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Show Storm Country Polly by Grace Miller White Copyright by Little, Brown &. Co. CHAPTER XVI Continued. r 18 glit stooped and smoothed back the r from Evelyn' wet brow. 'ow, whllrt t'm gone you Just lay iltt-llke, askla' Jesus every minute wt your man'll be hlkln' hero fnstcrn trow can fly." Ertlyn raised her head. XIsi me, Polly dear," she begged, Kb strcnmlng eyes. All right!" murmured the squat rilrl. "Klsses're mighty comfortln', 1 thcyr He stooped and laid her lips on ljn'g and, turning swiftly, left the no. Kvelyn henrd her wiufllng the gifts outside and then henrd the HA click aa Pollyop closed the door (k!ad tier. Ukrandlng out Into the snow, Pollyop rttd through the road toward Ulsh-ft Ulsh-ft but, for she had decided to spenk i Mm before going 'on. She lifted (latch and peeped In, Urry snt by the. stove, puffing his p. lie gave her but a glance then nfptd his head mournfully, "Where's Lye, Larry?" Polly asked 1 1 hissing whisper. "Cone home," oame In a grunt. le's sick to bis stummlck, an' so bo Tm most froze, too." With tier hand on the latch of the r which she had closed against dtorin, the girl stood 'In shivering lecfilon. She felt Intuitively the Mr emotions going on Inside the M speaker. She wanted to throw t inns about him and tell hlra nil t bad passed In her home during the t hour. But If she did, Larry would lit the blame of the crime on him H Of course ho would ! Polly Hop in knew tho heart of Larry Bishop i If she had made It herself from if I own clay. If the person In her stk had been Old Marc, he would w had no compunction In putting k out of the way, but a woman "I don't want you for anything to-kjM. to-kjM. Lorry Bishop," sho brokeout, tiling with the latch. "An', mind ,4nrle, never tell nobody you an' n wiped Old Marc's woman. Thnt's stsmlse, Larry, ain't It?" 1P." replied Bishop, nauseated. Then go to bed an' sleep 1" returned n. "You'll get-warm, nn' an' Is you tomorrow ntebbo. I won't wedln' you In my shanty tonight." ftn she went swiftly out, slammed idoor and was away like a winter i, before tho squatter .could ques- her. ' Mftly she, ran on, her hair almost d because, to save her friends. i must face the haughty MncKcn-himself. MncKcn-himself. It had been her cruelty i hsd prompted their a"ct, and now, lift saving Evelyn, she must shield . The nearer she came to the eKenile house, the harder her heart K&d, with dread at the task before i a the meantime Marcus MacKcnzle I Ws wife's mother were together, Isdy stretched out on the divan, I Marcus pacing the floor. Since enzle had left the IIpklns shack, d ridden madly over the' hills, fee every man available to help 1 tod his wife. Secretly lie had K tears such as never hod poured his eyes before In all his super m dnys. ' wing set In motion what aid ho -J wmmon from town and coun-he coun-he had come back homo to the Wca! mother. He had no com-, com-, C assurances to give her", or any ' "ty the burning grief within him- I Evelyn hnd disappeared as If Pound had opened and swallowed P Ho paused In front of Mrs. ton, his dark, handsome face tog pnlnfully. ou're very sure sho was feeling I Just before sho went out?" he kfd. "Sho didn't act as if she mythlng to worry over?" " Robertson used her handker 'heforo she answered. on't think of anything," ahe ties- "unless it was about Bob. Late been so different I asked Evo J " She broke off and dls in tears. ' you asked her one day i r WncKenzle urged. 1 "as about Bob." continued the H lady. "Eve thought lie was J fJij over over ' i'-W" snapped Murcus. the woman never cease her Utfog crying nnd gl?hl:u a clue "id one? e,U" he gonded her on more furl j Hopkins." she sobbed, "Eve '"ur continual pounding nt tho ln Imd about broken the boy's Ablalii- exclaimed MacKcnzle. wouldn't wasto liertime worry 1 lll niB- nob' 'oo. I've 1 ?- Where U ho?" -' . ; JH know" onswcreiTMrs. Rob- l nits coe" nw"y tor days nt a I """it saying a word to Eve 1 f"d he looks perfectly dread- J tnlnk Evelyn's grieved over 4 didn't ytm tell me so before?' I e tuun, turning on her swiftly. 