The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-07
IsHMONIA.S CURSE.

II q column OF foreign AuGGA1lgGnC1 llE
John Burttngames gentleman, OF Thirty
third street, New York. had read the fol-
lowing items
There are widespread traditions OF the
existence of certain subterranean and i'm
mense galleries In the neighborhood OF
Ishmonia, the petrified city OF Egypt, I'm
which are stored numberless manuscripts
and rolls Of great antiquity and value.
For no amount OF money will the Arabs
go near it. At night, they say, from the
crevices Of the desolate ruins, sunk deep IN
the unwatered sands of the desert, stream
the rays from lights carried to and fro In
the galleries by other than human hands.
The magic rolls of manuscript buried in
this dead city of the past composed the
literature OF the antediluvian ages, and
for native to disturb or touch the pre-
cious documents thepunishmentis death !"
The very thingl" exclaimed Mr.. John
Burlingame, gentleman, as he clapped his
hand upon his knee and dropped his news
paper He rang for his servant, donned
his great coat and hat and drove to the
apartments Of the Algonquin club. Some
moments later he was conversing in con-
ddential tone with Mr.. Walter Grouse and
Mr.. Alfred Barber Burlingarne and his
two friends were college graduates, we'll
versed in Greek and in Latin and pos
sessed of a smattering of Sanskrit and
other languages of centuries long past.
They were gentlemen of leisure. with any
amount Of time and money at their COM
mand.
Burlingame was tall and dignihed, n
brunette, with twinkling black eyes and
hair and mustache Of Jet. He was just
turning 30. Grouse was short in stature,
rather stout, a perfect blond and % years
of age Barber was little, short individ-
ual, nervous and excitable, with a small
head small eyes, q small mustache and
small goatee- He was two years younger
than his friend Grouse. Burlingame en-
Unused them with an idea, and after hur-
ried preparations the three young men
a1ighted at the wharf of the White Star
line of steamers one morning IN May,
1881.
In the following August the young men
found themselves in Egypt, and one night
while encamped in . native village In the
region of Ishmonia Burlinganne said to his
companions:
At last we are nearing the famous city
of old, and If we succeed in bringing to
light tho hidden manuscripts we Will
astonnd the world and return to America
famed as discoveries and scientists.
Burlingame had for some years devoted
time and study to the occult sciences and
had become deeply interested in the per
formances of the native fakirs in India
and Egypt. Upon this August evening as
the young men smoked their pipes in
their humble quarters there was ushered
into their presence q native fakir. Bur
lingame had learned of his presence in the
village the day previous and had sent for
him
The fakir caused a small braiser to be
brought into the room. which he proceeded
to feed with live Goals. Gradually a cloud
of incense rose. Little by little the cloud
assumed form entirely human, and Bur
Hngame and his companions distinguished
a specter-they could not call it otherwise
the specter of an old Brahman, kneeling
near the brssier. He bore upon his fore
head the signs of Vishnu and around his
body the triple cord, sign Of the initiates
of the priestly caste. He joined his hands
above his head as his lips moved II
they were reciting prayers At a given
moment he took pinch of perfuIned pow
der and threw it upon the Goals. 1t must
have been strong compound, for a thick
smoke arose upon the instant and filed
the room.
As the smoke settled Burlingarne per
ceived the specter, two steps from him, ex-
tending its deshIess hand. The young
man took the hand in his and was aston
ished to find it, although bony and hard,
warm and living.
art thou indeed, . said BurIingame,
ian ancient inhabitant of the earth?''
He had scarcely finished speaking when
the word Yes" appeared and then disap-
peared in letters of fire on the breast OF
the old Brahman, with an effect much like
that which the word would produce If
written in the dark with a stick of phos
phorus
s-Will you leave us nothing in token Of
your visitf'' continued Burlingame.
The specter broke the triple cord, COM
posed of three strands of cotton, which be-
girt his loins, and gave to the young man
three pieces for himself and companions
Then his eyes closed, and sinking down
upon the mating the specter gradually
vanished
With the fragments Of cord in their
hands the three young men babe each
other good night and retired to their
chambers An hour later Burlingame be
came possessed of a desire to visit the pet
rihed city of Ishmonia alone and in ad-
vance of his companions Later Grouse
experienced a like desire, and still later
Barber felt a similar ambition So at
midnight three forms, each independent
of the other, were Flooding over the sands
of the desert to the sunken city, the ruins
of which could be seen in the distance in
the bright light of the Egyptian moon
One after another the three Americans
entered the sacred city of old, and each Of
them found with little difficulty the stone
chest, containing the rare manuscripts
and the scrolls of parchment Of the almost
forgotten ages On the cover of the stone
box they each discovered an inscription in
Sanskrit, which read as follows:
THE BOOK OF SECRETS
Only the masters Of the occult and final
science are allowed to pry into the 1nys-
teries of God the Father
But, nothing daunted, the young men
each IN turn read and pondered over The
long hidden mysteries When Burlingame
left the gateway of the ancient city, he