Show I A CH CHESS SS EXPERIMENT Then you rea real ready Iy think theres there's no poss possibility of failure I I am abs absolutely Sven Boerr sen doubtful Well Vell any way way We well we'll 11 risk ilsk it Lets Let's arrange arrange arrange ar ar- ar- ar range all the det details and and then then Ill I'll go fO o and see the tile the captain By By jove he lie 11 Il think hi Ive Ie e lost m f es I sh shall ll keep the pie e of string in lh my pocket all allday allday allday day he lie laughed laughed sti that it will get thoroughly IY Imp impregnated g reli with me me All r right B But l Y you u u needn't be afraid Im I'm c certain of su success u cess Its It's Its not half so hazardous dous as as yo you think S aThe a The c captain was di discussing cussing Boerre Boerre- sen sens sen's s str strange proposal with him Now you are sure sure there are more no no more conditions you would like to impose n a said No I don dont don't t think so As far as I Ican Ican Ican can see But you YOl know I should never have bothered about precautions at all if you hadn't hadn t tb b been en so confoundedly cocksure Oh but you'll see what a fool youve you've been by this this' time tomorrow night By By night retorted Boer Boer- resen I I shall be 50 richer than I am tonight I 1 shall buy i my ray wife a new dress and myself a a. set of traveling chess I have have- wanted for a long time I Iam Iam Iam am really very much obliged to you capt captain in H lie bowed laughing and went out that asked another man coming up at that instant x the ling con champion champion champion cham cham- pion chess player Hes He's a Norwegian Just over over He came in tonight to offer me an extraordinary bet that bet that his wife will beat me at a game tomorrow He lie must be crazy to think of It She can play a little c certainly but well but well its it's all right if he has the the money money to throw throwaway throwaway II a away way 0 0 a a a a a aThe The only stipulation h had d made nad was that l he should watch vatch the game This the captain h had hd d taken aken almost hI- hI al almost most for gra granted so n no nd difficulties s had arisen Since n h had him the bet he li had d th thoUght about it a great deal deat At first he had dismissed it from his hi mind with a passing wonder at recklessness But gradually gradually grad grad- and inexplicably to himself the thing h had hd d begun to demand his attention atten atten- tion He could ouId not understand it at allAnd all And the more he considered it the stranger a did l it become o and very s soon I Itri i gi I the conviction took root that t there e was tri trickery at the b of It it But still wh what t trickery could there be about a game of chess chess' 0 When he entered the r where It had been agreed that the game should be played a few few minute before 8 he found and his his' wife already there She was was sitting vat t the chess t table ble he was Just just- behind behin her app apparently apparently ap ap- ap- ap p with her some problem h ni that he had arranged He looked up p without moving nodded to the captain and wished him good lu luck ku k If u tb the good luck is mine the bad will willbe willbe be your yourS the other said grimly Oh Oh I can afford to throw throwaway away any amount of good wishes replied Boer Boer- resen carelessly He be began n to set the pieces placing them with a deliberateness that made the captain feel nervous Well It is Just 8 S. Are you ready he asked his wife Quite And And you captain Yes yes Im I'm ready reldy Let us begin Mrs was white and had the first move himself had leant back in his chair as soon as the the captain sat down He was a little behind his wife so that the captains captain's play would be bemore bemore bemore more visible to him than hers here His hands were clasped round his his' knees and his eyes were fixed on the opposite wall with an as assumption of indifference en ence ente e till after the tM first few moves they wandered to the captains captain's pieces and remained there At the sixth move Mrs hesitated Twice she was on the point paint of moving and ard stopped i. i She evidently could not decide decide de de- cide as to the best step Then with witha a sudden impulse she moved d her queens queen's bishop For the space of half halfa a second s eyes flashed to the captains captain's face and nd caught the tle expression expression expression ex ex- ex- ex of triumph Black Instantly replied by an obvious and seemingly safe defence The white queen queens queen's s bishop bish op made another dangerous advance and then black captured it with a 0 pawn Immediately afterward he perceived the trap that had been laid for him and Into which he had fallen He would have given ghen world had they been his histo histo histo to give to have recall d that pawn It would have been infinitely more precious precious pre pre- cious clous just then than any bishop His face grew immobile and henceforward he played with that marked absence of expression that denotes the skilled player skilled in hiding his feelings as aswall wall as his game The TIie manner of his opponents opponent's play was Irritating beyond all description