Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-12-10
The Broken Home.
d" TRUTH STRANGER THAN FRO
TTDNU 81

residence.
The interior Of this house IL even more beau
! tlfufthan its exterior, every apartment being In
! It's way gefn Of magnihcence and refinement.
| Tho library especially realizes the most perfect
| ideal Of an elegant and cultured home.
AND yet, at the moment we look in upon him
one August afternoon, be occupied his library
the proprietor OF all this wealth appeared OF all
| men the most miserable,
He was Mr. Morton Ptcble, for many year, lead
1 ing banker Of sar Francisco. 81 assn
| II was in vain that the broad bay-window at the
south end Of the room had been opened, giving In
gress to the sunshine aud the fragrance of rare ow
!. ers-in vain that the walls were lined with richly
i carved book and palntings-m vain that soft
cdsiehes and luxurious chairs had been gathered
I around him r.+ytN r ,..- .
!. lie was wretohed' ~ -' y ~ '.f NI
i M lay on sofa, in the depths Of the great bay
i window, the wreck Of once powerful man. His
figure was thip apd gqunt his face white as mar
i bIss his eyeshathg ~ expression or ysDfil a5re
henslon, Of hsr,Owlng anxiety, OF dreadful expect
ahcy. 10 t'1 ff# Haa sng % M
twas ovidentpt glance that no merely physical
allmont lad made him what he was.
BY what withering secret, by what destroying
adliction had he been thus agonizedY thus haunt
edY thus hunedg he so noble and good he so
wealthy and dstinguishedl ,e......
As he moved restlessly upon his luxurious cush-
onf the pretty CLOCK on tne nhnte struCk nYe,
every stroke seeming to fall like a hammer upon
the heart Of the nervous invalid He aroused HIM
self struggling feebly toa sitting posture,
=. oh, will this fatal day never, never pass p he
murmured; " nor bring us rellefr'
Noticing with a nervous start that no was alone,
he touched bell upon table before him, and
called; #..~. i..t.. Y,.rf .......r ...
:" Helen, Heleni where hro YOUR .....
Before the echoes of his voice bad died out
A 4
- LEFT you only for moment Morton" abe
said, advancing to the bankers side. " You were
doing, fthink. wished to send for the doctor I"
She beautiful woman, Of some six and
thirty years. graceful with broad white brows, and
loving eyes, in which the brightness and sweet
ness of a surehny nature were still perceptibie,
under grief and anxiety no less poignant than
that evinoed by her husband. -
- The doctor ~ he echoed, half reproacbfuly.
~ Yes, dear " she said, In a calm and cheerful
voice, as she drew chair to the side OF the sofa
and sat down. stroking the corrugated forehead or
the invalid with magnetic touch. He will be
'tefe Immediately Your last nervous crsisaarmed
nc You % may become seriously ~ e.
his wife, but said despondently:
- The doctorl lie cannot minister TO a mind
disedsedr Oh, II those long hours would only
pass III only knew what the day has yet in store
:" Look up Mortonl" epjoined Mrs. Preble, with
: reverenty trustful glance upward through the
open window at the blue sky, and as II looking be-
? yond the azure clouds therein "Let us appeal
rom the injustice and wickedness OF earth to the
9 The banker gave low, sobbing sigh.
{ 90 cannot look up, Helon," he answered, with q
passionate trenor % IN bis voice only down, down
; Mrs Preble continued to stroke his forehead
softly while she lifted her pale face TO the sunlight
streaming Into the apartment t- Z
, Look up. Morton-always look up |" she again
. enoined upon the invalid. During all these
fourteen years Of agony have not once doubted
l Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be
comforted.' believe that we shall yet rejoice
laNn
I shall come to goTog, Gays JOY beyond all this
long night Of sorro'T |"
2 swcring glow, and he murmured:
Z Victorious tathl My wife, you are indeed a
! blessed comforterl Perhaps, after all, you are
l right !" ~
A knock resounded on side door at this juno
ture, aud the next moment DR.. Hutton the family
physician, for whom Mrs. Preble had sent, entered
y He was an old man, portly in figure. with white
hair and beard, but with fresh and ruddy com
T uberant b6yishuess OF manner that eat weil upon
= him. lie had a kind heart and clear head. He ap-
wife, and lifted the thin restless hand ofthe invalid
} feeling his pulse.
quite high fever" he said after brief pause.
worrying again, eh, Mr.. Prebley You are wear
ing yourself out. Medicine will do you no good so
long as your mind is in Its present condition. !
must give you an opate--" .3 .. ....
