davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1898-05-15
History Of the Kiss

The kiss. 1t is said, was unknown
among the aboriginal tribes Of Amer
lea and Central Africa. From the most
ancient times, however, 1t has been IA
miliar to the Asiatic and European
races. The Latins divided it into three
forms-the osculum. the basium and
the suavium; the first being the kiss OF
friendship and respect, the second Of
ceremony and the third Of love. The
Semites always knew the kiss. and Job
speaks of it as part Of the sacred rites,
as it is today in the Roman Church.
The Mongolian kiss, however. is not the
same as that which prevails with us.
In 1t the lips do not touch the surface
of the person kissed. The nose ID
brought into light contact with the
cheek. forehead or hand; the breath Is
drawn slowly through the nostrils. and
the act ends with slight smack Of
the lips. The Chinese consider our
mode Of kissing coarse.
The herald., 1898-05-15

rather amusing experience whilst cor.
poral of the guard at an encampment
on the Somerset coast. TWAS the
witching hour of night" when the sem
try suddenly yelled. who comes
there?" A shrill voice replied, TITS me:
1 want my old man, and hain't ago.
ing home without um." As the owner
Of the voice absolutely refused to
bulge, I called the sergeant. who, find-
ing she was obdurate in disregarding
military regulations and inclined to be
troublesome, rather than disturb the
camp by making her ladyship q pris-
oner for the night. proceeded down the
lines and fetched her lord and master
81 from his tent, where he was peace
fully snoring, and started the couple
off home. The poor henpecked one be-
longed to the local battery, hence his
spouse's absurd nocturnal application
for her 'hubby's' discharge.
The herald., 1898-05-15
The Value Of a Telephone.

Jones is a very little man, but he q.
ways has his wits about him. The
other day he was alone in his suburban
villa, when Misunderstanding tramp
knocked insolently at the door and de-
manded refreshments.
I'm looking for work." he said. land
1 want something to eat at once, or
therel! be trouble" And he coolly sat
down on the step.
Jones got an alarm clock and wound
it up. Then he went into the front
room. where his voice could be heard
by the tramp. Causing the alarm to-
ring, he shouted: "Hullo! central. Give
me police-station. sharp. please" The
tramp was all attention. Then he heard
the following counterfeit conversation:
IFS this the police-station? Please send
an officer to my house at once. There
Is q tramp here who refuses to leave.
What? Yes; he ought to be in prison.
All right" The tramp started OF In
double-quick time.
The herald., 1898-05-15
The Savage and the Bird Cage.

A gentleman who went out with
Stanley to Africa took with him num-
Der Of bird cages, in which he hoped to
bring back some specimens Of the rarer
birds of the interior. Owing to the
death Of his carriers, he was obliged to
throw away the bird cages with num-
Der Of other articles. These were seized
by the natives in great glee, though
they did not know what to do with
them; but they eventually decided that
the small circular cages were a kind
of head-gear, and knocking of the
bottom, the chiefs strutted about in
them with evident pride. One chief.
thinking himself more wise than
the others, and having seen the white
men eat at table out Of dishes, thought
they were receptacles for food, and
took his meals from one, tremendously
opening and shutting the door between
each mouthful.
The herald., 1898-05-15

get my rooms in order again, and that
will take some time"
Il thought you were going down to
Devonshire for few days to see your
people," rejoined Mr.. Murray.
I've given that un," he replied; ''it
isn't really necessary. you know, and l
can't leave town till things are set
tied
Good bye" said his chief. Don't
forget to let me have the next letter by
midday tomorrow.
When Grant left Mr.. Murray he made
his way along the Entertainment to his
rooms in Victoria street, Westminster;
which, as he fully expected he found
in a deSoate, forsaken- looking condi-
ton.
The room was too cold an. cheerless
to tempt him to remain longer than
necessary to look through his letters
but when he had luckily fund an old
coat, which served to dust an easy
chair, he seated himself, lighted cigar
and proceeded to see what most need
ed his attention out of the three or four
score of letters and packages which
covered the mantelpiece.
| An hour served to read them CURSOR
| lily and to chill him through. So he
rang the bell for the porter to give
him instructions to have the rooms
thoroughly turned out and cleaned, and
when he had given the man good rat
ing for his neglect, and decided to re-
sumo occupation the following week,
he gladly made his way downstairs, out
into the sunshine and the purer and
warmer air of the street.
He wandered along Parliament street
for a couple of hundred yards or so,
without having any very definite idea
Of where he was going, or even where
he wished to go. And then it occurred
to him that he had best turn his steps
toward Hyde Park to call on the Val
| lances.
He found it quite impossible for him
to tell why, but he somehow or other
dreaded the interview with Ethel. The
meeting to which he had at first looked
forward with such delight, now had
seemingly lost all it's charm, and with
an uncomfortable and somewhat bitter
laugh, he had to admit to himself that
he felt a great deal more like an un-
detected criminal on the way to court
detection, than a lover about to see his
future wife.
He proceeded along Piccadilly. and
dropped into one Of the clubs to have
The herald., 1898-05-15

