The Washington bee., 1911-08-26
A Legend
By F. TOWNSEND SMITH

Oought one of those ruined castles on
the Rhine, repaired it and spent his
summers there We were sitting one
AFTERNOON in room facing the west.
The weather being warm, the blinds
were closed to keep out the sun. See,
Ing what l supposed to be a silver aoin
on the floor, arose, went TO it and
was about to pick it up when 1 saw
| that it was one Of those little round
sun images that viii come through q
| chink. Shuster, my host. laughed at
me and said:
'9Ihat 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 q 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 theI
river. This road was frequented SyI
merchants who took goods down eoI
the Rhine for shipment by wateE
| When the baron saw a party Of themI
| in the distance he had only to swoOpI
down on them, levy a tribute Of someI
| % to so per cent of the value OF theirI
| goods for toll, and there you are.
''This baron l was telling you about
Hubert Hugner was his name-in1
herited the property Just about the
time that people got virtuOus, and ii
wasn't considered any more the ways
| for nobleman to rob. He did It aft
er this by serving the sovereign, and
when his king pOunced upon state O.
J a duchy or something ike that theI
baron got a slice.
"Well, as l 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 1t that the devil had for centuries
been interested in the wealth the bar
on had extOrted from the merchants
and wanted his share. But be 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
hold on the baron was through bis
passion for play. Whenever Hugner
gambled 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 it all the devil came
into the room disguised as a Jew and
told him that he would discount his
note for a large sum without either
security or interest. When HugnAr
came to find out what the devil wants
ed in lieu of security and interest it F
was the usual thing Satan hungers for
his soul.
'The transaction was completed, the
cOnsideratOn-the sOul-to be delivered
six months after date without grace.
The baron was furnished with a 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 few days before his note
came due.
'The night before Hugner's soul was
to be delivered the baron had a drekm
He dreamed that an angel appeared to
him and said: Tomorrow Satan will E
claim your soul in lieu of his interest
In tho DlI1ndar- nvooto1 in ro-%
your ancestors from merchants. 1t 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 head Of pin. He win demuF
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 It seemed
that he had really seen the angel and
received the advice. Hugner was
scarcely out Of bed before a strangesI
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 d
board used on that day something like
iaro. The devil dealt and seeing wha
he thought was a, silver coin on the
green, turned up card that won. With
out examining the coin he threw the
baron one Of equal value.
81 would respectfully call your at
tentiOn, said the baron, to the fact
that what you thought was a coin Is
only a round sun spot coming in
through a chink in the window blind
Upon my word said the devil I
believe you are right
"'I think we are quits pursued thes
baron, and MY soul is my own
"The devil answered never a word
but got up from the table, went out Of
the 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 oecur
pied till I came here myself"
Ny host assured me that all Of tbs
people at the foot Of the SchlOss knew
Of this legend and that most Of then
believed it.
T. A. +basn In0nuds that make fhe