The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-21

what change had come over
that face! All the terror had gone
from those luminous eyes, and In Its
stead was soft tenderness.
God bless you for what you have
done tonight" he murmured In a
deep, rich voice. God bless you!"
Then for one blissful moment MI
randa felt his arms about her shoul-
ders. as, bending his head to hers,
he kissed her.
The sun was high in the heavens
and the fire quite cold on the hearth
when Miranda finally stirred In her
chair
What had come over her? Had
she dreamed It all? No, she had not
slept: she had been conscious OF
every tick of the great clock above
the mantel and besides, there was
the cupboard gaping wide, display
ing neat rows OF jam pots upon It's
shelves. No, she had not dreamed;
she had simply lived, and, 1t seemed
to her. for the first time in her life.
A man had kissed her and asked God
to bless her, and she had saved his
! life. All, II was all such a beautiful
romance Miranda laughed happily
as she pictured herself as heroine.
Singing. she went about her work,
absently preparing her mcagcr
! breakfast, which she scarcely touch
I ed After giving a few almost CO.
quettish touches to her toilet she
looked lingeringly about the room In
loving remembrance ere she turned
the key in the door and went out.
The village street was almost de-
serted, Miranda noticed gratefully,
for though she longed to hear the re-
! suit of last nights robbery she yet
feared to do so, and by the time she
had rached the substantial Giles
abode her heart was beating nigh to
suffocation, and her hands trembled
so she could scarcely lift the latch OF
the garden gate.
Had he really managed to escape
or was he now languishing in some
dreary prison? Her heart sickened
at the thought E.
At the door she was met by Mary
Giles, who, eager to tell the news,
did not notice Miranda's flushed
/ face and trembling hands.
Here she learned that the ruff
fan" (Miranda's hero) had got
"clean away" and. with this blissful
intelligence the happy, albeit guilty,
Miranda set to work with light
heart. She listened TO their story OF
the robbery with that superior judg-
ment of one who knows, feeling her
| self a clever actress indeed.
She hummed TO herself as she
worked, slashing rather recklessly
( into the material Mary Giles had
! given her for the new bodice. This
unwonted brightness puzzled the
good people for whom she worked
not a little, but when she actually
cut two sleeves for one arm their
wonder turned to alarm.
Lands sake, Miranda Wood!"
cried Mary Giles despairingly. as she
gazed at her ruined bodice, "be YOU
clean crazy? Lord, one'd think you
was in love!"
Miranda started guiltily, cutting q
! horrid cash in the fated bodice as
she did SO. In tragic silence the two
women looked down at the wreck
before them; then Miranda said In
| hard, wooden tones:-
! How much did IL COST"
at cost me seventy-fve cents at
Martins sale, and you couldn't git It
less than dollar t'other times" re-
| III - 4. II. ~
Giles in bitter reproach.
Slowly drawing her purse from
her pocket. Miranda counted out
four twenty-five cent pieces and laid
them in neat pile upon the table.
| Then before the astonished Mary
Giles could recover her breath she
had fled.
| She hurried along the road her
head bent guiltily, scarcely needing
where she was going until, coming In
contact with some huge bulk which
seemed TO her confused senses like a
| great feather bed, she looked up to
find herself face to face with Mrs.
| Scoville, who, fat and excited, was
tanning herself wildly with a news
| paper at Miranda's own gate.
| Lands sakes, Ms Scoville!" shs
cried in alarm, whatever is the
matter OF yer? Looks like yer was
was goin' to have a stroke!"
"Iye had one eready," exclaimed
the Deacon's wife theatrically. "A
most shocking thing ] call it-most
indecent. Here" she added, thrust
Ing the newspaper under Mirandas
nose as she followed her, painting.
into the kitchen, read that for your
self"
AS Miranda read faint, sick diz-
ziness crept over her, the ground
seemed to sway meath her feet, and.
sinking into chair, she muttered
forlornly to herself, so 1t was all q
lie after all. 1t was traitors kiss"
What she read was as follows
A Clever Criminal Caught at Last.