The Washington bee., 1911-09-02
A Legend
By F. TOWNSEND SMITH

the Rhine, repaired it and spent his
summers there. We were sitting one
afternoon in a room facing the west.
The weather being warm, the blinds
were closed to keep out the sun. See
ing what I supposed to be a silver coin
on the floor, I arose, went to it and
was about to pick it up when I saw
that it was one of those little round
sun images that will come through q
chink. Shuster, my host laughed at
me and said:
'0That reminds me of legend about
this castle. 1t was formerly owned by
Baron Hugner. The story goes that
the baron was a great gambler. When
he succeeded to the castle a lot OF
money went with it. You see, it lies
on one Of two hills, and a road has
always led between them down TO the
river This road was frequented by
merchants who took goods down TO
the Rhine for shipment by water
When the baron saw a party Of them
IN the distance he had only 30 swOOp
down on them, levy a tribute or some
% to 90 per cent Of the value of their
goods for toll, and there you are.
'"This baron I was telling you about
Hubert Hugner was his name-in-
herited the property just about the
time that people got virtuous, and it
wasn't considered any more the way
for a nobleman to rob. He did il aft
er this by serving the sovereign, and
when his king pounced upon q state or
a .duchy or something like that the
baron got a slice.
"Well, as I was saying, Baron Hug
ner was rich, a gambler and withal
virtuous. He gambled all day, and he
gambled all night. Now, the legend
has it that the devil had for centuries
been interested in the wealth the bar
on had extorted from the merchants
and wanted his share. But he didn't
want it in money. He has no use for
material, only spiritual things. What
he wanted for his share Of the plum
der was a soul, and the soul he had
set his villainous heart on was Baron
Hubert Hugner.
'The way the devil managed to get
a hold on the baron was through his
passion for play. Whenever Hugner
gambIed the devil stood behind him
and so Influenced him to make his bets
that gradually every bit Of the gold
that the Hugners had for centuries
taken from the merchants went by
the board Then one day when the
baron had lost 1t all the devil came
into the room disguised as a Jew and
told him that ne would discount his
note for a large sum without either
security or interest. When HugneF
came to find out what the devil want
ed in lieu of security and interest it
was the usual thing Satan hungeTs for
his soul.
1.-The transaction was completed, the
eonsideratiOn-the soul-tO be delivered
six months after date without grace.
The baron was furnished with thou
sand pieces of gold, with which he
went on gambling and gradually re-
covered all he had lost, getting his
financial affairs into a satisfactory
condition a few days before his note
came due
"The night before Hugner's soul was
/ to be delivered the baron had a dream.
He dreamed that an angel appeared to
him and said: Tomorrow Satan viii
claim your soul in lieu of his interest
| In the plundeT exacted in the past by
your ancestors from merchants It is
not meet that he should reap this bene-
fit. Tomorrow when he comes for you
tell him that you can win money from
him without even a piece OF money so
big as a head of a pin. He win demur
to that. Then offer to bet him the
soul of your oldest son that you can
do what you have said
when the baron awOke 1t seemed
that he had really seen the angel and
| received the advice. Hugner was
scarcely out of bed before a stranger
called and asked to see him. The baron
recognized at once the fiend who had
called for his soul. With d faint
hope he obeyed the instructions OF
| his dream. The devil accepted the
challenge, and they sat down before q
BOARD used on that day something Ike
faro. The devil dealt and, seeing what
he thought was a silver coin on the
green, turned up a card that won. With
out examining the coin he threw the
| baron one Of equal value
al would respectfully call your at
| tention,' said the baron, to the fact
that what you thought was coin Is
only a round sun spot coming In
through a chink in the window blind
Upon my word said the devil, 1
believe you are right
al think we are quits pursued the
baron, and my soul is my own
'sThe devil answered never a word,
but got up from the table, went out Of
Ehe door and never returned. But that
night he sent a fierce storm Of light
ming and hail that partly destroyed
the castle, and it had never been occu-
pied I'LL I came here myself"
NV host assured me that all OF the
people at the foot Of the Schloss knew
of this legend and that most Of them
believed It.
It Is these legends that make the
oaa4Jao mora fT1fpFosf-