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

|~- Il I'D you ever bump
k.\A up against an in
III LA v dividual who baffled
lyour curiosity by
k-z1 "a drawing q veil of Sc
| EMANh~ m,dE crecy over his past?"
tes@ - queried the young
s21=@@@ doctor, when it came
his turn to contribute story to the
general fund. II used to think" he
continued, that such characters
emanated solely from the fertile brain
of the fiction writer. But I was
mistaken. Not many years since I
formed the &C quaintance ola man
who was harder to make out than
the most ingenious creature of q
novelistcould possibly be. Aregular
human enigma in short, and he
wasn't obliging enough, you KIN ow,
to clear up the mystery before he
died either.
"It was early in the '8O's," began
the doctor, lighting a cigar, land I
had just finished my medical studies
and was trying to pick up little
practice in a pleasant village in the
southern part OF Wisconsin. Bust
ness didn't flourish by any means,
but as / had friends there, and was
too poor, besides, to think of estab-
fishing myself in a large city, I was
very we'll content to remain there,
for while at least.
"There were several churches in the
town, but at the time of which I
speak the Congregational pulpit was
empty. Numerous applications for
the position appeared, but none suit
ed until at last one of the trustees
arrived home after q 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 tray
cling for his health, had finally con-
sented to come out and preach a
trial sermon and to remain indefi-
nitely if his hearers were pleased.
"Well, in due time Mr.. Ramsay
arrived and delivered a discourse
which for eloquence and logic, have
never heard excelled. You may be
sure the church lost not a moment
in engaging him, and then marveled
much at their good luck, wondering
that SO talented man should wish
to stay and bury his gifts in such q
small, obscure town.
1.-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 pos
sessed @ remarkable 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 q
genial warm hearted fellow thatevery
body liked him at fret sight. They
couldn't help it.
But, as said, he never alluded to
his former life. For aught we knew
he might have been a bishop or q
highwayman, 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 curious about the previous re-
cord, and the touch of mystery
clinging to him only rendered him
more attractive to us. For my
part, l thought the strangest thing
concerning him was that he seemed
never to hold communication with
any body outside the town. A fellow
so engaging and companionable
must have made friends wherever
he went, and yet SO long as we knew
him he didn't receive one letter or
telegram from abroad-not single
message of any kind.
''At least, that is what the post
master and the depot agent said,
land these officials keep track of such
things in tile towns, you had bet
ter believe.
Ramsay and got to be quite in
innate after while, and many were
the walks and talks we enjoyed to-
Igether. 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 hearing upon the secret l was
convinced that he had. 1t was in
this way:
Ramsay had dropped into my Of
fee, and We fell to conversing about
hereditary disease. 1t grew out OF
some cases l was treating then. /
don't remember what. Rameay, in
is brilliant, earnest fashion began
oinveigh against neonle who mar