Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-06-26
A Strange
Adventure
By RALPH HAMILTON
Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union. }

Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper Union.)
Life was very pleasant to me and
had been since Josiah Bart had taken
me from an orphan asylum, adopted
me and gave me a home. He had
known my parents in early youth and
there was sentiment to his generous
action. AS time went on fitted into
the groove of farm life contentedly and
there grew up between us a mutual
friendly affection.
His land holdings afforded mere
livelihood. had just passed twenty
one when the peace Of our lives was
rude1y disturbed. A letter arrived
from the city signed by an attorney
informing Mr.. Bart that note which
he had Endorsed for $500 for a friend
two years before was due. The
friend had paid interest and renewed
the note, and had died, leaving none
of the principal liquidated.
II shall have to pay the debt" Mr..
Bart sighed distressedly, and his only
way was to mortgage his little prop
erty.
I was loath to give up the happy
life I was leading, the more so be-
cause in becoming acquainted with
Gladys Ellis had found the only wOm-
an I could ever love. Ny duty was
plain, however, and said one day:
"Uncle JOSIAH" 1 SO called him,
"you managed to give me fair educa-
ton along with all the other benefits
you have bestowed upon me. Let me
use it for year or two in business
life and see what it will do towards
pulling us out Of our mire Of debt.
knew little of the great, teeming
marts of commerce. I had fondly
believed that there was a place ready
in the busy metropolis for one willing
to work, but I was soon disillusioned.
An odd transient job or two saved
me from actual starvation. Without
references, experience or influential
friends, l was unsuccessful.
l started on foot for smaller city
one day. pretty we'll discouraged.
1 shall never forget the day when,
within few miles Of my new destina-
ton, l awoke from a sleep of fatigue
and exhaustion in the midst of shell
tering thicket. The sound of music
and voices had disturbed my sOdden
slumber Peering through cluster
of bushes I viewed three men arrayed
in unfamiliar costumes, with tawny
faces and bright, cleaning eyes. They
were squatted tailor fashion, upon the
green sward in semicircle. Beside
one of them was a small OblOng box.
A second was blowing soft, mOnOt-
OnOus notes from a red flute. The
third was waving his hand in a sway
ing rhythmical way as though voicing
some sort of an incarnation. Suddenly
there arose in the basket a brilliantly
metal-hued serpent. It darted it's
head hither and thither in cOnsOnance
with the music and then, it's part in
the ceremony or entertainment con-
GUIDED, coiled back into it's cotton nest.
Then one of the men drew a strip
Of cloth from his breast and spread it
Open My eyes were daZZled with the
sparkle of many flashing gems. One
of them, as large as a hickory nut,
fairly blinded me with it's prismatic
intensity.
Three days later on l YEARLY
trod the pavement of blind court
connecting two thOrOughfares; / had
found no work in the little city, and
had Just about made up my mind that
fate was against me and that there
was nothing to do but return to the
farm.
Suddenly something grazed my hat,
struck my cheek, which tingled and
smarted from the contact, and fell at
my feet AS I lifted my hand to my
face I found that it was bleeding
Then I noticed the object, flung or
dropped from some window in the big
office building 1t was the core Of
an apple. 1t had split in two as
1t struck the pavement and protrud
ing from one section was blaze of
brilliancy
1 picked it up. Lo, and behold IA
perfect, precious diamond and one Of
it's fasces it was that had grazed my
cheek
/ do not know why, but at once the
stone recalled the three HindoOS and
their hoard of gems. The mystery of
the imbedded gem 1 could not solve.
Why had it been thus cast away? BY
whom? I stared up the front of the
structure, but no one looked out or
down, that / could discover
Going around to the front of the
building l entered it, to find it's vari-
Gus floors given over to Offices of jew
elers, manufacturers agents, small
jobbers in various lines, and the like.
No enlightenment came to me until
passed an Office from which two po-
licemen were leading a flashily dressed
man and richly arrayed woman.
''They stole the gem!' l heard an ex-
cited voice say, and in some surprise
I recognized the leader of the Hindoo
group. 'True, they have been searched
and nothing found. But make them