Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-08-04

ed him TO fall into state of dull re-
Taxation. The chessmen swan be-
fore his eyes and became weird fig
ures-grew to enormous size and
diminished again.
The lampli9ht flickered and almost
died out, filing the room with pale
TWILL ht in which black balls send
ing out m my colored flashes danced
up and down.
Suddenly these balls burst and
flooded the place with green light.
Cold shudders ran over the chess
players limbs, for right in front OF
the table stood sinister presence,
who held scythe in his bony right
hand and an hourglass in his left.
Through the rents in his worm
eaten garments cleaned the white,
fieshless bones. He shook his deaths
head, from which futtered single
gray lock, and his empty eyesocketsi
stared SO horribly and his jaws part
ed in SO CHASTITY grin, that the old
soldier, who had stood fearlessly in
the thickest of many fight, felt the
blood curdle in his veins.
Death Death p gasped he,
without moving his lips or stirring.
Death laid his scJ the and his glass
by his side, drew chairto the table
and said Come, old man. We
will play game together for your
life."
Paralyzed with fear, 0 bers t
stretched out his hand for the color
| with which he usually played, but
Death raised bony finger.
"Stop! That it my color!" cried
| he and drew the black men toward
| him. As if by magic they moved
in their right places on the board.
g Life has the first move" Oberst
heard his fearful opponent mutter
and as he raised his arm over the
table 10 move pawn little white
hand was laid hinderingly on his
| arm.
Startled, he looked around and
saw a beautiful little girl standing
by his chair. Her face was round
and rosy, and her golden hair and
blue eyes were much like his sisters
when she was child.
| May not play for you ?" beg
ged the little one, and then without
an answer climbed into his lap and
made herself comfortable.
Death laughed SO heartily at this
| performance that one of his loose
teeth fell out and rolled out to the
middle of the board Ho, ho, you
tiny Life |" he shouted. Do you
think you can play against the only
invincible master? 2" And he rat
tied his bones loudly to frighten
her.
Life gazed at him with astonished
eyes, as though she did not know
who Death really was.
This appeared to anger him for he
roared, "Begin!"
Yes, yes" laughed Life, in pure
joy, and moved a piece so foolishly
that Oberst's hair stood on end with
fright, for he feared that this first
play would loose the game.
But, strangely enough, although
Life had played so incautiously,
Death seemed to be blind and made
no use of the advantage given him.
| Moreover he played hesitatingly, as
| though he felt himself no match for
his laughing adversary.
The latter appeared to learn with
each move and played always better
| and more skiIltully, SO that Oberst
sighed with relief and even enter
tanned bold hopes of victory.
He followed the game so closely
that he scarcely noticed that the
burden in his lap grew constantly
heavier, and that the child had grown
to a beautiful girl.
This young woman, with the JOY
of living in her bright eyes, moved
her men boldly, almost too boldly,
gaining upon death minute by min
ute and pressing him so hard that
he seemed already half beaten.
At last Life overlooked a single
move, and Death pushed his knight
into tho opening. A second poor
play and Life lost her queen-the
most beautiful piece of the game and
its principal strength.
Oberst glared angrily at the now
mature woman; saw her alter move
by move saw the color leave her
face and the wrinkles appear one by
one; saw her eye dim and the gold
of her hair change to dull gray.
The little mother moved her men
slowly, deplored each separate play
and wept and lamented over her mis-
takes, constantly giving the advan-
tage to Death, who drew nearer
with each move and pressed her re-
lentlessly in spite of tears and pray.
ers.
Be merciful, cruel Death. Let
me take back bis one play. You will
always have time to win. | will moi
loose just yet. / will not die"
"Never - roared Death, glaring
from his empty eyesockcts. There