YES" he unused, half aloud to him
self. there Is a marvellous likeness be-
tween them. Ethel is not so beautiful
He half said, half thought this treason,
with something approaching jealousy
of the other woman; but she is low
able girl, quite pretty enough for any
mans wife, and--as the servant
knocked at the door-what jolly fool
1 must be not to recognize this
At dinner, of course, he had to fight
his battles DER again" for Mr. VAL
lances benefit. And, whether it was
owing to the dinner, which to healthy
man is a great stimulus to converse
ton, or because Ethel had succeeded
in partially laying the ghost which had
Of late troubled him, he was far more
amusing, communicative, and enter
tanning than he had at first felt in
clined to be. This fact did not escape
Ethel's notice.
1t was quite late ere Grant said good
night. He had made one or two previ-
Gus attempts at leave-taking. but
neither his host and hostess nor Ethel
herself would consent to his going, I'M
til he had, for the time being, at least,
satisfied their curiosity.
When Grant reached the club, he
found a note awaiting his arrival left
by Doctor Gerard, informing him that
his friend had returned to his rooms.
II can work so much BETTER" the let
ter concluded; but I will look in on
you tomorrow morning. My landlady
is wonderful woman; find she hasn't
even turned my books and papers over
in my absence: The room is dusty
very--but can find anything I want in
a minute, and no one else can. No small
advantage.
Next morning, after breakfast, Grant
The herald., 1898-05-15

discovery, Evan. What is this wonder
full woman like?"
Don't II" he replied. repeating part
of her remark as a question. We'll,
what do you want to know"
Everything" said the girl, with i'm
petuosity and coaxing glance.
You'll have to go to a far cleverer
person than / to act as instructor in
that case" he rejoined.
Stupid" with a littlt stamp of her
neatly shot foot. Not everything in
that sense, but everything you will tell
me, about yourself. about what you
have been DOING
Grant looked at her animated face
and graceful figure as she bent over the
low. wicker, gypsy table to pour out the
tea, with q true lovers admiration
Very we'll" he said. TASK me any
questions you like, and I'll try to an
swer them"
He answered Ethers questions fully
and accurately till they reached the
point of his finding the inviolate tomb,
and then he became less communica-
tive, instinctively SO, and the girl,
thinking that there was some reason
for this-a good one, no doubt, because
it was he who had it-with appreciative
delicacy forbore to pursue that line of
questioning further.
| Evan enjoyed the quiet hour with his
fiancee greatly, and he was sorry that
a break in the conversation had &C.
Cured as the thought that she might
have the impression that he was reti-
cent on any point with her somewhat
disturbed him.
1t was almost six o'clock when Mrs.
Valance returned, and glancing hur-
riedly in at the door. said:
| What! You two haven't finished
talking yet. You silly girl-with a con-
Trajectory accent on the word-you will
/ be terribly late; go and dress at once,
and tell John to show Evan into the
blue room.'
II really must CO." said Ethel, rising;
why, dear me, how time flies. had no
idea that it was so late"
will you always say that when with
me?" asked Grant, with lovers wild
snatch at a chance of flattery.
Perhaps; who knows?" said the girl,
laughing. "You will get no compli-
ments from me, sir-that is. until you
tell me everything ! want to know
about that dead Egyptian girl"
| When the door closed after her, Grant
sat down to await the servant to show
him to his room.
The herald., 1898-05-15
Fuss in Ancient Days

