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The woman fought to hold back tears, then picked up a picture of a smiling blue-eyed girl.

Gazing at the picture, she murmured, it seemed so long ago, Sally, so long ago.

Then Ella Horner, 42, her voice shaking, said, I'm so relieved. Mrs. Horner was referring to the news that her daughter, Florence Sally Horner, 12,

had been rescued in California from a convicted rapist who had held her a prisoner since the summer of

1948. Mrs. Horner said, it's been almost two years since she disappeared from Atlantic City.

That's a long time. During that time,

I didn't hear a word from her. No word, no postcard, no news of any kind. But Tuesday,

Mrs. Horner finally heard news, good news. She learned that her daughter had been rescued and the man responsible

for her abduction, Frank LaSalle, 54, had been arrested. There was silence for a few moments,

then Mrs. Horner said, quote, I still vividly recall when Sally left. She said she was going

to spend a short vacation with the

family of one of her school friends who had moved to Atlantic City. Before permitting her to go,

I told her the parents of the girl would have to extend an invitation as I wanted to know where

she was going. Then I received a telephone call from a man who identified himself as the

other girl's father and he said his family would like to have Sally visit them, unquote. She

hesitated, then sighed. Quote, eventually I gave my consent. I must have been very foolish. At least I know it now."

Unquote.

Picking up the picture again, she said,

Anyway, I let her go. I haven't seen her since.

During the girl's 21-month absence, Mrs. Horner said, living in the Linden Street home was like a nightmare.

Quote, it was so different when Sally was here, she was so cheerful and full of life, unquote.

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