Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-10-02
The Argus Daily Story
A Castle Legend-By Evangeline c. Roberts.
Copyrighted, 1911, by Associated Literary

waited q long while to see him reap
pear, he did not do so, nor did they
see him again that day.
Frau Schomberg gave birth 10 boy,
her first child. Not long after this son
came Siegel appeared one day and Of
fered his congratulations. Schom-
berg, Iinding him apparently in good
humor, ventured to mention the mat
ter of repairs. All the tenants plans
TO make the castle habitable had fail
ed He had employed workmen TO fix
their sleeping room, but after the job
was finished the roof leaked worse
than before. a foundation wall that
supported one of the towers having
crumbled, Schomberg attempted to
prop it up and in doing so brought a
part of the tower down about his
ears.
Whatever he touched gave way.
He told his landlord Of his bad luck
and asked him If he would not at
least make habitable the room occu-
pied by the newborn babe and its
mother, explaining that both needed
warmth. Siegel said that nothing
would give him more pleasure. He
would go at once to examine the
apartment to see what was needed.
Schomberg took him up to the room
where his wife was lying in bed, en-
deavoring TO keep warm under the
clothing, while the babe slept in its
cradle. Siegel went to the cradle to
see the child and took him up in his
arms. Then, with a look Of malicious
triumph, he turned and moved toward
the door. Schomberg seemed rooted
to the spot, having no power to stop
the fiend from carrying away his
child
Help! Holy MOTHER cried Hide
garde, and in u moment the father
dashed forward, and Siegel dropped the
babe on the floor. Schomberg took
him up and was so anxious to know If
1t had been injured that he ceased to
regard the would be kidnaper When
Schomberg and his wife. being satisfied
that their child was uninjured, looked
again for Siegel he had disappeared.
One day priest came up TO the cas-
tie and told Schomberg that Siegel had
admitted at the confessional how bad
ly he had treated his tenants, had re-
pented and had been given absolution.
that he was the sole owner of the cas-
tie and had made deed for it to
Schomberg and his wife forever. All
that was needed was that they should
sign receipt for it. The couple were
pleased at this. for since the castle
cost them nothing they could well af-
ford to employ a first class architect to
put it in repair and live comfortably in
s& o., 90 IL,
Schomberg signed the receipt, and
HiIdegarde was about to do likewise
when It occurred to her to read II.
She did so and found nothing but an
ordinary receipt. she took up the pen
she had laid aside and was about 70
write her name under that Of her hus-
band when she noticed that the priest
had not a cross on his person.
Father" she said. how is 1t that
yOu wear no cruciiSF'
The priest seemed surprised and said
he had omitted TO put it on.
II have crucifx that I will give
you" said Hildcgarde
She went TO her bureau and, taking
from it crucifix. came back, holding
it up that the priest might see ii. He
trembIed and shrank away like a
spaniel. Schomberg and his
wife looked at each other wondering
Iy, listening TO the footsteps OF the
man as he went quickly down the
staircase He had dropped the deed
and left the unsigned receipt on the
ia Bile.
"He was no priest" said the hus-
band, "but the devil, who came here
for some unhOly purpose"
They took up the deed and read 1t
carefully Hidden among n number
Of legal phrases they found a consid- +.
Grafton for the castle, and that con-
sideratiOn was their son when he
should reach the age Of twelve years.
Dropping on their knees, they gave
thanks to heaven that they had been
spared being trapped in this nefarious.
then rising determined
that they would no longer live in cas-
tie that had been wiled TO the devil.
So the next morning Hildegarde took
the babe and went away, followed by
her husband as soon as he could re-
move their effects. They were not
sorry to leave an abode in which they
had had so much trouble and where
hey had been so near losing their
babe.
That same night black cloud arose
n the west, advancing toward the
.astle. 1t -hud the shape Of the shout
Iers and head Of a man with the arms
and when it reached a
loint over the castle the arms seemed
o be drawn together, the gigantic be-
ng bending down as If to enfold it.
Then bolt shot from the cloud. strik-
ng one of the towers, and when the
hunder had rolled away among the
leighboring hills the old pile was left
he ruin 1t has remained TIL the pres
mt day.
Such is the legend connected with
his old ruln-a legend that goes 10
how that IN feudal times there was
$ much disagreement between land
ord and tenant Us 10 keeping rented
ouses in repair as there is now.