The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-24

anCe Of tue banker,
4 can make nothing Of thls,' he
declared. IT lS merely u date, with the
name OF your lost daughter. It tells
me nothing
Nor did Il us, at Glrst,' said Mr., Pre-.
bic. Then that name and TINT date,
with tho 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.
he thrnsta second alp Of paper, lden.
tiCal In shape and appearance with the
hrst, before the gaZe OF DR., Hutton,
who read It cloud:
August ., 1850. Your Jelsic sIRltcI."
The physician started AS II electrified.
'Ahl this 10 something definite
something decisive he muttered. 1t
convinced you tina! your daughter was
still living
Yes DOCTOR said Mr.. Preblc, 'and
every anniversary OF that day has
brought US some message. The dlsap-
pearance OF tho child, mysterious rs 1t
Ia, does not seem TO me half 30 strange
rs that tho villain who took hur away
could Contrlve to communicate with us
every year since, and always on par
tloular day-the anniversary OF that on
which she was stolen-wlthOut our b.
ing able to discover who he is. And q
still greater wonder to mo Ia what can
be Ills motive. II Seems Incredible, II
1t was stated In novel many people
would not believe 1t. But truth Ia
stranger than lCtlon.p ..
Mrs. Preble drew from her husbands
breast>pocket his notebook, opened Il
10 the proper page, and presented 1t to
the physician.
DR.. Hutton adjusted his spectaCles,
glanced over. the pHge, and then slowly
teau the group al entries aloud. Tho
entry the first year Is as follows:
august o, 1855. Jelsic, Ia, ha! ,Jesstc,"
And the next year It ia
august %, 1855. Your JtSSie 4QI EucS :"
And the next
"AnEust 0, 1857. She Is IN Dod ha,Wss"
And the next
august 0. 1858. She Is well az e,cr"'
Aud the next
august 0, 1859. IsaO hcryestuday'"
august o, 1850. Shsh grow,pg rapid,'"
And the next
"AuguHt 0, 1861. She continues to 10 wear
And the next
"AuguSt o. 1862. I'Uc seen h:r ugatn,"
And tho next
"AuEuSt DISCS. She's becoming ,uo,nn"
Aud the next
august 0. 1854. Your child u nirtee,l'"
And the next
"AuguSt o, 1868. She's LOveltcr than Cver'"
And the next
"A1gust 0, 1855. sh.sreG!iy charming"
And last year 1t ia
"AnEust 0, 1867. Afv REGARD Is at handy"
And what shall we got to ,dayI
The physician looked up land fixed
his thoughtful gaze upon the bereAVed
husband and wife.
How did these messages come 10
you p he demanded.
Invariably by posi- replied Mr..
Preble. Usually TO the house, but
sometimes To the Oilicgu
And you have never seen their au~
thor?'
'Never!
'rhe last of them Ia dated, I sec, n
year ago to-day =
yes, yes, tallered the banker, and
tne Time has come for another message.
This Ia the 9th Of August. 1852
aee,' said DR.. Hutton. And this Ia
the secret OF your terrible excite
nent! You ARD expecting to receive
to-day another OF these strange mes
sages =
There waa a brief silence. Mrs,
Preble's hand llutterpd In its task, and
her fnce grew very pale. The banker
breHthetl gaspiRGly. Thu physician
regarded them both In friendly sympa-
thy.
we shall heHr OF her again to-day
said Mr.. Preble; and what will tie
message beH'
The mother averted hes face. Her
brave heart faltered aS that question
echoed In h0r soul.
THE writer OF these letteta In I'M
questi0nably the abductor Of your
child y said DR.. Hutton. 'Have you
any suspicion as to his identity?'
Not tho slightest said Mr.. Preble.
We have puzzled over the problem
for many years, but We caunot guess
who he is.'
Think said the doctor. Have YOU
no enemy? l do not mean people
with whom you are not friendly
every stirring man has plenty OF these
but downright enemy! Is there no
man whom you knew In tho East who
hated you? No ono against whom you
were called upon 10 testlfV-no one
whom you possibly injured p
The banker shook his head, He had
asked himself all these questions re-
peatedly.
u have no auch enemy, DOCTOR he
answered with sincerity OF voice and
manner. r-
And Mrs. PfebleP' suggested the
doctor, turning TO her. Have you no
rejected suitor who might be revengeful
enough to desolate your homer
NO. said the lady. Il was married
early. Morton was my first loverp
This Is strange-very stranRe = mutt
tered the doctor. You are not con.
scIous OF having an enemy In the
world, and yet you have an enemy-a
hidden foe-R dend In human form
who 10 working out against you n fear.
ful hatred And you have not the
slightest suspicion as to whom no ia p
Not the slightest declared the bank
or. 90
Not the slightest! echoed Mrs.
Preble. My husband had step
brother who might have been capable
OF this lnfamy-but he Is dead!'
The handwriting 10 not familiar?
mo. Il 10 merely rude scrawl, as
you see,' said the banker. 1t suggests
nothing-except that 1t Ia evidently
dlsguisedr ~
Again there was a profound silence.
Our child Is seventeen years old
now atlength murmured Mrs, PrebIe,
her voice trembling. She Ia on the
threshold ofwomanhood. No doubt,
during all these years, she has yearned
for US, wherever she may bo, as we
have yearned for her!
'But where Ia sher' asked the phy-
sician-and now his voice was broken
by his deep symnathy with the ago
nizsd parents. Where can she bs3'
Heaven only knows. answered the
mother. Perhaps In San FrancIsco-
perhaps In some rude hut In the inte-
rlor, with some obscure farmer, and
under q name that Ia not heraI Think
her abductor would have carried her TO
some lonely region OF the interior,
among the valleys and mountains
Yet l never SEQ u young girl In the
streets without turning 10 look at her.
never hear u girlish voice without
listening, eagerly, half Annoying that Il
may prove the voice OF my lost Jessie 7
oh, plying heaven = sighed DR..
Hutton, dashlng flood OF tGars from
his eyes. Will this long agony never
be over p