1 ' "" made my young gentle J Sn"n 8ninc fltwisi nhen -Tine it'g a shuuio ua i-vor 4 wlfo had to bo tormented, lifco thntl" That he had started the rumpus nnd done his full half of tho quurrellng never occurred (o him. Ho was determined de-termined to find some one to blame' for his wife's disappearance. "Well, there's one thing certain," he ejaculated, after measuring the room several times with long strides. "1 can't stay here, but good God I 1 don't know where to go." A deep groan fell from his lips, nnd he begnn with heavy trcud to walk up and down again. "Can't you think of any place Bho might liuvo gono?" ho begged. "You know all her friends. Where would she go If she hnd determined to bmvc home?" "L!nvc home?" gasped Mrs. Robertson, Rob-ertson, her Jaw dropping. "Yes I" faltered Marcus. "I don't know whether she told you or not, but we had some words before I started start-ed for Cortland." "Of course she didn't tell me," came from behind the Indy's handkerchief. "She never tells me anything, but ! beard It, You were quarreling over the squatters, and In Eve's condition. I think you might spare her n little. She's not strong 1 So much wrangling wrang-ling makes her sick I I wish Bob were home. Oh, dear, I can't stand It." "It's Bob that's made nil this trouble," trou-ble," snarled Marcus. "He's spent several months trying to circumvent me about tho squatters, and Eve and I would have had no quarrels at all If he had attended to his own affairs." af-fairs." He spoke moodily, conscious that he bad treated his wire harshly, yet unwilling un-willing to admit it. Mrs. Robertson, touched with the same feeling, sat up, wiping her face "Why Didn't You Tell Me So Before?" Cried the Man, Turning en Her Swiftly. v and brushing back her linlr. She, too, remembered now oil tho bitter words alio hnd flung nt her dnushter. "Murcus," she said. "If wc get Eve back again1' "If we get herl" he Interjected, his face going snow-white. "Of course, we'll get her. Why sny such ridiculous things?" Ho turned away to hide the emotion her tremulous question had filled him with. "It will be my death f wo don't," he ended. Mrs. Robertson raised on her elbow. el-bow. - "But Marcus," she exclaimed, "there's been something on my mind ever since sln,ce Oh, you don't think the squatters hnveher, do you?" "I don't know," moaned Marcus, nnd he sat down quickly as If his legs would no longer bear the weight of his body. And they were sitting thus, each busy with his own unspeakable uuliiip-plncss, uuliiip-plncss, when the servant entered. There's n girl here, sir,"1 she began, be-gan, und Marcus sprang up. "Bring her In," ho cried. "Bring her In Jnstantlyl"-- Jnstantlyl"-- The maid hesitated. "She's queer looking, sir," she said timidly, "un.d sliQ'S'wet through. She's one of (hem squatters," "Bring her In, I said," ordered Marcus Mar-cus once more, and the girl wuit out, closing the door softly. POllyop crepljnto" the wiirin room,, her teeth -chattering, - her legs unsteady. un-steady. Her first glanqe fell upon Mrs. Robertson who, .when" she saw her, made a husky throat sound. Then the brown, fearful eyes traveled to the tall man, no longeron enemy to be hated, merely tr wounded human creature, crea-ture, llfceiher dear ones In the.Sljcut' City, tcJbe loved and comforted. "I got your woman In my shack," suld Pollyop, straight to him) swallow Ing. 'God be thanked," screamed Mrs. Robert on. t ' Sdraethintf snapped In MurJvnj!le't head, and for a moment he feared he- was losing nls mind. Polly thought by the blank expression of his face that his wits hud gono completely. Ignoring the woman whom she detested, de-tested, she went rapidly to MacKcn zlc's side. "I hnd her-roped up In the bed when you wns there tonight, mister," she told him, the words tumbling over each other In the haste of confession. "I were goln to chop her hend oft to get even with you. But butmy dead Granny Hope, an the Biggest Mummy Mum-my In All the World wouldn't let me." It seemed an eternity to the quaking quak-ing young speaker before Marcus threw up his heud and took a long breath. "Sfie she's alive?" he demnnded hoarsely. "You're very sure she Isn't deud? Girl," he bounded up and gi nsped Pollyop's arm, "If jou lie to me " "I nln't lyln to you, mister," Interrupted Inter-rupted Polly dully. "You don't need to be scared for Miss Eve, but now you'd best come along to my hut nn' get her. She's mournln'.for you In Granny Hope's coop-Dole, covered up with blunkets." Something like a huge fist struck