Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-12-28
CHAPTER II.
The Sleeping House Mystery.


Hassam Ali testified that
Burns had been seeking some
facts regarding the past and that
he, Hassam Ali, had succeeded In
aiding him to a certain extent But
the name of Bienreith had never been
mentioned during those seances. He
could not imagine why Burns had com
mitted the crime. There was no evi.
dence TO be found that the two men
had ever exchanged word. He was
rather confounded at the turn of events
The broken phrase but another
was as much mystery to him MS to
the court Ii was ineXplicable. Has
sam Ali received good deal of con
temptuous grilling from the district at
tOrney. but the witness answered every
question calmly and in detail. He ad.
mitted that he was disciple of the
Hindu cult; admitted that he had the
gift Of second sight at times. There
were many who could testify to this
Hassam Ali finally left the witness
chair with honors in his favor
A subsequent Investigation by the
police revealed nothing to his discred
il so far as the law was concerned
His past. from the circus days TO the
present day. was us an open book. In
deed Hassam Ali was himself the in
stigator of this research. He wanted
il definitely understood that. while his
cult was not looked upon favOrably by
the police. be was not the object Of
any justifiable suspicion. His grave
air. his unfailing patience under the
gibes Of the interrogation. his frank
ness. all won him at least the respect
of his detractors
The man Burns was buried at the
expense of the city. and what was
known as the Bienreith case went into
the public archives us one more un
s0lvable mystery
Ii was remarked. however. among
his associates that John Storm lost n
deal OF his impetuosity and that in his
subsequent cases he was no longer
brilliant and erratic. but calm and
steady. always extremely well fortified
within his facts
New York city has without doubt the
most conglomerate population of any
city in the world. The only alien race
which does not lind habitat in New
York is the Aztec, and that is merely
because the Aztec is extinct. And
each race has quietly formed u city of
its own within the greater city. There
are Little Italy, the Ghetto. China
town and heaven knows how many
Others, all familiar to sightseers. But
there is a lot going on in New York
among these aliens that even the po-
lice never hear about except by pureSt
accident. Who can say he knows the
heart of Chinatown unless he actively
belongs TO it2
On a certain night two weeks after
the Bienreith case. recorded in the pre-
ceding chapter. ZudOra heard the clock
chime the hour of 8. She went up
stairs to her room and threw up the
shade for final glance at the heavens
and paused in amaZement Coming
toward the house was the strangest
procession she had ever seen. Tur.
bans. flowing robes and white panta'
lets here In this wOrkaday city OF
New York! She rubbed her eyes as II
striving to awake. She looked again
They were trooplng silently up the
steps. She next heard the thunder OF
the knocker, which nobody used In
these days OF electric buttons She
then became alive to the fact that this
was reality. She reached the head OF
the stairs just as her nncle's Hindu
servant. AIMED. opened the door. he
bowed deeply and tremendously. He
was dressed good deal like his
strange visitors.
Zudora came down the stairs unde
cided as to whether she was frightened
or merely upset The man who was
evidently the leader Of this strange
caravan advanced toward Zudora.
81 wish" he said in broken English
ito see him who is called Hassam All
the giver of light"
"Oh. you wish to see my uncle?" said
Zudora, greatly relieved.
"And thou art his daughter"
His niece. | will call him"
She left the hallway and sought the
mystic room. where she found Hassan
Ali crouched over his globe. He look
ed up impatiently.
"Well?"
"Some Hindus to see you. uncle"
"Hindus. at this time of night? Why
didn't you send AIMED TO me? 1t low
ers you I'm his opinion to take upor
yourself TO do his work. Hindus-
what can they want. ! wonder"
I'm sure don't know nor cnre'-i
bit angry at being rebufed by her un
Gle.
when Hassam Ali stood before hi
guests there was some time wasted II
genu6exions.
"You are Hassam Ali, the man WHIT
sees?''
az am" a.,
your servant here recommended
you to us. Sahib, we are In the mids
of a strange mystery. In our abode
the god of sleep comes suddenly and
unawares. Our own god seems tc
have forgotten us. This dread thing