The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-05-27
THE CONCEALED DIAMOND.

WNOR generations my ancestors had tra-
Il ded from Holland to various countries.
But I'll pass them all until l come down
to my grandfather, by name Jacob Van
derheyden. My father married his daugh-
ter, and eventually came back to live in
this his native city, for he was German.
l recollect grandfather Vanderheyden very
well, though was only seven years of age
when he died. He was an immensely fat
old man, weighing nearly three hundred
pounds, and wearing big shirt collars that
reached up above his ears. He began life
by sailing to Japan, and never, believe,
made any voyages save to that country.
His ship used to lag at Boompies in Rot
terdam. It was there where he lived.
NY grandfather as you may suppose,
saved up goodlx pile of money, and was
considered by the people as being we'll Off.
have often been told that previous to his
last voyage, he had a remarkable dream,
in which he was informed that great good
was to come to him when he arrived in
port, but that he must never go to sea
again, for if he did he would be overcome
with evil. He accordingly made all his
preparations to retire from maritime life,
and sailed away with high hope in his.
heart My mother told me it was more
than two years ere the herring fishers at
Vhaardingen described his vessel returning
to port. 1t must have been jolly day
when grandfather jumped ashore at Boom
pies. They say he was SO much altered
that they could scarcely recognize him. He
had grown enormously fat, and was yellow
us saffron. Well, he was good as his prom
ise he gave up sailing, and settled down
upon the land. But he brought strange
story with him, which certainly verified
his dream. He was in possession of dia-
mond of most superb beauty and great val
ne. have heard it said that Count AL
bert Kal oska came from Paris, and offered
to pay forty thousand francs for it, but my
grandfather would not sell it, supposing he
could obtain much greater sum.
My grandfather was a peculiar man; he
would not trust the gem in the possession
of any bank, preferring to keep it in his
own custody. His friends often told him
he would be robbed, for it was soon noised
about that he had the stone in his house.
But the old man laughed when he heard
the advice, and would not give up the prize
to any other custody. There are various
stories told as to how he came to be pos
sessed of the jewel, but his own version
was that certain native of Japan took
refuge in his ship and fed the country.
The unhappy man fell sick unto death,
and as my grandfather attended him with
great kindness, he gave him the treasure
before he died, and in this way he became
possessor. Some ill-natured people said
that if the truth was known it would be
found out that grandfather Vanderheyden
had entered into compact with the evil one
to secure the wealth. OF course none but
superstitious old women listened to stories
like these, and they did not affect grand
fathers good name in the community.
can see him now, sitting on the bench,
with his old pipe smoking away, appaE
emily in dream; but he was never caught
mapping when smoking; he was too shrewt
a man, for you must understand the dia
mond was concealed in the cavity of the
knot of his pipe. My father and mother
were the only ones to whom he impaired
the secret. He reasoned this way:
"If" said he, "thieves break into nj,
house they will ransack ever nook and cor
ner they think contains valuables, but thi
old pipe might lie about anywhere, and nj
one would take the trouble to carry it off
for YOU see it's worth nothing at all"
And so he concealed the diamond in hi
pipe, and made his mind easy. But a
length the predictions of his friends begal
to prove true. Thrice was his house bro
ken into, and although something valuabl
was carried away each time, the grea
prize was not discovered. Grandfather a
length began to be worried, and saw, whe
IL was too late that it would have bee
more prudent to have kept silent regardin
his Jewell His mind grew uneasy, ye
with strange inconsistency, he would nc
sell the diamond, because he could not OF
tain the price he asked, and he considere
it more valuable than it really was
One day he said to my father 81 al
distressed that there are so many bad me
in the world who desire to rob me of m
wealth. Where shall we live and find VII
tuous peoples 2'
Ny father quickly replied: "My countr.
men are honest, and never was robbei