The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-11-24
to the view of the physician, who read as

declared. ''It is merely date, with the
name of your lost. daughter. 1t tells
me nothing"
'ENor did it US, at first" said Mr.. Pre-
BILE. Then that name and that date, with |
the demon laugh connecting them, set US |
to thinking A whole year we agonized |
over the dreadful problem, and then we
received another message, which you shall
see." /
II thrust a second slip of paper, identic-
al 10 shape and appearance with The nrst
before the gaze of Dr.. Hutton, who read
it aloud:
august 9, 1856. Your jessie still lives.
The physician started, as If electrified.
'.Ahl this is something definite-some-
thing decisive" he muttered. 1t conVin-
ced you that your daughter was still Nv
ing
every anniversary of that day has brought
US some message. The disappearance OF
the child, mysterious as it is, does not seem
to me half so strange as that the villain
who took her away could contrive to com
municate with US every year since, and al
ways on a particular day-the anniversary
of that on which she was stolen--without
our being able to discover who he is. And
still greater wonder to me is what can be
his motive. 1t seems incredible, If 1t was
stated in a novel many people would not
believe it. But truth is stranger than nc
tion.'"
Mrs. Preble drew from her husbands
breast pocket his note book, opened 1t to
the proper page, and presented 1t to the
physician,
DR.. Hutton adjusted his spectacles, CLAN
ced over the page. and then slowly read
the group of entries aloud. The entry the
first year is as follows:
August Q, 1855. Jessie, ha, ha! JessieF'
And the next year it is:
August 9, 1856. Your Jessie still liYesT'
And the next:
august Q, 1857 She is in good handsr'
And the next:
august ., 1865. She is well as everl"
And the next:
August Q, 1850. saw her yesterday"
And the next:
august 9. 1860. She's growing rspidlyr
And the next:
August ., 1861. She continues to do well!"
And the next:
August ., 1852. I've seen her againF"
And the next:
august 9, 1868. She's becoming a wOman!'
And the next:
august o. 1864 Your child is thirteenF'
And the next:
August o, 1865. She's Iovelier than everl"
Aud the next:
august .. 1865. She's really charmingr'
And the next:
| August 9, 1867. Ny reward is at handI"
And what shall we get to dsyI
=, l.. Cd -
thoughtful gaze upon the bereaved husband
and wife.
| "HOW did these messages come to youi
he demanded.
Invariably by post" replied Mr.. Pre-
BILE. Usually to the house, but some
times to ofticeI''
"And you have never seen their authOrR
''Neveri" ''The last of them is dated,
I see, year ago to dayl"
'FYes, yes" faltered the banker, "and
the time has come for another message
This Is the 9th of August, 1851"
'T see,n said DR.. Hutton. And this
IS the secret of SosF- terrible excitement
You are expecting to receive TO day an
otheI of these strange measagesl"
There was brief silence. Mrs. Freble'i
hand fluttered in its task, and her fact
grew very pale. The banker breathed gasp
ingly. The physician regarded them bott
in friendly sympathy.
"The writer of these letters is unques
J tionably the abductOr of your child ~ saiC
DIR. Hutton. "Haye You any suspicion q
TO his identityl"
: ..Not the slightest," " said RIr. Preble,-
we have puzzled over the problem 70
. many years, but we cannot guess who b
is"
''Think, said the doctor. ''HAye yO
! no enemy3 1 do not mean people wit
whom you are not friendly-eVery stirrin
man has plenty of these downright
T enemy Is there No man whom yOu kneN
in the East who hated you'll No on
l against whom you were called upon to tes
tify-no one whom you possibly injuredi
The banker shook his head. he ha
asked himself all these questions repeated
a ''I have no such enemy, doctor,
4 answered with sincerity of voice and maj
II ner.
n ''And Mrs. Preble I" suggested the doc
II tor, turning to her. ''HaVe you no r
+ jected suit0r who might be reVengef
d enough 10 desolate your homei"
!, 'cNe," SAID the lady. AZ was marie
early. Morton was my first lover ~
''This is strange-very strange T. mu
7. tered the doctor. You are not conscio'
L. of having an enemy in the world, and y
IS you have an enrmy-a hidden toe-a heI
l In human fsrm-Hho Is working o.
against You q fearful hatred And y
q, have not the slightest suspicion as to who
he isl
n ''Not the slightest" declared the ba
~ ker.
n 'sNot the slightest |" echoed Mrs. p
lie BILE. my husband had g step brott
ps who might have been capable of this
famy-hut he is dead :"
ne The handwriting is not familiar.
re- "No. 1t is merely = rude scrawl,
N. you see," said the banker. 1t sugge
nothing-except that it is evidently disg
lth sedl
Again there was a profound silence,
70 sour child is seventeen years old nov
NY at length murmured Mrs. Preble, J
Voice trembling. She is on the thresh
n of Womanhood, No doubt, during
these years she has yearned for
Is wherever she may be, as We have year.
= for herl
the 'sBut where is shel" asked the ph!
Use clan, and now his voice was broken by
re- deep sympathy with the agOnized parel
Where can she be
teo Heaven only knows" answered
So mother. Perhaps in San Francisco,
haps in some rude hut in the interior, v
oc- some obscure farmer, and under M
hen that Is not hersl think her abdu'
ste would have carried her TO some lonely
ont gion Of the interior, among the val
Tee and mountains. Yet never see 20
sars girl IN the street without turning to lool
,len her. never hear 3 girlish voice viii
:, listening eagerly, half fsncying that 1t l
tiy. prove the voice of my lost Jessie II
1tr. 'tOh, plying heaven r. sighed DR..
gar ton, viii this agony Lever be Overt
sVer eve hope so, and even believe"
ny Wefed Mrs. Preble, with the hrmnea
an HnfaItering trust in Gods mercy.
lOe- last message we received from our en-
ever seems to point to some kind OF cha
w. 'GIrue, !" assented the doctor, lookin
.ss5 the message in question. Il Is unlike
- sthers. It says that his reward Is at b
-. He means either that he Intends to N
,-n. your daughter, or that he intends to
Ma mand money of you for bringing her b
arth OF oOh'
We ''Xe shall soon know" said Mrs.
bic, with forced calmAess. Te day
| shaiI have another message. What v