Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-18

most ashamed to submit il to you To-
fear lest you should disbelieve me
| You will see il stated in this manu-
script that |, or rather we, had mad
| up our minds not TO make this history
| public during our joint lives. Mo-
! should we alter our determination
were il not for circumstance tina
has recently arisen. We are. fol
reasons that. after perusing the manu-
script, YOU may be able To guess, goint
away again, this time TO Central Asia.
where, if anywhere upon the earth
wisdom is To be found, and anticipate
| that our sojourn there will be Ions
one. Possibly we shall not return.
| Under these altered conditions it has
become question whether we are jus
titled in withholding from the world al
account of phenomenon which we be-
| ieve to be of unparalleled interest.
merely because our private life is IN
volved, or because we are afraid OF rid
| icule and doubt being cast upon our
statements. hold one view about this
matter, and Leo holds another. and
finally, after much discussion, we have
come to a compromise, namely, 10 send
the history to you, giving you full leave
to publish it if you think tit, the only
stipulation being that you shall disguise
our real names, and as much concern
ing our identity as is consistent with
| The maintenance of the bona tides OF
of the narrative.
land now what am to say further?
| | really do not know, beyond once
more repeating that everything de-
scribed in the accompanying manu-
script is exactly as it happened. As
regards She herself. have nothing To
add. Day by day we have greater oc-
casion to regret that we did not better
avail ourselves of our opportunities to
obtain more information from that
marvellous woman. Who was she?
How did she first come to the Caves of
| Kor, and what WAS her real religion?
We never ascertained. and now, alas.
we never shall, at least not yet. These
and many other questions arise in my
mind; but what is the good of asking
them now?
"Will you undertake the task? We
give you complete freedom, and as a
reward you will certainly have the
credit of giving To the world the most
wonderful history, as distinguished
from romance, that It's records can
show. Read the manuscript (Which !
have copied out fairly for your benetiD,
and let me know.
believe me, very truly yours,
l.. HORACE HOLLY.
up. S.-Of course If any profit re-
suits from the sale of the writing, il
YOU care to undertake it, you can do
what you like with it, but if there is a
loss, will leave instructions with my
lawyers, Messrs Godfrey ~ Jordon, to
meet it. We intrust the sherd, the
scarab, and the parchment to your
keeping till such time as we demand
them back again.
IL. Ii. H."
This letter, as may be imagined,
astonished me considerably but when
| came to look at the MS, which the
pressure of other work prevented me
from doing for fortnight, | was still
more astonished, as think the reader
will be also, and at once made up my
mind to press on with the matter.
| wrote to this effect TO Mr.. Holly, but
week atterward received letter from
that gentleman's lawyers. returning
my own, with the information that
! their client and Mr.. Leo Vincey had
already left this country for Thibet,
and they did not at present know their
address.
Well, that is all | have to say. OF
the history itself the reader must ia dye.
! give it him, with the exception of a
very few alterations, made with the OBJ
ject of concealing the identity of the
actors from the general public, exactly
as it has come to me. Personally |
have made up my mind to refrain from
comments. At first | was inclined TO
believe that this history of woman on
whom, clothed in the majesty of her
almost endless years, the shadow of
Eternity itself lay like the dark wing of
Night, was some gigantic allegory of
| WHICH Il tOusu uOt Caltu lHc
Then / thought that il might be bold
attempt TO portray the possible results
of Immortality grated on the substance
of a mortal who yet drew her strength
from the earth, and in whose bosom
passions yet rose and fell and beat as
in the undying world around her the
winds and the tides rise and fall and
beat increasingly. But as | went on !
abandoned that idea also. To me the
story seems to bear the stamp of truth
upon its face. Its explanation | must
leave to others; and with this slight
preface. which circumstances make
necessary, | introduce the world to
Ayesha and the Caves of Kor
p. S.-There is, on consideration
one circumstance that, after a perusa
of this history, struck me with so much
force that can not resist calling the
attention of the reader TO it. He will
observe that, SO far az we are made ac-
quainted with him, there is nothing in
the character of Leo Vincey which, in
ba mi. .,f,