Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-18
A MYSTERY.

ibid you ever bump up against an IN
dividual who baffled your curiosity by
drawing veil of secrecy over his past?"
queried the young doctor, when it came
his turn to contribute story to the gen.
eral fund. ''I used to think" he con-
tinued, "that such characters emanated
solely from the fertile brain of the fiction
writer. But was mistaken. Not many
years since formed the acquaintance of
a man who was harder to make out than
the most ingenious creation of a novelist
could possibly be. A regular human
enigma in short, and he wasn't obliging
enough, you know, to clear up the mys-
terry before he died either
"It was early in the $685." began the
doctor, lighting cigar, "and had just
finished my medical studies and was
trying to pick up little practice in a
pleasant village in the southern part of
Wisconsin. Business ddiddn' didn't : flourish By
any means, but as had friends there,
and was too poor, besides, to think Of
establishing myself in large city, was
very well content to remain there, for
awhile at least.
"There were several churches in the
town, but at the time OF which 1 speak
the Congregational pulpit was empty.
Numerous applications for the position
appeared, but none suited until at last
one of the trustees arrived home after a
short trip and announced that he had
found the very person. A Rev. Mr..
Ramsay it was whom he had run across
quite accidentally, and who, though
travelling for his health, had finally con-
sented to come out and preach trial
sermon and to remain indefinitely if his
hearers were pleased.
'Well, in due time Mr.. Ramsay ar
rived and delivered a discourse which,
for eloquence and logic, l have never
heard excelled You may be sure the
church lost not q moment in engaging
him, and they marveled much at their
good luck, wondering that so talented a
man should wish to stay and bury his
gifts in such small, obscure town.
'The new acquisition speedily arose
to the place of first favorite in the ranks
of the ministers. His sermons fairly
scintillated with brilliancy, and we soon
found that he certainly possessed a re-
markably fine education in the bargain.
Though he never spoke of the past, his
conversation gave evidence of his having
travelled extensively in pretty much
every country on the face of the globe.
Moreover he was young, and such a
genial, warm hearted fellow that every
body liked him at first sight. They
couldn't help it.
"But, as l said, he never alluded to
his former life. For aught we knew he
might have been bishop or highway
man, an American gambler, or the son
of an English duke, but the church
members were too proud of the prize
they had captured to be very Gu
rious about the previous record,
and the touch of mystery clinging to
him only rendered him his more at
tractive to us. For my part, I thought
the strangest thing concerning him was
that he seemed never to hold commune
cation with anybody outside the town.
A fellow SO engaging and companion
able must have made friends wherever
he went, and yet SO long as we knew
him he didn't receive one letter or tele-
gram from abroad-not single message
of any kind.
eat least, that is what the postmaster
and the depot agent said, and these
officials keep track of such things in lit
tie towns, you had better believe.
Ramsay and got to be quite init
mate after while, and many were the
walks and talks we enjoyed together.
But he wasn't any more confidential
with me than he was with others, and
of course l asked no questions. Only
once did he say something which might
be construed as bearing upon the secret
was convinced that he had. 1t was in
this way:
ssRamsay had dropped into my Office,
and We fell to conversing about heredi-
ttary diseSse. 1t grew out of some cases
I was treating then. l don't remember
what. Ramsay in his brilliant, earnest
fashion began to inveigh against people
who married and Brought into the world
children cursed with the seeds OF some
dreadful malady.
"'Let me tell you story he said
sand it will show you how many lives
may be ruined by one such deed. The
facts came to my knowledge years ago.
Once there was boy-never mind his
name-who, his friends said, showed ex
Iceeding great promise in his youth. His
mother, a widow, seemed utterly wrapped
up in him. She travelled with him IL
foreign lands, sent him to the finest
schools and spared neither pains nor ex
pense to improve the talents nature hao
bestowed upon him. He was hopeful
and happy, and one thing only troubled
him-he used often to wonder about his
father, whom he couldn't remember, ano
Ibis mother was reticent upon that poln1
and replied to all his questions scantliy
and vaguely.
"'They were living in England at tht
time, having come there from Americi
after the fathers death, and being IL
easy circumstances financially the future
looked very bright and glowing indeed.
"sIn due time the young fellow grad
uated from the university with hiSl
Ehonors, and soon after became engaged
to a beautiful girl. He had long beef
destined to enter the ministry-a work
for which his taste and abilities bes'
fitted him-and immediately upon hi
marriage he was to settle down in charg;