The Redwood gazette., 1896-12-10
She did not answer, and he continued:
"Remembef, Miss Miranda, beauS amt

She did not answer, and he continued:
Remember, Miss Miranda, beaus amt
as plentiful with you now as they used to
be. You'll have to take what you can get
] Il won't take you anyway. I'd rather
| live and die single So there!'
AS he looked up at her, standing on the
step above him, he devoured her words, and
they fed his purpose as grist feeds mill.
Then, closing his knife with a click, he
put it in his pocket and started to go.
After he had got a few feet away he called
back over his shoulder:
'Goodby. just dropped round to see
how things were goin. I'm sorry you're
expectin Robert. You might be disap-
pointed. -
Miranda smiled as she turned back into
the house for breakfast. Her father had
come down stairs, so they sat down togeth-
er. She talked freely, for she was think
ing much and rapidly. Robert would be
there soon now, she knew, and she wanted
to have things bright and CHEEKY when he
came-something to remind him that it
was Christmas
| But as noon came and he had not arrived
her spirits began to flag. She served the
turkey and pudding for dinner without
eating herself.
| where's your appetite?" asked her IA
ther.
Il feel as if I'd just had breakfast"
"Land sakes, it's been eight hours or
more! You must be little worried over
Robert" i" He was an easy going man, and
trouble set lightly on his shoulders
Il am, father. wonder why he doesn't
come?'
ooh, he'll be here presently. There's
another train in about 6 O'clock
Still she felt restless and soon began to
watch for the last train of the B. and o.
railroad over the mountains 1t passed, but
| Robert did not get off.
What had Jim Clayton meantS
Her father sat down before the big log
fire and began to smoke.
"Robert's late," he ventured.
But Miranda said nothing. All the
| thoughts that she had had during the day
| had left her.
She went to the door and looked out
| The sky was leaden gray, and the moon
came over the peaks and cliffs.
She stepped out and went quickly down
the valley. A wind had risen, and as she
had on neither hat nor coat her thin figure
| swayed against the keen whips of cold.
Everything along the bluffs looked gigan-
tic in the gloom, which seemed to widen
and lengthen as she went on. The rows Of
| summer cottages at Oakland and Deer
fashionable mountain resorts-were
| all shut and deserted, and the great snow
bound hills on each side offered nothing
but blank silence.
"Robert!' she called. "Robert!''
A little farther on she saw something
lying still and black against the snow.
IIo, ;oI- - D1L
preaching, she found it was Jim Clayton.
"What's the matter, Jim?" she asked,
bending over him.
His pale face gazed up at her through
the moonlight.
"I've been waitin and watchin all day
up yonder on the mountains he said in
weak voice. "But couldn't see we'll at
night, so 1 slipped and fell. Isis Robert
come yet9''
"No. Have you seen him?"
Miranda waited breathlessly. 1t seemed
to her a lopg time before Jim spoke. Then
he said in low, wavering tones:
81 reckon I'm about done for, so might
as we'll make clean breast of it. was
waitin for Robert. I never meant to let
him go home"
"What do you mean?" she asked, bend
ing closer to catch his words. She could
not realize the situation and stood as if
rooted to the spot.
"I've always had bad temper, and I
meant to kill Robert, just as I killed that
man ten years ago and then threw the
blame on Robert. He wouldn't let me
pass, and-and so I did it. My mind
hasn't ever been easy since. But, now that
I'm about to go, I'll try and even up
things Roberts been hardened, and
and you'll forgive me, won't you?"
He reached out and laid his hand over
hers in tremulous way.
"Goodby," he faltered. II hope-I hope
you'll forgive me-"
Then he died, lying there on the snow.
Miranda unloosed her hand and hurried
back toward home again.
1t did not take her many minutes to
reach there, and as she burst in at the
door Robert who had come up the other
side of the valley came forward to meet
her.
"Mirandap' he said reaching out both
arms
She put up hers and clasped them around
his neck. She did not speak, for events
had crowded down upon her so suddenly
that she could not give vent to words.
But after awhile she drew away and looked
at him.
He had changed certainly His shoul-
ders were stopped his hair was sprinkled
i''I.III'.I|,llI||I|I|I| |II,.