Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-10-07


stranger returned to the place where he had seen
the basket descending for the purpose Of convey
ing its present possessor to the tower, climbing
up its rough face with the activity acquired by
mountain warfare. He hung among furze and
broken rocks like wild cat, till he found the ere
vice through which the basket had seemed to is
sue. 1t was artfully concealed by tufts of heath
err; but, creeping on his hands and knees, he
forced his way into the the interior. There
the deepest darkness confounded him, till he had
laid his hands on chain, which he rightly guessed
to be the same he had seen hanging on the side of
the lake when Campbell landed One end was
coled up; bnt he readily concluded chat the end
must have some communication with the keep;
and he followed its course, till he found il insert
ed in what seemed subterraneous wall
crevice behind the pulley admitted CLEAN of
| light; but striving to raise himself, he leaned
too forcbly on the chain, and he somewhat
startled to hear the sound of deep-toned bell
Donald Campbell was sitting alone in the cham
Der, from the windows of which, fifteen years be-
fore, his betrayed friend, Reginald Grahame, had
precipitated himself into the lake below. His
eyes were fixed on the blazing logs on the hearth.
The thoughts of former times fitting before
him he pondered on the days of his youth, be-
fore ambition and avarice had fixed their poison
ed arrows in his heart ere the world had BAN
shed those notions of virtue and religion that his
excellent parents had, in his boyhood, so uncea-
singly ncnlcated Many minor deiinquences
had he committed but the crime which now
proved upon his mind, was the betrayal of his
friend, embittered as it was by the reflection OF
the sordid motive that induced it,
In this state of mind he was startled by one of
those figures which fancy so frequently suggests
to disordered mind. In the masses of the burn
ing embers, he traced the outlines of a face; i'm
agination lent its aid and he recognized
semblance of Reginald. He started up
g Avaunt, base mockery; | TO be daunted
with a mere fgment of the brain? Alas trihes
now disturb me. If have sinned, have suf-
fered; the loss of my only son has been the PEN
atty | have paid for my misdeeds.' So saying,
ne sat back on his chair quite exhausted; and, at
that moment, the bell rung. AT the deep and
hollow sound he cast his eyes leariuliy round,
but made no attempt to rise, though he stretched
his hand towards a staff which lay near him The
stranger saw the tremor of the dismayed Lord Of
the Tower; and, putting his lips to the crevice
murmured, " Father, in a low and suppcating
tone. That word made Campbell tremble. But
when Grahame added, "Father father
me" he sprang to the wall, drew back the iron
bolts ofthe narrow door, invisible to any eye but
his own, and gave admission to the mutiled man,
who leaped eagerly in. Years had passed since
Campbell had seen his son. and many rumors
had been spread that the younger Campbell had
not really persisted, but had engaged in the SER
vice of the Pretender. The hopes and love of
the father all revived in moment and the
sudden apparition-the appeal for mercy-had
full effect on his Imagination. The voice, eyes,
and figure of the stranger, resembed his son; all
else might and must be changed by the lapse of
so many years. lie wept like an infant on his
shoulder, grasped his hands a hundred times, and
forgot to blame him for the dsloyalty he had
shewn to his fathers cause.
Roderick, in explanation, mentioned variety
of circumstances explanatory of the reasons OF
his evasion: how he had escaped, after the bat
vored to a scanty livelihood and how he
had at last, resolved to revisit his native land, in
hopes of obtaining the forgiveness ofhis father
His narrative was much abridged, by the fond de-
light of the old man weeping and rejoicing over
the return of his prodigal SON
Old Campbell eagerly asked by what happy
chance he had discovered the secret entrance,
and whether any present danger threatened them.
Roderich answered the first question, by repeat
ing what our readers already acquainted with;
and he added in answer to the second that he fear
ed nothing but the emissaries of governmenttrom
whom he could not be better concealed than in
the Tower of Gloom. Old Campbell agreed with
Joyful eagerness but presently added -
oRodercl, my boy, must trust in Annette:
she s too near in KIN to betray you; and ye were
to have been her spouse
Then he explained that his niece was the on
lv one person in his household acquainted with
the secret of the basket and the bell: that by her
help, he could provide mattrass and provisions
for his son. but without it, he would be forced tc
, hazard the most dangerous inconvenience.
; Roderick commanded to return into the
cavern passage, while his delighted father pre-
/ pared his kinswoman for her new guest; and he
listened greedly to catch the answers Annette
gave her uncle's table. He heard the hurry o