The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-24

that U little Jessie was stolen from
US"
II remember it." said the doctor
softly. "Yet might she not have been
lost, Mr.. Preble2 She went out to
play in the garden, if [ remember
rightly, and was never seen by you
again. She might have strayed
away"
$50 we thought for a whole year,
doctor" interrupted tbs banker. we
never dreamed that she had been
stolen. W. searched everywhere for
her, and offered immense rewards for
her recovery. l employed detectives,
but all to no purpose. When
little Jessie ran down the steps into
that fower-garden," aud 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
DR.. Hutton. "She might have srolled
down to the waters and been drown
ed"
The banker fixed his burning eyes
upon the physicians face, and whis-
pered:
Il said we " saw the poor child
again. L did net say we had not
heard of her. She was lost on the 9th
of August, 1854. For a year we
thought her dead. But on the ami
versary of our loss we received a
written MESSAGE concerning her."
"A messago!" cried DIR. Hutton,
starting.
- roo-o -o.,, n:,olo H. -
hand evidently disguised" said the
banker. "Herei it Is"
He produced a dingy scrap of paper
from a drawer in the table, and held
it up to view of the physician. who
read as follows:
august 9, 1855. Jessie ha, hal Jesste."
DR.. Hutton looked. with a puzzled
air, from the scrap of paper, which he
turned over and over. to the counten-
ance Of the Banker.
II can make nothing of this" be
declared. 1T is merely a date, with
the name of your lost daughter. 1t
tells me nothing"
Nor did il us, at first" said Mr..
Preble. Then that name and that
date, with the demon laugh connect
ing them, set us tothinking. A whole
year we agonized over the dreadful
problem, and then we received an
other message, which you shall see."
He thrust a second slip of paper,
identical in shape and appearance
with the first, before the gaze of DR.
Hutton, who read it aloud:
"Ausust9 0. 1856. Your Jessie stu tues"
The physician started, as if cleo
trified.
"Ah! this is something definite
something decisive" he muttered.
ut convinced you that your daugh-
ter was still living"
Yes, DOCTOR said Mr.. Preble,
land every anniversary Of that day
has brought us some message. The
disappearance Of the child, mystic
rious as it is, does not seem to me
half so strange as that the william
who took her away could contrive to
communicate with us everyyear since,
and always on q particular day-the
anniversary of that on which she was
stolen without our being able to
discover who he is. And a still
greater wonder to me is what can be
his motive. 1t seems incredible. If
IL was ctdACu III u uOhCA Man1 PEOpLO
would not believe it, But truth is
stranger than fiction"
Mrs. Preble drew from her hus-
bands breast pocket his notebook,
opened it to the proper page, and
presented it to the physician.
DR.. Hutton adjusted his spectacles,
glanced over the page, and then slow
ly read the group of entries aloud.
The entry the first year is as follows:
"August o, IS55. Jessie, hG, Ia! JESSIE! ?"
And the next year 1t Is
August 3D., 1856. Your Jessie StfE L.CsS!"
And the next
"Au@nst D. 1857. She is IN good hands p"
And the next
august 8, 1855. She is 9UeH as eUeT ~
And the next
.Augu4t 8 1859. Isaw her yesIerday"'
And the next
Aug. ., IS6O. She's groIOing rdpGdky!''
And the next
Aug o. 1854. Sac continues TO do oeu!"
And the next
august D, IS62. Tue seen her again"
And the next
"Aug. DISCS. She's becoming a aComan ~
And the next
"Aug. 0, 1864. Your child is mtrteen!9
And the next
Aug. 8, 1865. She's IoUejer than err"
Aud the next
"Aug. p, 1866. She's really charmfa0!"
And last year it is
"Aug. D, 6 Ny reaodgd Is at hand"
And what shall we get to-day?
The physician looked up and fixed
his thoughtful gaze upon the bereaved
husband and wife.
How did these messages come to
you?" he demanded.
Invariably by post" replied Mr..
Prebje. Usually to the house. but
sometimes to the oficel'
And you have never seen the
author?"
"Neverl"
The last of them is dated, l sec,
a year ago to-dayt'
Yes. yes" faltered the banker.
and the time has come for another
message. This is the 9th of August,
186Slf
Il See" said DR.. Hutton. "And
this is the secret of your terrible ex-
citement! You are expecting to
receive to-day another of those
strange messagesl'
There vas a 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.
w shall hear of her again to day, -
said Mr.. Prable; .and what will the
message be?"