Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-09-01
The
Loose String
By HUBERT RAY

1--WE don't know that. They were.
io"'u lying dead. apparently OF ,nn.
feet" al their
waV?" Ai'n inc
Evidently"
What Is itY"
Inc sacred lutte OF Tama. the In.
uan goddess Of death. Old Ala,or
A'chener took it from an Indian tenn.
PIE. He brought it home with him
and dled 1--we months later"
And his nephew. George kitchener
no" long had he been In possession ~
the placer"
Two months. He was onIv tb,rtv
"ne doesn't expect to die Of apoplexy
DIT thirty"
NO chance Of poison?"
absolutely none. Poison was sus.
pected ut first. but the bodies and the
instrument were submitted to the
most careful analysis
Yet there is legend that posses.
sion of this lutte means death7"
1T was once taken from the fem
Pe' centuries ago. by the conquerer
baDur. His player died. His second
payer died. His favorite wife died-all
praying the instrument. Then it was
returned to the temple"
Old Falconer unused. He knew a
sood deal about Indian mythology. and
10 was trying to recall something he
mad once read. He examined the lute
for the twentieth time. 1t had four
strings. Three of them were tuned.
the fourth, when plucked. gave out no
sound at all. 1t was quite loose-yet
It was meant to be loose. for It WAS
ntted In Its grooves In such a way
that 1t was impossible to adjust 1t.
les, that string was meant to be
loose" said the younger man. mo
one knows why. It's something con-
nected with the worship of Tama."
"A deadly poison that Is communi-
Gated to the t1ngers?" Falconer sug-
gested.
absolutely not. That strings been
scraped and analysed" replied the
other.
It'll solve the problem by morning."
said FalcOner. I'm trying to remem-
Der something. Go to bed, Simpson"
Il hope there won't be a third fatal
ity," suggested Simpson. II think
you'd better not play with the thing.
Falconer. AS you know, the coroner
insists 1t was all coincidence, that
both deaths were due to apOplexy.
Let's burn the beastly thing"
Don't worry about me. old man."
Falconer returned. II think I'm on
the track Of the mystery. Listen" He
plucked the mute string. "Can you
hear anything?"
"Of course I can hear something"
answered Simpson. 1T sounds exactly
as If one were plucking q piece Of
string"
Nothing musicale" /;
"Of course not. Can your"
mot sound. All right, I'm on the
track. Simpson"
"See here, old man, I'd infinitely
rather you wouldn't examine the thing.
It's dangerous. I'm convinced you're
in peril"
"Im going to solve this thing by
morning." answered Faiconer.
Simpson went to bed, but for long
time he was unable to sleep. He lis.
tened to old Falconer moving about
In the room underneath him. Some
times he fancied he heard the soft
tlnkle Of the lutte strings. And gradu-
terror began to Cypress him. Present.
ment Of evil grew so strong that at
last he put on his dressing gown and
went softly down the stairs, deter.
mined to stop Falconer from playing
with the Internal thing.
He had just reached the door when
he heard sharp. strangled cry, fol-
lowed by the sound Of heavy body
falling. He rushed in.
Falconer lay upon the floor, and
single glance showed Simpson that he
was dead.
Some papers on the table drew Simp-
sons attention. Falconer had been
writing. Mechanically he picked them
up and read:
II have discovered the mystery Of
the mute string, and 1t Is the most
devilish invention ever made by hui
manity.
"JuSt as there are sounds so high
that the human ear cannot distinguish
them, so there are sounds composed
of such heavy vibrations that they are
inaudible. Such is the mute string.
Plucked at a certain point it gives out
vibrations heavy enough to destroy
life-as conclusion does.
The two men who died must have
plucked at the string until they
touched just the point that calls out
these vibrations. l have had lucky
escape. l shall not touch the string
any more, except just once to find
out"