they were never to see each other alive
again in this world, and they parted without thought or word. It was not
known where the unfortunate girl had gone. She had passed the doctor's
shop while his apprentice boy was squirting water from a syringe; and,
joking, she had told him she would "tell his maister o' his tricks." She
had chatted with two girls who were fetching water from the well, and
hinted something about an approaching wedding. An old man had seen her
at the outskirts of the village; and a cow-herd urchin thought--but
"wasna sure"--that he had seen her entering the road leading through the
wood; and that was all. Some hours after she had been thus traced, a
couple of strolling pedlars had been making for the village, and were
startled by a shriek and a cry of murder in the thicket. They rushed in;
but had some difficulty in finding the spot whence the cry proceeded.
The figure of a man dashed by them at some yards distance. They
hallooed to him; but he passed on, and was out of sight in a moment. A
few stifled cries led them to the fatal spot, where they found the
wretched girl stretched upon the ground, faint from the loss of blood,
and unable to articulate. One of the men supported her, while the other
ran for help. The latter had scarcely reached the main road, when he met
some labourers plodding homewards, and with them he returned to the
dying girl; but what assistance could they render? Life was fast ebbing
away; and, in a few moments afterwards, they bent in dumb horror and
amazement, over a mangled corpse. After some consultation, they carried
the body towards the village; and one of them hastened before and
procured a vehicle to relieve them of their burthen. The news of what
had occurred spread in all directions; and, by the time the mournful
procession entered the village, the inhabitants were all astir. The body
was soon recognised; tears and wailings followed; and dark suspicions
and dismal regrets mingled with the hurried inquiries of every new
comer.

Old James Renton and his wife, as decent a couple as lived in the
village, were seated by the fire, enjoying their quiet evening chat,
when the awful intelligence reached them. Some considered it strange
that they had been talking but a few minutes before of their daughter,
and her prospects. But it was not strange: they had no other child: they
had had no other theme so interesting. It was not a new thing with them.
For themselves they had but