The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-22
A FORBIDDEN BOOK.

In . column Of foreign intelligence Mr..
John Burlinssme, gentleman, Of Thirty.
third areet, New York, bad read The fol.
lowing ITEM:
"There are widespread traditions Of the
existence Of certain subterranean and i'm.
mense galleries in the neighborhood Of Ish.
monia, tho 'petrifled city Of Egypt, In
which are stored numberless manuscripts
and rollso gpeat antiquity and value For
no amount Of money will the Arabs go
near It, At night, they say, from the orcy.
Ices 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 htera-
ture Of the antediluyian ages, and for ma
tive to disturb or touch the precious docu-
nlents the punishment is death"
1.-THE very thlngW exclaimed Mr. John
Burlingame, gentleman, as he clapped his
hand upon his knee and dropped his news
paper. He rang for his servant, donned
apartments Of the Algonquin club. Some
moments later he was conversing in con-
fdential tone with Mr.. Walter Grouse and
Mr.. Alfred Barber. BurliDgame and his
two friends were college graduates, well
yersed in Greek and in Latin and possessed
Of 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 dignifed, a
brunette, with twinkling black eyes and
hair and mustache Of jet. He was just
turning 30. Grouse was short in stature,
rather stout, perfect blond and 20 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
alighted 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 q native village in the
region of Ishmonia, Burlingame said to
his companions:.
eat last we are nearing the famous city
Of old, and If we succeed in bringing to
light the hidden manuscripts we will
astound the world and return to America
famed as discoveries and SCIENTISTS
Burlingane 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 native fakir. Blrlingame
had learned of his presence in the village
the day previous and had sent for him.
The fakir caused 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 a form entirely human, and Bur
lingnme and his companions distinguished
a specter-they could not call it otherwise
the specter of an old misunderstanding
near the brasier. 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, as If they
were reciting prayers. AT a given moment
he took pinch of perfumed powder and
threw 1t upon the Goals. Unjust have been
strong compound, for thick smoke
arose upon the instant and filled the room.
As the smoke settled Burlingame per-
ceived the specter, two steps from him, ex-
tending its feshless hand. The young man
took the hand in his and was astonished
to find it, although bony and hard, warm
and living. ....
cart thou indeed" said Burlingame,
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 II writ
ten in the dark witha stick of phosphorus.
"Will you leave us nothing in token Of
your visitP" continued Burlingamc.
The specter broke tho triple cord, COM
posed of three strands of cotton, which be-
grit his ioins 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 became possessed Of
a desire to visit the petrifled city of Ish-
monia alone and in advance Of his COM
panions Later Grouse experienced like
desire, and still later Barber felt similar
ambition. So at midnight three forms,
each independent of the other, were plod-
ding over the sands of tho 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 DID, and each Of
them found with little difficulty the stone
chest, containing the rarc manuscripts and
the scrolls of parchment of the almost for
gotten ages. On the cover Of the stone box
they each discovered an inscription in
Sanskrit, which read as follows:
..............'''.,'.r,... '.,.'''..........'..