Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-11-23

ot'No,S" said the lady Il was married
early.5 Morton was my first leverjss y7r
This is strange-yery ssraagc !.'lI1mqt-
tered the doctor. ''You are not conscious
Of having. an enemy tiis World and yet
you haye an epemy7-a adden,for--a fend
in human form--,who workingoutagainst
you u fearful hatred. And you have hot
the slightest suspicion as to whom he is ?"
"Not the slightest, declared the bank.
er." ..-, ofg,..r.
mot the slightcst.n' echoed Mrs. Pre-.
bic. my husband had a step-brother Who
might have been capable of this infamy--
he is dead !" ''' 7'
"1'he handwriting is not familiar 2"
"No. 1t is merely rude scrawl, as
you see" -s1 said the banker at suggests
nothingz7except that it is evidently dis
guised ~ .....-,,.. t......-.l....;
Again there i4Tiaa a profound silence.
.
"0ur child is seventeen years Old now
at length murmured Mrs, .Preble. her
voice trembling. ''She is on the thresh-
hold Of womanhood.. No doubt, during
all these years, she has yearncd for US,
wherever she may be, as. We have yearlcd
for herr r.t.,....
"But where is she 2" asked the phys
ician7-and now his voice was broken by
his deep sympathy With the agonizcd par
ents. Where can she be y A.
''ilesysn only Knows" answered the
mother. "Perhaps in San Francisco.
perhaps in some rude hut in the interior,
with some obscure farmer, and under a
name that is not hers I think her alb
ductor would have carried her to some
lonely region of the interior, among the
valleys and mountains. Yet l never see
young girl in the streets without turn
ing to look at her l never hear girl
isl voice without listening eagerly, half
fancying that it may preyc the voice of
my lost Jessie !" ,s.t.-.. .........
"Oh, plying heaven! sighed DR.. Hut
ton, dashing food of tears from his eyes,
"WiIl this long agnoy never be over?"
ave nope SO, and even believe SO, )" ans
wered Mrs. Preble, with the frmness of
an unfsltering trust in Gods mercy. ''The
last messake we received from our enemy
seems to point to some kind of a change"
True" assented DR.. Hutton, looking
at the message in question, "It is unlike
the others. 1t says that his reward is at
hand" He means either that he intends
to marry your daughter Or that heintends
to demand money of you for bringing her
back---or both" sas8
awe shall soon, know, said Mrs. Pre-
bic, with forced calmiess. ''To-day we
shall have another message, no doubt
What will it be y sauss Mml1l ltar
The banker turned restlessly Cn his
sofa, aid his face grew even paler.
nWhatever it is, let it come!" he mur.
mured.l Anything can be borne better
than this awful suspense. Let it come!'
As if his impatient words had precipi.
tated n crisis, q step was heard on the
walk at this moment, and q ring at the
front door followed. sfi ma7 5ate
eAuother message p brcathed the bank
er. --.y ra.3. 'B7gs "a.
A servant soon entered, bearing let
ter, which he extended to MIR. Preble.
saying: ora5 s47m 7 .dsa vq 7r
! THE bearer is in the Hall.""or a
| With an eager gaze, the banker glanc
ed at the superscription Of the missive.
1T is from him!" he faltereds 70.
lie tore tie envelope open. iI iea
II contained a slip Of paper, Of Veil
known shape and appearance, upon which
was scrawled a single line, in an equally
@ell-knowf handwriting, which the bank
er exhibited to his wife and the phys:
clan. ,,.r. ,,.. gc,s ,,ty,o} o,r
This line was as follows: ,t.. ID, d,
| August 8. 1868, At six will call, y
A shock of wonder and horror shool
the three simultaneously.
/ "Willcall,p cried MIR. Preble, starting
to bis feet, and glaring wildly around.
| sis coming here p cried Mrs. Preble
also arising. a.1no ar.l la7,ss r
cit seems so," said DIR. Hutton, hi
eyes again reverting to the message. i''H
will be here at six o'clock, and sec it
six already y , si.lr ag tle e.
Even as he spoke, the clock on I'll
mantel-plcce commenced striking the ar
pointed hour, and at that instant heav
footsteps resounded in tho hall, approach
ing the. library. F.l W 9mai
TT is he ~ cried the doctor, also ari
ing ssys 7a s,al.e emG H
I AS the last stroke Of the hour resount
led, the door leading from the ball agai
, opened. Ia
: One long and horriied glance cast u
banker and his wife in that direction, al
IN q u