Year: 1859

DllnQ eyes saw IL Hot, UuI tnldh not 10 eS-
cape; the vengeance or Heaven will track
you out one day" Then finginy up her
arms to heaven, she exclaimed My IA
ther, O my father,' and fell upon the
corpse with shrek so wild and piercing,
that Hamilton felt it must have rung upon
the ears of every person in the town, and
reached even through the massive walls of
Inverary Castle.


That cry recalled him to himself he
must escape right speedily, or another mo
ment would see him surrounded by those
whom it must rouse; the instinct of self
preservation at once took the place of eve-
ry other feeling, and with one bound he
darted to the outer door, opened it, rushed
to the stable, mounted the horse without
saddle or bride, and the clattering of his
horses feet as he galloped away, was all
that the inhabitants heard of him as they
rushed to the inn whence the blind girls
shrieks were still echoing.


Hamilton never slackened his pace till
he had laid ten miles between him and the
Inverary. In those days the course of JUS
tice was as stern as it was summary; and
he felt we'll assured that the present Mar
quis Of Argyle, the younger brother of his
rival, would never rest till he had found
out the murderer of his retainer, especial
ly when he had heard from Elspeth the
circumstances of his death; and if he sue
ceeded in his search, the services of the
"maiden' would right speedily be called
in action for Kenelm himself.


The Marquis of Argyle, who was at his
castle on the fatal night, left no stone un-
turned in his efforts to discover the perpe-
traitor of the deed, being stimulated to un-
usual activity in the search, by the suspi-
cion he entertained that the assassin was
in some way connected with the family of
his foes, the Hamiltons. This be gathered
from the conversation between the muir
derer and his victim; which Elspeth detail
ed word for word, but it afforded no clue
whatever to the actual individual, and Ken
elm himself was never suspected.


After few weeks of useless investga-
ton the search was given up; but the de-
tails Of the murder were carefully record
ed by the court ofjustice, and the Lord of
Argyle declared that if ever in his life
time the assassin was discovered, he would
bring him to the scaffold, be the interval
ever 50 long. ElsPeth found home in
the marquis's household, after the good
old fashion of these times, which recogniz-
ed claim on the part of the helpless and
afflicted of the clan to find refuge with
the family of their chief, and Kenelm had
to all appearance, escaped With perfect i'm
punity.


Yet he, gay and reckless as he SEEM
ed, was secretly haunted by one dark for
bodeing which never left Inn night or day.
Campbell was not the fist man he had
slain in the course of his stormy career;
but he was the first he hac n1urderea,; the
first whose life he had taken otherwise than
in honorable warfare; and already the un-
failing 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 warn
ing of the blind girl came to him as he
stood with his feet dabbling in the blood
of her father. He heard that voice ring
ing in his ear, and telling him that ven
geance would surely find him yet, and the
sleepless justice of the Invisible track him
out when he least looked for it. Not even
the JOY bells, on his wedding morning,
could drown that omnibus whisper in his
sou, nor the sweet tones Of the Lady Ellen,
while she murmured her bridal vows.
Still was it sounded there, when the feeble
cry of his first born spoke of new ties to
make life sweet; and, later still, he heard
it through the firing of sautes that greeted
him as ambassador on foreign shore
Years passed on, most of which we're spent
at one OF the continental courts; and when
at last, he returned, with his wife and fam
lily to Edinburgh, the murder of the inn
keeper had not been thought of by any one
for long time past.


One day, about month after his arri-
al in the Scottish capital, Hamilton was
walking along the most fashionable part
OF the old town, where the houses of the
nobility were chiefly to be found, when his
attention was attracted by fray, which
was going on in the streets between two
young men. Such a sight was by no
means uncommon in those days; but the
fury OF the lads was so great that it was
evident that some serious mischief would
ensue If they were not separated. Ham
ilton whose rank in the city entitled him
to interfere, at once rushed in between
them. calling to them in loud voice to
desist Immediately from further quarreling,
and with firm grasp of his hands on the
shoulder of each he sent them reeing to
the opposite sides of the street.


The affair had collected considerable
crowd, and Hamilton's rank and position
J were well known amongst them, so that
they all made way for him as he turned to
resume his walk. One moment he stood
there in all his proud prosperity, receiving
} the homage of the people at his right, and
scarce bending his lofty head in acknowl
. edgement of 1.-THE sunshine of bright
summer sky streaming down upon his no
, BILE and commanding form seemed but tc
typlty the brilliancy OF his worldly pros
: poets. One moment he stood thus, anC
the next, the yengence which had so lone
tracked his steps unseen laid hold upor
him with deadly grasp, and the sun o
tamiiton's career sunk down to set il
blood. A shriek so thrilling and intens
t that 1t seemed to pierce the very heart
r suddenly rung through the air. and all eyes