The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-23

st0lcn--without our being able TO discover who
| he ~. And a still ;srcatcr wonder TO me In,
IL 1t was stated In novel many would not n,-
licyH IL. But truth III stranger than fiction ."
hra i'rcbc drew from her husbands breast
pocket his notebook, opened II TO the proper
page, and presented II To The physician.
DIR. Hutton adjusted hlB spcctaclus3. Glanced
| over the page, and then slowly read the srrOup
OF ontres aloud. Tho entry the iiist year is us
follows:
And the next year IL is
"AuSust o, 1856. sIour Jcss.e stia ,iocs y,
And tho next
"ARGust9 3, 1857. Sic is in sootI hoxtfS y,
And the next
august Q, 1855. She is ,oeR as epsr -,
And the nCxt--
august 8, 1859. I%IIo her pessrtk,y -
And the next
august 8, 1860. HtN IS orutr.np rapi.lv!r
And the next
Aug Sust o, 1861. isse continues 10 tfo ,pcL;,,
And the next
'.AuEsst o, 1869. pue seen ner apa1nr,
And The next
august 8, ,1SG3. i'sf's 6ccs,rnino a lro,,x,b,r
And the neXL-
'.husnst9 ., 1864. loar o.sid &C. iJ.;r.o.-.y,
| And tho next
tAuEust D, 7S6,. iShc,S lopt s,t7 than e,er -,
And the next
august Q, 1866 Sizes ready o.a,7n,,.gr
And last year IL is--
t'huSust 9, 1857. ktH r,'scdrG IS at Ao-la,,,
And what shall VIC get to-dayl
Tho physician looked up anu fixed h.i
| thoughtful gizc upon THE bcrcaynt, husband
and wife.
''How did these rncss..sea come To you ~ he
demanded.
tlnvarlably by posi-" repliu, hr. prcblc.
'Uslially TO the house, bat sometimes 10 the
otlcer'
"hnd you have never seer their author ~
"NCvCF!"
to-dayr'
"Yes, yes" ialtcrcd the banker, "anl tho
NOR rt,;, 4.
| tho 9th OF August, 1861,
~ see, said DR.. Hutton. "hnd this is the
] secret OF your terrible cxci.csncnti You are
oxpeclng TO receive today another Of these
strange Incssagrs"
There Was u brief silence Hrs. prcbln's
hand f'uttcrcd In itS task, and her fhcc grew
very pale. The banker brcathca .clspinc.y
The physician regarded thcm both in friendly
sympathy.
ave shall hear of hcr again today said
Mr. Prcbc; land what will the message ben'
The mother nveited her face Her brave
heart fa!torcd az that question echoed In her
| soul.
'The writer of these letters is unmcslion-
ably the abductor of your childw aald Dr.
Hutton. "ilavo you any suspicion as 10 his
''NoL tho slightest 1id Mr. prcble. uwe
have puzzled over tile problem for many years,
out wc cannot guess who ho is."
"rhink, said the doctor. "Havc you no
enemy! lido not mean people with whom you
of thcso-but downright enemyi is there no
man whom you knew In the East who hated
you! No one against whom you wore called
upon TO tcstiiy--no enc whom you possibly In
Jured."
The banker shook his head He had asked
himself oil these questions repeatedly.
~ have no nuch enemy, DOCTOR" ho answer
Cd with sincerity OF voice and manner.
turning TO her. "IIavc yon no rejected anilor
who might be rcyengeful enough to dcsolate
yolr homer
"No," said the lady. "I was married early.
Norton was my first lover"
"ThiS Is sLrango-Very strange" !" muttercd
Inc doctor: "You arc not conscious Of having
an enemy in the world, and yet you have an
cnemy.a hidden foc-a icnd in human form
WHO IL working out against you q fearful
hatred And you have not the sllghcst sus-
picion as 70 whom he is!"
mot the slightest declared the banker.
MOT the slightest" !" echoed Mrs. Prcble.
my husband had u astep-brother who Inight
have been capable OF thL, infamy-but he is
dead"
1.-THE handwriting is not familiar ~
mo. IL is merely rlde scrawl, as you
except that 1t is evidently disguised n
Again there was a profound silence.
"0!ir Child is seventeen years old now" at
iGngth mlrmured Hrs. Preble, her voice trem-
hood. No doubt, during all these years, aIo
hos yearned for us, wherever she may be, aS
we hayo ycarned for her !"
"l'nl where is she ?' asked the physician-
sympathy with the agonlzcd parents "Whcre
Can ahG Dc p
"lIeayon only knows" answered tho mother.
"Pcrhaps In San FranclscO--pcrhaps In some
r rude nut IN ti,e interior, with some obscure
farmer, and under name that Ii not hers |
think her nbdnctOr Wonld have carried her to
some lonely region Of the interior, auOny tho
valleys and mountains. Yet never 500 u
young girl in the streets without turning to
look at her never hear 81 ,sirlsh voice with
ont listening euserly, haltf,ncying that IL may
prove The voice of my lost JoSsic r
"Oh, ply ng lleaYen" sighed Dr. Hutton,
dashln.s Hood OF tears from his oycs. 'Wili
thlS long agony never be- over 2"
I'VE hope 30. nnd even bei.evc TO-" answer
od Ma Preble, with the flrmn,.ss Of un unrll-
tering trust In Gods nercey. ''Thc last mes
sage We received from our cnomy Hcoms "
point 10 some kind or change"
'True, n5sentcd DR. Hutton, looking ut the
message in question. ut Is unlike the others
IL says that his reward Is At hand He means
either that nc intends 70 marry your daughter,
for bringing her back-o. BOTH"
with forced calmness. ''ro-day We shall have
anSther message, no doubt What will IL bcy''
=, TIC banker turned rcstlessly on Ills sofa, ad
nls ihce grew oven palor
:. "Whnthver 1t Is, lot II comor he murmurcd
Anything can hi: borne t1Llcr tiiu,i ts awful
euspunS0. Let IL cOmcw
AZ 1t his Impatient words had preciptatod n
crisis. step WAS heard on tho walk at this
moment, and arlng at the front door followed
Another messenger l" breathcd Tho banker
servant soon entered, bearing letter,
"hlcn a.c, no extended TO Mr.. preble, saying:
Mrhe bearer Ia In tho hail.
win an eager gaze, tho banker glanced al
sho suporsariplion Of tho m'sslve.
III u from aim ~ no faitered.
lie toro the envelope open,
O0nt1lDt1d q al I'M of of.