Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-09-04

FThe Lord be our guidea" exclaimed
Mr.. Comyn, :" tits really David Balm"
and as the wretched sexton struggled to
free himself from the orms that pinioned
him, the minister, prompted by sudden
impulse, advancing towards him and look
ing steadily in his face, said:
"David Balm, look not to deny your
crime, but confess it, and implore your
Makers pardon, even at this the eleventh
hour. In my Bible, this morning, ! found
paper, written by the spirit of him you
murdered here last night, and charging
you with the commission of the deed"
At these strange words, which in our
modern times might have produced
mirth, the guilty creature, losing all self
possession, uttered loud cry, and point
ing to the bloody cudgel, which still lay
at the magistrates feet exclaimed
81 did it with that! | did it with that"
and fell back in fit
1t would be easy to lengthen out our
historiette into one of circumstantial evil
dcnce, trial, condemnation, and ultimate
discovery but we have preferred telling
it as it really happened. On the person
of David Balm were found .aypocket-hand-
kerchief and purse, recognised as the
property of the late Mr.. Bruce, and con.
tanning bank-notes and bills to considcra-
BILE amount-the sight of which, in the pos.
session of his lodger, had evoked the Gu
pidity Of the bell-man. He made full
confession and in due time suffered the
penalty due to his offence. Meanwhile
the minister, in the thankfnlness Of his
soul to find his nephew guiltless, embraced
him tendcrly, and freely permitted that
courtship to proceed between his daughter
and him, which he had before so strenu
ously opposed.
One circumstance still remained mys-
terry, and undeveloped to all save Barba-
ra's amt Pcrcival. and the worthy mag
istratc-by whose advice, indeed, it was
concealed from the minister-who, to his
dying day, confidently believed that the
paper.he had found in his Bible had been
placed there by supernatural interposi-
ton. But the hand of the dead had moth.
ing to do with it, as we mean to explain.
On the evening of the murder, Barbara
Comyn sailed for the to meet her cousin
leaving Mr.. Bruce and her father discus.
sing punch and polemcs. She was later
than usual, and as she sped along, she be-
came aware of the approach from Aber-
deem of an indiyidal, whom she could not
avoid meeting ifshe proceeded direct to the
tryst. She therefore went into different
track, thinking to make circuit which
would occupy the time the stranger might
take in passing the copse Of hazels; but,
unfortunately, Tor fortunately, was it?)
she met poor woman, the wife of a
ne;ghboring peasant, who was on her way
to the manse to implore some black cur.
rant jelly for child suffering from sore
throat. The call of distress was never
disregarded by Barbara, and she flew
buck to the manse, procured the jelly,
and giving it to the woman, fastened
amidst falling rain to the trysting. place
As she was about to round the point
which hid the Nut-hole from view, she
heard the sounds of struggling feet and
wrestling arms, and, regardless of danger
to her herself in her fears for Percival
she forced her way through some bushes
and bchcld two men, in no friendly EN-
brace. staggering on the very verge o.
the pool. Before she could look again
the one had failed on the earth, and the
other, with a desperate blow Of his stick
on the head of the PROSTATE man, uttered
an oath in voice whose peculiar tones
were well.known to Barbara, aud in the
twinkling of an eye showed the wounded
man over the bans into the Nut-!ree hole
Her blood curdling with horror, Barba
ra found no voice, no strength, TO speak
or stir; hut she became, so to speak, al
eye; and as the murderer, swiftly cram
ming into his hat and pockets something
which she could not define, rose up ant
forgctfnl of the cudgel, which lay blood
dabblcd on the grass, rushed from th'
place where he had taken the burden o
deadly sin upon his soul, she saw his face
and recognised her fathers sexton--Davit
Balm.
In terror that found no tongue sh'
reached her lover, and became insensible
nor was it till her recovery, when SHE
found herself alone with her aunt thn
she felt how important to her future lit'
might be the events of that night. Sh'
resolved, ere yet she spoke. one word il
reply to the questions of her aunt, to as
cribe her swoon to anything but the rea
cause and it was, perhaps well she Sc
determined, for she remembered that in
her fright from the fatal spot where she
had witnessed the preparation of so fuu
deed. she had picked up letter. which
she had hid in her bosom scarcely con
scious of what she did, yet perhaps, I'M
pcrceplibly aware-with the foresight @
incxpicablc convctions-that it NIGH,
vet prove of essential service. Whel
she retired to her chamber and had go
rid of Aunt Henny, took the paper from
its corcealment, and saw that it was the
empty cover of a letter addressed tc
Mr.. Bruce, at the house of David Balm
sexton;" and then the certainty struck
her of the murdered man being her afli
anced husband.
The character of David Balm was mark
ed by extreme avarice, and Barbara:
conclusions as to the instigating cause o
the crime he had committed were easily
formed. But what means could she pur
sue in order to convict guilt, without at
the same time rendering her own appear.