Middletown transcript., 1897-12-18
Miranda glanced a him With some

y
triflin with mems afft tctions hereafte
: as you've been with mine."
"I never trifed with yours.
"You didn't, ehP Then, when ar
you goin to marry mep''
She did not answer, and he continued
"Remember, Miss Miranda, beau
amt as plentiful with you now as The
used to be. You'll llave to take Wha
you can get."
II won't take you anyway. l.
rather live and die single. So therel,'
AS he looked up at her, standing ol
the step above him. he devuuTed he
words, and they fed his purpose as girls
feeds a mill. Then closing his knife will
q click, he put it in bis pocket and star.
ed to go. After he had got few fee
away he called back over his shoulder;
"Goodby. 1 just dropped around s
see how things were goin. I'm sorry
your expectin Robert. You might bt
disappointed"
Miranda smiled as she turned back
into the house for breakfast. Hel
father had come down stairs, SO they
sat down together. She talked freely,
for she was thinking much and rapidly.
Robert ould be there soon now, she
Hrnu1 ood ohn xx,o0fod ~ hova 4hinru
bright and CHEEKY when he came
something to remind him that it was
Chr, ,stmas.
But as noon came and be had not ar.
rived her spirits began to flag. She
served the turkey and pudding for din
ner without eating herself.
"Where's your appetite" asked her
father.
81 feel as if just had breakfa ST."
"Land sakes, its been eight hours or
morel You must be little worried
over Robert" He was an easy going
man, and trouble set lightly on his
shoulders.
81 am father. | wonder why he
doesn't Gomez"
"Oh, he'll be here presently. There's
another train in about o'clock"
Sill she felt restless and i. soon began
to watch for the last train of the B.
aud 0. railroad over the mountains.
1t passed, but Robert did not get off.
What had Jim Clayton meant2
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.
Sue 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 gigantic in the gloom,
which seemed to widen and lengthen
as she went on. The rows Of summer
cottages at Oakland and Deer Park
fashionable mountain resorts-were
all shut and deserted. and the great
snow bound hills on each side offered
nothing but blank silence.
t'RobertI'ash called. "Robertl"
A little further on she saw something
lying still and black against the snow.
Her pulse quickened. Was it Robert?
Approaching she found it was Jim
Clayton.
whats the matter, JimP" she
asked, bending over him.
His face gazed up at her throu gh the
moonlight.
"I've been waitin and watchin all
day up yonder on the mountains" he
said in weak voice. s.But I couldn't
see well at night, so l slipped and fell.
Isis Robert come yetp"
"No. Have you seen himP"
Miranda waited breathlessly. 1t
seemed to her long time before Jim
spoke. Then he said in low, wavering
tones:
81 reckon Pm about done for, so l
might as we'll make clean breast of 1t.
/ was waitin for Robert. l never
meant to let him 60 home"
"What do you Inean?" she asked,
bending closer to catch his words. She
could not realize the situation and
stood as if rooted TO the spot.
live always had bad temper, and
I meant to kill Robert. Just as killed
that man ten years ago and then threw
the blame on Robert. He wouldn't
let me pass, and-and so | did it. My
mind hasn't ever been easy since. But,
now that I'm about to 60, I'iI try and
even up things. Roberts been pardon
ed. and-snd you'll forgive me, won't
youP"
He reached out and laid his hand over
hers in a tremulous way.
"Goodby," he faltered. "I hope-I
hope you'll forgive me-"
Then he died, lying there on the
snow. Miranda unloosed her hand and
hurried lack toward home again.
1t did not take her many minutes to
reach there, and as she burst in at the
door Il ,bert who bad 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 ht :
so suddenly that she could not give
vent 10 words. Ba. after awhile she
drew away and looked at him.
He had changed certainly. His
shoulders were topped, bis hair was