Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-01-04
CHAPTER w,
The Secret of the Haunted Hills.

The Secret OF the Haunted Hills.
DERHAPS month elapsed with.
- out any puzzling case coming
Il under Hassam Alis notice. Zu.
dora and Storm had their meet.
ings, always previously arranged by
the carrier pigeons, about which Has.
sam Ali pretended to know nothing.
Besides, he was busy with numerous
clients who wanted to know about
their business investments, their own
futures and somebody else's past
And he continued to build his pyra.
mids of phantom gold.
The one mistake he had made was to
acquaint Zudora with the knowledge
of her immense fortune
The trustees had always addressed
their letters to him, and 1t would have
been an easy matter to have kept her
In ignorance. But, evil as~he was
himself, he had a profound respect for
Zudora's word. She had given it, and
there was three years grace.
If in that period of time be could
not rid himself of that meddling at
torney he would tear down the black
velvet curtains with his own hands
and make bonfire OF them
Storm had urged ZudOra a dozen
times to marry him secretly. but she
steadfastly refused to accede to his
wishes.
OF what use to marry If they could
not have a home OF their own?
OF what use to burden themselves
with a secret which would interfere
with their pursuits and hang threaten
tngly over their heads?
More than that, she reasoned. her
friends would always look askance at
her II. after some months. 1t became
known that she was married and was
not living openly with her husband.
No; she had given her word. and she
would not break It So John surren.
dered gracefully. But ne was always
feeling that mysterious cloud which
hung lowering over them both.
Many night while alone he tried TO
figure out the basic cause for Hassam
Ais attitude. Some day. when work
easied up a bit. he determined to go
back over Hassam Ali's past with all
the searching inquiry Of first class
lawyer.
There was something more than
mere physical antagonism. He never
confessed this belief to Zudora. how.
ever.
1t did not look quite fair to her to
put doubts into her heart when he had
nothing back of these doubts but In
stinct
But there was no getting around the
plain fact that he feared Hassam Ali
feared him for Zudora's sake.
One day Storm received letter from
his mother. and the contents first
amused then alarmed him. His par
ents were well to do country folk In
the south. Their forbears had been
southerners of wealth and position up
TO wartimes.
Piece by piece the fine double inherl.
tance had vanished. and at the time OF
Johns birth they had sunk from af'
fluence to the ordinary comforts OF life.
There had been enough money to send
the lad to college. to fit him for his
own battle In life.
He was a good son. writing home
once month and making holiday Wis
its whenever there was opportunity.
Often he had sent checks home, but
invariably these had been returned.
They did not need the money; they had
enough for their simple wants. and
when they died all they had would be
his.
His mother had written that an
alarming mystery had confronted
them, one that promised to dccImnte
the negro servltors on the various
farms and estates. And just now. when
all the crops were ripe, II meant rui1
for a great many whose sole income
was derived from their crops.