The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-01-02

deed. The facts came to my knowl-
edge years ago. Once there was q
boy-never mind his name-who, his
friends said, showed exceeding great
promise in his youth. His mother,
q widow, seemed utterly wrapped up
in him. She travelled with him in
foreign lands, sent him to the finest
schools and spared neither pains nor
expense to improve the talents ma
ture had 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, and his
mother was reticent upon that point
and replied to all his questions scant-
lily and vaguely.
They were living in England at
the time, having come there from
America after the fathers death, and
being in easy circumstances financi-
ally the future looked very bright
and glowing indeed.
In due time the young fellow
graduated from the university with
high honors, and soon after became
engaged to a beau titul girl. He had
long been destined to enter the min
istry-a work for which his taste and
abilities best fitted him-and imme-
diately upon his marriage he was to
settle down in charge of a parish at
some distance from his home. There
was but one drawback to happiness.
His mother, although she consented
to the betrothal, did not seem to feel
the pleasure in it that he could have
wished. But he put it all down to
her griet at the prospect of parting
with him, and preparations for the
wedding went on in the merriest
fashion.
"'But one morning there was an
alarm. The mother was mi ssing-
had disappeared in a very unaccount-
able mysterious manner. All the day
they searched for her and Just at
night my hero, passing through some
woods in secluded part of the
grounds, found her lying face down.
ward in q shallow little pool of water
there.
"Drowned herself during te mpor-
airy alteration of the mind" was
the verdict, and then it was the
young man learned that insanity
had been for generations back a he
reditary trait in his mothers family.
Then, also, was he told the real truth
about his father, and he found that
that father was not dead, but was
incarcerated in q private hospital in
America-violently, hopelessly mad.
"Well, you can understand how
he felt, or, rather, you can't compre-
bend it. The girl that he loved was
true to. him, but how could he mar
ry her knowing what he did? Even
If the lunacy slumbered in his veins
it would surely awaken to curse their
children. So he left her, and almost
crazed with sorrow himself he sailed
for America, where he still remains.
A little while ago he heard that his
betrothed was dead-killed by the
double shock of his disappearance
and his mothers fearful and un time
~ end.
"'Can you wonder, continued Ram
say in a tone of subdued passion,
that species of bitterness often
mingles, half unconsciously, with his
sorrow for his parents? And is it
strange that he feels almost as if
they had committed a crime in bring
ing him into existence, knowing as
they did that he must perforce be
lowered with the fatal, inevitable
family cursor
"This tale made a strong impress
sion in my mind" the young doctor
resumed. "At first / seriously ques.
toned if Ramsay wasn't himself
the hero oft, and though his appar-
emit gayety led me to dismiss that
thought, still couldn't help feeling
that the events he'd narrated had in
some way produced a lasting effect
in his life.
"Well, matters wore quite tran
gully on for year or SO, and Mr..
Ramsay grew in. the popular favor
all the while. He was a liberal fell
low, and his sermons were frequently i
rather unorthodox, but his flock
worshipped him to such an extent
that if he had dosed them with athe.
ism they wouldn't have grumbled
bit. The girls were in love with him,
every single one of them, but never
did they find a way to his heart. He
resolutely declined to be drawn into
Irritation, though he made himself
agreeable to all the damsels, taught
them German, played tennis and es-
corted them to picnics with gay
impartiality very provoking to the
sensibilities of the poor, anxious
young creatures.
zone morning as sat in the drug
store talking Ramsay happened in
and purchased a package of rat
poison. He mentioned casually that
the mice were bothering him, and
stood a. moment pOssininr with "a re.