Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-08-01

the widow rosa Ind sought ~
en-, struck a li$k and we ID -
anime the outer dor. She fapnd Is
locked and her ON key stu 81
pended from the M WHEREOF sac
had hung it. SheSAad heard the
bolt move, and she knew of spch'
things as picking locks and retura-
ing the bolt by the same art. So
far, appearances were s8einst the
miraculous, even to her WHO bad the
belief of the time; but in New Of
there being nothing supernatural the
difficulty was to know the objeet of
the strange intruder, who, in plas>aof
roSbing the house, had even sp5ke
of regard. Nor was this diffieult3
lessened when, returning to her
room, and looking about with her
cruise, she observed upon the top of
the Bible little bit of paper. On
examining it through her spectacles,
she discovered that it was ons
pound note. Curiosity made her
turn it over to see if there were not
some il-signed mark on it; and
there, on the back was something
which she could not decipher. What
was she to do with it.
"There," said she, as she inserted
it between the leaves of the sacred
volume, SO great disinfector of
earthly things, if not of things un-
der the earth; and having thus made
herself safe of an evil charm. she
betook herself to bed.
Leaving Dalkeith at half past
twelve O'Clock, George Buchan, the
widows son. arrived at the foot of
the stair in iI1Ialkerston's Wynd
much about the time when these
strange things were beinaa enacted
in the small fiat. 1t was dark, ana
George groped his way up the spiral
entrance. On getting to the land
ing place he observed by the dull
light of the stair window, the door
of the house open, and starting up a
couple of steps on the next ascent,
b Q watched for what should occur.
there was at least no deception in
G eor. res vision. He saw man is
sue frol y the house, and very delibe-
rately pull the door after him, and
having grrped in his pocket for
kew, or some other instrument, ap-
ply it to the kew hole, and, after one
Dr. two apparently adroit efforts, turn
md fix the lock. Seeing George,
lie started. George pursued, but
soon lost sight of him. Entering
lis mothers room he heard her {
yroaning and artlculating.
"Come again." she said; 'may the
ord have mercy on me"' +
"Come again" repeated George to 7
limself ''Then she must have seen !
lin, and the light burning, too" \
But Margaret Buchan was surely q
'eyond the suspicion of being visi- =
ed by midnight lovers, and would +
xplain all. +
Mother" cried George, as he en- h
cred her room, "why do you groan? y
Who has been here?'' f
"No5ody," replied Margaret, laying n
ONE stress on the word. 4
81 will go to bed," he said; "but n
rst will read my chapter +
And laying his hand on the Bible, q q
e1wss about to open it, when Marga- =
ct, stretching forth her hand, P
lutched the volume nervously, h
it from his hold, and lay z
lg it open in her spasmodic effort 2
D far that the bank note fell Out -
pom the floor. o,
"How did this come here, mother?" W
aid the lad, fearfully. II
"Perhaps the back of it will tell r.
ou," said she; with some difficulty n
utterance. h,
And George, turning over the note, m
bserved some lines of writing, h,
inscribed, according to a N
lstom which prevailed when bank W
otes were few, for the purpose of 10
ducing the custodian to turn the q,
'ot of evil to good account. The or
lie words were read by George with Ga
'me difficulty fa
"I buy pleasure, buy pain; as
Take your choice-or loss or gain; di
Good and evil, none refuse me,
Friend or angel. as you use me-" -, ~
"a good MAXIM" said the lad. ac
"Of the devils inditing," groaned tir
argaret Buchan. We
And Georges eyes, wide and Gu wa
,us, were again fixed on the writh aw
g face of his mother. de
George Buchan." she cried, after nils
pause, '.you must burn that paper. wb
will not eat O. the bread or drink wit
the drink it buys, nor shall you tbi
i'm it at the cruise that lie may smell tba
3 reek" wh
A request which, however passion tin
,ly expressed, the lad felt no great wa
,lination to comply with; but the in
Is of very simple people are some tur
les quick, and George arising and J.,
ming his back to the bed, set fire 4ha
a bit Of paper which he had tho tho
roltly drawn from his pocket. 1t O.
red up and was gone. ubt G
$50 may burn all charms" said W.. w.
'rgaret. r r.,
The next morning he rose betimes, ro ~.
l, using the note, laid it cut in H. H.
lntiful breakfast. His mother S, ns,,
8 astonished, and he admitted his UU1 NJ
,eit But she would not touch -, -,
rsel, nor did he. nh
n this condition the widow and par lgar
son remained till it was near ahI, M
live o'clock, at which time pretty =
d knock was heard at the door
orge started from the reverie in lor
ich he had been as one in con- ol o.
ed and painful dream, and pro- tne
ded to open the door. Whatever cou
re was within to render him un- yeS
py, he had no fear without; for "io
was not conscious of having Of "ho
ded the laws of the country. 1t wan
therefore with no little surprise, Ano