The true northerner., 1872-01-19


ing me card =" there's the inscription
on the grave-stc ne | copied it down
after And here's an old piece of pa
per, in which i found the ring folded
up. 1t has some writing on it, believe,
and may explain something you're
good at that sort of thing. Good night !"
And before | could speak again he was
gone, and l saw him no more. On the
card was written:
In memory of THOMAS MURRAY.
Who died February 6, I'LL.
Requiescat In pace
Rather satire on the old fellow,
that 'requiescat in pace,'" commented
l." that is if Browne should turn out to
be a lunatic ~ The paper he had given
me was old and yellow, and the writing
on it appeared too illegible to puzzle out
that night. So, resolved to see him the
next day, and talk it all over in sober
and sensible way, | yawned sleepily and
retired.
That night had very vivid dream,
in which TIN marvellous story related to
me by Browne was in some way mixed
up with the old manuscript had pur-
chased in Ann street. imagined that
all the blank spaces were filled out, and
with the names of Browne, Alice Ham
mill, and Thomas Murray, | myself fig
uring as the COPPER and compiler of the
whole
With the first light of day / sprang
out of bed, the influence Of my dream
still strong upon me, and rushed into
my study after the manuscript. There
it lay on the top shelf Of my book lease,
where had placed it the night before
but a jar of some chemical liquid, which
| remembered to have seen standing
around ever since was boy, and which
| had been told was an heirloom in our
family for many generations, had fallen
over on it and broken, and the liquid
had run out and deluged the manuscript
completely. With sigh for the sad
fate of the jar, took down the papers
and opened them.
The sight that met my eyes made me
feel as if the roots of my hair were alive
and moving! All the blanks were filled
up with names, written in q pale, red
dish ink and they were all exactly as
| had dreamed they were. Thomas
Murray was the young farmer whose life
had been blighted by the lawyer, who
was none other than Brown himself!
while the lady who had caused all the
trouble was Alice Hammill! And
yes! | was there too My name was
signed to the note appended to Thomas
Murray's prayer for vengeance" John
Simpson" in full
'Now how the deuce" solloquized |,
did those names get written down
there? They certainly weren't there
yesterday. All here's one only half
written! How's ,hat ? All! | ex-
claimed, drawing long breath of re-
lief, 81 see now Sympathetic writing,
by George and it was the old jar of
chemicals brought it out ~
Such was the fact. One of the names,
written near corner Of the paper, had
partially escaped being wetted by the
liquid in the jar, and that part which
had escaped remained invisible, while
the rest presented the same pale, reddish
inge as the others. In this likewise, |
saw the explanation Of the existence
of the jar in our family during so many
years. Doubtless my old ancestor, John
Simpson, when he wrote the names in
sympathetic ink, had provided himself
with the reagent to be used when need
ed and the OCCASION not arising with
his own life, it had passed down from
one generation to another, until all re-
membrance of its original purpose had
been lost: fortunately, however, it had
not been itself so forgetful, but had
sacrificed itself to duty precisely at the
proper time.
hi t,,n AP 20, IL
exciting, substantiated my friend
Brownies story too completely to be
pleasant. Comparing his
copy of the tombstone inscription with
that in the manuscript, found them
word for word identical. | next be-
thought myself of the piece of paper
which Browne had found with the ring.
On examining it | discovered it to be
neither more nor less than the original
of Murray's letter to Browne, protesting
reconciliation Really, things were be-
coming disagreeably clear.
The result of my meditations was
that had better hunt up Browne, tell
him all | had discovered, and consult
with him on its significance and inn
portance. The connection OF the char.
acters in the drama of hundred years
ago with those of to-day was fully es.
tablshed. The dreadful prayer for
made by the dying Murray
had evidently been granted-at the
peril of his own soul, could not doubt
but still granted. Only one mystery
still awaited solution: why had the
come so late? why had it
been reserved for my friend and the
woman he loved to expate the crimes
of their long buried ancestors?
Here the incident of the ring recurred
to my mind. | remembered having
idly speculated on the possibility of its
being talisman whereby the spirit of
its owner might be enabled to persecute
the wearer of it; and looking at the
matter in the new light had obtained,
it seemed not unfeasible. In his dying
Murray had sent this ring, en-
crusted with the hate and passion of all
the years Of his blighted life, to the man
who had ruined him. Doubtless he
had believed that if he or any Of his
race were to accept and wear it, it
would have power, if any thing could,
to infuse into their hearts and souls
some of the misery and poison which