Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-05-16
Jennie Shemeld's
Secret.
fOriginal.l

proving on her mind, but the closest
cross examination of her father failed
To bring out what was troubling her.
She went about rs 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 10 have anything to do
with any Of them.
Under advice OF physician Mr..
Sheffield made preparations to give
Jennie change of scene. He deter
mined to take his family abroad, to he
gone two years. From the moment the
trip was announced Jennies despond-
ency increased She declared that she
would not 90. A family council, the
doctor included, was held. and 1t was
decided to treat her MS an invalid.
even as dcmented 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.
Passage had been secured and all
was ready for the departure when sud
denly Jennie disappeared. 1t was
supposed that in order to escape n
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
l.. 1 a
feared that her trouble was insanity
and that she had committed suicide.
At this point a clew To her strange
depression WAS unearthed by CORE
spoudence 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
Il member OF the senior class at Il
neighboring college. But, If hers was
a case OF unrequited love, why she
would not give 1t as a reason for her
dependency no one could understand.
That she was a very sensitive girl and
extremely conscientious her parents
were aware. but sensitlveness 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 n woman's body. Mr.. Sheffiei8. soon
heard of the find and went imm} diate-
iy to see 1t, dreading lest 1t mint 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 a piece of the
dress home, and Mrs. Sheffield identi-
fed II us one Jennie had worn, though
not for long time This was conclu-
siye. Jennie was dead. Had she COM
United 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 trou-
bic in accommodating proof that his
character was very bad. People who
only shook their heads before the dis
covcry 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
ease directly except the evidence of a
love affair given by Jennies room
mate. The funeral was announced for
) o'clock in the afternoon. At 10 the
postman's whistle sounded and Mr..
Sheffield went To the door himself To
receive the mail Letters of condo
leuce 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
NaS addressed to him in his daughters
handwriting, For n moment he looked
AT II dazcd, then tore Off the envelope
and read Dearest father and moth
err In an instant his ewes went down