to his nerves She seemed to give herself no trouble to think when she paused pause it was apparently not to think but to study the beauty of the game Once or twice she even looked out looked out of the window win win- dow Suddenly she exclaimed Check in a voice voice that made the captain shudder der He tried to smile contemptuously as he moved his king out ut of f danger b but buthis buthis t this his lips felt stiff and nd would not smile White was playing extraordinarily well if h he had pad not had such sucha a vital interest in the the game h he would have declared it the best he had bad ever seen seen But if he could have tl-o tl thought about anything els elSe but l his is next move j just juat st then it would have been to swear that the powers of evil were helping her a There was a long pause a He said Check under his breath as s if almost afraid tc Cc venture it a C White hi te made a still longer pause ause the captain breathed more freely he w was s certain his bis check ha has nonplused her He glanced up Her lips were open as if she were about to speak Was Vas it possible pos pos- sible aible she was going to give him a countercheck countercheck countercheck coun coun- He knit his brows furiously as he bent over the the- board again He studied the pieces with desperation No it was not possible He waited Ha-waited waited with burning anxiety I think she he said slowly that it will be a checkmate in three moves moves Three he repeated mechanically He felt dumb with despair He Hes He's said id to himself a great man many times that such sucha a thing was riot not p possible Yes I am not quite sure It ma may maybe maybe be four four 0 He moved once more He c considered ed the board for a few seconds in silence Then he rose You are right Mate in two moves move Allow me t to congratulate you you He held out his handShe hand nand 0 She got up p a litte flus flushed ed now that that she had really won He turned to the table abl took out his pocketbook and Immediately wrote out outa a a- check for 50 She looked at him as h he offered it to her but did not take tale it Its It's the first time timo I have eves ever won a a a. penny she said And And it is not I who have won that You ire are re too quick Theres There's something you you don dont don't t understand under under- stand 0 The Th captain was standing before her with the check still In his hands when his attention was diverted by the frantic signs that was making making making ma ma- king to her and that tha t she did not notice She caught his caught his eye Bit her lip and stood still but it was to too late The captain captain cap cap- tam tain was vas on the verge of a discovery When he stepped forward to Insist inist that she should take the noney lOoney he slipped and nearly fell Something had tripped him him- up Surely the fates were bent on making a fool of him that day he thought as he tried to recover his footing foot- foot ing ng But had to stoop to release retE his foot Careless to leave that around he muttered savagely There came a quick burst of laughter from Mrs He colored with intense annoyance He He s seii seized ii d the string viciously To his surprise Mrs Boer- Boer reson cried out to him to stop and as ne ashe ashe he looked up for an explanation he saw bending down with a penknife penknife penknife pen pen- knife In n his hand and cutting another string that was fastened round his ankle He stared at them in amazement at Mrs Boresen's laughing face and at that was scarcely more grave The games game's up remarked Boerre Boerre- sen I I never thought you would put your foot Into it like that Dont Don t you se see see his wife said See repeated th the bewildered captain cap cap- tain fain I don dont don't t understand anything Dont Don t you see no now that it was no wonder I won won No wonder you won won What on earth 0 do you mean mean I mean that was playing all an anthe the time 0 r 0 Then th there re was trickery after all all all' The fact fad of the the them m matter is said that there ther is an extraordinary extraordinary extraordinary nary sympathy sympathy-or or something something something-be- be between tween my wife and arid me and when the inn looking innocent piece of string connected connected connected con con- us I was ras able to direct her 0 0 moves the truth really put in Mrs 1 seeing her late opponents opponent's expression n of utter titter unbelief fIts f Its not not possible he said Its both possible and true replied It was j just st an experiment on my put part t It It Was as a rather more difficult thing than ye vye had ever tried t before for and thou though h my wife was absolutely absolutely so- so c certain of success I confess I Iwas Iwas iwas was a little doubtful But ut now it is demonstrated ted beyond the shadow of a doubt Ethel of course could never never have beaten you you alone alone you knew that that Yes I thought I 1 knew it and yet what could I think Then he laughed Well the checks check's mine still I never expected I was ws playing against you Of Of course The success of the experiment experiment experiment ex ex- ex- ex is enough for me said Boer Boer- resen The The King |