The Washington times., 1905-10-22

shadows in the sanctuary, and her
gift to me.
"It has virtues, also; some part
Of Ayesha's might yet haunts the
symbol to which even spirits bowed.
but If you should discover them, BE-
ware how they are used.
'T have neither the strength nor
the will to write more. The record
must speak for itself Do with II
what you like, and believe it or not
as you like. care nothing who
know that 1t is true, and who depart
to solve its inner mysteries. I wish
you happiness and good fortune.
Farewell tc you and to all.
al. HORACE HOLLY"
/ laid the letter down, and, filed
with sensations that il is useless to
attempt to analyze, opened the sec
ond envelope, of which | also print
the contents, omitting only certain
irrelevant portions, and the name Of
the writer, as, it will be noted, he
requests me to do.
This letter, that was dated from q
remote place upon the shores OF
Cumberland, ran as follows:
Dear Sir: AS the doctor who at
tended Mr. Holly in his last illness,
am obliged, in obedience to
promise that / made 10 him, to be-
come an intermediary in a some
what strange business, although in
truth it is one of which / know very
little, however much it may have
interested me- Still, / do so only on
the strict understanding that no
mention is to be made of my name
in connection with the matter, or OF
the locality in which I practice.
about ten days ago / was called
in to see Mr. Holly at an old house
upon the cliff that for many years
remained untenanted except by the
caretakers, but which | believe was
his property, and had been in his
family for generations The house
keeper who summoned me told me
that her master had but just return
ed from abroad, somewhere in Asia,
she said, and that he was very i'll
with his heart-dying, she believed;
both of which suppositions proved
to be accurate.
II found the patient sitting up In
bed-to ease his heart-and
strange looking old man he was He
had dark eyes, small but full of fire
and intelligence, a magnificent and
snowy white beard, that covered a
chest of extraordinary breadth, and
hair also white, which encroached
upon his forehead and face so much
that it met the whiskers upon his
cheeks. His arms were remarkable
for their length and strength, but
one of them seemed to have been
much torn by some animal He told
me that dog had done this, but If
usual power He was a very ugly
man, and yet, forgive the bull,
beautiful l cannot describe what
1 mean better than by saying that
his face was not like the face of any
ordinary mortal whom have met
IN my limited experience Were I
an artist who wished to portray q
wise and benevolent but rather gro
tesque spirit, should take that
countenance as q model
Mr. Holly was somewhat vexed
at my being called in, which had
been done without his knowledge,
but soon we became friendly enough,
and he expressed gratitude for the
relief that l was able 10 give him,
though / could not hope TO do more.
At different times he talked TO me a
good deal of the various countries in
which he had travelled, apparently
for many years, upon some strange
quest that he never clearly defined
TO me- Twice, also, he became
light headed, and spoke Tor the most
part in languages that 1 identified
as Greek and Arabic; occasionally in
English also, when he appeared TO
be addressing himself to a being
who was the object of his venera-
ton. might almost say of his wor-
ship. What he said, however, pre-
fer not 10 repeat, for l heard 1t in
my professional capacity.
''One day he pointed to a rough
box made of some foreign wood
the same that | have now duly dis
patched to you by train-and, giving
me your name and address, said that
without fail II was to be forwarded
TO you after his death. Also, he ask
ed me to do up manuscript, which,