Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-02-26

Two Great Chess Players Leave a Mar
veIous Contest Undecided.

yeIous Contest Undecided.
Eight months and IA half the game had
gone on And such II game, my children!
Tom Penny, Britisher, against Jonathan
Pym. Yaakee; England against America;
the Old World against the Newl
Between the Club Electric of New York
and the Club Eccentric of London emula-
ton had exalted itself to patriotism. On
the day of defeat the flag of the vanquished
nation would float reversed from the bal
cony of the dishonored club and all the
chessboards for six months at least re-
main yelled with Grape.
Thus openly must be carried, and as
frankly borne, these tokens of mourning
and ~affront, which no revenge should eff
face.
For such was the condition of the CON.
bat-the match to be the only one of it's
kind.
The momentous question of the battle
decided upon, then arose the subsidiary
question, Where should the encounter
take place?
They sought a ground of Cancellation.
But where find it?
Cornelius Kevick, the imprcsario, in
charge of the affair, proposed to charter a
steamer, which should be stationed in mid
ocean, equidistant from the American and
the English coast, aboard which the two
adversaries should betake themselves and
there remain while the match lasted. In
genious as it was. however, this idea was
forced to the wall. They must find some
other way.
They found tin the electric cable,
which once more was going to merit its
name of a "bond of union" between the
Old and New Worlds.
This is how it was that for eight months
and "A half Jonathan Pym and Tom Penny
had disputed by dots and dashes for the
glorious title of Universal Champion of
the Noble Game of Chess"
At l2 o'clock, say, Tom Penny would
telegraph to Jonathan Pym.
And one hour later j Jonathan Ppm would
respond.
Dating from Oct. Is, 1889, the game for a
long while had been indecisive. Toward
the end of December Tom Penny showed
signs of weakness, throwing the partisans
of Jonathan Ppm into a state of excitement
that set them to quarreling among them
selves like political bosses"
But suddenly, in the middle of January,
the English champion by a genial ruse re-
conquered all his lost advantage. Down
went Pyml up went PENNY
At last, on the 25th day of May, 1889, the
American had one of those inspirations
that conquer even destiny. On the re-
ceipt of his dispatch Tom Penny had a cold
sweat.
But he did not give up-oh, nol-and five
days later, on the Both of May, had posi-
lively "A CLEAN of hope. A sudden move OF
his adversary had opened to him a door OF
safety. One such blunder at that moment
was decisive. Could it be possiblei
Tom Penny examined the board more
closely. The blunder was not certain. II
might cover "A supreme stratagem. What
should he Think What course to pursue
of the two in view2 Was it sham or error
Should he pass the door that had beer
opened to hima If error, Jonathan Pyn
was lost; if sham, Tom Penny was routed
That day Tom Penny wrote out his ow
telegram: he played his last stake ant
knew it.
An hour later, unfolding his message
Jonathan Ppm smiled triumphantly.
"Gentlemen," said he to his colleague
of the Club Electric, "wait until tomorrow
In twelve hours time E%ngland's champion
will have signed his w condemnation"
The next day in London members of tn,
Club Eccentric found Tom Penny on thu
floor of his chamber, struck down by apo
pftNs WV sum iiSNiN tluNtIiiS III III
hand the dispatch that had killed him.
And already for two long hours in thu
grand sailor of the Club Electric Jonathan
Ppm had awaited from London the tele
gram of his v%anquished foe.
Jonathan Ppm frowned and fdgeted
That telegram he must h~ave-then, ant
then only, could the game be ended. With
out it the match would remain unfinished
The door opened and II lunky appeared
bearing on a salver Il folded paper.
"A dispatch for Mr.. Jonathan Pym."
He seized it, opened it and read alout
the following -four words;
You adversary is dead"
The paper escaped his fir. GERS and fell t.
the floor, caught up at once by those be
side him to verify the text.
THAT is not ALL" they cried; they de
mand "A response"
They shall have It'll" said Ppm, an
with a firm hand writing beneath tn
line Your adversary is dead" the tw'
words II alsol" he drew a pistol from hi
pocket and sent "a ball through his brain.
The game was still "A draw between
them, but was no longer an internationa