The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-29
A CHECK TO DEATH.

the troubled expression of her pale face us
she drew her thin mantle more closely
over her shoulders. Her great limpid eyes
gazcd intentlv at n slight, gray haired
man, who stCod, with his back turned to-
ward her, at one of the long windows.
With weary, duplicating voice she ut
last broke the long silence:
"I.co, have yon no liz 4 wcrG for mef
Have really come in yaiiii'
Eyes in vain" he answered harshly.
81 have often told you plainly that we
are separated forever and that you have
nothing to hope for from me- You alone
havc brought about your losS-agGirst my
willard now you must bear it alone.
"You know how 1 loved you, ard you
left me to isolation. to an unhappy old age
left me to follow an Northumberland
whyy Because ono night at ball he had
softly whispered, I love you But now
you have found out what this love meant
sadness and sorrow Is it not SOP"
Eyes, Leo sorrow, bitter sorrow, hut
also unspcakable happiness. You cannot
understand that, as You do not know my
husband. You have hated him from the
first and will not realize his worth. He
could earn u better living for me, but /
honor him doubly because no misfortune
can induce him to degrade his art. EC
aims at the highest and will attain 1.-THE
great future after all his bitter struggles.
] should never have come here today-but
but, the child, Lco--my child is i'll.
The last words broke from her lips like
panied cry.
Her brother shuddered, but still stood at
tie window, gazing angrily out at the
dark sky.
In IL few moments n servant came and
lighted the lamp and placed the chcssboard
under the light, brought u polished box,
which hele the carved ivory men, and
started from the room.
The n,an looked unspcakably weary as
he took his seat in fornt of the chess table
and arranged n problem with trembling
hands. Somehow he could not keep his
mind on the game, and his eyes constant
y gczcd over the board into space.
The lamplight flickered and almost died
out, filling the room with pale twilight,
in which black balls sending out many
colored flashes danced up and down. Sud
denly these balls burst and flooded the
place with green light.
Cold shuddcrs ran over the chess play
er's limbs, for right in front of the table
stood sinister presence, who held n scythe
in his bony right hand and an hourglass
in his left. Through the rents in his worm
eaten garments cleaned the white, flesh
| less bones.
Death laid his scythe and his glass by
his side, drew chair to the table and said,
"Come, old man, we will play game to-
gether for your life"
Life has the first move" Oberst heard
| his fearful opponent mutter, and as he
! raised his arm over the table to move "a
| pawn little white hand was laid hinder
ingly on his arm.
! Startled, I've locked around and saw
| beautiful little girl standing by his chair
Her face was round and rosy, and her gold
en- hair and blue eyes were much like his
sisters when she was child.
MAY I not play for your" begged the
little one, and then, without waiting for
/ an answer, climbed into his lap and made
! herself comfortable.
Eyes, yes" laughed Life in pure joy
and moved II piece so foolishly that
Oberst's hair stood on end with fright for
he feared that this first play would lose
| the game.
But, strangely enough, although Life
had played so inrautiously, Death seemed
to be blind and made no use of the advan-
tage given him.
tertained bold hopes of victory. He follow
ed the game so closely that he scarcely no
ticed that the burden in his lap grew con-
stantly heavier, and that the child had
grown to u beautiful girl.
At last Life overlooked Il single move,
and Death pushed his knight into the
opening. A second poor play, and Life lost
her qucen-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 wrir' !, a.
appear one by one, saw her eye dim and
the gold of her hair change to dull gray.
"Be merciful, cruel Death Let me take
back this one play. You will always have
time to win. will not lose just yeti
will not die!'
"Never!' roared Death, glaring from
his empty eyesockets. "There is no hoic
for yor, useless Life. You can do nothing
more in the world"
Oberst's heart almost stopped beating
for he knew that his own life was the
stake of the game.
He saw the end approaching move by
move, Death constantly throwing out that
fearful threat, "Chcck-a check to Lifen
Life's king was in peril, and there were
but two possible moves-a wrong one
which would lose the game, and IA right
one, by which the king could save himself
behind the three remaining pieces.
These three pieces beckoned the solitary
king and seemed to have human faces
one the features of n lovely child, the sec
ond sad faced woman, and the third
a man with q thoughtful, earnest ex
pression-the face of that hated creatur,
on account of whom Oberst had lost hi
we'll loved sister
Which would she play! If they were on
ly both good But, look! She grasped thu
king and pushed him toward the danger
GUS square.
In malevolent glee Death laughed out
right.
BY powerful effort Oberst freed him
GOLF hn hold