Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-08-04


/ Filled with an awful fear | tried 10 hurry
on. but my feet refused TO move tried To
shrek, but my lips gave forth no sound
could not lift my eyes from the road before
me Then bony finger moved. a shriveled
hand nnclasped and beckoned 10 me, then
another and another until the whole for
| est awakened. baefnl lights CLEANED from
the hollow skulls, the rustling leaves woke
a weird melody a multitude Of grisly arms
waved me greeting-and awoke to hear
the noises OF the street beneath my win
dow. aud see the morning sunlight making
quaint mosa.cs on the floor
package from DR. Max was handed TO
me an hour later A book less than an
inch IN thickness. fell from the newspaper
wrapping between heavy OK hide covers.
each crossed with three parallel brass
bands, found fifty sheets Of heavy parch
ment. The sheets were hard and brittle
and coarse, indicating great age. There
was no exterior symbol, but knew that
the manuscript was a copy of ain older
work. 1t was In early Greek, and the
quaint characters, many OF them obsolete,
forced the conclusion that my task would
not be an easy one There was neither
preface nor introduction. The first page
began abruptly in hexameter. measure
that was sublime. II ended on the last
page as abruptly as 1t had commenced.
! did not waste precious time commend
ing my work, which promised great fas
cination for me. The reverence, the curl
osity which this relic Of a lost age awak
ened within me was but the natural out,
growth OF my bibliophilism. fostered
through years Of study and research in the
old languages touched the faded leaves
with caressing hand. and for a brief In
terval stepped from under the black shadow
that hung over me, forgot the promised
reward. and the doctor OF Dutch Rottom''
was to me, for the moment. AZ though he
had never been.
| 1t was noon before | knew it. but inter
est in the brass bound book held me to nv
work. and nnmindful of repeated rings OF
the dinner bell kept on Hour after hour
! wrote, until the floor about my table was
white with the shower OF leaves
The original manuscript had been the
work OF Delphian priestess, and was
sacred to her offices 1t was a treatise on
the oracle. the functions Of the priestly
order, the secrets of the temple and the In
cantation spells. 1t was in three parts
The first fifteen pages held the rhythmic
measure Of poem Of indescribable beauty
1t was an appeal to the highest intellectual
powers OF mama leading string thrown
ont to draw him to confederation OF the
unseen and the unknown This, in the
succeeding fifteen pages. embraced, in
prose, treatise on elemental mysteries
the necessity Of inward purity to perfect
knowledge of the sublime and the control
ling forces in nature. The remainder of
the strange tome, until it broke abruptly
on the last page, detailed the external and
purely ceremonial rites requisite to invoke
the appearance and control of elementais
their complete subjugation. for evil or
for good. to the rule Of the master mind.
Wrapped up. fascinated under the spell
of the book, the tea hour passed unheeded
and the day died with the red signals of a
storm flying in the eastern sky NV eyes
were swollen with the hours Of application
to my task. The lids hung over the blood
shot orbs like canopies of lead But kent
on, pausing only at intervals to shut out
the light until the white film that gath
cred over the pupils had passed away
The remembrance of the eighteen hours
spent at that study table maddens me, even
at this late day. The surge of conflicting
emotions, the uncertainty Of hope, the de
spair born Of dread of life of darkness
were lulled into a sudden sleep that bore
with 1t nightmare more racking than the
passion that preceded it. | was chained to
my chair By some strange power that EN-
anated from the book. The lamplight,
falling upon the pages of my work, took Oh
the etfulgence of noon, that seorched the
organs OF sight until the blue lines on the
pages wavered under my weary pen. then
faded entirely, and my staring eyes looked
helplessiy into space
Nothing but my indomitable will scs.
tanned me to the end. ! was conscious that
the secrets OF priestly race were mine
reached down the ages, past the crum bling
glories of Attica and the ruined monu.
ments of Macedonia. into the very shadow
of Parnassus, and tore the veil asunder
that shielded the secrets of the Pythoness
from the multitudes that made her haunt
their Mecca centuries before .Iudea had
known the Nazarine. What was modern
theosophy and the teachings of a Blavatsky
to the secrets that were within my grasp,
All sounds of life had been hushed for
hours when reached the last line Trem-
bling under the pressure of emotions held
in check | wrote the final word and threw
my pen aside. AS | rose from my chair
faintness seized me, my brain reeled and
knew no more. 49,
wheels and voices in the street fell on my
ear with a confused murmur when | re
gained my senses 1t was broad daylight.
walked to the window and threw up the
sash. The warm mind, rich with the per
fume of the autumn woods and fields, was
like balm to my aching brain My blood
throbbed fiercely through my hot veins Ev
erything seemed unreal. was an automa
ton in the of a painted landscape. For
the first time in my life | called for and
drank heavy draft of brandy. | fell
asleep again. but only to bring recurrence
Of the dream torture OF the previous night
Hour after hour went by, until finally
rallied from my semicomatose condition
just as evening fell | awaited the coming
OF the darkness with feverish impatieuce,
for the curse of the manuscript was upon
me
Should | test the secret, Why might
not prove the whole thing to be a cunning
fraud, or, if true, place myself in posses
sion of power that would bend to my
wish the forces OF natures
| could resist no longer Grasping a
small night lamp aud grotesque earthen
water bottle from my table, | rushed into
the night. 1t was intensely dark and the
wind was rising. The streets of the village
were nearly deserted and the few people |
met were passed unrecognized as hurried
on, driven by an irresistible impulse And
yet, above the chaos OF my thoughts, felt
that my brain was clear
paused on the summit of hill outside
the town and looked hack The lights
from the village dotted the low back ground