The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-05-24
Jennie Shefiald's
Secret.
IOriginal.l

preying ON her mind, but the closest
cross examination of her father failed
| to bring out what was troubling her.
She went about as one in a dream.
| Nothing interested. her. She might
have been courted by young people of
| her own set, for she was pretty, intel
ligent and generally attractive, but
she declined to have anything to do
with any of them.
Under advice of a physician Mr..
Sheffield made preparations to give
Jennie a change of scene. He deter
mined to take his family abroad, to be
gone two years. From the moment the
trip was announced Jennie's despond-
ency increased. She declared that she
would not go. A family council, the
doctor included, was held, and it was
decided to treat her as an invalid,
even as a demented person, and force
her to the proposed sojourn In foreign
lands, with the expectation that change
of scene would soon do away with her
aversion to being away from home and
result In her ultimate recovery.
was ready fer the departure when sud
denly Jennie disappeared. 1t was
supposed that in order to escape a
tour which for some mysterious reason
she dreaded she had gone away to
some relative or friend. All possible
refugees were looked into, but the girl
was not to be found. Then 1t was
feared that her trouble was insanity
and that she had committed suicide.
At this point clew to her strange
depression was unearthed by CORE
spondence with her former school
mates. Her roommate revealed the
fact that she had been in correspond
ence with Henry Emerson, who during
Jennie's last year at school had been
member of the senior class at
neighboring college. But, If hers was
case of unrequited love, why she
would not give it as reason for her
dependency no one could understand.
That she was very sensitive girl and
extremely conscientious her parents
were aware, but sensitiveness would
not account for her morbid condition,
especially for her disappearance.
Emerson was investigated. He adj
mitted his acquaintance with and love
for Jennie Sheffield, but nothing more
Nevertheless he seemed very much
troubled. While he was being pressed
for information he, too, suddenly dis
appeared. Then Jennie's parents as
sumed, with good reason, that he was
the cause of her trouble, her strange
acts and especially her disappearance.
The very day Emerson was missed a
man fishing In lake not far from
where the Sheffield family lived caught
his hook in cloth garment and pulled
up a woman's body. Mr.. Sheffield soon
| heard of the find and went immediate
ly to see it, dreading lest 1t might be
his daughter. When he arrived, he
found the features swollen beyond rec
ognition. The height color Of hair
and the teeth correspondent with those
of Jennie. He took piece of the
dress home, and Mrs. Sheffield identi-
| fed it as one Jennie had worn, though
not for long time. This was conclu-
sive. Jennie was dead. Had she COM
mitted suicide or had Emerson murder
ed her?
| The search for Emerson was pushed
vigorously, but he had contrived to
| hide himself where he could not be
found. Now that the evidence was so
strong against him there was no
BILE in accommodating proof that
character was very bad. People wi
only shook their heads before the dis
covery of the body now volunteered to
come forward in case the criminal was
arrested and tried to testify against
him. Nevertheless the police failed to
elicit any information bearing on the
case directly, except the evidence of a
love affair given by Jennie's room
mate The funeral was announced for
o'clock in the afternoon. At 10 the
postmans whistle sounded, and Mr.
Sheffield went to the door himself to
receive the mail. Letters of condo
lence were coming in, and his wife in
sisted on reading them only to make
her more frantic with grief. There
was but one letter handed in, and as
Mr.. Sheffield received it he started. 1t
was addressed to him in his daughters
handwriting. For moment he looked
at 1t dazed, then tore off the envelope
and read, Dearest father and moth
err" In an instant his eyes went down
to the signature, "Your loving daugh-
ter, Jennie"
Not daring to take the letter to his
wife till he had read it, he did so hur-
riedly.
1 have been very silly and may have
worried you some by going away. 1 will
now confess. While at the normal school
l met Henry Emerson. He made love to
me- and 1 refused him. Then when
went home 1 was sorry and acted like
hinDy. You proposed to take me abroad,
and l didn't want to go, hoping that Hen
ry would ask me again. OF course
couldn't tell you this, for I didn't know
that he would, and If he didn't 1t would
have been very Notifying, you know.
So 1 went to M. and boarded with
farmers family. 1 wrote Henry that I'd
run away from you to escape goinG
abroad. He came right up and told me
all the terrible things for which l am
responsible. The most important thing I
have to tell you is that he has asked me
again. If he hadn't been so silly, all this
wouldn't have happened We're married
and will be home tomorrow evening not
long after you get this. Can't you have
a little wedding supper for us?
The couple when they arrived were
much surprised at the situation. There
was wedding supper instead of a
funeral, though the neighbors declared
that the bride should have been whip
ped instead of Toasted. Jennie ex-
planned that she had given the dress
in which the body was found to poor
girl This was later instrumental In