MacKcnzle. The conviction that the squatter girl's words were true lifted him Immediately from tho bottom depths of hopelessness. The sudden Inrush of Joyous relief brought with It a mental Illumination, and he saw himself as others had seen him. The terrible, blighting uncertainty he hud borne for a few maddening .hours the girl before him had known for months. If she were to blame for his suffering, what was the measure of his own responsibility? .Ho turned swiftly lb his raother-!n-law and said huskily: "Call some one to get this child some dry clothes. Take anything of Eve's you can And that will keep her warm, and for God's sake, take those ragged boots off her feet I" He sprang to tho bell. "I'll order the team." When he had given his orders to the servant who appeared at the door, he sank bnck Into a chair, and Mrs. Robertson Rob-ertson went swiftly out, " Utterly oblivious of the, squatter girl's presence, M.nrcus MacKenzle burled his l'arc In his hands. The new Pollyop, the Polly of tho Sun, crept forwnrd and touched 'him. "Your woman's all right," she wild huskily. "Don't cry I She told me about about the little kid ncomln' In the summer, an' she howled like mad to como along with me. But ! says to her she couldn't walk all this way to jou without dyln'." The soft tones vibrated sympathetically sympathe-tically as she voiced the 'assurances. MacKcnzle thrust 'up nls hand nnd clutched the slim brown fingers. "Tell me something about It while we're nlone," he whispered. Pollyop shuddered. "Well, sir," she began, so low that MacKcnzle had to raise his head to hear, "all the squatters hate you, hut none of 'cm was wicked like me. I suld, I did, that you couldn't be hurt no way only through your woman, an' nn' I was goln' to cut Jicr hend off with the ax nn' then sling 'er In the hike. I s'pose I'm goln' to get sent up for years, but I Just had to come and ell you-" Before MacKcnzle, nghast at the longer his dear one hnd faced, could answer, Mrs. Itobertson entered, followed fol-lowed by Evelyn's mnld. "I'll get my coat," exclaimed Marcus, Mar-cus, Jumping up, "Dress tho glrl'wnrm nnd send along Evelju'tt fur motor coat." A furtive smile curled the mnld's lips as she helped pull off Jeremiah's hcuvy cout, nnd then grew broader us Pollyop slipped out of Dnihly's great boots. Yet the woman iidinl'.teil to herself as she .dried the wet, feet and attired the i-qiiatter girl In her, mistress' hcuutlful clothes thn.l fclie' wus pretty, eu'ii prettier- than Mrs. MacKcnzle. N When the robing process was finished, fin-ished, Mrs. Itobertson glanced over the little figure and grudgingly acknowledged acknowl-edged to herself that thero was some-thhrg'of some-thhrg'of elegance In the girl's bearing, even If she were a squatter, , "Come lrel" she said. A haughty'' gesture Indicated the spot. "Right hcie bifore me." , Polly's slinking legs carried her within n few Inches of the august presenre. , , ."You're Very sure, girl," nsked Mrs. Robertson, "that my daughter's Vofi' Jn your shack? How did she come there?" Polly remembered Lnrry Bishop nnd Lye .Bniegcr. Bic had been Instrumental Instru-mental In bringing them within the prison shndows, nnd If.nny oncifulTereil from the deed K"it' that nlghi; It must nut be her friends,,' She nlnno must take the blame J ' '" "I wheedled, 'or there, ma'am," she replied humbly. "I'm go)q' to tell her man all about It." .' Marcus entered and started bnck'ns' he caught sight of J 'oily. How beautiful beauti-ful she was. bedecked n hs wife's dottiest Then l.t cninc'to him that even In her rugs" she had bud a djs. Inct've loveliness. Both Bojj nnd E?e-' tyu As that precious nnme weui through his wind, his thoughts flew lo the squatter's hut where his trail young wife awaited him. 