The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-12
A Hiding Place.
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foFiEiuAll
you say. Gabriel said Dadourian.
shat you wish my daughter 10 wife.
Well. will give her TO you on one
condition. Listen.
"one day more Than three years ago
man came 70 my house with an I'M
cut diamond. which / bought from
him for a song. I believe the stone TO
be OF enormous value. but here In this
little town Of Asia Minor Il Is worth
less because there Is no one who has
the means with which 70 purchase H.
Indeed. It's real value could not be Oh.
tained unless by q sale 20 some crown.
cd head. To sell Il at all Il must FIRST
be taken 20 Amsterdam. IN Holland.
the only place where they know how
10 cut a diamond without spelling IT.
From there the nearest capital Is Par
Is. next London. next Berlin. next VI
emma. next St Petersburg. In one OF
these capitals the diamond may be
sold. But 10 get Il any distance what
ever Is well nigh impossible. Every
country Is Infested with robbers. and
one carrying any article OF value
would be sure 10 be relieved OF II.
III you succeed IN getting the dla-
mond to Amsterdam. have II cut and
sell II for a fair price. will not only
give you my daughter TO we'd. but Will
give you half the price received. Be
sides. I am old. and my daughter VIII
inherit the other half l give you
chance"
In a week Gabriel went to Da-
dourIan and announced that he would
accept the conditions. Dadourian
gave him the diamond. about the size
OF hazelnut. and he carried It away
with him.
''when do you think you viii be
ready to set outfa asked Dadoufian
as Gabriel was leaving.
ain two or three months" IL
.'Two or three months? why delay
30 longT'
Il am going to sell your diamond.
but Will answer no questions
1t was ten weeks after this before
Gabriel departed. He was dressed /
like amy we'll to do traveller. but car
ried no weapon for defense. On hls
back he bore pack containing a
few clothes. which were principally
changes Of linen; In bis hand stan.
He had not been out six hours before /
he was stopped by q band OF robbers.
"Please hand over the diamond"
said the Chief
"What diamondT' asked Gabriel. as
tonished.
"Don't look surprised You are the
third man Dadourian has sent forth on
this mission. He gave them each
crystal. his object being to discover a
way to get bis diamond to market.
Probably he has given you the real
stone, since you are to marry his
Now. Gabriel had taken pains to as
sure himself that the stone he bore
was genuine and OF great value He
fold the robbers that they were well
come to search him. and they did. Ev-
cry article of clothing In his pack and
Oh his person was searched He was
stripped naked. and his body, his hair.
his beard. were examined critically
The soies and heels Of his boots were
ripped mp, and his staff was split into
dozen pieces. Lastly the robbers gave
him an emetic. which brought up ev-
srything on his stomach. All In vain;
no stone was found Reluctantly the
bandits gave up the search, for they
had felt certain that he bore the
treasure.
III should have known, said the chief,
that shrewd old Dadourian would
lot have sent bis daughters lover on
;uch an Grand"
Gabriel was permitted to proceed.
1ut several of the band were dis
patched By another road to head him
III ana see II be did not receive the
diamond from some other person. They
Intercepted him two days later and /
made another search, but nothing was
ound. However. they concluded to
,old him tin they could hear from their
aptain, who returned an order to let
i'm 20 on. The captain would send
nan to personate traveller TO join !
sahrlel and watch him with view