Tension Test

I cleared the wool folds and crossed the floorboards to the low footstool. Beneath its turned leg lay a heavy rubber band. Elastic. Intact. I looped one side around the front timber spindle, stretched the band taut, and hooked the opposite loop over the rear rung. Tension held. I braced my footing against the floor seam and hauled the center back with my grip. Release. A sharp snap, followed by a resonant hum vibrating straight through the wood grain. True acoustic response. Line secure.