The Forrest City times., 1891-01-30

high honors, and soon after became engaged to a beautiful girl. He had long been destined to enter the min. istry-a work tor which his taste and abilities best fitted him-and imme. dlately upon his marriage he was to settle down in charge of parish at some distance from his home. There was but one draw back to happiness. His mother. although she consented to the betrothal. did not seem to feel the pleasure in 1t 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 alnrm. The mother was issing- had disappeared in Il very unaccount. able mysterious manner. All the day they searched for her and just at night my hero, passing through some woods in a secluded part of the grounds, found her lying face down ward in shallow little pool ofwater there.
 ." Drowned herself during te mpor- ary alteration of the mind" was the verdict. and then it was the young man learned that insanity had been for generations back q 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 a private hospital in Amerlea-violentlv. hopelessly mad.
 Nell, 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 II the lunacy s!umbered in his veins 1t would surely awaken to curse their children. So he left her, and almost erazed with sorrow himself he sailed for America, where he still remains. 4 little while ago he heard that his betrothed was lead-kllled by the double shock of his disappearance and his mother x fearful and un time ly end.
 Can you wonder, continued Ram say in tone of subdued passion, that n species of bitterness often mlngles, half unconsc;ously, with his sorrow for his parents? And is it strange that he teels almost as if they had committed a crime in bring Ing him into existence, knowing as they did that he must perforee be dowered with the fatal, inevitable family curse?'
 This tale made a strong impress sion in my mind the young doctor resumed. At first l seriously ques- toned if Ramsay wasn't himself the hero of 1t. and though his appar- ent gayety led me to dismiss that thought, stiii l couldn't help feeling that the events he'd narrated had in some way produced lasting effect in his lie.
 "Well, matters wore quite tran quilly on tor a year or so. and Mir. Ramsay grew in the popular favor all the while. He was Il liberal fel- low, and his sermons were frequently rather unorthodox, but his flock worshipped him to such an extent that if he had dosed them with athe. ism they wouldn't have glumbled a bit. The girls were in love with him, every single one of them. but never did they find Il way to his heart. He resolutely declined to be drawn into Irritation, though he made himself agreeable to all the ,lamsei-. taught them German, played tennis and es- corted them to pienics with n gay impartlality very provoking to the sensiblities of the poor, anxious yonng creatures.
 "One morning as sat in the drug store talking Ramsay happened in and purchased Il package of rat poison. He mentioned casually that the mice were bothering him. and stood moment gossiping with care less good hnmor and then went out.
 That night the deacon with whom he was boarding came hurriedly to my office to summon me. Rev. Mr. Ramsay was taken very suddenly Ill. l put on my hat and coat and went to him at once, and somehow before I'd reached his bed side it flashed over me that he had swallowed the poison l saw him buy in the morn ing. The moment entered the room l knew that it was SO.
 He fingered three days, suffering horribly, but not n word would he say as to the motive ot his deed. Before he died he showed me a photo graph he wore upon his bosom-the picture of Il young woman and n child. each very beautiful and very like the the other. And he asked that it be buried with him, aud SO It was. The church gave him n most impos- ing funeral aud erected fine nonu- ment over his grave. and they have never ceased. l believe, to mourn their mysterious but dearly beloved minister. For n long while they sought to find out the secret of his lie, bnt the minutest inquiries failed to reveal a single fact. With char ncteristic iorethought he had de- stroyed his papers. leaving nothing that would throw light upon his former history.
 ''l often recall him even now" add. ed the young doctor. and can't help wondering il he was not the hero of the strange tale he told me. And in that case was he insane when he killed himself. or did he do it be cause of griai for his hetrothelp Who then was the child whose portrait he wore upon his breast?
 .sSn,netipas I fancy that Ina had