The Press., 1905-11-29

 deepen. But Jack, swimming in a SC, of bliss, was utterly oblivious to othe conditions. He was not selfish; h. was in love.
 One day he confided to his mothe the important news that Sibyl haC named the day. It was just thre' months ahead.
 That evening when he returned h. found Mrs. Pringle waiting for him It was no unusual thing for her to b, up when he came home, but to find he trembling and with a drawn, whit face and tear stained eyes was some thing to pierce him to the heart.
 Mother, dear" he cried, taking he in his arms, what is 1t? What ha happened?"
 Nothing has happened - that Is nothing new. It happened long tim' Igo I never had the courage to tel you. I must tell you now, and it 1! killing me-
 "Tell me, mother: tell mer'
 She rose from the chair where he haC gently placed her and took an envelope from the desk.
 Don't blame me, dear, for not show ing you this before. AS long as there seemed no immediate need of it why should I darken your life? I prayed that the time might never come, but now should be guilty woman if did not give you the letter. I found fl among your fathers papers after he died. He never told me about 1t. Ii has lain in that locked drawer eight years. WattI" as he started to oper the paper. Don't read 1t till you art in your own room. I have suffered enough tonight"
 He turned and tenderly kissed bel and went to his room.
 Hastily lighting the gas, he looked al the envelope. For Jack" was writer on 1t in his mothers writing, but the yellow sheet he took from it was in his fathers hand and ran thus:
 My Dear son--It is my duty to tell you though the telling tears my heart 1T twain, you must never marry. An ac cursed thing Is the inheritance of my family. Insanity invariably appears 1T the third generation. If the victim of thii curse remains unmarried 1t may no come until late in life, but it is a singular fact which has been a puzzle to the doc tors and scientific mon that marriage fl sure to hasten 1t and cause 1t to assume the most horrible form, which is always to murder the being most beloved.
 My great-grandfather killed the mother of his child when the babe was but two days old. My father attempted my moth IfR IoA Tho facts have never been made public, but know, and feel that must preserve you from becoming a murderer. You are tho third generation. For Gods sake, heed what have said! My poor boy! If only could have died before I had beer compelled to write these words.
 YOUR HEARTBROKEN FATHER.
 Jack Pringle sat for some time like one stunned. Then he took up the ter rible thing and read 1t again as one does hoping with a forlorn hope that there may. be some mistake or some loophole Of escape.
 But no, 1t seemed even more horrible than at first, since now the whole meaning Of his ruined life and what il must bring to her, the woman he loved better than his life, came over him with a crushing force, and lowing his face upon his hands his body shook with a mighty sob.
 In the morning 1t seemed that he could not meet his mother, but he forced himself to the ordeal, and both white, haggard and stricken, faced each other with silent pressure of the hand.
 After time she spoke, a world of entreaty In the question:
 "You do not blame me, my sonT
 Mother, you tried to save me from the misery of 1t. I know that, but II you had spoken before-before won her love-before brought this horror into her life"-
 "You were away, dear. You did moi tell me till you came back. How did know? I always thought 1t would be time enough when found you were beginning to care very much for some woman. When saw you so happy l. could not"
 It was hours before he could muster the courage to face Sibyl. When he finally did, she started with little cry of alarm.
 "Jack, what has happenedI Are you iur'
 For answer he put the letter in her hand.
 'T never knew this till last night. Read it. will wait for you in the gar den" He went slowly down the path. Dropping into a garden seat, he wait cd, knowing that her coming must be another agony.
 He heard her step upon the porch, her light tread upon the gravel walk
 The next instant her cheek was against his head and her arms were about him. My poor, poor boyy' she said.
 Dearest heart, that is like you. You don't speak of yourself. It is my mis- cry of which you think first. Oh, why couldn't I have known this before ] ever saw you? I would have carried away that one blessed moment-the memory of it-and never have brought my wretched self near you again"
 "But think how you would have robbed mel don't believe much in