Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-12-01

myth"
Gall her what you like. I don't
wish any more Of her I'll take some
Of that punch. need bracer after
my narrow escape"
Taking n mug from the mantel, he
poured out some OF the liquor and
drank 1t off
zone would judge from the way you
conduct yourself" said Blshoff, shat
you are at home here"
IL am"
"What do you mean?" snapped Bish-
OFF angrily.
"Oh, don't get huffy. Let us enjoy
ourselves together" Then, noticing a
chessboard and chessmen on a table,
he added:
"Do you play chess2"
Eyes"
"Well, there Is no better way OF
spending an evening. Let us have a
game"
He took mp the chessboard, set the
pitcher of punch aside, placed the
board on the table, arranged the men.
Without saying by your leave" he
took the first move. Bishoff, wonder
ing at the mans audaclty, lowered his
eyes to the chessboard and soon forgot
his establishment In the game. He saw
at once that the stranger was an ex-
cellent player. The game was a long
one, and for some time neither gained
an advantage then Blshoff. thinking
he saw a way to checkmate his an
tagonlst, moved and looked up at his
antagonist as II to say, "I'll soon have
you now, my fine fellow"
The stranger looked up, too, and
with low laugh turned his head
toward the picture Of the chess play.
ers that hung over the chlmneypiece.
Bishoff glanced from the board to the
picture, then back to the board. He
started. The chessmen were In the
same position as in the painting, Bish-
off having the advantage, And then It
dawned on Blshoff that his visitor and
the man with the red beard were one
and the same.
II will checkmate you In six moves"
said the stranger.
"You mean that l will checkmate
you In six moves" said Bishoff
"This against your castle that It is
who checkmates you" He drew forth
a draft for 10000 marks on a bank In
Cologne
"Done," said Bishoff
IIfe tAnIF nm n nia0n 0VA
moved 1t like an automaton. Bishoft
moved again. On the strangers fourth
move something Blshoff had never
counted on happened It seemed to
him that the tables were turned, Aft
er n long time he moved The stran-
ger moved again. Bishoff, who now
lost his head, moved for the fifth time
"Checkmatep' said the stranger
moving
you've won; the castle Is yoursT
gasped Bishoff
The stranger chuckled.
"All this is very queerv' gasped the
American, staring at the man with
eyes as big as butter plates.
"You are mistaken. Nothing is queer.
What is, is. You have only certain
relations with the world Of which you
are conscious. You think the past Is
dead Nothing is dead. Everything
always lives, but all things change.
Good night. This castle Is now mine,
but leave you In possession for the
present"
That's all Bishoff remembers OF that
memorable evening. The next morn
ing he awoke sitting in his chair. The
fire had gone out, and he was SILVER
ing. He left without even waiting for
breakfast and offered the castle for
sale. An agent found purchaser, and
before Bishoff returned TO America he |
met the man in the agents office to
complete the sale.
He nearly tainted on recognizing In |
the new owner his visitor who had |
checkmated him at chess.
While the papers were being made |
out and the signatures appended Bish- |
Off continued to stare at the purchaser,
who gave no sign Of ever having seen
him before. The man was In modern
dress, and his beard, though red, was
cropped close. He had lost everything
NJ his old fashioned appearance Ia the
picture In other words, he seemed to
have been taken out Of the fifteenth
Or sixteenth century and dropped into
he twentieth.
"Have you ever been In the CASTER
Bishop asked him.
mo. / do not live In Germany. l
have since my boyhood been In bust
ness I'm South Amercn II Is there
that have acquired the means TO re-
cover the home Of my ancestors"
At this point the agent finished work
Ing on the papers and said:
Baron Becker comes into his own
lfter many centuries. lie Is n llneal
OF the original baron who
built the castle II was lost some 400
years ago at game OF chess There
Is n legend that n descendant Of It's
lrst owner would come again into its
IN the same way that II was
Ost 10 the family"
Dlshoff was so affected at this in
that he signed his receipts
md hurried away without asking any
questions, much TO his regret ever
since, for he appears TO be in a mud
lie about the whole affair The only
part OF It about which he Is certain Is
hat he was wide awake and IN his full
lenses when the events occurred IN tho
lgents Office.
He always ends his story with the