. He tied the rope to an
arm of the cross, and had his head in the noose, when all at once he
remembered that he had not yet said his three 'Hail! Marys.' His mother
who was dead had accustomed him, when a child, to say every day three
'Hail! Marys.' Schenck had never neglected this practice for a single
day. Then he took his head out of the noose and said, 'Well, as I have
said the "Hail! Marys" every day, I will say them also to-day, for the
last time.' He knelt down before the cross and prayed. When he was
done, he stood up to hang himself. But he had scarcely stood on his
feet when he was snatched up by a whirlwind and carried through the air
till he was over a vineyard, where he fell without hurting himself. As
he stood up, an ugly man stood before him and said, 'This time you have
escaped me, but the next time I will get you.' The ugly man had horses'
hoofs in place of feet, and wore green clothes. He disappeared before
Schenck's eyes. Schenck swears that this ugly man was the devil. He
declares also that he has to thank the Mother of God, through whose
intercession he escaped the claws of the devil. Schenck had that statue
placed there in memory of his wonderful escape--that is why the Mother
of God is there."

"A wonderful story indeed!" said Richard. "Although I do not laugh as
you see, yet I must assure that I do not believe the story."

"I thought so," answered the old man. "But you can ask Schenck himself.
He is still living, and is now seventy. Since that day he has changed
entirely. He drinks nothing but water. He never enters a tavern, but
goes every day to church. From that time to this Schenck has very
industrious, and has saved a nice property."

"That the drunkard reformed is most remarkable and best part of the
story," said Frank. "Drunkards very seldom reform. But," continued he
smiling, "the devil acted very stupidly in the affair. He should have
known that his appearance would have made a deep impression on the man,
and that he would not let himself be caught a second time."

"That is true," said the old man. "I believe the devil was forced to
appear and speak so."

"Forced? By whom?"

"By Him before whom the devils believe and tremble. Schenck was to
understand that God delivered on account of his pious custom, and the
devil had to tell him his would not happen a second time."

"How prudent you are in your superstition!" said Frank.

"As the gentleman has been kind, it hurts me to hear h