"T'he cat will NEW, the dog will have
its day." Yes; that cat will NEW, with
the proud assurance that she has had
her day, and very good day, too,
while the dog was as yet in COM
paratively savage state. The position
OF the cat in Ancient Egypt was very
high one: she was worshipped under
two titles-Pasht and Sekht-and was,
in fact, the Egyptian Diana or Artemis.
Whatever honor was paid the cat dur
ing her life. her obsequies were, accord
ing to Herodotus and from recent dis
coveries, very grand affair In sew
eral places cat cemeteries have been
discovered; the most extensive one be-
ing at Benz Hassan. near the noted
Specs Of Artemidos. In many cases the
mummies We're embalmed, wrapped in
costly stuffs and placed In finely-paint-
ed chests generally formed in the
shape of the dead cat); three or four
had gold leaf masks: these are found
occasionally on mummies Of exalted
persons, and are of a very early date.
The worship of the cat, if now unknown
in Egypt, has undoubtedly left its
mark as to this day, in the event OF
an outbreak of fire, 1t is always the cat
which is saved first. Turning to Asia.
Mahomet, when he cut off his sleeve to
prevent the cat being disturbed-that
had gone to sleep in that voluminous
part of his costume which in many
Eastern countries serves both as a
pocket and receptacle for the tiny
sleeve dog-gave her the right of enter
ing the sacred mosques as thing that
Is holy.
Later, we find that in Wales there
were prices laid down by law for the
purchase of kittens. In the reign of
Howell the Good, in the early part of
the tenth century, the penalty for kill
ing cats was decidedly a heavy one.
From this time the cat does not appear
to have had a particularly bright
career. She was hunted as beast of
the chase by a royal grant from Rich
ard H., evidently for the sake of her
fur, which under the sumptuary laws
served to line the garments of alb
Bosses, nuns and people of the middle
classes. Passing to our own times. the
position of the cat has been vastly i'm
proved by the advent Of cat shows,
started about twenty-five years ago.
The herald., 1898-05-15
The Emperor Designs His Own
Paving Cards.

The William II. has just had two
packs of cards made after his own de-
sign. The kings and queens are repre-
scented by Euroupean sovereigns. The
knaves are the principal ministers Of
the German Empire. The king of hearts
is Leopold H., King Of Belgium. we'll
known for his gallantry; the king Of
diamonds. Humbert l.. Of Italy. who 10
said to be fond Of diamonds, the king
Of spades is the Emperor Nicholas Of
Russia, and the king of clubs the Inn
perial William himself. Queen Victoria
is the queen of hearts; the queen Of
diamonds is Queen Margherita Of italy;
the queen of spades the Cznrina; and
the queen of clubs, not the Emperor's
wife. but the Empress Elizabeth Of
Austria. Only two sets Of these cards
were made.
The herald., 1898-05-15
fCopyright, 1898, by The International
Literary and News Service.1
SYNOPSIS

Evan Grant, accompanied by his friend,
Doctor Gerard, visits. Egypt az s spsna /.
correspondent Of the Torch; the eV naiss
that lead to the younSs Grant has
made q special study Of hypnotism. Ethel
Valance. : london society belle y a sasp
Spinosa gives an exhibition Of his mes mes
meric powers in the Vallances pala49,Tss
and attempts a novel experiment WIN IN
will wrest some secrets from, the dead
Past. The girl, under the spell taxes ssa hs
Egyptian dagger from the nall. anG , soroS
sutton, wounding him slightly; AFTER TINS
mishap. the best medical skill In London
cannot restore Ethel to Correspondence asst hs and
Ethel are wandering alone in an Egyp-
tan desert They meet w them. The
Ha osn sts them Pssn Whsther they believe
in her spell. and on tAeir replying that
they do she says that she Will protece
Ethel when she calls rb Taos liz WOMAN i
&ephri. she calls herself, puts maostr, s Sma
der spell, and teaches Lathyrus. as ,, sns
calls Grant the m MY spieen ana awak-
ened. So vivid Is the impression 81 this
5ream that Grant goes to the ,, Xalia RfSei
esxt day and d sue v.t, IN n nwaes
Grant is sure that he could recognize
the locality Of the meeting with Repnri;
Strange to say ms with that Of the
valley Of the Kings, where the dag I
that figured IN the afrar W w editor te Of
the fs" sTorch.'. is SO interested il the whole
affair that he sends Grant to Egypt IN tne
hope that the latter may disc9ver e soine
Accepted sc lover lover Of Ethel Valance. Doctor
Gerard accompanies him. IT,. 49,.
Reaching Cairo. the two men hlre she
s'Abdul Aziz," q comfortable danapean'
and under the guidance of Hasan, an I IN,
teliigent dragoman. they sail up the ME
@ Luxor Then with eight v feliah on IKE Inc
Hafiz, one Of the servants. discovers q
little plain amopg the sanay nin The
latter with intense delight. recognizes
the locality Of his dream. The fellahin
sG as IN tas SS the s
ing Of that greatest Of treasures to the
Egyptologist-an unyiolated tomb. The
chamber three sarcophagi. empty, but
without any appearance of ever having
been occupied. In an, inner chamber
cover wedged up in an unusual manner.
It contains coffin in which lies the form
Of beautiful Egyptian woman; Grant
lures to those Of Ethel Valance. Doctor
Gerard says that all the circumstances of
the girls being there are unusual. From
to hod ths Body Of e0 press tai there
evidently great haste in the burial of the
girl. They find flask in the coffin con,
faining a papyrus, which. Doctor Gerard
says, will probably give the girls history.
The body is in perfect state of preserva-
ton. There is no evidence of death; to
all appearances the girl is but asleep.
Grant can hardly refrain from trying to
awaken her by the mystic passes of his
with their find. There the private yacht
Of one of the proprietors Of the Torch"
meets them, and with the coffin and its
precious contents Doctor Gerard and
Grant return to England.
The herald., 1898-05-15
The Inventor Of the Telectroscope

