The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-21

mad found out the murderer OF ms retainer, es-
pecially when he heard from Elspeth the cir
cumstances of his death; and if he succeeded
in his search, the services OF the mrden "
would right speedily be called into action for
Kenelm himself
When at last he ventured under cover of a
dark fir wood, to stop his furious course, he be-
gan to consider the best means of avoiding dis
covery, with no small anxiety as to the issue.
His best hope was in the fact, that nor had
been present during the murder but theyblind
girl, who could not identify him and that not
a single inhabitant Of lnverary had seen him,
except her dead father himself He was now
not very far from the house Of his kinsman,
where he originally intended to have passed the
night. The time he had spent so fatally in the
inn at Inverary had not extended beyond all
hour and the rapid pace at which he had tray
ersed the last ten miles had fully brought him
to the time when he would, according to has
ordinary style Of travelling, have reached his
destination. He therefore resolved to proceed
thither at once, as if he were only arriving from
the village where he had left his servants, and
to trust that no one would ever suspect him OF
/ having made his unfortunate detOur into the
domain of his enemy. This plan succeeded
perfectly; he was expected by his cousin; and
next morning his servant joined him, having
/ left his comrade doing well so that no doubt
was for a moment entertained that he had ever
/ deviated from the road he had been expected
| TO take, and he had once more started for Edln-
| burgh before the news of the murder had spread
| beyond Inverary Nevertheless, when the fact
did become known, it created great sensation,
chiefly owing TO the peculiar circumstances of
the Casa murder committed by an unknown
assassin in presence of one sole witness, and
that one deprived of the power of seeing the
murderer, was, even IN those DAYS of bloodshed,
( "A striking evant and tho m uutar.o,,o If
the criminal seemed altogether unaccountable.
The Marquis of Argyle, who was at his castle
on the fatal night, left 10 stone uDturned III his
! efforts to discover the perpetrater of the deed
! beng stimulated to unusual activity in the
search, by the strong suspicion he entertained
that The assassin was in some way connected
with the family Of his foes, the Hamiltons This
he gathered from the conversation between the
murderer and his victim which Elspeth detail !
ed word for word; but it afforded no clue what
ever to the actual individual, and Kenelm him
self was never suspected.
After few weeks of useless investigation.
the search was given mp; but the details of the
murder were carefully recorded by the cours Of
justice, and the Lord of Argyle declared that if
ever III his lifetime the assassin were discover /
ed, he would bring HIM to the scaiOld, be ~.he /
interval ever so long. Elspeth found a no ne |
IN the Marquis's household, after the good Did |
fashion of these times, which recognised CLAIM
on the part of all the helpless and afflicted of
the clan to fad refuge with the family~of
their chief, and kenelm had, TO all appear
ance, escaped with perfect mpunity
Yet he, gay and reckless as he seemed was
secretly haunted by one dark foreboding, which
never left him, night or day. Campbell was OF
the first man he had slain in the course of his
stormy career; but he was the first he had BtIn-
dered !; the first whose life be had taken other
wise than in honorable warfare; and already
the unfailing retribution of actual crime had
commenced in the deep secret of his heart.
Wherever he went, alone or in crowds from
the hour when the low solemn warning of the
blind girl came to him, as he stood with his feet
dabbing in the blood of her father. He hea,d
that voice ringing in his ear and telling him
that vengeance would surely find him vet. aid
the sleepless justice Of the Invisible track him
out when least he looked for it. Not even the
JOY bells, on his wedding morning, could drown
that omlnous whisper In his soul, nor the sweet
tones Of the gentle Lady Ellen, while she MIR
INJURED her bridal VOWS. Still was it sounding
there, when the feeble cry of his first-born
spoke of new ties to make life sweet and latsr
still, he heard it through the firing of the "a.
lutes that greeted him ambassador on a for
eign shore. I ears passed on, most Of which
were spent at one of the continental courts
and family to Edinburgh, the murder of tl5.
innkeeper had not been thought of by any Or.
for a long time past.
One day, about month after has arrival ! ,
the Scottish capital, Hamilton was waikiki
along the NEST fashionable part of the old toiy7s
where the houses OF the nobility were chiefly N
he found, when his attention was attracted hg
a fray, which was going on Ia the streets b,
tween two young men. Such sight was lrg
no means uncommon In those days; but tie
fury OF the lads was great, that IL was eviderf
some serious mischief would ensue If they wef@
not separated. Hamilton, whose rank in tls.
city entitled him to interfere, at once rushed ia
between them, calling to them in a loud VOICE
TO desist Immediately Ifom further quarreline,
and with a firm grasp of his strong hands .oA
the shoulder of each, he sent them reengl t. {
the opposite sides Of the street. {
The affair had collected a considerable crowd.
and Hamilton's rank and position were well 8
known amongst them, so that they all made
way for him he turned to resume his walk
One moment he stood there In all his proud
receiving the homage of the peopl,
a. his right, and scarce bending his lofty heaG
in acknowledgment of it. The sunshine Of i I
bright summer sky, streaming down upon hi
noble and commanding form, seemed but to
typify the briliancy or ahlS worldly prospects.
|
vengeance that had so long tracked his steI,.
unseen laid hold upon him with deadly grasp /,
and the sun of HamiltOn's career sunk dow
to set III blood. A Shrek so thrilling and in
tense that 1t seemed to pierce his very hearts
suddenly rung through the air, and all ewes az
well AS hls own, were turned to the spot from
whence 1T appeared to have arisen-and ther.
a sight presented ITSELF which caused the state.
ly Hamilton to grow pale. and tremble like
child. On the highest step of the stone stan
which led to the door of the Marquis of Argyle
town residence, tall haggard. looking wOma
was standlng-her arms were Outstretched to.
wards Hamilton, and her eyes, whose CLASSY
vacancy showed that they were sightless. seem;
ed to glare upon him with a horrible triumph'
as she shrieked out in tones that were heard
far and near: Seize him seize that man
whoever he may be-he is the murderer of INV
father know him by his voice" MANY Of
Argyles retaipers were amongst the crow,l<
and the Marquis himself had been drawn to the
window by the noise of the quarrel All knew
Elspeth Campbell, the blind woman, and 70
membered her fathers mysterious murder-alF
could testify to the acuteness of her sense OIL
hearing, and to the repeated expression of hex
longing desire that she might hear the voice Of
the assassin so long sought in vain, for she reS
membered the full rich tones that had called on
her father TO unsay his words one instant ere
he fell corpse, and she felt certain she should
know them again if she could but once hear
the murderer speak and now, after the lapse
of all these years the well-known voice had
struck her ear, and again and again she
screamed out: "Seize him seize him know
he is lay fathers murderer Ia another mo-
ment Argyle gag confronting Hamilton, toe
thankful to have suph pharCa ectabI Sba6