"Are you ready, Watson?"
Evidently Watson was ready, for there came from the telephone a noise much like the sound of a horn.
"That is Watson making and breaking the circuit," explained Professor Bell.
Soon Arthur heard plainly the organ notes of "Auld Lang Syne," followed by those of "Yankee Doodle."
"But that's not the human voice," objected Arthur's neighbor to his companion. "Musical sounds we know can be telegraphed."
Just then Mr. Bell spoke again into the transmitter.
"Watson, will you make us a speech?"
There came a few seconds of silence. Then, to the astonishment of all, a voice issued from the telephone. All the five hundred people could hear the sound, and those less than six feet from the instrument had little difficulty in making out the words:
"Ladies and gentlemen: It gives me great pleasure to address you this evening, though I am in Boston and you are in Salem."
"I wonder what those men think now," reflected Arthur.