Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-12-03

"August 8, 1866. Shes really caarm'ing!''
WAugHst o, 1897. Kyre,card Is athand!''
| And what shall we get today
The physician looked up and fixed his thought
| full gaze upon the bereaved husband ard wife
"How did these messages come to you p ne &C.
Invariably by post" replied Mr.. PEBBLE. .'Usu-
ally to the house, but sometimes to the offcel"
"And you have never seen their author!
"Neverl''
"Ths last of them is dated, see, year ago to-
dayy -. ;, e,,+o,oa ,ns ,.n,er :. and the time
has come for another message. This is the 9th OF
August, 1858 ~
cret of your terrible excitement You expect
ing to receive to-day another of these strange mes
sagssl'
futtered in its task and her face grew very pale.
The banker breathed gaspingly The physician re-
garded them both in friendly sympathy ;, o;a ~.
! Preble; land what will the message be "
The mother averted her face. Her brave heart
faltered as that question echoed IN her soul.
1.-THE writer of these letters is unquestlonabiy
the abductor of your child'' said DR.. Hutton,
Have you any suspicion as to his IDENTIFY W. ,
| puzzled over the problem Tor many years, Dut we
Think, said the doctor Have you no enc
my? do not mean people with whom you are not
| friendly-every stirring man has plenty OF these
but downright enemyl Is there no man whom
you knew in the East who hated you? No one
1 against whom you were called upon TO Jcstlly-no
| one whom you possibly injured?'
The banker shook his head. He had asked him
self all these questions repeatedly.
8 l have such enemy, DOCTOR" he answered
with sincerity of voice and manner
land Mrs. Preble p suggested the doctor, turn
| ing to her. Have you no rejected sutton who
might be revengeful enough to desoate your
| homer
mo" said the lady, 81 was married early.
Morton was my first loverr'
g This is strange-very strange u muttered the
| doctor. 6 You are not conscious OF having an
| enemy In the world and yet you have all enemy-a
hidden foe-a fend in human form.-who is working
out against you fearful hatred! And you have not
| the slightest suspicion as TO whom he is! r
Not the slightest declared the banker ..,
husband had a step brother who might have been
capable of this infamy-but he is deadl
1.-THE handwriting is not famiiar?' .
mo. 1t is merely rude scrawi as you see,
said the banker. ut suggests nothing-except
that it is evidently disguisetln
Again there was profound silence.
"Our child is seventeen years old now" at
length murmured Mrs. Preble, her voice trembling
Isle is ON the threshold of womanhood. No
doubt, during all these years, she has yearned for
herr =
but where is she?" asked the physican-and
his his voice was broken by his deep syn pa
g Heaven only knows,' answered the mother.
&c Perhaps in San Francisco-perhaps in some rude
hut in the interior, with some obscure farmer and
under name that is not hers l think her alb
ductor would have carried her to some lonely re-
gion Of the interior, among the valleys and noun
tains. Yet never see yOung girl in the streets
without turning to look at her. 1 never hear a
girlish voice without listening eagerly, half fan
cying that it may prove the voice of my lost
Jessie ~
''Oh, plying heavenl' sighed DR.. Hutton, dash
ing flood of tears from his eyes. "Will this long
agony never be Over?'
We hope so, and even believe. SOL answered
Mrs. Preble. with the firmness of an unfaltering
trust in Gods mercy, 1.-THE last message we re-
ceived from our enemy seems to point to some
,'True,'' assented DR.. Hutton, looking at the
message in question. at is unlike the others.
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 it be?'
The banker turned restlessly Oh his.sofa, and his
"Whatever it is, let 1t comet" he murmursd.
Anything can be borne better than this awful
suspense. Let it Gomez"
AS if his impatient words had precipitated a
crisis, a step was heard on the walk at this
moment, and ring at the front door followed.
Another message !, breathed the banker '11s ,o,,
"The bearer is in the hail.
With an eager gaze, the banker glanced at the
| superscription of the mssive.
8 1t is from him!' Re faltered.
He tore the envelope open.
1t contained slip of paper, of well-known
| shape and appearance, upon which was scrawled
| single line, in an equally wellknown hand
writing which the banker exhibited to his wife and
| the physician.
This line was as follows:
august g. 1868. 1t sic IaDiU call ~
| "A shock of wonder and horror shook the three
| simultaneously.
'Wil call Fl cried Mr.. Preble, starting to his feet
! and glaring wildly around
| 'Is coming here?" cried Mrs. Preble, also
| arising
sit seems so,'' said Dr. Hutton, his eyes again
revertng to the message & He will be here at six
| O'Clock, and see it is six alreadyl''
| Even as he spoke, the clock on the mantel-piece
| commenced striking the appointed hour, and at
that instant heavy footsteps resounded in the hall,
| approaching the library.
ut is he - cried the DOCTOR also arising.
AS the last stroke of the hour resounded, the
| door leading from the hall again opened.
| One long and Mortified glance cast the banker
and his wife in that direction, and then she fell
heavily to the floor.
| az specimen chapter; but the continuation of
this story will be found only in the N. Y. Ledger.
| Ask for the number dated December 4th, which
can be had at any news office or bookstore. If you
are not within reach of a news Office you have
| the Ledger mailed to you for one year by sending
| three dollars to Robert Bonner publisher, 1872
| William street, New York. The Ledger pays more
for original contributions than any other periodical
| in the world. 1t will publish none but the very,
very best. Its moral tone is the purest, and its
circulation the largest. Every body who takes it is
happier for having it. Leon Lewis, Mrs. Harriet
Lewis, Mrs Southworth, Mr.. Cobb, Professor Peck,
Mary Kyle Dallas, Fanny Fern and Miss Dupuy will
write only for the Ledger hereafter.
Mr.. Bonner, like other leading publishers, might
issue three or five papers and magazines; but he
prefers to concentrate all his energies upon
one, and in that way to make it the best. One
Dexter is worth more than three or five ordinary
horses.
One science only can one genius fit,
n mat 10 n hTT,a nxyif