The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-07
AT THE THIRTEENTH STROKE
By strand c. Bullet.


 By Strand c. Bullet.
 (Copyright, 1906. by Daily Story Pub Col
 Among the papers found by the law yers of John vereken. an old man who recently died, was the following: I am about to write down things at which most men will seoff, but they are true, and I pray God that no one will have to go through what l have endured for thirty years, This | Is the story of my life: s I, John Vereken, was born in the year 1908, in Yorkshire. My father, SquEe Vereken, was a kind and in dulgent' man. but I noticed that ut in | tervals, a moroseness came over him and lasted for two or three days. l often wondered at these fits of mel ther, and he vouchsafed no explana- ! tion. My mother l never knew. She died when I was born. Would to God that l. too, had followed her. I passed the usual uneventful life of the country squires son until I was only human, I fell in love. The ob- ject of my affections was the daugh- ter of our neighbor, Squire Derrick. Lucy Derrick was beautiful and l loved her devotedly.
 My love was returned and the hap piest moment of my life was when l Lucy btTIick lO DGCDlll6 uly wife. Her father offered no objection | to our union. and we set the wedding day for my twentyfirst birthday. | It was just a month before our wedding day. Lucy had gone to Lon don to produce that finery with which girls love to deck themselves, and her 1 kisses were still warm on my lips. It was a fine autumn day, the early morning frost, but the monday as warm as summer. Everything seemed to breath peace and love. I was so filled with the pleasure ot living that as. soon as Lucy was safely off, ,lgot my best horse and gallOned several miles across the country. stopped for dinner with q friend and did not start home until late. The weather had changed and it was cold and rainy 4 heavy wind was rising. It would be q fearful night and was glad when I got to the warmth of the dTawing-room fire.
 was sitting there. listening to the moaning of the wind and the pat ter of the, raindrops. and thinking of Lucy, when servant entered the room and said my father wanted to see me He had taken suddenly i'll and was in his bedrom.
 I arose hastily and started for the Iroom, for this was tho first intimation I had had of his illness. Just as opened the door, I heard q heavy booming sound like some immense Ichurch bell tolling for a funeral The Isound was so unoanny that l started land gave d quick glance around me My eyes fell upon my fathers features land I never saw such change in any lone as had taken place in his face. In place of the usual calm expression his face was so distorted that l could lScarcely recognize him. His eyes were lwide open and staring; his tongue lol- lied cut like a dogs on a hot day, and Inc frothed at the mouth There Was such an expression of utter horror on his features that pen can not begin to ldescribc it.
 I hastily ran to his side and. forced some brandy through his clehched teeth. This seemed to revive him some what and he motioned to me to open lthe drawer of his secretary. l did SC land found q paper addressed to mySeiI He glanced at it and made teebIe effort to nod his head. The next mo lment the froth again ran from his mouth and his whole body shook with convulsions. He half rose from the bed. gasped and fell back. My father was dead. and with that horrible eX' pression stil up on his face.
 The per was still in my hands and mechanically. | untolued IT. rms l' what l read
 "ro my son, John Vereken:--I ad- Idress these words tO you, as it were from the grave, and I trust that yot will forgive my great sin. There is , curse in our family and l, poor, weak fool. have transmitted it to you, Vol no doubt. heard the sound of the bel when l died l will tell you the story of it.
 your great grandfather-my grand father was of q generous but hastN nature. He was quick to strike, anC as quick to repent of the blow. Hi.
 Frfa RirbArd RAsSmnn whose family deid with him. My grand father loved Richard as d brother, The! were always together But one da! they quarreled and Richard BassmaI was shot by grandfather He died in stantly My grandfather was so struci , with horror at the deed that he trie' to kill himself but friends prevented thn act Richard Eastman was buriel