The Washington bee., 1911-08-19
A Legend
By F. TOWNSEND SMITH

making beer and with the proceeds
bought 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 supposed to be a silver coin
on the floor, l arose, went 10 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 a
chink. Shuster, my host. laughed at
me and said:
THAT reminds me of a 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 road has
| always led between them down 70 the
river, This road was frequented by
merchants who took goods down to
the Rhine for shipment by water
| In the distance he had only TO swOop
down on them, levy a tribute of some
% TO 30 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 yiruous, and it
wasn't considered any more the way
| for nobleman to rob. He did it aft
er this by serving the sovereign. and
| when his king pOunced upon a state or
a duchy or something like that the
baron got a slice.
"Well, as / was saying, Baron Hug
ner was rich, a gambler and withal
virtuOus. He gambled all day. and he
gambIed 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 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
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 ami /
told him that he would discount his
note for a large sum without either
security or interest. When Hugner
came to find out what The devil want
ed in lieu of security and interest il
was the usual thing Satan hungers for
his soul.
'The transaction was completed, the
cOnsideratiOn-the sOuI-tO be delivered
six months after date without grace
The baron was furnished with a thou
sand pieces of gold, with which be
went on gambling and gradually re
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 dream.
He dreamed that an angel appeared to
him and said: Tomorrow Satan viii
claim your soul in lieu of his interest
in the plunder eXacted in the past by
your ancestors from merchants. 1t is
not meet that he should reap this bene-
fit. Tomorrow when he comes for vou
tell him that YOU can win money from
him without even a piece of money so
big as head of a pin. He will 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 ii seemed
that he had really seen the angel and
received the advice. Hugner was
scarcely out Of bed before stranger
called and asked to see him. The baron
recognized at once the fiend who had
called for his soul. With faint
nope he Obeyed the instructions OF
his dream. The devil accepted the
challenge, and they sat down before
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.
"T 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, 4
believe you are right
II think we are quits pursued the
baron, and my soul is my own
1.-THE devil answered never 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 occu-
pied till | 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.