Litchfield enquirer., 1869-11-25

! 4 And the next 1 s.AUaUsr g, 1858. Sss is as ,ce1 as ever! } And the next- ~... 'I sAUaUsT g, 1859. saw he, yesterday,
 And the next
 1 'Auausr g, 1860. @e'sgrosoing rapidly! And the next-..~-. .4. -...4 ,-, ...a | AUGUST g, 1861. She continues to do soeu! And the next
 I 'AUaUsr 9, 1862. Toe seen her again. And the next
 "Auausr g, 1863. she's becoming e seonsan, Ii And the next ua a. ....-..e I "Auausr 9, 1864. -Four child is Mirteen!' And the next A'sa' l. "Auausr 9, 1865. she'sloueher than euer,'
 And the next
 | AUGUST g. 1866. She's really csarming!' And the next it is- I '.AUausr g. 1867. Ayrepard is at handr
 And what shall we get to day! The physician looked up and fixed hi' thoughtful gaze upon the bereaved bus
 band and wife.
 1 ''How did these messages come to you?'
 he demanded.
 'Inyariably by post" replied Mir. Pre- ble. ''Usually to the house, but some times to the officep' r ''And you have never seen the author?" | f'Never!' r-~.s-...r,..-
 'The last of them is dated, see, yea, ago to-day!''
 1 "Yes, yes." faltered the banker, and the time has come for another message. This is the 9th of August, l868v'
 i ''I see," said Dr. Hutton. "And this is the secret of your terrible excitement You are expecting to receive today anoth- l CT of these strange messages!'
 | | ~sI- ~- l-S- hand futtered in it's task, and her face grew very pale. The banker breathed gaspingly. The physician regarded them both in friendly sympathy.
 ''We shall hear of them again to. day, said MT. Preble; "and what will the mes- sage be?" ..s..-. ...-.I I.........
 The mother averted her face. Her brave heart faltered as that question echoed in her soul
 ''The writer of these letters is unques- tionably the abductor of your child!' said Dr. Hutton.
 'Have you any suspicion as to his idsn- tity?' Not the slightest" said MT. Preble. "We have puzzled over the problem for many years, but we cannot guess who he is." f .a. ..- -... ist ''Think," said the doctor. ''Have you no enemy? I do not mean people with whom you are not friendly-every stirring man has plenty of these-buta g downright enemy! Is there no man whom you knew in the east who hated you? No one against whom you were called upon to testify no one whom you might possibly have injured3'' r9t- .1q = .e.eu
 lhG hsnksT sh99k hs hssd la.aa He haa ly. sI have no such enemy, doctor," he answered with sincerity of voice and man. her. ..-.-.- - ..ea-.,.,- .sy | ''And Mrs. Preble?" suggested the doc tor, turning to her. "Have you no reject ed suitor who might be revengeful enough to desolate your home?" . o .., ''No," said the lady. "I was married early. Morton was my first lover!" ''This is strange-very strange! nut tered the doctor. 'You are not conscious of having an enemy in the world, and yet you have an enemy-a hidden foe-a fiend in human form-who is working out against you Q fearful hatred! And you not the slightest suspicion as to whom he is?'
 ''Not the slightest" declared the bank l CT. ".=- -.~ .l.at~ -.--
 Not the slightest" echoed Mrs. Preble.
 My husband had step-brother who might have been capable of this infamy- but he is dead!" " ~---.7 S- | E s'The handwriting is not familiar?' | s'No. It is merely rude scrawl as yor
 see," said the banker. "It suggests nothing
 except that it is evidently disguisedg'
 Again there was a profound silence. ''Our child is seventeen years old now,
 at length murmured Mrs. Preble, her voice
 trembling. "She is on the threshold oi
 womanhood. No doubt during all thes years, she has yearned for us, wherev
 CT she may be, as we have yearned fo herp' 1il" Z" K -o 7n'11 1 ssBut where is she?' asked the physician land now his voice was broken by hi
 deep sympathy with the agonized parents
 'Where can she be?" ~' '@- - '1 s'Heaven only knows," answered tn |mother. "Perhaps in San Francisco lperhaps in some rude hut in the interior with some obscure farmer, and under
 name that is not hers! I think her abduc tor would have carried her to some lonel, region of the interior; among the valley and mountains. Yet never see 8 youp . girl in the streets without turning to loo
 at her. I never hear a girlish voice with out listening eagerly, half fancying that i 7 may prove the voice of my lost Jessie!''
 '.Oh, plying heaven!" sighed Dr. Hut ton, dashing flood of tears from his eyes l, twill this long agony never be over?'' : We hope so, and even believe so. an swered Mrs. Preble, with the firmness 0 an unfaltering trust in Gods mercy. 9Th last message we received from our enem
 seems to point to some kind of change
 '.True," assented Dr. Hutton, looking a the message in question. '1t is unlik the others. It says my reward is at hand
 He means either that he intends to marr your daughter, or that he intends to de
 mand money of you for bringing her bac l--or both. !" f,az.,s,,s l-a. ..f rs-> 'sWe shall soon know," said Mrs. Preble Il with forced calmness. ''To-day we sha
 have another message, no doubt. Wins l will it be?" rG ] The banker turned restlessly on his soft q and his face grew even paler. | o9 ''Whatever it is, let it comew he mul lmared. i1e.Anything can be borne bette : than this awful suspense. e- Let it come!' Il As if his impatient words had percipits [ ted a crisis. step was heard on the wal , at this moment, aad 8 ring at the fror : door followed. Id ff5e .ff9aeo3 s.Another messager' breathed the banl CT. rag Z..e os sa'.s '32lol-.a sl'''a.'. -.i 1 Il A servant soon entered, bearing Q letter which he extended to Mir. Preble, saying:
 ssThe bearer is in the hall. T1:kI, ~,n ~rror rvouo ff,a honkop 0lanoo