Middletown transcript., 1897-12-18

early and hurried through all her d.
ties. Long before her father was up
for he was wont to sleep later than us
ual on high days and holidays-she ha
prepared The turkey and pudding an
set them aside, and had been to tn
! dairy for the cream and butter fn
breakfast. Then she had dressed il
her comeliest gown and come and stoo'
in the doorway.
III Miranda, though, was no. pretty ever
| at her best. She was tall, slightly
built aud of almost an angular form
with features characteristic Of thu
J part of the country in which she lived
Her home was in the extreme western
part of Maryland. in the Allegheny val
leys, or broad plateaus known as "Tht
Glades"
| Here she and her father had lived
and farmed since she had been child.
She had never known any other section
of the state, and the sparkling, tum-
bling streams which dashed past the
house on their way to either the Poto-
mac or the Mississippi seemed as
though they were paIt and parcel of
her.
At one time she had been considered
the sprightliest girl in all "The Glades." "
And there had been women who had
envied and hated her, and men who
had loved and courted her, but she had
simply judged men and women alike,
with smile, pleasant word, and
passed them by. This indifference,
which both charmed ami exasperated
at the same time, she had allowed to
go on until Robert Dodd, neighbor-
ing farmer, who socially under cloud,
on the charge of having committed
some small misdemeanor, became Wis.,
itor at her house. Then one evening
she had shown preference for him
over jim Clayton, and Clayton II ,tic-
ing it, had unhitched his horse from
the fence before the evening WAS over
and ridden away. The cJincid4nt had
not escaped her that she had provoked
one mans anger by adding to another
mans bliss. Sill, of SUCH things "A
girl may not testify, aud the next morn.
ing she felt heavy shock when the
cry of murder rang through the valley
and the guilt was laid at Robert Dod.i's
door.
The victim was stranger, who was
supposed to have bsen passing ovsr the
mountains to the western states. Evil
IDENTIFY an aitercation of some sort had
taken place, and the result hal been
fatal. Nothing further Was definitely
known. but it hal been proved th.t
Robert Dodd had been the only man
who had passed down the valley that
night, and as society had already re-
iected him his name was pretty rough
ly handled by the loosely defined cir.
cles, where the force of Judgment
makes up for the weakness of the law
In dealing with crimes which are diff
cult of detection and uncertain Of pan-
ishment. A wDd was pronounced
against him as powerful as the levitt
cal curse. He was indicted, tried aud
condemned, but afterward, through
the intercession of the governor, was
commuted to life sentence in prison.
He had not compl .ined nor asked
hearing in his own defence, for he we'll
knew no benefit could bs derived there
| by, but from the first Miranda had dis
puted the accusation and had fought
his cause with stubborn persistence.
Many grievious hour and anxious
night had she spent without fruition to
her hopes. Still. she had continued to
work and strive and plot until
finally after ten weary years success
had crowned her efforts. Time had
lessened the vindictiveness of evil
tongues. and the people, fearing they
had overstepped the limits of justice,
wished to ease their conscieuoes; 80 had
signed petition for Roberts pardon.
As she toyed with the thought chat
be would be home that morning Christ
mas seemed to have a new significance
from what it had in the past. The tall
peaks and cliffs around, which had been
snow covered during the night, ,st1od in
broken outlines against the giayish
haze, while star, as though II We're
the star of Bethlehem. eemed to q lat
far way and dissolve into ruddy
glow which slowly formed the sphere
of rising sun. Then the icicles hang
ing from trees and bushes glistened,
like thousand Of jewels studding the
scene, like some great crown offered for
the salvation OF mankind. Chris.masI
She could almost see the Christ Child
lying in his manger, where he was
found that morning centuries ago. It
had.Dever been so clear to her before or
the benefceDce of the season so full of
beauty.
What day Of all days for Roberts
returnI
Seeing some one In the distance, she
waited with an eagerness akin to rest
lessness. Then IS he came nearer she
recognized Jim Clayton.
Good mornin. Amerry Christmas. I"
Itlis said.
+ He WAS lean. lank individual, and
nature seemed TO begrudge him the few
paHnds Of flesh he had. for they hung
TN him IN wrinkles, as though they had
silrivsled before they had grown. He
came and leaned agains. the doorpost,
~bittling stick.
"You're expectin Robert to-day,
ain't yon?,,