North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-11-24

He started up wildly, and then, as tn
sound that had disturbed him was not re
peated, he sank back again on his cush
ions, pallid and painting.
The doctor looked at Mrs. Preble witt
an anxious, questioning glance.
1T is the anniversary" she replied t.
his unspoken inquiry-''the anniversar,
Of our loss"
"Ah, yes" said the doctor. II re
member
eyes, it's another of those terribl
days." cried the banker, in hollow whis
per. "Sit down, doctor, and will tel
you the whole story. I can think Of moth
ing else to-day, and am almost wild will
apprehension and anxiety. Sit down."
Dr.. Hutton drew ups chair and seatet
himself, his face expressing the doubl,
solicitade Of friend and physicisn.
"You knew us fourteen years ago
DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble. "We lived ther
where we do now, in a cottage on the site
Of this great mansion. There were but
the three of us-IIelen and I, and ou,
three-year old Jessie. And it was four,
teen years ago to-day that our little Jessie
was stolen from u.s.
~ remember it," said the doctor softly
"Yet might she not have been lost, Mr.
Preble: She went out to play in tht
garden, if remember rightly, and wal
never seen by you again. She might have
strayed away"
$50 we thought for a whole year, doc
tor" interrupted the banker. "We never
dreamed that she had been stolen. W.
searched everywhere for her, and offered
immense rewards for her recovery. l EN-
ployed detectives, but oil to no purpose
When our little Jessie ran down the steps
into that fower-garden,". and he poined'
to the front of the house, "as if the earth
had opened and swallowed her up, WI
never saw her again"
"She must have found the gate open
aud wandered out" suggested DR.. Hutton
"She might have strolled dswn to th'
waters and been drowned"
The banker fixed his burning eyes upor
the physicians face, and whispered:
~ said we never saw the poor chile
again. did not say we had not heard o
her. She was lost on the 9th Of August
1854. For year we thought her dead
But on the anniversary Of our loss W
received o written message concernin
her."
"a message ~ cried DR.. Hutton, start
ing.
"a mere scrawl-a single line in
} hand evidently disguised" said the ban
ker. "NIere it is.'
4 He produced dingy scrap Of pape
Etfrom drawer in the tsble, and held it q
to the view Of the physician, who read I
follows:
"August Q, 1856. Jessie, La, ha Je
sie."
DR.. Hutton looked, with puzzled ali
from the scrap of paper, which he turne
over and over, to the countenaace of th
banker.
81 can make nothing of this" he d.
clared. ''It is merely date, with tn
name of your lost daughter. 1t tells m
nothing"
"Nor did it US, at frst,' said MI
Preble. "Then that name and that date
with the demon laugh connecting them
set us to thinking. A whole year "
agonized over the dreadful problem, an
then we received another message, whic
you shall see.''
! He thrust second slip of paper, ider
tical in shape and appearance with th
first, before the gaze Of DR.. Hutton, VIII
read it aloud:
! august 9, 1856. Tour Jessie sti
lires."
The physician started, as if electrified
"Ah! this il something definite
something decisive" he muttered. ~
convinced yon that your daughter wa
still living"
"Yes, doctor,'' said Mr.. Preble, ian
every anniversary of that day has breugh
us some message. The disappearance {
the child, mysterious as it is, docs nc
seem to me half 80 strange as that th
villain who took her away could contriv
to communicate with us every year since
and always on particular day-the ar
uiversary of that on which she was stole
without our being able to discover VIII
he is. And still greater wonder to N
is what can be his motive. It seems il
credible. If it was stated in q novel man
people would not believe it. But trut
is stronger than felton,"
i Mrs. Preble drew from her husband
breast-pocket his notebook, opened it
the proper page, and presented it to th
physician.
DR.. Hutton adjusted his spectacle
glanced ever the page, and then slowl
read tho group Of entries aloud. Th
entry the first year is as follows:
! "August 9, 1855. Jessie, ha, ha
Jessie -
And the next year it is
! "August Q, 1856. Your Jessie sti
lives 20
And tho next
j "August 9, 1857. She il in 900
hands I"
And the next