The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-27
A FORBIDDEN BOOK.

In column of foreign II telligcncc Mr..
John Burlingamc, gentleman, of Thirty
third street, New York, had read the fol
lowing itcm
"Thcrc are widespread traditions of the
existence of certain subterrancan and i'm
mcnsc galleries in the ncighborhood of 1sh-
monia, the 'pctrifcd city of Egypt, Ia
which are stored numbcrless 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 crew
ices of the dcsolate ruins, sunk deep in the
unwatcrcd 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 litera
ture of the antediluvian ages, and for q ma
tive to disturb or touch the precious docIi-
ments the punishment Is death. "
1.-THE very thingp' exclaimed Mr.. John
Burlingamc, gentleman, as he clapped his
hand upon his knee and dropped his news
paper. He rang for his servant, donncd
his grcatcoat and hat and drove to the
apartments of the Algonquin club. Some
moments later he was conversing in CON
fidential tone with Mr. Walter Grouse and
Mr.. Alfred Barber. Burlingame and his
two friends were college graduates, well
versed 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.
Burlingamc was tall and dignified, a
brunette, with twinkling black eyes and
hair and mustache of jet. He was just
! turning 80. Grouse was short in stature,
I rather stout, a perfect blond and 90 years
of age. Barber was little, short individ
! ual, nervous and excitable, with a small
head, small eyes, II small mustache and a
| 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 native village in the
region of Ishmonia, Burlingame said to
his companions:
"At 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"
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 native fakir. Burlingame
had learned of his presence in the village
the day previous and had sent for him.
The fakjr caused small braiser to be
brought into the room, which he proceeded
to feed with live Goals. Gradually n cloud
of incense rose. Little by little the cloud
assumed form entirely human, and Bur
lingame ana his companions distinguished
a spcctcr-thcy could not call it otherwise
the spectcr of an old misunderstanding
near the brasiCr. He bore upon his fore
head the signs Of Vishnu and around his
body the triple cord, sign of the initiates
of the pricstly caste. He joined his hands
above his head as his lips moved, as If they
were rcciting prayers. At II given moment
he took pinch of perfumed powder and
threw it upon the Goals. 1t must have been
u 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 it's fleshlcss hand. The young man
took the hand in his and was astonished
to find it, although bony and hard, warm
and living.
art thou indeed" said Burlingame,
ian ancient inhabitant of the earthg'
He had scarcely finished speaking when
the word Yes appeared and then disap-
peared in letters of fire on the breast of tn,
old Brahman, with M effect much Ike
that which the word would produce if wit
ten in the dark with stick of phosphorus.
"Will you leave us nothing in toli en- 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 became possessed of
desire to visit the petrified 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 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 for
gotten ages. On the cover of the stone box
they each discovered an inscription in
rSanskrit, which read as follows:
.''..''''''''''''...''' '''..''.'...........
THE BOOK OF SECRETS.
Only the masters of the occult and
final science are allowed to pry into :
the mysteries 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 saw
the shadow of Grouse not far away, but
did not recognize him. and an hour later
Grouse in leaving the silent walls saw