Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-01-04
CHAPTER III.
The Mystery of the cheesemaker.

IN kind of cellar under a window,
a man sat, bent over a peculiarly
] "A constructed machine of small
wheels that spun with lightning
rapidity Every now and then he paus
ed and scrutinized the minute object
he held in his fingers. At length he
seemed satisfied, rose, stopped the ma
chine and shutled over to a cupboard
Then he sat down ON cot and began
10 figure in small notebook The re.
suit of his mathematics evidently
pleased him.
In corner behind curtains stood a
furnace, a crucible. with powerful bel.
lows and chimney. 1t looked adapta.
ble to tremendous heat pressure. The
machine previously referred to was an
unfamiliar one to any but the eyes of
those who have watched similar ma.
chimes in Amsterdam and Rotterdam,
in Holland. 1t was diamond cutting
and polishing machine. What the I'M
usual crucible brought forth remained
to be seen.
The diamond cutter rose again and
once more approached the cupboard
and gloated over his treasure, which
consisted of half dozen perfect gems
perfectly cut and polished, but small.
81 shall be rich some day"
Then came sudden transition from
JOY to gloom. He dared not go forth
pnnplV N soil thnSn ua,ne cDr h., p,,,,d
thai he would he looked upon as
thief The fact that these diamonds
were not registered would act against
him. The least they would do would
be to hale him before the customs off.
cials as smuggler. And If he told
the truth his wonderful discovery
would become public property, and he
would be ruined.
Il am unlucky," he gronned. 81 see
how ii is. | must divide with some
one in order to get anything. / will
sound Hassam Ali"
He had disposed of several gems
among pawnbrokers who were known
not TO ask questions. but In these trans.
actions he had received but fourth
of what the gems were worth. These
things contributed to his sudden rise
and fall Of spirits. lie was also some
thing of madman.
Presently he shifted. There was
faint odOr OF curds in the air. Beyond
the wall was cheesemaker's shop
and there one could buy anything from
a Camembert to what Is known as n
Dutch cheese. The diamond cutter dis.
covered that he was hungry. So he
left his den, bought some cheese and
rye bread and returned, soon to begin
his labors again. During certain in.
tervals of silence he heard without ap.
parent notice slight scratching sounds
The furnace began to glow, throwing
weird lights upon his lined and ecstat.
" cOuntenance.
When night came he went again to
his treasure and gave cry OF anguish
gem WAS gonel He searched thor.
nnghly hut could not fnd 1t. IL could
not he possible that he had made a
mistake In the original counting He
wunld 90 and have his friend Hassam
An took into his crystal There were
W''nd d'rful revelations made there, and
llrSSnu MI rPassured him that the
- '""rld he found
~" u"Nt day. after Zudora had gone
f"r'h I" meet her lover. Hassam AN
was nssured-Hassam All retired to
the mystic room He was curious TO
zee how long his sisters face would
Keep forming In the heart OF the crys-
tai He wac intensely superstitlous
without realizing the fact Yet again
he saw the face, the same appeal In
II His heart swelled with fury and
hate He was beginning to hate his
niece. for we invariably hate those we
have wrOuged or intend to wrong
Whenever he saw her slender white
throat horrible, almost irresistible,
desire laid hold OF him to take that
white throat within his fingers and
crush the life out OF 1t. At the same
time he became vaguely alarmed lest
at some time or other he should sur.
render to this mad desire. No, no!