Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-12

blessed hour I had not scored a single
game. He had tracked me steadily. and
eventually had made the scores exactly tie.
In these latter days it had grown with him
to be an article of faith that as a chess
player 1 was quite played out-and there
was time when 1 had thought the same of
him!
He won the move, and then, as usual,
there came an interval of reflection. The
worst thing about st. Servan-regarded
from chess-playing point of view-was,
that he took such time to begin. When a
man has opened his game it is exeusable-
laudable, lDdeed-if he pauses to reflect a
reasonable length of time. But never knew
man who was so fond of reflection before a
move was made. As rule that absurd
habit OF his had quite an irritating effect
upon my nerves, but that evening L felt
quite cool and prepared to sit him out.
There we sat, both smoking our great
pipes, he staring at the board and 1 at him.
He put out his hand, almost touched piece.
and then, with start, he drew it back again.
An interYal-the same pantomine again. An
other interval--and a repetition of the pam
tomine. pulled cloud of smoke into the
air and softly sighed. 1 knew he had been
ten minutes by my watch. Possibly the
sigh had a stimulating effect, for he sud-
denly stretched out his hand and moved
queens knights pawn a single square.
1 was startled. He was great
at book openings, that was the
absurdest part OF it. He would lead you to
suppose that he was meditating something
quite original, and then would perhaps
begin with FOOLS mate after all. He, at
least, had never tried queens knights pawn
a single square before.
1 considered reply. PRAY let it be
understood-though L would not have con-
fessed it to ST. Servan fO- the world--that I
am no player. l am welded to the game
for an hour or two at night, or, peradventure.
of an ternoon at times; but shall never
be admitted to its inner mysterIes-neveri
not it L outspan Methuselah. 1 am not
built that way. st. Servan and 1 were
two children who, loving the sea, dabble
their feet in the shadows lett by the tide. I
have no doubt that there are a dozen replies
to that opening of his, but did not know
one then. 1 had some hasty idea of de-
veloping game of my own. while keeping
an eye on his, and for that purpose put out
my hand to move the queens pawn two.
when felt my wrist grasped by-well by
what felt uncommonly like an invisible
hand. l was 50 startled that / almost
dropped my pipe. 1 drew nv hand back
again, and was conscious of the slight de-
tanning pressure of unseen fingers. Of
course III was nalIuclnaJlon, 0ut 1t seemed so
real, and was SO unexpected, that-weIl, L
settled nv pipe more firmly between my lips
it had all but fallen from my mouth, and
took Whit or two to calm my nerves. I
glanced up, cautiously, to see if st. Servan
noticed my unusual behavior, but mis- eyes
were fixed stonily upon the board.
After q moments hesitation-it was alb
surd!-I stretched out my hand again. The
hallucination was repeated and in a very
tangible form. l Twas distinctly conscious Of
nv wrist being wrenched asi le and guided
to piece / had never meant to touch. and
almost before L was aware of it, instead Of
the move L had meant to make, had made
a servile copy OF st. Servan's opening-I
had moved queens knights pawn a single
SQUARED
To adopt the language of the late Dick
Swlveller, that was staggereF. / own that
for an instant | was staggered. could do
nothing else but stare. For at least ten Sec
onds | forgot 10 smoke. l was conscious
that when st. SerVan saw my move he knit
his bfows. Then the usual interval for re-
Heetlon came again. Hall uneonsciously
watched him. When, AS supposed, he had
decided on his move. he stretched out his
hand, as / had done, and also, as I
had done, he drew it back again.
was little starIled=-he seemed lit
tie startled, too. There was a mOmehtarv
pause; back went this hand again, AID, by