The Lambertville record., 1911-09-22

of that punch. l need bracer after
my narrow escape"
Taking mug from the mantel, he
poured out some of the liquor and
drank II off
"One would judge from the way you
conduct yourself" said Blshoff, that
you are at home here"
81 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 table,
he added:
"Do you play chess?"
yes"
spending an evening. Let us have a
game"
He took up 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 Bshoff. wonder
ing at the mans audacity lowered his
eyes to the cheSsboard and soon forgot
his astOnishment in the game. He saw
at once that the stranger was an ex-
cellent player The game was long
one, and for some time neither gained
an advantage; then Bishoff, thinking
he saw way TO checkmate his an
tagonist. 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 a low laugh turned his head
toward the picture of the chess play
ers that hung over the chimneypiece.
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 1t
dlwned on Bishoff that his visitor and
the man with the red beard were one
and the same.
Il win checkmate you in six moves"
said the stranger.
you mean that | will checkmate
you In six moves" said Bishoff
This against your castle that 1t is
who checkmates you" He drew forth
draft for 10000 marks on bank in
Cologne.
Done" said Bishoff.
His opponent took up a piece and
moved it like an automaton. Bishoff
moved again. On the strangers fourth
move something Bishoff had never
counted on happened 1t seemed to
him that the tables We're turned Aft
er long time he moved The stran-
ger moved again Bishoff. who now
lost his head moved for the fifth time
"Checkmater said the stranger.
moving
You've won the castle is yours"
gasped Bishoff
The stranger chuckled
"All this Is very queer 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
htdh ANptbilE 10 bttl'l isNtl NhihS
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 shiver-
ing He left without even waiting for
breakfast and offered the castle for
sale An agent found n purchaser, and
before BishoT 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 mt chess
While the papers were being made
out and the signatures append, d 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
of his old fashioned appearance in the.
picture In other words, he seemed to
have been taken out of the fifteenth
or sixteenth century and dropped into
the twentieth.
"Have you ever been in the castle?"
Bishoff asked him.
mo. / do not live in Germany |
have since my boyhood been in bust
ness in South America It Is there
that / have acquired the means to re-
cover the home of my ancestors"
1t this point the agent finished work
ing on the papers and said:
Baron Becker comes into his own
after many centuries. He is a lineal
descendant of the original baron who
built the castle. II was lost some 400
years ago at n game of chess There
Is a legend that a descendant of its
first owner would come again into its
possession in the same way that it was
lost to the family"
Bishoff was so affected at this in
formation that he signed his receipts
and hurried away without asking any
questions, much to his regret ever
since, for he appears to be in mud
die about the whole affair The only
part of It about which he s certain is
that he was wide awake and in his full
senses when the events occurred in the
agents office.
He always ends his story with the
remark, "There Is so much legend
about that Rhine country that some Of
1t must be true"