The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-12-09
The Broken Home.
" TRUTH STRANGER THAN F1c.
TTON"

residence.
The interior of this house is even more beam
tifnl than its exterior, every apartment being in
its way gem of magnifcence and refinement.
The library especially realizes the most perfect
ideal of an elegant and cultured home.
And yet, at the moment look in upon him
one August afternoon, he occupied his library
the proprietor or all this wealth appeared of all |
men the most miserable.
He was Mr.. Morton Preble, for many years a lead
ing banker of San Francisco.
1t in vain that the broad bay-window at the |
south end of the room had been opened giving in
gress tn the sunshine and the fragrance of rare ow
ers-in vain that the walls were lined with richly
carved bookcases and paintings-in vain that soft
couches and luxurious chairs had been gathered
around him.
He wretched.
He lay on a sofa il the depths of the great bay
window, the wreck O. once powerful man. His
figure was thin and caunt; his face white as mar
BILE; his eyes having an expression of woful appre-
henson, of hsy OWING anxiety of dreadful expect
ancy.
1t was evident at glance that no merely physical |
ailment lad made him what he was.
BY what whitening secret, by what destroying
affection, had he been thus agonzed? thus haunt
ed? thus hunted? he so noble and good! he so |
wealthy and distinguished
As he moved restcssly upon his luxurious cush- |
ions the pretty clock the manel piece struck five
every stroke seeming to fall like hammer upon |
the heart of the nervous invalid He aroused him |
self, struggling feebly to sitting posture.
'Oh, will this fatal day never, pass 81 he
murmured; " nor bring relief!''
Noticing with nervous start that he was alone,
he touched bell upon table before him, aud
called
Helen, Helen! where are you?'
| Before the echoes of his voice had died out a
step heard, and his wife entered his presence
Il left You only for moment, Morton" she
| said, advancing to the bankers side. You were
doing think 1 wished to send for the doctor,'
She beautiful woman, of six and
| thirty years graceful, with broad white brOws. and
| loving eyes, in which the brightness and sweet
ness of sunshiny nature were still perceptibc,
under grief and anxiety no less poignant than
| that evinced by her husband.
| 1.-The doctor - he echoed, half reproachfully.
| Eyes. dear" she said, in calm and cheerful
voice. as she drew chair to the side of the sofa.
here Immediately. Your last nervous crisis alarmed
me. You may become seriously ill.,
Mr.. Preble bestowed en- atfectonate look upon
| his wife, but said despondently:
THE DOCTOR He cannot minister to a mind
| disessedr On, IL these long hours would only
pass, If only knew what the day has yet in store
Tor us,'
Look up, Mortonl" enjoned Mrs. Preble, with
| a reverently truStful glance upward through the
open window at the blue sky and as if looking be-
| yOnd the azure clouds the Elm. Let rs appeal
from the injustice and wickodness OF earth TO the
| goodness and mercy of Heayen!"
The banker gave low. sobbing sigh.
II cannot look up, Helen he answered, with
passionate tremor in his voice" only down, down
st the grave that is opening before me -
Mrs. Preble continued to stroke his forehead
softly while she lifted her pale face to the sunlight
streaming into the apartment.
Look up Morton-always look upl' she again
enjoined upon the invalid. DUiing all these
fourteen years of agony. have not once doubted
either the goodness or the Justice of Heaven.
Blessed they that mourn; for they shall be
comforted.' / believe thai we shall yet rejoice
more keeny than We have nourned, and that we
shall come to glOriOr Gays joy beyond all this
long night of sorro7!'
