Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-02-06
WHY HE DISAPPEARED.

the rays of the sun were pouring into the
window of little house not far from CHS
wick. The air was fragrant with the
scent of new mown hay, and made it seem
as if the spot was situated miles away in
some remote quarter of the country, in
stead of being, as it really was, but cab
drive from Charing Cross.
Nell Jackson was busying herself in the
comfortable room on the ground floor her
skillful fingers arranging the breakfast
things and placing the tempting plate of
watercresses and golden cubes of butter
within handy reach of a comfortable chair;
then she produced a crusty looking loaf,
which she put upon a wooden platter, and
gazed for an instant admiringly at her
work.
There said she, clapping her hands,
elf Mary has only done the bacon crisp, as
papa likes it, the dear old thing may come
down whenever he likes" And tripping
up the stairs with the lightness of fairy
she raped at the panels of door upon
the next landing.
Thomas jackson was what is termed an
eminently respectable man. BY dint of
hard work and undertaking integrity he
had risen to a confidential post in the firm
of Messrs. Chest g. Lead, tea brokers, of
Mincing lane Mr.. jackson was a widower,
and neither Nell nor her brother Bob had
the slightest recollection of their mother
Bob was a clerk in the general postoffce
and he and his sister Nell had been brought
up by an aunt on their mothers side until
their father returned to England from
some employment in which he had been
engaged abroad, when he at once took the
house at Chiswick and brought his chill
dren to live with him. He was a hard
working, painstaking man, and after
time gave the highest satisfaction to his
employers who had at first been a little
chary of engaging a man who coul1 give
them no references from any mercantile
firm within the sound of Bowbells As
years, however, rolled by they congratu.
lated themselves in ha wing strained a point
by which they had secured the services of
so diligent and responsible an employee.
1t had long been habit of Mr. jackson
to rise early and have an hours work in
his garden before proceeding to business,
and his daughter therefore was not much
surprised when she received no answer to
her twice repeated summons.
Papa, you naughty, lazy papa" cried
she. have you oversight yourselty Get
up, or your breakfast will be quite cold"
No reply came and the girl paused for
moment
Where can he be?" said she, and then
softly opening the door she entered the
roam on tiptoe but to her extreme surprise
the bedchamber was unoccupied.
You wicked papa exclaimed the girl,
III you do not put in an appearance at
once you shall have no breakfast"
Gently, Nell" called out Bob jackson.
thrusting his head through the half opened
Of bod 10, all
element about?'
4 can't find papa. He isn't in the gar
den, have just been looking out of the
window" replied Nell.
We'll ! suppose | must have look
round myself, Miss Careless" returned her
brother, and issuing from his room he fol
lowed Ellen down the narrow strip of
passage which did duty for an entrance
hall. "'rhe governors hat has gone" re-
marked Bob, "but here is his umbrella in
the stand, and wet or dry never knew
him to venture out without it,"
oh, dear" exclaimed Nell, turning pale
and sinking into chair. Look Bob, the
front door is not closed"
do you think he usually goes out by
the Window" said Bob, although, know
ing his fathers methodical habit, he was a
good deal startled at Mr.. Jackson having
Without another word, Bob and Nell
proceeded to their fathers bedroom, and
there found that he had put on the clothes
he usually wore at business, but, to their
extreme surprise and uneasiness, his purse
and silver watch were on the dressing
table
The brother and sister exchanged looks
of unmiti gated surprise
Come, do not let us get uneasy" said
Bob "Oi course he has stepped out for
something Let us 20 into the paror and
wait for him, he is bound to be back di-
rectly,"
Nell obeyed her brothers wish, and the
brother and sister waited a long time for
their fathers return, but Mr. Thomas
jackson did not come back; in point of
fact, he never appeared at the house in
Chiswick again
Week after week and month after
month passed away, and still the strange
mystery remained unsolved. Not scrap
of paper was discovered which gave the
slightest clew to the reason for Mr. Jack
sons sudden and unexpected disappear
ance Everything appeared to have been
left in the most perfect order. and bank
notes to the amount of 81 800 were discov-
cred in an old mahogany desk, which the
children remembe red well as the receptacle
for receipted bills and other important
documents
Messrs Chest & Lead declared that
their books were in tbs most perfect order,
and that not shilling had been expended
that could not be accounted for, and in ad-
dition they showed their sympathy to the
beree,ved children by lending their active
aid TO the search after the lost man. Bob
jackson found it impossible to carry on his
duties at the postofiice with so terrible a
weight of anxiety crushing his heart and
brain, so he resigned his clerkship, and di-
rected his whole time to seeking for the
clew of the mystery, but in vain. At last
despair gained the mastery over him, and
accepting post in the offices of Messrs.
Chest & Lead, he settled down as quietly
as his perturbed spirit would allow him to
daily routine of work
Not So however, his sister. The idea
that her father would one day come back
became almost monomania with her, and
night after night she would sit up to vel
come the wanderer upon hisreturn home
Oft in the long watches of the night, when
,at atf, H. 4