Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-11-24


down"
DR.. Eutton drew up 4 chair and seated
himself, his face expressing the double
solicitude Of q friend and physician.
''You knew US fourteen years ago,
DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble. we lived
then where we do now, in a cottage on
the site Of this great mansion. There
were but the three of us-Helen and 1,
and our three-year old Jessie. And it
was fourteen years ago to-day that our
little Jessie was stolen from US"
81 remember it, =" said the doctor soft
ly- yet might She not have been lost,
Mr.. Preble? She went out TO play in
the garden, if Iremember rightly, and
was never seen by you again. She
might have strayed away
$50 we thought for a whole year, doc
tor" interrupted the banker. we new
er dreamed that she had been stolen
We searched everywhere for her, and
offered immense rewards for her recOv-
cry. I employed detectives, but all to
no purpose. When our little Jessie ran
down the steps into that fower-garden,
and he pointed to the front Of the house,
as if the earth had opened and swal-
lowed her up, we never saw her again u
"She must have found the gate open,
and wandered out, >" suggested DR.. Hut
ton. She might have strolIed down to
the waters and been drowned"
The banker fixed his burning eyes
upon the physicians face, and whisper
ed:
'I said we never saw the poor child
again. did not say we had not heard
of her. She was lost on the 9th of Au-
gust, 1854 For a year we thought her
dead. But on the anniversary Of our
loss we received a written message con-
cerning her."
"A message!' cried DR.. Hutton, start
ing.
"a mere scrawl-a single line in a
hand evidently disguised,' said the
banker. Here it is
He produced q dingy scrap of paper
from drawer in the table, and held ii
up to the view of she physician, who
read as follows:
august Q, 1855. Ja.s;s al, al! Jessie.
DR.. Hutton looked, with a puzzled air,
from the scrap of paper, which he turn.
ed over and over, to the countenance ot
the banker.
II can make nothing Of this" he de.
clared.
1T is merely a date, with the name o.
your lost daughter. Tt tells me moth,
ing"
''Nor did it us, at first said Mr.
Preble.
''Then that name and that date, with
the demon laugh connecting them, sci
us to thinking. A whole year we agon,
lied over the dreadful problem, and
then we received another message
which you shall Sec"
He thrust a second slipof paper, iden.
teal in shape and appearance with the
first, before the gaze ofDr. Hutton, who
read it aloud:
August 9, sc. Togr Jessie stiH lies
The physician started, as if electrified
"Ah! this is something gdeffnite-some
thing decisive" he muttered. TT con
WINGED you that your daughter was still
living
"Yes, DOCTOR" said Mr.. PrebIe. 'anC
]
every anniversary of that day ha
brought US some message. The dfsap
/ pearance of the child, mysterious as i
is, does not seem to me half so strange
as that the william who took her away
could contrive to communicate with u
every year since, and always on a par
ticular day-the anniversary of that OF
which she was stOlen-without bein!
able to discover who he is. And a still
greater wonder to me is what can be hi
motive. 1t seems incredible. If it wa
stated i'll a novel many people would no
believe it. But truth is stranger thai
fiction
Mrs. Preble drew from her husband
breast-pOcket his notebook, opened i
to the proper page, and presented it t.
the physician.
DR.. Hutton adjusted his spectacles
glanced over the page, and slowly reat
the group of entries aloud. The entr,
the first year is as follows:
'Aug. 9, 1855. Jessie aH, ali! Jc5sic!'
And the next year it is
"Aug. 9, '56. Your Jessie 8tjUHCe8.'
And the next
"Aug. 9, '57. She is il, good hands ?
And the next
"Aug. 9, '58. Sine IS ,rcH as ccerH'
And the next
"Aug. 8, '59. SaW her ye8tcrdayw
And the next
'tAug. 9, $50. She's growd'g rapidlyr
And the next
"Aug. 9, '61. Ssc continues to do 1cc1!'
And the next
"Aug. 9, '62. IRE seen hcr agamH'
And the next
"Aug. 9, '63. She's 5ccomisga romon!
And the next
"Aug. 9, 'G4. Your chHd is thfrtccoH'
And the next
"Aug. 9, IS. She's lo0clic,' thai, cncr ,
| And the next
"Aug. 9, '66. She's realty chmmiag'
And last year it is
"Aug. 9, 81. Hyrcl0ard IS at Hu,3d!'
And what shall we get to-day!
The physician looked up and fixed hi
thoughtful gaze upon the bereved huS
band and wife
/ 'How did these messages come t
you ~ he demanded.
Invariably by post, " replied Mr.. Pre-
bic. Usually to the house, but some
times to the office "
"And you have never seen their al
thOr?''
''Never!"
1.-THE last OF them is dated, see,
year ago to-day ~
eyes, yes" faItered the banker, IAN
the time has come for another mCssags
This is the 9th of Aug. 1861"
II see,7 DR.. Hutton. "And This
the secret Of your terrible excitement
( You are expecting to receive to-day Al
other Of these strange messages -
There was q brief silence. Mrs Pret
les hand fiuttered in its task, and h
face grew very pale. The banker breatl
ed gaspingly- The physician reghrd'