The face of the invalid lighted up with an an
swern1 glow, and he murmured:
Glorious faithl My wife, You indeed
blessed comforter! Perhaps, after all, you are
right -
A knock resounded on a side door at this juno
ture. and the next moment DR. Hutton. the family
physician. for whom Mrs. Preble had sent, entered
the rooml
He was an old man, portly in figure, with white
hair and beard, but with a fresh and ruddy
plexion, pair OF shrewd blue eyes, and with an
uberant bOyishness of manner that sat well npon
him. He had kind heart and clear head. He APP
preached the sofa after greeting the husband aud
wife, and lifted the thin restless hand ofthe invalid,
Quite high fever" he said after brief pause
Worrying again, eh, Mr.. Preble You are wear
ing Yourself ont Medicine will do YOU no good so
long as your mind is in its present condition.
must give you an Opiate-"
mot now. doctor" nterposed the banker. "I
Il
awake now for | cannot tell at any moment what
the next may bring forth. am looking for the cul
ing agony of the whole. Perhaps even now All,
| what Was thatsh
He started up wildly and then, as the sound that
had disturbed him was not repeated, he sank back
again on his cushions, pald and painting.
The doctor looked at Mrs. Preble with an anx-
ious, questioning glance.
1t is the anniversary she replied to his I'M
spoken inquiry" the anniversary of our loss'
"Ah, yes" SAID the doctor. Il remember
the banker, in a hollow whisper . Sit down. doc
tor, and will tell you the whole story. can
MIN Oh elss 1d oaay na am almost wild
DIR. Hutton drew upa chair and seated himself
his face expressing the double solicitude of friend
You knew fourteen years ago, DOCTOR" said
Mr. Preble. :" We lived then where we do now in
a cottage on the site of this great mansion. There
three year Old Jessie. And it was fourteen 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 the garden, If l remember
rightly; and was never seen by you again. She
$50 we thought for whole year. DOCTOR In
terrupted the banker. 1--WE never dreamed that
sh2 had been stolen. We searched everywhere for
her, and offered immense rewards for her recovery
| employed detectives, but all to purpose
lower-garden,' and he pointed 10 the front of the
house, " as if the earth had opened and swallowed
her up, we never saw her again.
wandered out" suggested Dr. Hutton. "She might
have strolled down TO the waters and been
The banker fixed his burning eyes upon the
physic ans face and whispered:
II said we never saw the poor child again.
did lot say we had not heard of her. She was lost
on the 9Th OF August, 1854. For year thought
her dead. But on the anniversary OF our loss
we received written message concerning her,
"A messagel" cried'Dr Hutton, starting.
; | "A mere ScraWl-0 single line hand evil
IDENTIFY disguised" said the banker. "Here it is"
He produced dingy scrap of paper from
the physician, whoread as follows:
August o 1855; Jessie, Ia, ha! Jessie"
DIR. Hutton looked, with a puzzled air, from
the scrap of paper, which he turned over anG
over, to the countenance OF the banker.
81 can make nothing of this, he declared. sit
is merely date with the name of your lost
daughter. Ii tells me nothing"
Nor did it us, at first, y said Mr.; Prebe. Then
connecting Them set us to thinking whole
; year we agOnized over the dreadful problem and
then we received another message, which you shall
see."
He thrust second slip of paper, identical in
shape and appearance with the first before the
, august 9, 1886. Your Jessie still Hues"
The physician started, as If electrified
All this is something defnite..something de-
cisiye he mntier ed, ,,rI convinced you that
"Yes, doctor" said Mr.. Preble "and every ami
versary OF that day has brought us some message.
Inc disappearance oi tue chilu, mysterious as III IL
does not seem To me half so strange that the
, villain who took her away could contrve to com
municate with rs every year since, and always
particular day-the anniversary of that which
she was stOlen-without our being able to discover
, who he is. And a still greater wonder to me is
what can be his motive It seems incredible III II
was stated in a novel many people would not be-
. lieye it. But truth isstranger than felton,"
Mrs. Preble drew from her husbands breast
pocket his notebook, opened ii to the proper page
and presented it to the physician.
Dr. Hutton adjusted his spectacles, glanced over
the page, and then slowly read the group of
entries aloud. The entry the first year is As fol-
lows:
"August 8, 1855. Jessie, hd, hd! Jessie ~ .
And the next year il is
"August o, 1856. Your Jessie still Hues,'
And the next