Who and what is Szczepanik, the
latest of the bright particular stars in
the armament Of physics and Heaven
knows what else? The question is a
vital one for mankind in these days of
increasing discovery. Potentially SEC
zepanik is another Edison: but with
this difference. that those who know
him predict that he will be by far the
greatest elemental conjurer Of our
time. He will out-Edison Edison. He
himself scarcely knows what he 10
working upon now. He could detail
to you a hundred different abstract
grooves along which his mind Is run
ming to a concrete end. Tomorrow
ne may startle US with the discovery Of
a hitherto unknown element in Nature,
a primary physical force, an "urkraft"
which shall supersede all other motive
forces hitherto chained to the service
Of mankind.
Though a Pole, Szczepanik' lives In
Vienna. Recently he said Of himself:
Eyes, I am practically always at
work, though 1t Is only in the night
that my mind can be said to be most
fruitful. Do miss my sleep? Not a
bitl II an idea comes to me I must
get up and clinch it, and I believe I
alarm my friends by the enormous
number Of cigarettes I consume in the
nocturnal hours. My memory, however.
works, as 1t were, on certain lines. and
though should never forget the details
of q machine that have once seen, I
might easily forget an everyday Incl
dent where others could not possibly
do so. I lot my ideas down in note
books. My friends laugh at me about
those books. I never know when an
idea is going to strike me. and walk
ing along the street my companions
are sometimes astonished to find that
I have disappeared. What my particu-
lar sphere of inventive work Is can
not say. My mind is omnivorous. My
invention which revolutiouzed silk
weaving was discovered, for instance,
without my scarcely knowing what a
weaving-lo was"
The herald., 1898-05-15

tent; and lastly, we are brought face
to face with a problem of preservation
of what. perhaps, may prove a case OF
suspended animation which has gone
on for centuries"
Precisely" assented Mr.. Murray;
land now think, before we can go any
further. at all events we had better
wait until Gerard has finished his
translation of the papyrus, which may
possibly throw some fresh light upon
the matter. What do you think?"
II agree with you most certainly, Mr.
Murray" replied Grant; Il only know
this, that the Egyptian woman affects
me very strangely"
That's an exceedingly peculiar cir
cumstance," exclaimed the other, for
after you had gone last night I was
curious enough to unlock the door and
have a last look at the girl myself, be-
fore settling down to work, and, 1 don't
know how it was, but the feeling came
over me very similar to that which
you say you have experienced. There
was something uncanny about the girls
face; I should very easily have per-
suaded myself that she smiled at me.
She must have broken a good many
hearts when she was belle in ancient
Thebes. She is positively the most
beautiful woman have ever SEEN"
1t was ultimately decided between Mr..
Murray and himself that, for the pres
ent, he should not take up his regular
work, but should, from the notes he
had made, write the concluding let
tiers describing the expedition.
Il mayn't look in again, Mr.. Murray,
till Gerard has finished his Egyptian
puzzle" Grant said, at the end of the
interview. IT will let you have the
other articles in due course. 1 must
The herald., 1898-05-15

