Mower County transcript., 1869-12-02
!, / NM pao1 Ri; i; !: HONE
"Truth Stranger than Fiotion.' -

+ The interior of this house is even more
beautiful than its exterior, every apartment
being in its way gem ofmegnifcence and
Refinement.
The library especially realizes the most
perfect ideal of IN elegant and cultured
home.
And yet. at the moment We look in upon
him one August afternoon, IN he occu.
pied his library-the proprietor of all this
wealth appeared of all men the most mis-
erable.
He was Mr.. Morton Preble. for many
years leading banker of San Francisco.
| 1t was in vain that the broad bay-wintlOW
ut the south end Of the room had been op-
ened, giving ingress to the sunshine aud
fragrance of rare flowcrs-in vain that the
walls were lined with richly carved book
cases. aud paintings-in vain that the
couches and luxurtdhe chairs had been
gathered around him.
Ho was wraache6s
He lay Oh a sofa, in the depths of the
bay-window. the wreck. of once powerful
man. His figure was thin and gaunt; his
expression OF wofuf apf frehension; of har-
rowing anxiety, of dreadful expectancy.
1t was evident at = g}sncs that no merely
physical ailment Insaa him what he was.
by what withering tecret, by what des-
tzoying afnictinpr had be been thus agon-
lied +? thus haunsedfs1hus haunted? he so
noble and good he so wealthy and distin'
guished! psssssssss pssa;.sssss
As he moved restlessly upon his luxuri
GUS cushions the pfettH,clock on the man.
tel.piece struck Ave, every stroke seeming
to fall like hammer Upon the heart of the
nervous invalid.Sa IA aroused himself,
struggling ieeb'y to 9 sitting posture.
90, will this fatal day never, never pass?'
he murmured; ''nor bring us relief?'
Noticing with nervous start, that he
was alone, he touched bell upon a table
before him, and called:
'Helep, HelenfsNhQle are you?"
Before the echoes Of his voice had died
ont, a step was heard, and his wife entered
his presencqs ess.--ss-t
II left you only {or 81 moment, Morton. u
she said adtanci1G-to, the bankers side.
''You were dosing 4StAink. I wished to
send for the doctor.
She was bsantifshwoman, of some si1
and thirty years, graceful, with broad
white broYs, and loving eyes, in which
the brightness and sweetness OF sun
shiny nature were still .perceptible, under
q grief no lsss .po'gnA.t than thst evinced
ny ucE uubuHuOl-A<-,-~.
''The doeto13" he echoed. half re-
p'csfn'''1iE; sYes' 1skr, %,.he said in calm and
| side Of the sofa, md sat down, strokine
the corrugated forehead of the invalid with
a magnetic touch. h.''ae will be here i'm
mediately. Your last nervous crisis alarm
ed me. You may become seriously ILL.,"
Mr.. Preble bestowed an affectionate
look upon his wife. but said despondingly:
THE doctor He cannot minister to q
mind deceased! Oh, If these long hours
would only pass! If I only knew what the
day has yet in store for. us T.
'Lcok up, Morton" enjoined Mrs. Pre-
ble, with a reverently trustful glance up
ward through the open window at the blue
sky, and az. IL looking beyond the azure
clouds therein. ''Let US appeal from the
injustice and wickedness Of earth to the
goodness and mercy Ct Heaven !"
The banker gave . low, sobbing sigh.
II cannot look up, Helen" he answered,
with passionate tremor in his voice
''only down, down, at the grave that is
opening before me?"
':Look up, Morton, always look up!' she
again enjoined upon the invalid. '.During
all these fourteen years of agony have not
once doubted either the goodness or the
Justice Of Heaven Blessed are they that
mourn, or:they shallb comfoltAd. I be-
lieve that we shall yet rejoice more keenly
than we have mourned, and that We shall
come to glorious day beyond all this long
night of sorrow!'
The face of the invalid lighted up with
an answering glow, and he murmured:
''G!orious faith My wife, you are indeed
blessed comforter Perhaps you are right
after all!'
A knock resounded on side door at this
juucture, and the next moment DR.. Hutton,
the family physician, for whom Mrs. Pre-
BILE had sent, zehtered The room.
white hair and beard. but with fresh and
eyes, and with m exuberant boyishness OF
manner that sat we'll upon him. He had q
kind heart and clear head. Heapproach:
ed the sofa, after greeting the husband and
wife, and lifted the thin, restless hand OF
the invalid, feeling his pulse.
'Quite high fever, )" he said. after a
brief panse. "Worrrying again, eh, Mr..
Preble - You are wearing yourself out.
Medicine will do you no good 30 long as
your mind is in ito present condition. !
must give you An opiats"
"Not now, doctor, interposed the bank.
er. Il cannot-must not sleep to-day
I need to bo broad awake, ,now,f for I cannot
tell at any moment what the next may
bring forth. am looking for the culmina,
ton of all my years of anguish-for the
crowning agony Of the whole. Perhaps,
even now. Ah, what was that ?"
He started up wildly, and then, as the
sound that disturbed him was not repeated,
he saak again upon his cushions, pallid
and painting.
The dostor looked at Mrs. Preble with
an anxious, inquiring glance.
1T is the anniversary" shereplied to hif
unspoken question-''the anniversary o
our loss"
':Ah, yes" said the doctor. II remem
ber."
eyes, it's another of those terrible DAYS.
said the banker, in aho'low whisper. Isl
down, doctor, and will tell You the Who'll,
story, can't think of anything else to-day
and am almost wild with apprehension ant
anxiety. Sit down.
DR.. Hutton drew mp chair and seatet
himself, his face expressing the double sol
itude of friend and physician.
''You knew US fourteen years ago, doc
tor" said Mr. Prelle. I'VE lived the,
where We do now, in cottage on the sit,
of this great mansion. There were bu
three of us-Helen and ], and our three-yea
old Jessie. And Il was fourteen years ag'
to-day that our little Jessie was stolen from
us."
Il remember it, " said the doctor, softly
"Yet she might not have been lost, Mi
Predict She went out to plsy in the 90,
den, if remember rightly, and was neve
seen by you again. She might have stray
$50 We thought for a whole year, doc
tor" interrupted the banker 1--WE neve
dreamed that she had been stolen. W
searched everywhere for her, and offere
immense rewards for her recovery. I EN-
ploysd DETECTIVES, but all Is no purpose
When our little Jessie ran down the step
into that dower-garden, and he pointed L
the front Of the house. las ifsthe earth ha,
opened and swallowed her up, wo neve
saw her again -
"She must have found tho gate open an
wandered out" suggested DR.. Hutton
''She might have strolled down to tn
waters and been drowned"
The banker fixed his burning eyes upo
the physicians face, and whispered:
II said We never saw the poor chill
again.. I did not say we had not heard {
|, her. She was lost on the 9th of August
, 1854. For q year we thought her deat
But on the anniversary Of our loss VI
received q written message concernin
, her.
IA message {" cried DR.. Hutton, star
ing.
"A mere scrawl-a single line in han
evidently disguised" said the banke
sHere il is."