The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-11-25


er saw her again.
''She mast have found the gate open,
and wandered out" suggested DIR.
Hutton. "She might have strolled
down to the waters and been drown
ed"
The banker fixed his burning eyes
upon the physicians face and whis-
/ pered:
81 said we never saw the poor child
/ again. / did not say we never heard
| of her. She was lost on the 9th of Au-
! gust, 1854. Fora year we thought her
| dead. But on the anniversary of our
| loss we received a written message con-
corning her."
"a message!" cried DIR. Hutton,
starting.
|Amere scrawl-a single line in a
hand evidently disguised" said the
/ banker, "Here it is"
He produced a dingy scrap of paper
| from a-drawer in the table, and held 1t
| up to the view of the physician, who
read as follows:
AUGUST 9, 1855. Jessie, ho, ha =! .Jes-
sie."
DIR. Hutton looked, with "A puzzled
air, from the scrap of paper, which he
turned over and over, to the counte-
nance of the banker.
81 can make nothing of this" he de-
clared. 1T is merely date, with
the name of your lost daughter. II
tells me nothing"
''Nor did it us, at first,' said Mr.
Preble. ''Then that name and that
date, with demon laugh connecting
them, set us to thinking. A whole
year we agonized over the dreadful
problem, and then we received anoth-
er message, which you shall see."
He thrust a second slip of paper, l.
IDENTICAL in shape and appearance with
the first, before the gaze of DIR. Hut
ton, who read it aloud:
"AUGUsT 8, 1856, Your Jessie still
tires"
The physician started, as if electri-
fed.
"Ah! this is something definite
something decisive" he muttered. ut
convinced you that your daughter was
still living"
"Yes, DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble, "and
every anniversary of that day has
brought us some message. The dis
appearance of the child, mysterious as
it is, does not seem to me half so strange
as that the vallain who took her away
could contrive to communicate with us
every year since, and always on par
ticular day-the anniversary of that on
which she was stoleu-without our be-
ing able 70 discover who he is. And
a still greater wonder to me is what
can be his motive. 1t seems incredible.
If it was stated in a novel many peO-
pie would not believe it. But
| truth is stanger than felton,"
Mrs. Preble drew from her husbands
! breast-pocket his notebook, opened it
TO the proper page, and presented it to
the physician.
DIR. Hutton adjusted his spectacles,
| glanced over the page, and then slow
| ~ read the group of entries aloud
! The entry the first year is as follows:
AUGUST 8. 1866. Jessie, ha, hG ! JeS-
sic ~
And the next year it is
AUGUST 8, 1856. Your Jessie still
HUeS'
August 8, 1857. She is in good
| hands :"
august 8, 1858. She is aoeR as eu-
er. ~
] EAuu tllC uCAb-
august 9, 1859. Isow her yester-
dag ~
august 8, 1860. &e'sgro,oi,,g rap
idly ~
'AUGUsT 8, 1861. She continues to do
aCeIy :"
AUGUST 8, 1862. rre seen her a.
gain %
august 8, 1868. She's becoming a
3C0mdn."
AUGUST 1864. Your child is Mb-
teen :"
AUGUST 8, 1865. She's 1ovlier than
eUeF!'
And the next
AUGUST 9, 1866. She's really char
naiag."
/ And last year it is
AUGUST 8, 1867. Ny re,oard is al
hand -
And what shall we get to-day
The physician looked up and fixed
his thoughtful gaze upon the bereaved
husband and wife.
"HoW did these messages come to
you ?'' he demanded.
"Invariably by post" replied Mr..
Preble. Usually to the house, but
sometimes to the Office !"
"And you have never seen their au-
thor ?''
Never -
1.-The last of them is dated, | see a
year ago to-day ~
'tYes, yes" faltered the banker, ''and
the time has come for another mes
sage. This is the 9th of August, 1852
Il see, +" said DR.. Hutton. "And this
is the secret of your terrible excite
ment. You are expecting to res Give to-
| day another of these strange meSSages!'
! Their was a brief silence. Mrs. Pre-
ble's hand fiuttered in its task, and her
face grew very, pale, The banker
| breathed gaspingly. The physician re-
garded them both in friendly sympa-
thy.
1--WE shall hear of her again to-day"
said Mr.. Preble and what win the
message be ?h
The mother averted her face. Her
brave heart faltered as that question
echoed in her soul.
1.-The writer of these letters is un-
queStionably the abductor of your
| child ~ said DIR. Hutton. Have you
any suspicion as to his identity?"
mot the slightest, said Mr.. Preble.
1--WE have puzzled over the problem
for many years, but We cannot guess
| who he isl
Think said the doctor "Have
you no enemy? | do not mean peo-
pie with whom you are not friendly
every stirring man has plenty of these
but downright enemy! Is there
no man whom you knew in the East
who hated you? No one against
whom, you were called upon to testify
mo one whom you possibly injured ?"