The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-20

II left you only for moment, Morton,'' she said,
advancing to the bankers side. "You were doing,
! think. wished to send for the doctor.n
she was beautiful woman OF some six and thirty
years graceful, with broad white brows and loving
sunshiny nature were stl perceptble, under GRIEF
ana anxiety no less poignant than that evlnced by
1.-THE doctor ~ he echoed, half reproachfu,,y.
yes dear" she said, 10 a calm and cheerful voice
as sne drew chair 10 the side Of the sofa ana sat
down, stroking the corrugated forehead OF the in
valid with magnetic touch, The will be here i'm
mediately. Your last nervous crisis alarmed me.
You may become seriously Ill W
Mr. Preble bestowed an afrectiOnate look upon his
wife, bus said despondently:-
THE doctor He cannot minister to mind
diseased y Oh. II these long hours would only pass
II only knew what the day has yet in store for US p
Look up Morton, " enioincd Mrs. Preble, with
window at the blue sky, and as II looking beyond
the azure clouds therein. "Let us appeal from the
injustice and wicKedness OF earth TO the goodness
and mercy OF Heaven"
The banker gave low, sobbing sigh.
81 cannot look up, Helen" he answered with a
passionate tremor IN his voice; "Ony down, down at
the grave that Is opening before meo
Mrs. Preble continued to stroke his forehead
softly while she lifted her pale face to the sunlight
streaming into the apartment.
"Look up Morton; always look up" she again
enloined upon The invalid. "Durng all these four
teen years OF agony nave not once doubted either
the goodness Or the justice OF Heaven. BLESSED
they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.'
we have mourned, ana that we shall come to q
glorious day OF JOY beyond all this long night Of
bUrTOW.H
The face OF the invalid lighted up with an answer.
Ing glow, ana he murmured:--
"Glorious faith MY wife, you are indeed bless.
ed comforter Perhaps, after all. you are right p
A knock resOunded on a side door ut tins juncture
and the next moment Or. Hutton the family physi-
clan, for whom Mrs. Prebe had sent. entered the
room.
He was an old man. portly in figure, with white
hair ana beard, but with fresh and ruddy com.
plexion pair OF shrewd blue eyes, and with an
uberant boyishness Of manner that sat well upon
him. He had kind heart and clear head. He
approached the sofa after greeting the husband and
wiIe and lifted the thin restless hand OF the invalid
feeling his pulse.
"Qlte a high fever" he said, after brief pause
"Worryng again. eh, Mr.. Prebieq You are wearing
yourself out. Medicine VIII do you no good SO long
as your mind Is In Its present condition. must
mot now, doctor,n interposed the banker: ~
cannot-must not-sieep to-day | need to be broad
awake now, for cannot tell at aay moment what
the next may bring forth. l am looking for the cul
minat.on OF oil my years Of anguis-for the crown
ing agony Of, Of the whole Perhaps even now An,
He started up wildly, ana then, as the sound that
mad disturbed him was not repeated he sank back
again on his cushions pallid and painting.
the doctor looked at Mrs PreDle with an anxious,
questioning glance.
at is the anniversary" she replied to his unspoken
inquiry, "the anniversary or our oSs.n
"Ah, yes" said the doctor. ~ remember"
eyes. It's another OF those terrible days. cried the
banker, In hollow Whisper "Sit down, doctor,
and VIII tell you the whole story, | can think OF
nothing else to-day, and am almost wild with appre-
hension and anxiety. Sit down"
DR.. Hutton drew up chair and seated himself,
his face expressing the double sollctude OF friend
and physician.
Mr.. Prebie. "We lived then where we do now in a
cottage on the site or this great mansion. There
o OF nd ws na
ago to-day that our little Jessie was stolen from
us.n
II remember IT, said the doctor softly. "Yet
might she not have been lost Mr.. Predict She
went out to play In the garden. II remember
rgt aad was never seen by you again. she
$50 we thought for whole year, DOCTOR" inter-
rnpted the banker; 1--WE never dreamed that she
and offered immense rewards for her recovery. |
employed detectives, but all TO no purpose. When
garden" and he pointed to the front OF the house,
"as If the earth had opened and swallowed her up.
we never saw her again"
dered out" suggested Or. Hutton. 'She might
have strolled down to the waters and been
The banker fixed his burning eyes upon the ply.
sclans face, and whispered
"a SAID we never saw the poor child again. did
not say we had not heard OF her. She was lost on
the 9th OF August 1854. For year we thought her
dead But on the anniversary OF our loss we received
written message concerning her,"
"a message ~ cried DR.. Hutton starting.
mere s ssH ioe single ns IN aaa5 evidently
He produced aingy scrap Of paper from drawer
In the table and held it up to the view OF the ply
stefan, who read as follows:-
''Adgust y, 1855 Jessie, ha, ha Jessie.'
DIR. Hutton looked with a puzzled air from the
scrap OF paper, which he turned over and over, to
the countenance OF the banker
81 can make nothing OF this,n he declared. at is
merely date with the name OF your lost daughter.
1t tells me n0thng.n
.'Nor did 1t US at nrst,r said Mr.. Preble. "Then
that name and that date, with the demon laugh
Meeting them, Set us to thinking. whole year we
aUonized over the dreadful problem, and then we
received another message, which you shall see.'
He thrust second slip Of paper, identical In shape
and appearance with the FIRST before the gaze OF Dr.
Hutton, who read IL aloud
august Q, 1855. Your Jessie still lives"
The physician started. as If electrified.
"Ah7 this is something denDite-something deci
sive." he muttered 1T convinced you that your
daughter was still living"
'Yes, DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble; "and every ami.
versary Of that day has brought us some message
The disappearance OF the child mysterious as Is,
lain who took her away could contrlve to communi-
cate with us every year since, and always on par
ticular day-the anniversary Of that on which she
he Is. And still greater wonder to me is what can
be his motive. 1t seems Incredible II It was stated
N y stranger p than not oeeSe " nu'
Mrs. Prebie drew from her husbands breast
pocket his notebook. opened 1t to the proper page
DR.. Hutton adjusted ms spectacles glanced over
the page, and then slowly read the group OF entries
aloud The entry the first year is a. folows:-
august Q, 1855. Jessie, ha, ha9 Jessie =,
And the next year 1t is
August 0. 1860. Your Jessie stiIl lives y,
And the next
August 0. 1867. She is in good hands p
And the next
august Q, 1858. She Is well as ever y,
And the next
august Q, 1859. l saw her yesterday -
And the next
august Q, 1850. She's growing rapidlyr
And the next
august o, 1851. She continues to do well y,
And the next
august Q, 1862. I've seen her again y,
And the next
august O. 1869. She's becoming woman ~
And the next
"August o. 1884. Your child Is thirteen "a
And the next
august 0, 1865. She's loveller than ever ~
And the next
august g. 1864 She's really charmingr'
And last year II is
august o. 1857. My reward is at hand ~
And what shall we get today
The physician looked up and fixed his thoughtful
gaze upon the bereaved husband ana wife.
"How dld these messages come to you ~ he de-
manded.
nInyarIahu hy most rnnlied Mr. Prehle. MITsnallv