Mot now, doctor" interposed the banker. al
, cannot-must not-seep to-day need to be broad
awake now, for cannot tell at any moment what
. |
minaion OF all my years OF anguish-for the crown
ing agony Of the whole Perhaps even now All,
Ho started up wildly, and then, as the sound that
had disturbed him was not repeated he sank back
/ The doctor looked at Mrs. Preble with an anx-
ious, questioning glance.
A "It Is the anniversary she replied to his un-
T spoken inquiry" the anniversary OF our loss"
"Ah, yes" sand the doctor. ii remember"
Yes, it's another of those terrible days" cried
the banker, in hollow whisper. " Sit down. doc
, tor, and will tell you the whole story. l can
think Of nothing else today and a. am almost wild
Dr. Hutton drew upa chair and seated himself
his face expressing the double solictude ofa friend
. and physician .|.t .|-.
: Mr., Preble. We lived then where we do now, in
cottage on the site OF this great mansion. There
We're but the three of US US Helen i and / and our
ago to-day that our little Jessie was stolen from
us" r..t .-.F atf -.
I ~ remember it." said the doctor aoftly "Yet
; might she not have been lost, MIR. Predict She
went ont to play In the garden, IL L remember
rightly and was mover seen by you again. She
, "So we thought for a whole year, DOCTOR" in,
! terrupted the banker I'VE never dreamed that
Q her. and offered immense rewards for her recovery
| employed detectives, hut all to no purpose
When our little Jessie ran down the steps Into that
nowergarden," and he pointed to the front of the
house, as If the earth had opened and swallowed
her up, we never saw her again."
"She must have found the gate open, and
wandered out" suggested DIR. Hutton. "She might
I have snolled down TO the waters and beer
1 drowned"
The banker hxed hi. burning eyes upon the
J physicians face, and whispered:
f II said we never saw the poor child again.
did not say we had not heard OF her. She was lost
on the0h si, August 1854, For year we thought
her dead But on the anniversary OF our los
we received written message concetning her"
: IDENTIFY disguised" said the banker. Here i Is"
= He produced a dingy scrap OF paper nom :
drawer In the table, and held II up to the view o.
Y the physician, whoread as follows:
|. -. "AAGgust 3 1851 yssSi', ; IA, Aai ye'sis."
5 tho scrap OF paper, which he turned over and
$ over, to The eonntenance Of the banker.
. IL can make nothing OF this" he declared. at
: is merely date with the name OF your LOST
daughter l. tells me nothing"
j. that name and that date, with the demon laugh
connecting them set to thinking. whole
c year We agonzed over the dreadful problem, and
a thenwe received another message, which you ahal
! lie thrust a second alp Of paper Identical III
u shape and appearance with the hrst, before the
l. gaze Of DR.. Hutton, who read II aloud
s 'Augtst o 1854 Yo1r Jtssls siiR tlVes.r
- The physician started, as II electrified.
' %tsTsa soSy1SSS de
yoar daughter was sl,l. living, /,
Yes, doctor" 3" said Mr., Pfeble, land every ami
versary ct that day has brought Us some message
The disappearance Of the child, mysterious 1t Is
| docs not seem TO me half so strange as that the
> villain who took her away could eontriye TO coma
k particular day-ihe anniversary OF that on which
she was st stolen-wilhOut being able 10 discover
what ca can be his moss Il seems sSr SSTedSs me
was stated in novel many people would not be
al lieVe Ii, But truth Is sstranger than felton,"
- Mrs, PreOe drew nom her husbands breast
pocket his note book opened It TO the proper page
n and presented Il to the physician.
4 DIR, Hutton adjusted his spectseles, glanced owe
| the page, and then slowly read the group
! entries aloud. The entry the nrst year Is as fol
| lows;
"a Auyu.t q. fSSk. .E.ssis Ao Aay .L.,,4. ~,
~ And the next year II ia
RI +" "August ., 1850. Your Jtssk sha Apssl"
y 4 Aud the next ...
Is = MARgpst Q, 1851. Sseis I" good AaVdsr"'
M g ~XIgusi ., 1883. 2s Is ,oag as eeer :" q
= Aud the next
q TAugust s,Is59. Iscas hs- ysstsriayy"
q, And the next +''
II WAugust o, 1860. Sss's grOsOIRg ruptilvi''
81 Ard tho noKt--
NJ rAugnst o, 1861. SAe cOraauel 70 DO .Osay
IL. And the next