The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1912-07-27

tsrest story unsurpassed Ia the an
nails Of modern nction- The story Of
a little gray haired mother With ach.
ing heart and eyes dimmed with tears
and lonely vigils. The story Of a
young girl Who In the fun bloom Of
womanhood vent away one night and
never came back. The story OF a
young brother with a life marrcd hy
q nameless sorrow. The story Of a
father Who goes about with troubled
eyes and awful dread In his heart
November iith. 1910. Fern Reeve
stealthily stole from her home By
night and led by some strange Will-o-
the.Wisp, ned away from her home
town through the darkness until she
reached the dark and forbidden walls
OF the convent OF The urauline sis.
ters, az Alton. Ill. and there buried
the brightness and loyousness. and
the laughter of her young llfe-ShAll
Ne say foreverG
This is one OF the most mysterious
cases that your correspondent has
ever encountered. In nearly all sim
liar cases there has been some utter
for motive, some logical explanation.
but In this our questions and our sur.
mises are met BY mystery.
The early afternoon sunshine
STRAINED golden on the green grass
and the iower.beda, on the July after
noon when your correspondent called
az this old fashioned home. lie was
met at the door by Mrs. Reeve, rather
a slender. gray haired woman Of mid
die age, OF a kindly motherly way,
and dumb look OF suffering In her
once bright but now tear dimmed
eyes. With quaint and goodly cour-
tesy she showed us into the little
parlor, and We sat and talked on un.
important subjects a few moments.
Then I said. 'MrS Reeve. I repro
sent The Menace and they have sent
mo here 90 visit yol In your hour OF
trouble and II there IL a possibility Of
releasing your daughter from her
awful fate, they have instructed me
20 spare no effort 10 do So"
Old fashioned things, old wine and
cid friends are precious IN this world.
] turned my head sympathetically and
gazed out OF the window at the flow
ers In the yard. as Mrs. Reeve silent.
ly shed the old fashioned tears, that
told Of a Mothers suffering heart.
And then she told me the story. Sad.
Pitiful. Strange. AZ she told this story
looked at the old fashioned pictures
on the walls, at the old fashioned,
comfortable furniture ana the old
fashioned flowers noddlng gaily In
the July sunshine outside. For some
way when l looked into that old
fashioned, tear stained, wrinkled and
motherly face, my heart hurt and the
tears came to my own eyes. Fern"
abe said, was always a good GIRL.
She was always quiet and loved her
home and loved her church, for she
was a member OF our own church,
that is, the Methodist. She loved her
young friends, AID we gave her every
opportunity that we could AFFORD.
There Is her piano untouched, there
Is her music unsung, there are her
books unread. Oh! | remember how
often we used TO have parties and
gatherings OF the young folks OF her
set and Of our church. and did
everything that a mother could do 10
make home happy for Fern. Fern
seemed to love her home so; she
seemed to be 50 happy here and she
simply idolized her loved ones, es-
pecially her little sister.
Fern was always an obedient girl.
and do you know, Mr.. Buss, that We
were so happy in our home life that
all OF the dark sorrows OF the last
two years seems 10 me like some hor-
rible nightmareG OH I am so glad
that The Menace with its great
power and it's vast army OF readers
has sent you to us. TO help US now"
The Menace man was still gazing out
Of the window and his voice was Just
a little husky as he said, "Yes. Mrs.
Reeve, 20 on.-tell me the whole
story. The Menace is with you heart
and hand in your trouble"
"The first that I noticed about two
years ago. Fern began to act strange
ly. She seemed to want to be by her
self all the time. She would sit in
a chair in the corner for two or three
hours In the evening time and some
times when her playful little sister
wanted 10 romp with her. she would
push her away and say that she
wanted to be left alone. This was so
unusual that ! would ask Fern 10 she
were not feeling we'll. and she would
say. No Mother. am not we'll
And then l noticed that she seemed
20 be studying some little books or
pamphlets q great deal OF the time
and when che was not reading or
studying these. she seemed 20 be sit
ting and thinking moodily.
"And. then. one sad. dark night
Fern did not come home to supper
10 o'clock-11 o'clock,-midnight
came. and still I sat and waited and
prayed and wondered.-and her
father and brother searched the town.
The next day I received a note
mailed from a hotel here In town In
Ferns handwriting stating that she
had gone to the Convent 70 be a
bride Of Jesus Christ. that I must not
worry about her. that He had taken
her out Of the world
NO tongue can tell how I suffered
when read that note. We found
afterwards that the young man with
whom she had been keeping company
was a Catholic. that he and the nuns
and priests had schemed 70 steal her
away from u.s."
There was a pause. the birds fitted
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