The Washington bee., 1911-09-09
A Legend
By F. TOWNSEND SMITH


mine who had got rich in America
/ 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 a room facing me 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, / arose, went to It and
! was about TO pick it up when I saw
that it was one of those little round
sun images that viii come through a
chtnk. Shuster, my host laughed at
me and said:
'SThat 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 a 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 the
river. This road was frequented hy
merchants who took goods down %
the Rhine for shipment by watsR.
/ When the baron saw a party OF them
| IN the distance he had only to swoOp
! down on them, levy a tribute OF some
| % to 80 per cent Of the value Of their
! goods for toll, and there you are.
! This baron 1 was telling you about
Hubert Hugner was his name-an-
hsntsd the property just about the
time that people got virtuous, and h
wasn't considered any more the way
Tor a nobleman to rob. He did It aft
| er this by serving the sovereign, and
when his king pOunced upon q state on
duchy or something Ike that the
baron got a slice.
| swell, as l was saying, Baron Hug
ner was rich, a gambler and withRl
virtuous. He gambled all day, and he
gambled all night Now, the legend
has it that the devil had for centuries
been interested in the wealth the bar
ON had eXtOFted 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 q soul, and the soul he had
set his villainous heart on was Baron
Hubert Hugner
1.-The way the devil managed to gst
a hold on the baron was through his
passion for play. Whenever HugnaF
gambled the devil stood bahind him /
and so Influenced him to make his bet1 +
that gradually every bit OF the gold .
that the Hugners had for csntuEfss .
taken from the merchants won't 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 be 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 it
was the usual thing Satan hungers for
his soul.
"The transaction was completed, the
consideTatiOn-the soul-to be delivered
Eix months after date without grace.
The baron was furnished with 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 a few days before his note
came due.
'+The night before Hugners soul was
10 be delivered the baron had a dream
He dreamed that an angel appeared to
him and said: Tomorrow Satan will
claim your soul in lieu Of his interest
In the plunder exacted In the past by
your ancestors from merchants. It Is
not meet that he should reap this bene-
Mt Tomorrow when he comes for you
tell him that you can win money from
him without even piece Of money 30
big as head of pin. He VIII demuF
TO that. Then offer to bet him ttsa
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 stranger
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 a
board used on that day something Ike
taro. 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 be threw the
baron one Of equal value.
4 would respectfully call your at
tention.' said the baron, to the facs
that what you thought was a coin Il
only a round sun spot coming In
through chink In the window blind
Upon my word said the devil, I
believe you are right
4 think we are quits pursued the
baron, and my soul Is my own
'SThe devil answered never a word,
but got up from the table, went out Of
the door and never returned. But that
night he sent fierce storm Of light
ming and hail that partly destroyed
the castle, and it had never been OcCu-
pied TIL came here myself"
My host assured me that all Of ths
people at the foot Of the SchlOss knew
OF this legend and that most Of than
believed It