The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-12-29

louHu III tllt DOdt anu ulu llOl look 10
ward the shore. narrowly escaped
the Lorelei."
The Lorelei." exclaimed Bishofl
''You tell your experience as If it had
really happened The Loreiei is a
myth"
Call her what you like. don't
wish any more of her, III take some
of that punch. need bracer after
my narrow escape"
Taking a 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 Bishoif. "that
you are at home here"
II am"
what do you mcan?" snapped Dish
off angrily.
"Oh, don't get huffy. Let us enjoy
ourselves together" Then. noticing Il
chessboard and chcSstlpn on a table.
he added:
do you play chess"
YES"
well. there is no better way Of
spending an evening Let us have a
game"
He took up The cl,essboard. 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 Rishotf. wonder
ing at the mans audHrity. lowered his
eyes to the lcSsboard and soon forgot
at once lhll HE stranger was an ex
cclent PLAYER. The game was Il long
one. and far some time neither gained
an advantage: then Risholf. thinking
he saw way to cherkniate his an.
tagonist. moved and looked up ut his
antagonist as If to say. "I'lI soon have
you now. my tine fellow "
The stranger looked up. TOO. and
with low laugh turned his head
toward the picture of the chess play
Bishoff glanced from HE board to the
picture. then back to the board. He
started. The chcssnnen were In the
same position as in the painting. Bish-
off having the advantage And then 1t
dawned on Bisfoff 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 will checkmate
you in six moves" said Hishoff.
"This against your castle that it Is
who checkmates you" He drew forth
a draft for 10000 marks on bank in
Cologne
"Done," said Bishoff.
His opponent took up piece and
moved it like an automaton. Bishoff
moved again. On the strangers fourth
move something Bishoff had never
counted on happened. It seemed to
him that the tables were turned. Aft
err long time he moved. The stran-
ger moved again. Bishoff, who now
lost his head. moved for the fifth time.
"Checkmate!" 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
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 n 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
luc new OWuCl IIlo NlSINV' VIM iI'N
checkmated him at chess
While the papers We're being made
out and the signatures appended Rish-
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. 1t 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
after many centuries. lie is linenl