The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1869-11-25

II remember 1t, said the doctor softly
), "Yet might she not have been lost, Mr.
Preble? She went out to play in the gar
den, if l remember rightly, and was neve
:, away"
$50 we thought for whole year, doctor,
e interrupted the banker. 1--WE never dreamed
t that she had been stolen. We searched
1 everywhere for her, and offered immense
rewards for her recovery. employed detec
t tives but all to no purpose. When ouI
!. little Jessie ran down the steps into thai
, lower-garden," and he pointed to the from,
of the house, "as if the earth had opened
! and swallowed her up. we never saw hel
again."
7 "She must have found the gate open, and
wandered OUT suggested DIR. Hutton
''She might have strolled down to the waters
and been drowned"
The banker fixed his burning eyes upon
! the physicians face, and whispered:
81 said we never saw the poor child again,
l did not say we had not heard of her. She
was lost on the 9th of August. 1854. For a
niversary of our loss we received a written
message concerning her."
"A message" cried DR.. Hutton, starting.
"a mere scrawl-a single line in a hand
evidently disguised, said the banker. Here
it is"
He produced dingy scrap of paper from
a drawer in the table and held it up to the
view of the physician, who read as follows:
| August 9, 1855. Jessie, ha, ha JESSIE
DR.. Hutton looked, with a puzzled air,
from the scrap of pape:, which he turned
over and over, to the countenence of the
banker.
81 can make nothing of this, he declared.
sit is merely date with the name of your
! lost daughter. 1t tells me nothing
| ''Nor did it tell US, at first" said Mr.. Pre-
| bic. "Then that name and that date, with
the demon laugh connecting them, set US to
thinking. whole year we agonized over
the dreadful problem. and then we received
another message, which you shall see.
He thrust a second slip of paper, identical
in shape and appearance with the first, be-
aloud
August 9, 1856. Four Jessi. still tjrsS.''
The physician started as if electrified.
''Ah this is something defnite-some-
thing decisive" he muttered. at convinced
you that your daughter was still living"
Eyes, DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble, land every
anniversary of that day has brought us some
message. The disappearance of the child, |
mysterious as it is, does not seem to me half |
strange as that the villain who took her |
away could contrive to communicate with US |
every year since, and always on particular |
day-the anniversary of that on which she |
was stolen-without our being able to discover |
who he is. And still greater wonder to me |
is what can be his motive. 1t seems incredi- |
BILE. If it was stated in a novel many people |
would not telieve it. But truth is stranger
that felton,"
Mrs. Preble drew from her husband breast |
pocket his notebook, opened it to the proper
page, and presented it to the physician.
nr Hinton Tod his Spact c,la
over the page. and then slowly read the group
of entries aloud. The entry the first year is
as follows:
august 8, 1855. Jessie, la, hal Jssie'''
And the next year it is
august 3, 1856. -FOUR Jessie stiH Iires'''
And the next
August ., 1857. She is ii, good hands r
..Aagusa 9, 1855. She is ,reR as erer~'
..Aueust 9, 1859. Isa.y hs, ysstegclay,''
And the next
..August 8, SEQ. She gro,cf,g rapidly!"
And the next
august Q, 1861. Sic continues to do
And the next
s.August .. 1864. Ere seen her again'''
And the next
s.Augu.t 9, 1863. Shes becoming a
CONAN ~
.'Ausust 3, 1854. -Four child is a,irteen.''
August 9. 1865 She's lorslisr than
erer -
And the next
august 9. 1866. Shes really ch.arming,''
.sAugnst ., Is67. Ny rsruard is at
handt'
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 author ::
'The last of them is dated, see, year
ago to-day y
Eyes, yes," faltered the banker, land the
time has come for another message. This is
the 9th of August, 1865" |,
Il see," said DR.. Hutton. "And this is
the secret of your terrible excitement! You
are expecting to receive to-day another of
these strange messages!
There was brief silence. Mrs. Preble's
hand futtered in its task, and her face grew
very pale. The banker breathed gaspingly. 5
The physician regarded them both in friendly
sympathy. n
ave shall hear of her again to-day" said
Mr.. Preble; land what will the message bes'
The mother averted her face. Her brave
heart faltered as that question echoed in her .
soul.
1.-THE writer of these letters is unquestiona-
bly, the abductor of your child" said DR.. r
Hutton 'Have you any suspicion as to his i
IDENTIFY
ssNot tho sl;obtest said Mr. Preble ave
have puzzled over the problem for many
years, but we cannot guess who he is"
think" said the doctor. "Have you no
.nemv> do not mean people with whom