The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-23


what can be his motive. 1t seems incredible.
| If it was stated in novel many would not be
| lieve 1t. But truth is stranger than fiction. ~
Mrs. Preble drew from her husbands breast
pocket his notebook, opened 1t TO the proper
page, and presented 1t to the physician.
| Dr. Hutton adjusted his spectacles, glanced
| over the page, and then slowly read the group
of entries aloud. The entry the first year is as
| follows:
esAugust 8, 1855. Jessie, hG, ha Jessier'
\ And the next year IT Is
august o, 1855. Pour Jessie stu ices u"
And the next
sAugust 8, 1857. she IS in good Aanasp'
And the next
WAu1ust 8, 1858. .She Is soeU as ecer ~
And the next
sAugust 8, 1853. Sdio her SeSteTudVF'
And the next
~ aAuEust o, 1860. she Is orosctao rapsdsvi''
And the next
"AuSust 9, 1861. she oosstsFsres TO 90 toelai"
| And the next
august 9, 1862. I'se seen Aer G1eiHI''
And the next
~August 6, 1863. Shes oeco7nsag aoo1sss7a!'
And the neIt-
1AugusS 8, 1864. Y0kr oaSId IS p,rseea"
aAugnst 8, 1865. sac's sOpesser teom eOeri'
And the next
@August 9, 1856. sNe's really onnsmiaof'
And last year it is
0AuSust 8, 1867. M re,oa%d Is at AdNdi"
And what shall we get to-dayi
The physician looked up and fixed his
thoughtful gaze upon the beTeaved husband
and wife.
MHow did these messages come to you ?" he
demanded.
..Inyariably by post replied kr. Preble.
"Usually to the house, bat sometimes to The
ofice!"
WAnd you have never seen their author%
"NeVer!a
aThe last of them is dated, see, year ago
to5dayr'
"Yes, yes," faltered the banker, 'tand the
time has come for another message. rhis is
the 9th Of August, 1885,"
81 see,n said Dr. Hutton. "And this is the
!, seoret Of your terrible Excitement You are
expecting to receive to-day another Of these
strange messagesr'
hand futtered in its task, and her face grew
very pale The banker breathed gaspingly.
The physician regarded them both In friendly
awe s6all hear Of her again to-day" said
Mr. Prebe; "and what will the message bel"
The mother averte5 her lace. Her brave
heart faltered as that question )choed in her
soul.
ably the abcuctor OF your chld!" sold Or.
Hutton. "Have you any suspicion as TO hls
IDENTIFY"
"Not the slightest said Mr.. Preble. 1--WE
have puzzled over the problem for many years,
but we cannot guess who he is."
'SThink," said the doctor. "Have you no
enemy2 lido not mean people with whom you
are not otfriendy-every stirring man has plenty
Of these-but o 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-no one whom you possibly In
juredw
The banker shook his head He had asked
himself all these questions repeatedly.
81 have no such enemy, doctor" he answer
ed with sincerity Of voice and manner.
"And Mrs. Preble! ," suggested the doctor,
turning to her. "Have you no rejected suitor
who might be revengefGl enough to desolate
your homer
"No," said the lady. 81 was married early.
Morton was my first lover"
'"ThiS is strange-very stranger muttered
the doctor. "YOu are not conscious OF having
an enemy in the world, and yet you have an
enemy-a hidden foe--a fend in human form
who Is working out against you fearful
hatred And you have not the slightest sus-
picion as to whom he is!"
"Not the slightest" i" declared the banker.
.Not the slightestl" echoed Mrs. Preble.
'sMy husband had step p-brother who might
have been capable Of this infsmy-but he Is
dead"
-'IQ6 HauuWIlGu& uOL lhLullu
mo. 1t is Merely rude scraWl, as you
see," said the banker. ut suggests nothing
except that 1t is evidently disguised J"
Again there was q profound silence.
'Our child Is seventeen years old now, at
length murmured Mrs. Preble, her voice trem-
bling. "She Is on the threshold Of woman
hood No doubt, during all these years, she
has yearned for US, wherever she may be, as
we have year1ed for her !"
ttEpt yuharo fa ~ n, Qalxod the rhyaicQn-
and now his voice was broken by his deep
sympathy with the agonized parents. "Where
can she be p
"Heaven only knows, answered the mother.
"Perhaps in San FranciscO-perhapS In some
rude hut in the interior. with some obscure
farmer, and under name that is not hers
think her abductor would have carried her to
some lonely region of the interior, among the
valleys and mountains. Yet | never see
young girl in the streets without turning TO
look at her. never hear girlish voice with
out listening eagerly, half fancying that it may
prove the voice Of my lost Jessiew
"Ob, pity ng heaven = sighed Or. Hutton,
dashing mood Of tears from his eyes. "Wiil
this long agony Eever be over 2"
ave hope so. and even believe So" answer
ed Mrs. Preble, with the frmncss Ct an unfal-
tering trust In Gods mercy. "The last mes
sage we received from our enemy scoms To
point TO some kind Of change"
"True, assented DIR. Hutton, looking at the
message in question. ut is unlike the others
1t says that his reward is at hand Ho means
either that he intends to marry your daughter,
or that he intends to demand money OF you
for bringing her back-or both.'
1--WE shall soon know" said Mrs. Preble,
with forced calmneSs. To-day We shall have
another message, no doubt. What will 1t be!'
The banker turned restlessly on his sofa, and
his face grew even paler.
"Nhstever it is, let it conner he murmured.
"Anything can be borne better than this awful
suspense. Let 1t come !"
As ii his impatient words had precipitated a
crisis, q step was heard on the walk at this
moment, and a ring OF the front door followed.
Another messenger |" breathed the banker.
servant soon entered, bearing q letter,
which he extended t. Ar. Preble, saying:
"rhe bearer Is in the hail."
With an eager gaze, the banker glanced at
tho superscripton of the missive.
VT is from him n he faltered.
He tore the envelope open.
It contained slip OF paper, of weIl-knowl