The Press., 1912-01-10


 was finished the roof leaked worse than ..cfore. A foundation wall tlat supported one of the towers having crumbled, S1homberg 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 it's 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 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. 4&.s
 'Help! Holy motherr' cried Hide garde, and in a moment the father dashed forward, and Siegel dropped the babe on the floor. Schomberg took him up and was so anxious to know if it 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. He had sent the priest to him to say 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 first class architect to put it in repair and live comfortably in tt for the rest of their days. #
 Schomberg signed the receipt and Hildegarde was about to do likewise when it occurred to her to read it. She did so and found nothing but an ordinary receipt. She took up the pen she had laid aside and was about to write her name under that of her hus- band when she noticed that the priest had not cross on his person.
 Father" she said, "how is it that you wear no crucif1xF'
 The priest seemed surprised and said he had omitted to put it on.
 q have crucifix that l will give you," said Hildegarde.
 She went to her bureau and, taking from it a crucifix, came back, holding it up that the priest might see it. He trembled and shrank away like. a whipped spaniel. Schomberg and his wife looked at each other wondering ly, listening to the footsteps of the man as he went quickly down the staircase. He had dropped the decd and left the unsigned receipt on the table. ,. ..
 "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 it carefully. Hidden among a number of legal phrases they found a consid- eration 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 transaction, then rising determined that they would no longer live in cas- tie that had been willed to the devih 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 they had been so near losing their DaDe.
 That same night black cloud arose in the west, advancing toward the castle. It had the shape of the shoul- ders and head of man with the arms outstretched, and when it reached a point over the castle the arms seemed to be drawn together, the gigantic be ing bending down as if to enfold it. Then a bolt shot from the cloud, strik- ing one of the towers, and when the thunder had rolled away among the hills the old pile was left | the ruin it has remained till the pres | ent day.
 Such is the legend connected with | this old rlin-a legend that goes to | show that in feudal times there was as much disagreement between land= lord and tenant as to keeping rented | houses in repair as there is now.