Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-09-02
TheEvening Story
An Up to Date
Medieval ale
By RUTH GRAHAM

lonely coast. nave an RESISTANT VINO
takes my place at night for a week:
then ] take the night and give him
the day. There are one or two others
connected with the station who are not
operators. One of these Is a fine chess
player. and having him with me en-
abled me to while away many an hour
when had nothing TO do.
Now, what | am going to relate !
don't ask any one to believe. | should
certainly not believe 1t myself IL any
one told it to me as a bona fide expe-
rience. | do not say that l didn't
dream 1t; that I did not experience it
when unconscious. l make no expla-
nation whatever. That you are at
liberty to do for yourself. l only as
sert that to me 1t was an actual occur
| renee.
One night when l was on duty alone
| amused myself when not sending or
receiving a message working out soil
taire problems on the chessbcard.
Presently / heard football behind me.
and man stepped into the operating
room. The moment he did SO l heard
the sound of distant thunder.
We're going to have a Storm" he
said. II prefer spending the time
while 1t lasts in here than outside If
you don't mind"
! assured him that he was welcome,
though | confess he was not. | did
not like his looks: there was a sinister
expression on his face. There was no
one within cali. and rather objected
to being alone with him.
Il see you play chess" he said I'm
very fond of it myself We might
have game while waiting for the
storm to be over
Are you not afraid to be in an cleo
tricai place like this in a thunder
Storm" I asked
II afraid? What Is there to be
afaid of"
"A bolt
"A bolt!'' sneeringly. Young man.
do you know what electricity is? MOI
Well. ] have always known what It
is. Perhaps you think this towering
affair Of yours something wonderful.
It's very clumsy. But I'll admit it's
wires. You don't feel the electric
waves rolling around the globe do
you? I do. They are dashing against
me all the while"
This is a bad go. thought-aIone
with mailman; a storm coming on.
There only remains to get an IS o S"
call to make the situation diabolical.
Come" said the stranger. taking a
seat facing me and pulling the chess
board partly on his knees, let's have a
game"
A vivid fash Of lightning and a 81
multaneous crash sent a thrill of hor-
ror through me. but seemed to have no
more effect on the stranger than II
some one had struck a note on mu-
steal instrument. feared for the ap-
paratus towering over our heads. My
visitor, having placed the men. moved
a pawn. | was too bewildered to play.
| did not touch a piece.
Come. come. Mr.. Operator" said the
stranger. Don't be ratified by little
thing like that. You'll get something
more exciting before long. There's a
ship out there only about a hundred
miles. She's running at full speed into
mist. But the lookout doesn't see
1t: he's asleep. II you wish to know
who made him doze. did. l put the
steamship company up to trying to get
on with reduced force. That did the
business. Check"
I suppose I had played mechanically
and without knowing it, for the word
"Check!" woke me up to the fact that
had left their original places, and, COL
Letting my ratified faculties, took in
the situation, which was that my king
was in check.
1 doubt If there is anything except
chess that under the circumstances
would have kept my faculties absorb
ed. / have a passion for chess prob
lens. and despite the storm and the
disagreeable expression on the mans
face ! entered into the game with all
my mind. I soon got my king out of
check. but in another moment he was
checked again. l heard the instru-
ment click, but at the moment saw a
chance to checkmate my antagonist,
and, fearing the combinations would
leave me IL delayed, went on with
my moves. But my antagonist elud-
ed me. and was brought up with an
other Check
| 1t was evident that | was in a hole
, that would require all my brain power
to get me out Of, and, though was con
scious OF the rafting of the instrument.
| did not know what was being trans
United. got out of this hole only to
be led into another, with an occasional
chance TO checknate my antagonist.
such opportunities always ending in
failure.
Then came break, and the next
thing I knew was lying on the floor
| and nv assistant M fha inat1fy1 oy,t