busted himself answering some of his
I neglected correspondence, in the read
| ing-room. whilst waiting for the doctor
to put in an appearance. About eleven
o'clock touch on his shoulder caused
him to look up to find his expected Wis
itor at his elbow.
| Good morning Grant. lou were
surprised to find me gone. I suppose.
But / can't stand a club for work, so
thought I had better get back to my
den as soon as might be-"
II half expected to find that you had
left" replied Grant. I'm going back
to my chambers to-day, if the rooms
have been got into anything like order.
But what have you come to see me
about?'
What else, my dear fellow, if not the
precious manuscript. Nothing else en-
crosses my attention now" replied the
doctor with a burst of enthusiasm.
How are you getting on?" inquired
Grant, eagerly.
''Splendidly! Now that I have once
the key, can unlock all the secrets of
the text with comparative ease. 1 shall
have quite finished the translation in
another week or ten days; that u.s. UNI
less some now unforeseen difficulty
should present itself"
What is it all about?" asked Grant.
suddenly interrupting.
You must wait" replied the doctor.
Il shall place the complete translation
in your hands. Till then I tell moth
ing, give no hint, afford no information
or clue. But after all, was nearly for
getting one of the principal things
about which I came to see you. Have
you, or do you know any one who
possesses a copy of 'Splugen's Egyp-
tan Monuments or Tombs?'"
YES" said Grant; II myself have a
copy, which you are welcome to-
Thanks. When can have it,"
Come over tonight, and by that time
I will try and hunt it out. I don't fancy
I packed it up with the books I sent
home; but if did, fortunately my peo-
pie must have sent them back"
Very WE'LL" agreed the doctor; 81
must be going, or shan't do much this
morning. Why, bless me, it's nearly
twelve!"
"Au revoir," said Grant.
Goodbye till the evening"" rejoined
the doctor.
The herald., 1898-05-15
PART v.

About nine o'clock on the night of the
"Sibyle's" arrival a covered van drove
up to the door of the Torch" office,
followed few minutes later by a han
som, from which Mr.. Murray, who had
been down to Gravesend to meet the
yacht, and Doctor Gerard, alighted.
Grant had already seen his treasure
safely taken from the van and carried
carefully up the main staircase to Mr..
Murrays private room. He now stood
at the side door awaiting the arrival
Of his chief.
When Mr.. Murray had been assured
that everything was well, and that
nothing untoward had occurred, the
three men made their way up to the
editors room.
why you've locked the door, Grant,
exclaimed Mr.. Murray, with an amused
smile, as the former searched his pock-
cts for the key. You don't expect the
young lady to get up and walk out into
the crush of Fleet street, do you?"
Grant answered nothing, but finding
the key put it in the lock and opened
the door.
The three men entered, and then
Grant and the doctor uncovered the
coffin, and lifted thet lid SO that Mr.
Murray might see it's contents. 1t was
come time before the latter spoke.
by Jove," he exclaimed without TAX
ing his eyes from the lovely upturned
face, what an astounding likeness.
Can't you see it, Grant," turning to
the young fellow who stood at his side.
"Why that girl and your inamorata are
as like as two peas, except, perhaps,
that this one Is more beautiful.
How lovely she looks, Just as if she
were asleep, doesn't she?" he continued
after a pause.
Grant said Eyes" and bent down over
her.
THAT girl-Gerard says she is named
Taosiri-I believe is asleep. She is I'M
der hypnotic influence. and if the right
means were used to restore her she
would throw off her lethargy.
Just think, Sir he continued, ad-
dressing himself to Mr.. Murray
death could never have touched a
face, and left it like hers. Just look
at her skin, eyes, lips-they are as
fresh, as lovely. as the day on which
she was laid there
Grant, as he looked upon her, as she
lay beneath the softened rays of the
electric light, began to realize acutely
that this Egyptian girl, this flotsam, as
1t were, of the ages, possessed, even
inanimate though she was, a strange
power of attraction. This knowledge
was forced in upon him with crushing
incorporating certainty. And to-
morrow his lips, which had touched
hers, would touch his loves.
He would not have seen this Cir
again. He would have fled from her
have hidden from her, but it was i'm.
possible. Two powers were driving hin
forw> I'd the magnetic attraction she
herself possessed, and the knowledge
that he must attempt to restore her t.
consciousness. All these thoughts hMr
ried through his brain as he stood, II
the midst OF our modern civilization
with this potent reminder of lost one
before him.
At length Mr.. Murray broke tn.
silence.
"Well. Grant" he said, II must moi