Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-10-07
NO. %,


good old laird, forgetting that his niece had been
but a child, and his son a STRIPPING, when they
parted, induged the JOY Of his heart by asking
Annette, thousand times, whether she remem-
bered her betrothed husband; and urging his son,
since he was still unmarried, to pledge his prom:
sed bride
Annette, whose predictions IN favor OF her cous-
in had been create by associa'ion--for she remem-
bered him far back her recollections went-re-
oiced at his reappearance ar er SO long an interval,
and seemed by no means disincned to listen to her
unc!es proposition.
Besides the persons just mentioned, there were
present in the apartment an old woman, and dog,
also evidently advanced in years. The latter, upon
The entrance of Roderick, sauted him with loud
bark but, strange to say, suddenly paused in the
middle of his hostile demonstrations, and after smell
ing for half minute il he investigating what
of person the intruder quietly retreaied to
bis place by the fresde, apparently satisfied that all
was right
The fire on the hearth repenished and burnt
cheerfully. Immediately opposite to the dog. on
one side Of the inge sat the She was
aged and bent almost double, with apparent sense
of sight or hearing, though her eyes fixed on
the spindle she twiriing aud sometimes, when
the laird raised his voice, she put her lean hand on
the hood that covered her ears.
"Do you no, remember poor old Moome ~ said
Annette; and the laird led his supposed son towards
the superannuaed crone, though without expecting
any mark ofrecognilion. Whether she had noticed
anything that had passed, could not be gathered
from her IDIOT laugh; and she had almost ceased TO
speak Therefore as ifony dumb dnmestc ami
mails had been sitting by his hearth, Campbell pur-
sued his arrangements for his sons SAFETY; advising
him to sleep composedly in the wooden pannelled
bed that formed closet off this chamber without
garding the halfiving skeleton, who never left her
corner. He gave him his blessing and departed.
taking with him his niece and the key ofthis dreary
room, promising to return and watch by his bedside.
| He came back in few minutes; and, while Roder-
lex couched hmselfon his mattrass, took his station
by the fire and fell asleep, overcome with joy.
The enlbers gradually sunk on the hearth and the
light diminished in rroportion Roderck. who had
been awake for time began 10 feel the APPROACH
of sleeps and whilst state Of transition he observ-
ed, by the dying embers of the fire, the old
cautiously rise, and. removing the dirk from the side
Of her sleeping master, approach his bed with eau
tious step and silent tread The astonishment of
ode rick at behoding this nfrm creature advance,
with purpose evidently hostile, was great that
in place cfiumpng from his couch. and wrestling the
weapon from the hands of its weak and aitenuated
possessor, he lay fascinated as birds said to be
by the eye of the rae-snake. until the actual ad-
vent Of the apparent assassin. The motions of the
beldarne Were carefully watched in quarter which
she little suspected; for she had barely reached the
couch which her Intended victim reposed, and
ere she could raise her arm to strike than the aged
dog sprung at her throat. and brought her to the
ground, from which she again: the trafl
thread of her existence had been snapped by the
suddenness the onset.
This unexpected occurrence awoke the Lord of
the Tower, who. springing up, behed the nurse "
ing on the ground, with the dog growing over her.
| This at once aroused Roderck from his trance:
and he be fy explained to his father the singularily
mysterious scene he had Witnessed, and the fact
Of his rescue by the wonderful sagacty of the dog.
The father perfectly amazed that such an at
tempt should have been made on the life of his son
by one whom he naturally supposed would, ms his
vassa, have rather died thousand deaths than have
touched the hair of the head of the of her chef.
The only plausible ground he could assign for this
murderous attempt, was the insanity of the old wo-
man, who, perhaps, perPexed by the unexpected
appearance ola stranger in place where none had
heretofore been, had by some Authorization, fanced
him rohber; and under this impression, had boldly
gone forward to do battle for The laird.
" Dear Roderick, said the father, /" this is
sad welcome to the Tower of Gloom. If | was
superstitous, should augur something bad from
this event Poor INCOME she had long been
faithful servant, and could have wished her fate
different. We must conceal it from Annette
She will be sufficiently unhappy as it Isl and it
would be cruel to add to her annoyance by dis
closing the strange fact that she had persisted in
attempting the life of her benefactor's son. Once
more, good night, dear boy
So saying, he pressed his sons forehead to his
lips, and, removing the body, left Roderck to his
own thoughts.
Poor Annette was shocked exceedingly By the
une xpected death ofthe nurse; but sorrow rs said
to be near akin to love and, in the delicate at
tenticn of her cousin Roderck, the fair Celt felt
ber rriaf STRANGELY aoothed and her bosom expe-