The log cabin Democrat., 1908-09-14

CDnCluNtV lIIdJ tllC "HOlC "hdii "dS a joke of Smiths, and as the dwell- ing was lighted by electricity from a private plant, 1 turned on tJcry lamp. that no trick might be played under the cover of darkness. Then 1 went I'D 10 my room and was soon deep in certain figures. Perhaps an hour had passed, when, to my intense surprise. | suddenly found myself saving. Come in' 1 knew that there had been no knock; yet l seemed to have heard one. Then I remembered that had locked the door. rose, turned the key, and was about to open it, when the knob wa, turned deliberately. and the door swung slowly open. But there was no one there l confess il made me shiycr d bit. for the motion was plainly caused by something, though there was nothing to be seen. For there was no wind at all. But some- how 1 knew it couldn't have been that,
 The movement ceased: then as certainly and deliberately as before, the door closed. Curiosity got the better of aIarm-indeed, after q mo- ment l felt assured that there was no cause for disquiet, incxplicable though the affair seemed-and | opened the door, to see if 1t would shut again. But it remained mo- tionless. Evidently my guest had entered. 1 looked intentIy about, but the glare of three incandescent lamps disclosed nothing Not quite that, though. In one corner stood a small chess table On this l now saw that the pieces were arranged ill readiness for play. Yet they had lain in a heap when 1 entered the room; of that ] was certain. l ap- preached the table and dropped into a chair. Why it was 1 don't pretend to say, but put out my hand and made a move. 1 was more than startled when, in moment, a piece on the other side was played by Something. But though 1 kept up a ,. pretty lively thinking about the mys- tery all the time, yet | retained my chess faculty and played as 1 had never done before Ny invisible op- ponent evidently thought well of me, for he, or she, or it, used great de- liberation, and the moves were those of a master
 "Oncc, when my opponents piece was about to move, to see the effect l placed my finger upon it. The movement at once ceased. Then | heard-though aware there was no sound a voice say courteousiy, Ex- cuse me, sir; 1 thought it was my turn
 50 it is,' I blurted out, T beg your pardon Then I looked at the empty chair opposite, and felt bit
 queer again. But the game was growing intensely interesting, and
 after a time l became so much ab-
 sorbed in it that I pretty much ceased 10 think of the uncanny char
 acter of my opponent. Little by lit
 tie l appeared to be getting the
 upper hand, and at last 1 saw that
 the pieces lay exactly as they had
 lain in a game l had once played
 with Tschigorin, and with a sigh of
 satisfaction l made the very play by which the great Russian had de-
 feated ne, and which he had pro- nounced unanswerablc. l had won,
 and l gazed eXuItantly at the de- Spondent space opposite. There was
 no move for a long time. Give it up, my friend?' 1 asked lightly. There was no response But pres
 ently there came play that puzzled , me, second that stunned me, a third that defeated me. Upon my word, nothing in the whole strange
 performance affected me as those , moves did, they were so utterly un- natural, so beyond the power of man,
 as we know him, to conceive. They were the plays which you have just
 seen.
 "l rose, shiyering. Then there came faint, pleased laugh, and something said, It's worth while dying to learn how to play chess. , | twill co,na oooin to ,,>o,,a.. .II