The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-11-20
Davy Balm come % we'd and take home his

trysting place.
TWAS thick copse Of hazel, past which ran
-heurd but not seen--the river; which, where
1 the shrubbery ended, formed dark, deep pool,
so garnished by overhanging nut-trees that it
L had acquired the name Of. the Nut-ho!e. Be-
4 yond this pool lay the road to the manse !; but
as the trees here ceased to offer conccalnlcnt,
the Nut.hole became the limits to Pereivars at
tendance on his cousin in her way homewara.
The rustic seat in the centre of the coppice was
still unoccupied, and he began to fear that
something had transpred to prevent her from
coming. 1t was no use TO listen for the sounds
Of her light, advancing footsteps; for the Dee
made so loud and inccssant a sough as it tumb-
led from the steep bank that helped to form the
Nut-hole, that it drowned all lesser sounds.
He was, however, soon made conscious tina,
there were sounds which no sough of tumbling
waters could drown; for, on sudden, neither
remote, nor suppressed, fierce, pittul cry,
like that of one in some dread life-per, struck
upon his ears, succeeded by the breaking assun.
der Of the boughs of trees, and then plunge
in the water--a heavy plunge, that made itself
heard above the monotonods murmur of the
falling food. Astonshed, almost alarmed, he
rose, and was fastening through the thcket to-
wards the Nut hole, whence the noise had pro.
ceedcd, when, as lie was about to cross the track
that led from the manse to the main road tc
Aberdeen, he beheld flying toward him dark
mantled figure; he knew it at once. Hes hands
stretched toward him, her face CHASTITY with the
death whiteness of intense horror, Barbara stag
gered toward him, and with sharp, short gasp,
as if she had dreaded to give utterance to deep
fear by louder sound, she tainted at his feet
He thought more of the Nut-hole, or what
might have happened there, absorbed in his So
lcitude for his beloved cousin, but his endca-
vors to restore her to animation were fruitless.
The manse lay not two hundred yards distant !;
So at such juncture, regardless of what might
4he the consequences to HIMSELF he bore her in
his arms and not without some difficulty, for
the track was narrow and broken up, and the
night had darkened with falling rain. He reach
ed the house. Fortunately there one in
the parlor but Miss Henry and the startled
maiden, seeing stranger bearing the body Of
her niece, would have screamed, had he not at
once whispered his own name, briefly explained
what had happened, and entreatcd her to be-
friend them.
Gae ava, gae ava, laddie,' said she, as
she quickly brought some vinegar from the side
board and bathed her niecc's brow with the re-
freshing liquid.
My brither mama see you: nor, if you
can help it, shall he ken aught O this. Gae
ava, Johnny dear; he'll be back, believe me.
she's beginning to revive. Ill get her to bed,
and tell him she too i'll to attend prayers. God
bless you my ain dawte, what's a this??' she
added, kissing the brow of the girl, whose eyes
opened to perceive the retiring form Of her
cousin.
If Barbara Comyn revealed to her good aunt
the cause oil her fright and consequent illness,
1t is very certain that Miss Henry kept the
ret. Next morning, indeed, though with wan
face, Barbara appeared at prayers and Mr..
Comyn had concluded reading portion of the
Gospel, when paper falling out of the Bible,
arrested his attention for moment. Only for
moment, however; for mentally supplicating
forgiveness for that involuntary wandering Of
his the act of worship in which he engag-
ed, the good man knclt and prayed with tervor.
This sacred duty terminated, they sat down to
the breakfast table, and then the minister slowly
opened the paper, glanced over it, turned dead
iy pale and exclaimed:
" The great and good God be around US I!
Let not the deluslons of Satan prevail, but keep
from US the evil spirits that make US see things
that are not "
what is the matter, brither?" cried the
wonderisg Miss Henry, whilst, as though chain
ed to the table, Barbara neither moved nor
spoke.
.sTake this, woman said he in tremuous
voice, "and read it to me- that may be sure
the same awful words that met my sight also
meet yeurs."
And the astonishcd Henrietta, taking the pa
per, read what follows
Last night, after leaving you, was stopped
by your sexten, my landlord, David Balm, who
led ME out of the highroad to the Nut hole,
under pretence of showing me large salmon
which he had hooked but could not land. He
there felled me to the earth, robbed me and flung
my body into the river Dee. Pray for the soul
OF Simon BRUCE.
When the awe-struck Henrietta ceased, she
found that Barbara had tainted; and the minister,
in whirl of distracting thoughts to which he
was unaccusto,ned, ascribing his child's swoon
to terror, placed the omnibus paper in the Bible,
and determined to make known the whole mys-
tercus case at once to Mr.. Cragc, the chief
magistrate Of Aberdeen. Not fora single instant
did Mr.. Comyn suspect a hoax, or imagine the
affair to be only the mischeivous trick of some
idler.
Indeed, such was not likely; the times were
superstitous; were there any persons con-
nected or at variance with the family who were
liable to be suspected Of having played off such
foolish and wicked jest at the expense of the
minister, even ifany motive for doing so haC
existed.
The minister, therefore, fastened up stairs tc
change his coat, leaving the Bible containing
the document from the dead, on the table; while
his sister, finding her niece better, left her tt
see that her brothers. best hat and gloves were
ready.
We wonder what Barbara is about meanwhile
Presently Mr.. Comyn returned to a parlor
and putting the Bible in his pocket, flor he dar
ed not again look at the horrible piece or wri
ting] set off at a quick pace for the town. Nor
a. he hurried on, did he give passing glance a
the track which dverged from the highroad to
ward the Nut-tree hole
The magistrate was at home, and great indeed
was his amazement when he heard the minis
ter's story; but TO- when Mr.. Comyn, reverently
taking the Bible from his pocket, opened it t.
show Mr.. Craigie the note, written as he declar
ed in the peculiar hand writing of his friend, hi
found nothing where he had deposited it, but
piece Of blank paper, folded up in the same form
but utterly void And then in truth the worth,
magistrate waxed somewhat wroth; at first accus
ing Mr.. Comyn of being credulously duped b,
some powkie servant who owed him a grudge
and ended by setting him down as sclean dat
dotted, and dazed by too mickle study, land il
his ire he had very nearly added: stoo much tod
dy.'] But, as in no amicable frame Of tempe
the gentlemen were about to quarrel downright
the magistrate asking the minister what proof h
could adduce Of Mr.. Bruces not being alive AM
merry, seasonable and loud knocking at tn