Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-08-12

oreak some petty law that he might die. il
Curses, then, say, upon the traitor Ham Il
lton, who stole his bride" o
amen" the deep voice answered, but t
this time Kenelm heard il not his fiery a
were aroused beyond control; he 7
forgot all but that he had been called a 4
traitor, and, starting to bis feet, he ad-
yanced on the Campbell, saying
"Man, know you to whom you are
speaking" 4
Il neither know nor care" said the
innkeeper rising also. /" But / say yet
more; not only curse upon him the trail
tor. but upon her, bis lady Eght-o'-love,
who would have brought q stain upon
Argyle's time-honored house had she be-
come his bridep'
This was too much. In aEother mo- (
ment Hamilton's dirk was cleaning in his |
hand.
Villain unsay that word," he thun-
dered out; she is pure as driven snow. :"
"Iis lady light-o'-love," repeated the
Campbell, with mocking smile, at the
same time preparing to defend himself;
but the furious Hamilton bad closed with
him ere the words had well passed his
lips-one fierce struggle followed, then
the Highlander fell, heavily to the ground
as his assailant plunged the dagger into
his breast up to the very hilt, exclaiming
" Die, then with foul lie in your throat" ="
: One deep groan--one strong convulsion
of the stalwart limbs, and Campbell was
corpse.
3 Hamilton stood transfxed, while his
: boiling blood gradually subsidized, and his
passion cooled in the presence of death.
: The whole thing had taken place so sud
f denly, that be could hardly believe The
, living, breathing man he had been talking
d to so amicably but few moments before
d was lying there murdered by his owl
hand. But suddenly as be gazed, be fel
q his flesh creep with a strange horror, a
A he saw the soulless eyes of the blin'
y maiden upturned towards him as sh
r knelt on the ground by her dear father
a ro"aIas 'rher> che had crept with ste
IS so stealthy that he had not heard her.
II Hamilton drew back, shuddering fror
the fixed stare, so dreadful seemed th
Iv expression of hate on her white, ghastl
,e face; but as he receded she crept TOWARD
sh him on her knees and laid her hans
" which she had stepped in her father
re. blood, on his till it bore the same red stat
and said in a low, stifed voice" YC
IL have murdered him and you shall d
TO for it. None saw the murder, for n
blind eyes saw it not; but think not
Ter escape: the vengeance of Heaven W
ith track you out one day." Then fingiI
= up her arm to heaven, she exclaimed
-ou :. My father, O,my father" and fell up
the corpse with a shrek so wild piercir
re. that Hamilton felt as if it must have ru
are upon the ears of every person in
ite. town, and reached even through the mi
vas siye walls of Inverary Castle.
de The cry recalled him to himself;
he must escape right speedily, or anotl
,er. moment would see him surrounded
mp those whom it must rouse; the insti
,on- of selfpreservation at once took the pli
= of every other feeling, and with
girl, bound he darted to the outer door, opel
oon ii, rushed to the stable, mounted his no
had without saddle or bride, and the clati
: of ing of his horses feet, as he gallo
rom away was all that the inhabitants of
was village heard of him as they rushed
bis the inn, whence the blind girls shri
-ent, were still heard echoing.
Ioly- Hamilton never slackened his pace
he had laid ten miles between him
m 2 Inverary. In those days the course
sud- justice was as stern as il was summa
, he and he felt well assured that the pre-
blow Marquis of Argyle, the younger bro
city of his rival, would neveraest till he
the found out the murderer of his retail
, and especially when he heard from Els
the circumstances of his death and
e, al succeeded in bis search, the services
d in the " maiden" would right speedily
come called into action for Kenelm himse
thing When at last be ventured, under c
pbell of a dark fir wood, to stop his ful
him course he began TO consider the
stinct means of avoiding discovery, with
thus small anxiety as to the issue. His
much hope was in the fact, that none had
feel present during the murder bat the
girl, who could not identify him !
bell" that not a single inhabitani Of Inv,
1tiand had seen him except her dead {
himself. He was now not very far
brow the house Of his kinsman. where he
& but inally intended TO have passed the !