make mistakes. l supposed, that with their wide opportunities for observation they would be in- fallible.
 If you don't mind" said. Ego on. But please stay in one place. It is disconcerting to have your voice first coming up through the floor, then in through the window, and imme- dlately afterward out of the bureau drawer"
 Cumming Up the Radio
 "I'll try" returned the ghost, but I'm nervous, and I like to keep shift ing about. Besides it's funny to watch your face when the beginning of one of my sentences starts from behind a picture and the end of 1t comes out of the radio receiver. My sense of humor is keen. That's what got me into this trouble.
 T had been hanging about the halls where Conan Doyle lectures about us spirits, and I heard him say one evening that there was reason to believe that ghosts were using the radio. l was perfectly sure that nc ghost had been using the radio, but the suggestion put an idea into my mind.
 "The next evening I took up a plaoe about two miles and a half above the earth, where all the radio messages cross to get to where they are going, and began to shift the ether currents that carried them. The first thing that came along was a market report which I picked out Of the air, and substituted one of my own. which moved all the prices up about IL points.
 "Ne.-t morning every farmer in the radio district had loaded everything he had to sell on his trucks, and gone into the commission houses de- mandinE the new prices. was there, of course. and had quite an exciting time hearing them call the commission men liars and cheats.
 "The next night I observed tenn perance message going to meeting of the Prohibition Enforcement league, and substituted for 1t an ad- dress by Governor Edwards of New Jersey denouncing the volstead law and calling on all his hearers to unite and restore strong drink to thirstins Americans.
 Tho people al the meeting thought their speaker had either gone mad or was putting up some kind of jot on them, and they adjourned anc chartered automobiles to go hunt for him.
 "Of course when they got to his house he was putting out red hot prohibition talk, which was relay ing along to an Elks club in Jersey City. where 1t wasn't making any particular hit.
 Einstefn as . HeA Time Story
 T never found out what happened. for just then gowan idea that 1t