Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-11-25

times to the Office p
aAnd You have never seen their
author r.
cThe last Of them Is dated, see, a
year ago 10 day
" Yes, yes. ialtered the banker, @ and
the time has come for another message.
This is the 9th Of August, 1857
81 see," said DIR. Hutton. " And this
is the secret Of your terrible excitement ).
You are expecting to receive to-day
another of these strange messages y
There was brief silence. Mrs. Preble's
hand futtered in its task, and her face
grew very pale. The banker breathed
gaspingly. The physician regarded them
both in friendly sympathy.
" We shall hear Of her again to-day"
said Mr.. Preble; anu what will the
message bel"
The mother averted her face. Her
brave heart falteed az that question
echoed in her soul.
&c The writer Of these letters is unques-
tionably the abductor Of your child y said
DIR. Hutton. Have you any suspicion
as to his identity q
" Not the slightest said Mr.. Preble
:" We have puzzled over the problem for
many years, bnt we cannot guess who he
is"
Think, d" said the doctor. Have you
no enemy 1 do not mean people with
whom you are not friendly-eTery stirring
man has plenty oftbese-but a downright
enemy Is there no man whom you knew
in the East who hated you? No one
against when You were called upon TO
testify-no one whom YOU possibly in
iured ?"
The banker shook las head. He had
asked bimseli all these questions rpeat-
edly
!: have no such enemy, doctor" he
answered with sincerity Of voice and
manner.
aAnd Mrs. Preble,' suggested the
doctor. turning TO her. ''Haye you 10
rejected fnitor who might be reyengefnl
enough 10 desolaie your homer
{" No" said the lady. g was married
early. Morton was my first lover"
!This h. strange-very strange y NUT
tered the doctor. 4" You are not conciou,
Of having an enemy in the world, and yet
you have an enemy - a hidden Toe "A
hend in human lorm-wbo 10 working out
against you fearful hatred And you
have not the slightest suspicion - 70
whom be is.p
Not the slightest declared lh'
banker.
& Not the slightest!.~ echoed Mr.. Pre-
be. +" Ny husband had a siep-brothel
who might have been capable of this IN
fanny but he IS dead"
The handwriting Is not familiar =
!" No. II IS merely rude scrawl, al
i yo- see. said the banker. " II suggests
noting except that j IS evidently dls
gmssG -
Again there wa 6 profound silence.
"Our child is seventeen years old now,
al length murmured Mrs. Prebie, her
voice trembling. " She is on the thresh
old Of womanhood No doubt, during al
these wears, she has yearned for ns, wher
ever She may be, as we have yearned TO
her.:'
:. But where Is she p asked The physi
cian-and now his voice was broken b.
his deep sympathy with the agonized pa
rents. :" Where can she be ?''
!" Heaven only knows" answered th'
mother q Perhaps in San Francisco-
perhaps in some rude hut in the interior
a,iiI. aanao obscure farmer, and under ;
name that IS not hers think her alb
ductor would have carried her 10 som'
lonely region Of the interior, among thu
valleys aud mountains. Yet | never se'
a young girl in the street without turning
I TO l1ek Il ker. I never hear girlisl
voice without listening eagerly, half fancy
Ing that may prove the voice Of my los
Jessie
/" Oh, plying heaven s.ghsd DR.
I Hutton, da.hing a food d tears from BIZ
eyes. VII this long agony never h
over
We hope .. and even believe 20,
answered Mrs. PEBBLE, with the frmnes
of al unfal;e-ing trust in God's mercy
g The lat mea.agc that We received from
our enemy seem 10 point 20 some kind o
7 change
Z True. = erted DR. Hutton, looking
al tie me "a IN question. 1t - unlike
The others. II says that his reward Il a
I hand lie means either that he intendi
10 marry yoir daughter, or that be intends
70 demand money of YOU for bringing he'
, Laci.-or both
We shall soon KNOW said Mrs. Pre-
/ BE. with forced caimues,. To-day wt
/ shall have another message, M doubt
What w.ll il be !
The banker turned rcstlessly on BIZ sofa
and his face grew even paler.
Whatever il *. let il come he muir
mureI " Anything can be borne better
/ than this awful suspense. Let II come
/ A. 4 his impatient words had precipI
! taied a crisis. step was heard on tbs
walk at this moment. and ring al the
front door followed.
Anolher message = breathe1 tht
banker
1 servant soon entered. bearing letter
which b" extended TO Mr. Pnehle, say
/ ing
/ K The bearer i ID he hall.
With an eager gaze, tine banker glanced
at the superscription Of the missiye
-" II i from MN = he faltered.
lie tore IN. envelope open.
Ii contained a slip Of paper, Of well
known shape and appearance, upon whicl
was scrawled a SINCE line, in an equal!
well known handwriting. which the bsnke
exhibited To his wife and the physician.
1 This line was az follows:
August Q. 1868. ~ sir I'sW o0R."'
4 shock Of wonder and horror shool
the three simultaneously
"Will call = cried NJ. Prebls, sisrtinl
10 his feet. and glaring wildly around.
:. Is coming here p cried Mrs. Preble
also arising.
1t seems So" said DIR. Hutton, hi
eyes again reverting to the message
= He will be here at six o'clock. and see
it is SIX already p
Even as he spoke, ,hs clock on tn
mantel piece commenced striking the ap
pointed hour, and at that instant heay,
footsteps resounded in the hall, approach