'Como along quickly," be sale), going go-ing directly to Polly. How changed lie seemed, how gen tie he wus as he took hold of her arm ond led her away; and so preoccupied wus she with this thought that th beauty of the clothes which sho wore mnde no Impression upon her. She wondered dully when MacKcnzle lifted her bodily Into the sleigh and the coachman chirruped to the horses, Just what he Intended to do with her tomorrow. to-morrow. ,Sho looked hnclt upon the time the authorities had sent Meg Williams to u reform school nnd also recalled the girl's homo-coming after her term hnd been served. Now that she, herself, was In dungcr of tho like treatment. Poll) op searched her mind for the details de-tails thnt Meg had given of the horrible hor-rible place. As the horses trotted along the boulevard. bou-levard. Pollyop'a chin sank Into the wnrui fur about her neck, and until they turned into the narrow lane from the road, no one spoke a word. "Go straight to the lake, Hank," ordered Mackenzie, and at the sound of his deep voice, Pollyop felt another shock of surprise. She had heard It so often In strident abuse I Now It was actually pleasant to listen to! Down tho hill through the furry tlnkcs of snow the strong horses picked their way. Once the cutter "'nearly turned on Its side but righted Itself. The Hopkins hut was dark when they drote up before It. Marcus Jumped lutp the uiow, picked Polly out of the cutter ns If she bud been a kitten, and waded through the drift to the narrow nar-row path lending Into the house. He put the girl down before th door, nod turning, called to the coachman: coach-man: ' "Drive tho team down the road, Hnnk, out of the wind I I'll call you .when I want youl" It wns Pollyop's trembling hand that unlatched the shanty, door. It wot she" who strurk a match and touched It to the candle. Then she pointed to Granny Hope's room. 'jShc's In there, mister," she said, trembling tike an nspen leaf. Then because she wns about to face an outraged wife In tho presence of u pow'erful husband, sho sat down, shuklng with fear from head to foot. 'I CHAPTEn XVII In the meanwhile a covered carriage contntulng two men and a little boy was making slow progress along the drifted boulevard. About two miles from Ithnca a double cutter, with sleigh bells ringing, dashed by there, the little light on the bnck of It glow Ing llkp u steady red eye until a shurp 'curve Jn the road blotted It from sight. . 'Somebody else out, If 'tis a bad night," commeuted the older man, who held the boy. "They went awful fast, too. Daddy Hopkins," murmured the child. "Didn't 'urn, dnrlln'?" "Yep, son," wns the reply. "Sleighs go over the snow better'n wagons' The words hardly penetrated the younger man's rovcry. Ills thoughts were 'busy with a squntter -girl who would have' 41 real Thanksgiving tho next dny. Her Joy he coi.-.d picture, but he could not Join It. All his thoughts of her werc marred by another an-other vision that poisoned his every moment. Never since he had found v Oscar Bennett dying in Polly's beo" had he known a peaceful Instant. When the vehicle came to the cor ner where MucKeuzlc's magnificent turnout had swung Into the lane lead lug to the row of squatter shacks at tlits lakeside, Itobcrt I'erclvul opened ihe currlago door and thrust his head illt. "This is where we turn," lie shouted to the driver. "Go slow! The drifts are deep all the wny down." When he settled again luto his seat, he rimuikcd: "It's u bad night, Hopkins. Per-haps Per-haps It would have been better to have waited until morning, after all." The other man bent over the boy's bend und laid his face against It. ""IVould .hud to be something uiore'n 11 snowstorm to keep me In Itliarn all night," be returned. "Whero :ny pretty brut Is, 1 want to be." "Of courfib, of course," sighed Rob-el Rob-el t. But he did not utter aloud tho bought which Hung to Ills lips tlia' he tortured by the same wish, too. What W did sny wus: "Your (laughter will be asleep, I've no doubL" "Mebbe," Hopkins answered. "Bat Pollyopil be glad to bop out ofrbed for Iter daddy an Jerry bub- 1" Then be coughed ns If trying to ndd something eJse, .. "I been wnntln.' to tcitym u. uny, Mr. Pcrtivnl," bosuld awiswardly, "how grateful t be to you. it's klnda bard to say It In words," "There's no need, I usstire you," returned re-turned Robert. "Thq only thing I regret re-gret Is that you should have been compelled com-pelled to stay In prison so loiig." "Uut'we'iejiome now!" was the hap-jiy hap-jiy answer, "An' I'm thankln' you for "me nn' my brum too." ' "Pollyop," squealed the child, wriggling. wrig-gling. "Daddy, Wee Jerry wnnts Pol lop." J, "Hukh Jerry," tsoothcd his father, 'We're n-comin' near home now. There! Iftre we be." As they dejgcj.'iidcd from tho carriage, tie hntSyhld his face In 'tis big father's fath-er's shoulder. ,T0 UE CONTINUED.) |
