Show is by robert HUM the hilltop where clare stood she watched the sun sink slow ly into his bed of snow her vantage point was the only elevation for many miles in all that prairie country it commanded a view as tar as eye could reach broken only by the gropes of box elder and poplars now leafless and shrunken which the settlers had planted about their clare loved to climb it for the exhilaration the vastness the sense of infinity which it gae her at least that was the explanation she offered alien explanations were necessary her custom of walking to the top of uie hill every evening he fore sunset could not escape alon and comment in a community where the doings of neighbors conti buted the chief topic of conversation saw that carson pid on the km b again tonight adert rem irked at the supper table after his return from the marl et town where he had been delivering a load of wheat ashes getting crazier every day too bad herts mother comment ed with a sigh she used to be so bright it must be a great trial to mrs carson and so the talk ran through the neighborhood clare carson was a little off mchoes of that gossip did not fall to reach the carson home blead where clare had been taken strictly to account for her wanderings but mother the girl protested so long as I 1 don t neglect my work and I 1 dont why I 1 walk up athe knob if I 1 want to the exer jcsse and freh air are good for me after alt day in the house just the same it dont look right her mother argued people are nang to talk let them said clare and because she was twenty two and bad a will of sher own the walks continued and the gossip grew oh why cant they let me alone I 1 she exclaimed to herself as she watched the sun dip into his bed of snow fred fradl do you know can you understand bov I 1 am keeping my promise the red light mingled with that bluish white reflection which artists find in snow touched her cheeks with its feathery brush paint ing them with the glow of buoyant health under the tarn which shel her pretty head her eyes shone with a sunset luster eien while they plead for an answer from the infinite for six months slie had kept her tryst six months to a day for was not this the twenty fourth of decem her on that june night half a year ago fred had held her in his arms on this very spot while he told her ot the urgency which took him cast the death of his father demanded his immediate return and clare he told her I 1 know what their plans are luiere Is a match all made tor me it may be a condition of the will I 1 do you believe that I 1 will come back to you dont know but condition or no con dialon be back for you as soon as I 1 can put affairs in order it was to escape her I 1 came out here and found do you believe that I 1 will come back to you dearest she assured him with her lips 1 I will have a flacht of if dear he went on and I 1 win need your help you don t know what it Is to hare all your people set against you they think its for the best of course julia Is a nice enough girl and comes of an old and wealthy family and they can t understand my objection why don t you marry her clare interrupted eager to hear again his fervent defense she Is rich beaucl ful she would make you happy that 8 just it she why should 1 marry a rich girl when I 1 have already enough for two and as for beauty no one who has seen you would call her beautiful I 1 he held her again in that still june night as though be never would let r her go 1 I will need your help he repeated at length you will help won t you but how the question silenced him for a moment then 1 II 11 tell yon clare come to tills spot every evening at sunset and think strong thoughts of help or 1110 I 1 will remember and surely I 1 will catch your message it a radio can send its waves around the world surely your mind your soul can do much morel so she had promised and for six months she had kept her promise while the neighbors concluded that the carson girl was a bit oft on this christmas eve from her pinnacle of sublime loneliness she watched the last red rays pour out over the bluish white snow touching to color tattered remnants of cloud afloat in the western sky she won derad if it could be possible that her yearnings were in some way reaching her lover strengthening his heart for the fight with the wealth and pride of his family suddenly her reverie was interrupt ed by the sound of sleigh bells on the road at the foot of the hill A team and cutter were swinging sharply southward through the gathering dusk As she watched the horses were relner in the cutter stopped one of the two occupants got out and a man came running toward her the next moment she was in his arm breathless laugh ing almost too excited to speak I 1 knew I 1 would find you here he cried if only we made it on tamel but tell me fred how dors 1 come laplain she at length 1 I hill at the house he answered cornel slie hesitated and a shadow sivert her glowing face you know what my people think she reminded him 1 I know what they tho he laughed they thought that because but a secret until after the I 1 was rich I 1 could not be senus but when they hear how 1 have lost all my money lost your money she echoed does it make any difference dear all the difference in the world she cried exultantly now 1 can marry you and no one will say it Is because you are rich 1 but what about her at the house was all he would answer he seized her arm and to gettier like children they rushed down the hill it was like this he explained to the assembled carson family after supper my father left me a million or so and a request that I 1 should hak julia france to be my wife uncles aunts cousins my mother everybody interpreted that request as a corn mand it was such a suitable match they said julia it seemed shared that opinion I 1 delayed my proposal until I 1 could think it oyer and one day just at sunset came a bright idea perhaps it started on knob mil lie glanced appreciatively at clare who blushed but kept her counsel then I 1 rushed to my broker how long does it take to lose a million dollars on the stock market I 1 asked many people do it quicker thin they expect he confided atell lose a million dollars for me as soon as you can there Is no time to spare I 1 told him my reason and like a cooj sport he promised 0 o do his best 1 bought a comfortable life annuity tor my mother but ever thing else went into the mill cash bonds stocks securities deeds they poured into that brokers office like sheaves into your separator mr arson and ail the time they kept clamoring for more at last 1 was sold out they even threatened bankruptcy proceedings it was quite a scandal I 1 assure you then I 1 proposed to julia just as my father said and was turned down cold so here I 1 am offering to make you a christmas present of a brand new son in law mr carson sucked at his pipe well he remarked at length any fellow that s fool enough to lose a million dollars for a girl deserves what he gets take her I 1 gee wont bert be shouted llares young brother bob he aldays wanted clare himself I 1 later when the carson family had obligingly retired fred held clares head close to his own the joke of it Is he whispered I 1 dlan t lose a mil hop dollars I 1 made a million and a halt but a secret until after the wedding 1 0 1928 western newspaper New paper union |