Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-11-26

The interior of this house is even |
more beautiful than its exterior, every |
apartment being in it's way a gem Of |
magnificence and refinement.
The library especially realizes the |
most perfect ideal of an elegant and
cultured home.
And yet, at the moment we look in
tfpon him-one August afternoon, as
he occupied his ibrary-the proprietor
of all this wealth appeared Of all men
the most miserable.
He was Mr.. Morton Preb1e. for many
years leading banker of San Francis
CO.
1t was in vain that the broad bay
window at the south end of the room /
had been opened, giving 1ngress to the I
sunshine and the fragrance of rare !
howers-in vain that the walls we're 7
lined with richly carved bookcases |
and paintings-in vain that soft couch /
es and luxurious chairs had been gath |
cred around him.
He was wretched.
He lay on a sofa, in the depths of the
great bay-window, the wreck of once
powerful man. His figure was thin
and gaunt; his face white as marble
his eyes having an expression of wO-
full apprehension, of narrowing anx-
iety, of dreadful expectancy.
1t was evident at glance that no
merely physical ailment had made him
what he was.
By what whitening secret, by what
DESTROYING affiictiOn, had he been thus
agoniZed thus haunted2 thus hunt
edP he so noble and good he so
wealthy and distinguished
AS he moved restlessly upon his lux
urious cushions the pretty clock on
the mantel-pieee struck five, every
stroke seeming to fall like O hammer
upon the heart Of the nervous invalid.
He aroused himself, struggling feebly
to a sitting posture
'sOh, viii this fatal day never, never
pass 2" he murmured; "nor bring us
reliefP'
Noticing with nervous start that
he was alone he touched bell upon
table before him, and called
'Helen, Helen where are you -
Before the echoes of his voice had
died out a step was heard, and his
wife entered his presence.
Il left you only for a moment, Nor
ton, she said, advancing to the bank
ef's side. "You were doing, think.
wished to send for the doctor p
She was a beautiful woman, of some
six and thirty years, graceful, with
broad white broWs, and loving eyes,
in which the brightness and sweetness
of sunshiny nature were still per-
ceptfbIe, under grief and anxiety no
less poignant than that evineed by her
husband.
proachfully.
Eyes, dear" she said, in calm and
cheerful voice, as she drew chair to
the side of the sofa, and sat down,
strOking the corrugated forehead of
the Invalid with magnetic toach.
He will be here Immediately. Your
last nervous crisis alarmed me. You
may become. seriously i'll ~
Mr.. Preble bestowed an affectiOnate
look upon his wife, but said despond-
emily:
to mind diseased = Oh, if these long /
hours would only passl If I only /
knew what the day has yet in store for
us !"
''Look up, Morton % enioined Mrs.
Preble, with reverently trustful |
glance upward through the open win |
dow at the blue sky, and as if looking
beyond the azure clouds therein. 'sLet
us appeal from the injustice and wick
edness Of earth to the goodness and
mercy of Heavenl"
The banker gave a low, sobbing sigh.
IT cannot look up, Helen," he an
swered, with a passionate tremor in
his only down, down at the
grave that is opening before me -
Mrs. Prebfe continued to stroke his
forehead softly, while she lifted her
pale face to the sunlight streaming in
to the apartment,
t'Iiook up, MortOn-always look upp'
she again enjoined upon the invalid.
During all these fourteen years of
agony, / have not once doubted either
the goodness or the justice of Heaven.
blessed are they that mourn for they
shall be comforted.' I believe that we
shall yet rejoice more keenly than we
have mourned, and that we shall come
to a glorious day of joy beyond all this
long night of sorrow 70
The face of the invalid lighted up
with an answering glow, and he muir
INJURED:
"Glorious faith! Ny wife, you are
indeed blessed comforter! Perhaps
after all, you are right"
A knock resounded on side door at
this iuncture, and the next moment
DIR. Hutton, the family physician, for
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, pair of
shreWd blue eyes, and with an exuber-
ant boyishness of manner that sat well
upon him. He had kind heart and a
clear head. He approached the sofa,
after greeting the husband and wife,
and lifted the thin restless hand of the
invalid, feeling his pulse.
"Quite high fever y he said, after
brief pause. "WOrrying again, eh,
Mr.. Preble2 You are wearing your
self out. Medicine will do you no
good so long as your mind is in its
n y
'Not now, DOCTOR" interposed the
banker. ST cannot-must not-sleep
to-day need to be broad awake now,
for cannot tell at any moment what
the next may bring forth. I am look
ing for the elimination of all my years
of anguish-for the croWning agony of
the whole. Perhaps even now All,
what was that %
He started up wildly, and then. as
the sound that had disturbed him was
not repeated, he sank back again on
his cushions, pallid and painting.
The doctor looked at Mrs. Preble
with an anxious, questioning glance.
s9It is the anniversary" she replied
to his unspoken inquiry the anniver-
"Ah, yes, said the doctor. 81 re-
member"
ayes, it's another of those terrible
days, " cried the banker, in hollow
whisper. "Sit down, doctor, and viii
tell you the whole story. l can think
Of nothing else to-day, and am almost
wild with apprehension and anxiety.
Sit down."
Or. Hutton drew up chair and seat
ed himself, his face expressing the |
double solicitude of a friend and ply /
sician.
"You knew us fourteen years ago,
DOCTOR" said Mr.. Preble. 1--WE lived /
then where we do now, in q cottage on
INC BlbS u bAAS great mansion InerG L
were but the three of us-Helen and I, \
and our three-year old Jessie. And it |
was fourteen years ago to-day that our
little Jessie was stolen from u.s."
'tI remember it," said the doctor
softly. "Yet might she not have been
lost, Mr.. Preb1e? 4? She went out to play |
in the garden, if remember rightly, |
and was never seen by you again. She |
might have strayed away"
$50 we thought for a whole year,
doctor,'' interrupted the banker. 1--WE
never dreamed that she had been !
stolen. We searched everywhere for |
her, and offered immense rewards for |
her recovery. I employed detectives, |
but all to no purpose. When our little /
Jessie ran down the steps into that |
flower garden" and he pointed to the !
front Of the house, Gas if the earth had (
opened and swallowed her up, we new
er saw her againn
''she must have found the gate open,