The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1869-11-25

oudii yeN ISJ"iCo HlOTe heenly
than we have mourned, and
that we shall come 10 a glori.
Gus day of JOY beyond all this
night of sorrcw!"
The face of the invalid hight
ed up with an answering glow,
and he murmured:
"Glorious faith! My wife,
you are indeed a blessed com.
iorlerl Perhaps, after all, you
are righlw
A knock resounded on a
side.door at this juncture and
The next moment DR.. Hutton.
the family physician, Tor whom
Mrs. Preble had sent, entered
the room.
He was an old man, portly in
figure, with white hair and
beard, but with a fresh and
ruddy complexion, a pair of
shrewd blue eyes, and with an
exuberent boyishness of man
ner that sat well upon him. He
had a kind heart and a clear
head. lie approached the hue.
band and wife, and lifted the
thin restless hand of the inval
id, feeling his pulse.
quite a high lever" he said
after a brief pause. "Worrying
again, ell, Mr.. Preble9 You
are wearing yourself out. Med.
icine will do you no good so
long as your mind is in its
present condition. Imust give
you an oplate-"
mot doctor" interposed
the banker. 81 can not-must
not-sleep to-day! | need to
he broad awake now, fo- | can
not tell at any moment what
the next day may bring forth. /
am looking for the elimination
OF all my years OF anguish-for
The crowning agony of the
whole. Perhaps even now
| All what was lhatp
He started up wildly, and
then, as the sound that had dis
lurLed him was not repeated,
he sank back again on his cush-
ions, pallid and painting.
The doctor looked at Mrs.
Preble with an anxious ques>
lioning glance.
sit is the anniversary" she
replied to his unspoken inquiry
-"lhe anniveIsa of our loss" !"
"Ah, yes," said the doctor.
Il remember"
"Yes, it's another of those
terrible days." cried the bank
er, in a hollow whisper, "S.t
doNn, doctor, and | will tell
you The Whole story. l can
think of nothing else to-day,
and am almost wild with ap.
prehension and anxiety. "Sit
down doctor, and can tell You
the whole story. l can think
of nothing else 10 day, and am
almost wild with apprehension.
and anxiety. Sit down.
DR.. Hutton drew up a char
and seated himself, his face ex.
pressing The double solicitude
ola friend and physician d.
"You knew us fourteen years
ago, DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble.
ave lived then where we do
now, in a cottage on the site OF
this great mansion. There
were but three of us-Helen
and |, and our threo year old
Jessie. And it was fourteen
years ago 10 day that our little
Jessie was stolen from u.s."
~ remember it" said the
doctor softly. "Yet might she
tot have been lost, Mr.. Preble?
She went out to play in the
garden, if l remember. rightly,
and was never seen by you
again. She might have strayed
away" -" W
$50 we thought for a whole
year, doctor" interrupted the
| banker. "We never dreamed
that she had been stolen. We
searched everywhere for her,
and offered immense rewards
Tor her recovery. employed
detectives, but all to no pur~
pose. When our little Jessie
ran down the steps into that
fower.garden," and he pointed
10 the front OF the house, "as il
The earlh'had opened and swal-
lowed her up, we never saw
her again"
"She must have found the
gate open, and wandered out"
suggested DR.. Hutton. "She
might have strolled down to
the. waters and been drowned"
+ The banker fixed his burning
eyes upon the physicians lace,
and whispered:
IL sad We never saw the
poor child again. / did not say
we had not heard of her, She