North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-11-24
WHOLE No. 684.

august Q, 1866. She's really charm
; ingw ,a-.
And last year it is
"August 9, 1867. My reward is at
hand ~
And what shall we get to-day!
The physician looked up and fixed his
thoughtful gaze upon the bereaved hus-
band and wife.
"IIow did these messages come to your
he demanded. "
"Invariably by post" replied Mr..
Preble. "Usually to the house, but some.
times to the Office ~
"And you have never seen their au.
thor p &
"Never ~ 4.
'The last Of them is dated, I see, year
ago to-day!"
i "Yes, yes" faltered the banker, aand
the time has come for another message.
This is the 9th of August, 1868 ~
81 see," said DR.. Hutton. "And this is
the secret Of your terrible excitement
You are expecting to receive to-day anoth-
er of these strange messages y
There was brief silence. Mrs. Prcble's
hand Auttcred in it's task, and her face
grew very pale. The banker breathed
gaspingly. The physician regarded them
both in friendly sympathy.
"We shall hear of her again to-day"
said Mr.. Preble land what will the
message be?'
The mother avcrted her face. Her
brave heart faltered as that question
echoed in her soul.
"The writer of these letters is unquos-
tionably the abductor Of your child -
said DR.. Hutton. "IIave you any suspi.
cion as to his identity ~
"Not the slightest" said Mr.. Preble.
eve have puzzled over the problem for
many years, but we cannot guess who he
is."
"Think," said the doctor. "lIave you
no enemy? I do not mean people with
whom you are not friendly-every stir
ring man has plenty of these-bat a
downright enemy? Is there no man whom
you know in the East who hated you ? No
one against whom you were called upon
to testify-no one whom you possibly in.
Ijured ?''
The banker shock bis head. He had
asked himself all these questions repeat
edly.
~ have no such enemy, DOCTOR" he
answered with sincerity of voice and
= manner.
: "And Mrs. Preble?' suggested the
doctor, turning to her. "Iavs you no
rejected suitor who might be revengeful
enough to desolate your home2'
"No,' said the lady. II was married
carly. Morton was my FIRST loverl''
: "This is strange-very strange!' NUT.
tered the doctor. "You are not conscious
of having an enemy in the world, and yet
you have an enemy-a hidden foe-a
iend in human form-who is working out
against you q fearful hatred And you
have not the slightest suspicion as to
whom he is p
"Not the slightest" declared the bank
er.
"Not the slightest" echoed Mrs. Pre-
BILE. "My husband had step-brother
who might have been capable Of this
infamy-but he is dead -
"The handwriting is not familiar? ?''
"No. It is merely rude scrawl, as you
see," said the banker. ut suggests moth
: ing-except that it is evidently disguisedy''
Again there was profound silence.
"Our child is seventeen years old now,'
at length murmurcd Mrs. Preble, her
voice trembling. "She is on the thres'
hold of womanhood. No doubt, during
all these years, she has yearned for US,
wherever she may te, as We have yearned
for her -
"But where is she?'' asked the physi-
cian-and now his voice was broken by
his deep sympathy with the agonized
parents. "Where can she BET"
"Heaven only knows" answered the
mother. "Perhaps in San Francisco
perhaps in some rude hut in the interior,
with some obscure farmer, and under q
, name that is not hers think her abduc-
tor would have carried her to some lonely
region of the interior, among the valleys
and mountains. Yet never see young
girl in the streets without turning to look
at her. never hear girlish voice with
out listening eagerly, half fancying that il
may prove the voice of my lost Jessie !''
"Oh, plying heaven - sighed DR.. Hut.
ton, dashing food Of tears from his eyes
> "Will this long agony never be over?''
1--WE hope SO, and even believe so, y
answered Mrs. Preble, with the armnese
, of an unfaltering trust in Gods mercy.
: "The last message we received from our
enemy seems to point to some kind of q
change"
"True," assented DR.. Hutton, looking
at the message in question. at is unlike
the others. 1t says that his reward is a.
hand He means either that he intends
to marry your daughter, or that he in-
tends to demand money Of you for bring.
] ing her back-or both"
"We shall soon know" said Mrs. Pre-
BILE, with forced cslmness. "To-day We
, shall have another message, no doubt.
What will it be r.
Tho banker turned restlessly Oh his
sofa, and his face grew even paler.