The Silenced Speaker

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 45, 23 May 1930, Page 8

The Silenced Speaker

-_-_-_ A Radio Tragedy

(By

A.E.

R.

T all arose out of the family’s weakness for home-shifting, I’ve never discovered the real reason for thiswhether our ancestors were gipsiesor rent-dodgers, Still, the fact remains, along with the horrifying tragedy: of my beloved red and blue loudspeaker cord, I always suspected a soft spot in my heart for that cord. Now-to my undying sorrow-I know it. Never in the history of radio has there been such a wonderful cord. I always feei that it was someone’s supreme effort -someone who left his life’s work to gladden the heart of someone 4s unworthy as myself. Well, to return to the fatal shift, I was boarding in town at the time, and the first inkling I had of the family’s sinister intention was when the pater rang me up-"Yes, we’re shifting to-morrow. Could you possibly come home to dismantle the wireless?" No, it was impossible-they had to manage the best, they could. The next I heard from the family was another ‘phone ring, requesting that I should visit our new home to reinstal the radio. Well-this time I thought I’d better go. It appeared as though they’d managed to dismantle the set well enough without me, and it was possible that they. would some-. how be able to fix it up again. That would never do-as the acknowledged expert. of the family I was sensitive of my accomplishments with -valves and plugs and things, I arrived home one afternoon, whistling cheerily at the thought of spending a few hours with my beloved wireless. Little did I, know of the dark shadow of tragedy that was hovering over me. The aerial and earth were soon installed, and I approached the set to make the necessary connections to the batteries. "I say, son," remarked the ‘dad, "I didn’t like to open the cabinet and interfere with the set when I was packing up, so I just cut the battery cables free. I hope it will be all right," he concluded anxiously. This was unexpected, but after all no appreciable harm had been done, and I was inwardly pleased to know that dad was so scared of a simple det. 2 audio that he wouldn’t touch a terminal of it. "Yes, dad, that'll be all right. I’m glad you didn’t touch the set. You might have blown the valves out." He was properly impressed, and very pleased he’d done the right thing. WHISLING gaily, I proceeded to work. After removing the cabinet lid, I propped the set on its panel, the better to disconnect the severed ends of the battery cables. Suddenly the room seemed to grow cold and dark. My whistle died away on a dirge-like note, strongly reminiscent of a Scottish lament. The room was whirling about me, and my horrified eyes were fixed with a dazed stare on the terminal strip on the baseboard. There, gazing reproachfully at me from amongst the severed ends of a mass of battery cables was. a suspiciously familiar red and blue cord ending in two shining tips. My suspicions rapidly grew to a certainly, and like King I, I haven’t smiled since.