Connecticut western news., 1890-12-03
A MYSTERY.

A MI 1Ol Llls
 Did you ever bump up against an in- dividuAl who bafaed your curiosity by drawing veil of secrecy over his pastr' queried the young doctor, when it came hs turn to contribute story to the gen. eral fund. "I used to think" he con- tnued, 'that such characters emanated snlely from the fertile brain of the fiction writer. But Twas mistaken. Not many years since I formed the acquaintance of Q 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- tery before he died either.
 "It was early in the '80's,"- began the doctor, lighting cigar, "and had just finished my medical studies and was trying to pick up little practice in pleasant village in the southern part of Wisconsin. Business didn't flourish by any means, but as had friends there, and was too poor, besides, to think of establishing myself in large city, I was very well content to remain there, for a while at least.
 "There were several churches in the town, but at the time of which 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 short trip and announced that he had found the very person. A Rev. MT. 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.
 "Wen, in due time MT. Ramsay ar rived and delivered discourse which, for eloquence and logic, have never heard excelled. You may be sure the church lost not a moment in engaging him, and they marveled much at their good luck, wondering that SO talented 8 man should wish to stay and bury his gifts in such small, obscure toVn.
 "The new acquisition speedily arose to the place of first favorite in the ranks of the ministers. His sermons fairly scintillated with briliancy, and we soon found that he certainly possessed re- markedly 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 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 cu- 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, thought the strangest thing concerning him was that he seemed never to hold communi- 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 a single message of any hnd.
 '.At 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 inti- 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 I asked no questions. Only once did he say something which might be construed as bearing upon the secret Twas convinced that he had. It was in this way:
 Ramsay had dropped into my office, and we fell to conversing about heredi- tary disease. It grew out of some cases Twas treating then. I don't remembe, 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 8 story he said and it will show you how many hves may be ruined by one such deed. The facts came to my knowledge years ago. Once there was a boy-never mind hii name-who, his friends said, showed e1 ceeding great promise in his youth. Hi mother, a widow, SC emed utterly wrapped up in him. She travelled with him il foreign lands, sent him to the fines schools and spared neither pains nor ex pense to improve the talents nature hat bestowed upon him. He was hopefu and happy, and one thing only troubled him-he used often to wonder about hi father, whom he couldn't remember, ant his mother was reticent upon that poin and replied to all his questions scantily and vaguely.
 They were living in England at th time, having come there from America after the fathers death, and being i, easy circumstances financially the futur looked very bright and glowing indeed.
 "'In due time the young fellow grad uated from the university with higl honors, and soon after became engaged to 8 baautiful girl. He had long bee1
 destined to enter the ministry-a wor
 for which his taste and abilities bes
 fitted him-and immediately upon hi
 marriage he was to settle down in chasg
 of parish at some distance from ni
 home. There was but one drawback i
 happiness. His mother, although st
 consented to the betrothal, did not see1
 to feel the pleasure in it that he coul
 have wished. But he put it all down
 her grief at the prospect of parting wit
 him, and preparations for the weddin
 went on in the merriest fashion.
 ".But one morning there was 2
 aaaxm. Ths mothE was nta1g.1