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Show I Storm Country Polly I fry Grace Miller White H Copyright by Little, Brown fit. Co. I i ii in ii i p ih THE FRAMEUP. SYNOPSIS. Occupying; a dilapidated dilapi-dated sliack In the Sllont City, a squatter settlement near Ithaca, New York, Polly Hopkins Ilvoi with her father, small Jerry, and an old woman, Oranny Hope. On an Adjacent farm, Oacar Dennett, prosperous farmer, la a neighbor. lie la secretly married to Evelyn Holier Uon, auppoaedly wealthy girl of the neighborhood, Marcus Mae-Kenile, Mae-Kenile, who owns tlio ground the squattors occupy, is their deter mined enemy, Polly overhears a conversation between MacKonzle and a stranger, In which the former avows his Intention of driving the squatters from Ills land. Tho stran-Ker stran-Ker sympathizes with the squatters, and earns Polly's gratitude. Evelyn Itobartson discovers from her moth-er moth-er that (hoy are not rich, but prno-tlcally prno-tlcally living on the bounty of Itobert Perclval, Evelyn's cousin. Polly learns from Evolyn thai the sympathetic stranger Is Ilobert Prrclval. Evelyn charges Polly with a message to IJennot. telling him alio can give him no more money filio already bitterly regrets lier marriage to the Ignorant farmer farm-er Polly conveys her mesaago and Oicar makos threat). Ue Insists Kvelyn meet him that night. Polly has her father nnd tarry Illahop, a squatter, tnko an onth to do MacKonzle Mac-Konzle no Injury Evelyn unsuccessfully unsuc-cessfully tries to got money from her mother with which to buy off lionnttt and Induce him to leave the country, giving her her freedom, Blie and MacKonzle avow their love. At the arranged meeting that night Dennett threatena Evelyn with exposure unless -ho gives him money. Polly moots Ilobert Per-clval, Per-clval, and they are mutually attracted, at-tracted, Polly's feeling being adoration, adora-tion, Oscar kills Polly's lamb nnd Perclval thraahes Oacar, MacKtn-zle MacKtn-zle orders the squatters to leavo. ttvelyn plans to marry MacIConzle. Perclval and Polly confess their tovo. CHAPTEn IX Continued. 0 Then whllo Itobert wos tolling her of his hopes nnd plans, roheurslng his love for Iter nnd tils desire to help her rond nnd study, they wnlked Rlowly bnck along tho ragged rocks In tho direction di-rection of tho shnuty. They were nlmost nt Polly's home before ho left her, Sho watched hint ntrldo up the hill, and, after he had disappeared, she throw herself flat upon tho earth', nnd mingled with the Mrd's song In tho willow trees, nnd tho rippling of tho wnves upon tho shore, came her cry: "Oh, flod dear, I enn't mnrry Oscar, I can't I You'll hnvo to help tho squatters squat-ters some other way, 'UnrllnV BBB The days that followed, bringing BBB with tho spring flowers flocks of sum- BBB iner birds, soemed an eternity to Polly BBB Jlopktns. Sho wcut about her duties BBJ iik onn In a dream. In splto of Hob- BBB crt's efforts, sovernl of tho flshcnnen BBB lind been sent to tho Itlinca Jail for BY jiotty crimes. BYB Two men had been trapped In the BBB Had Sinn's ravine and taken off to the BBB jail without so much as a farewell to BBB their families. Pblly had groaned with BBB their women npd wept over their bn- BBB Ides. Sho was qulto sure Perclval wan BBB doing everything nnybody could do; BBB but sometimes the thought of Kvelyn's BBB demand Intruded on her mind, nnd she BBB wondered If sho were doing right In BBB refusing BBB Ono morning at daybreak Polly saw BBB her futher lift hla gun from tho wnll BBB nnd Fit down to cVcan It, Now, why BBB wns ho doing that, when ho knew very BBB wi'll ho could not uso It? Sho stood BBBJ looking down upon him, her heart BBBJ beating rapidly, BBBJ "Vou ain't goln' to hunt yet, honey," BBB Mio protested, squatting down beside BBBJ BBBJ "Vcp," returned Hopkins glancing BBBJ tip- "Tlicio ain't no ono nstlr so early. BBH nn' I'll bring back something, tnebbo BBBJ it woodchuck or a skunk. Wo nln't BBBJ lind enough to keep a mess of files BBB nllvo Bluco Old Marc got back." BBB That was true I No ono knew bottir BBBJ than Pollyop how they had missed the BBV little sho lind received from Ucnuctt. BBB Sick nt heart, sho snatched at bis BBJ BBBJ "Wo might best bo without grub, BBB Daddy," sho said paaslonntely, "Awl BBC Don't H'art rubbln' It up again I You'll BBB get pinched, If you hunt out of season, BBB no matter what you shoot. For less BBBJ tl nn cnrrylu' u gun, Old Mnrc's got n BBBJ bunch of our men. You shan't do It, BBBJ Iudly You shan't, I sari" BBBJ If only sho could persuade him not BBBJ to I tint until Itobert had come to nn B9 understanding with MuclCenzlu. If ho BBBJ didn't succeed then sho knew nnothcr BBB BBB "Mebbo In n llttlo while you can BBB hunt ull you like, Daddy," she ven- BBB t u red softly. BBJ "What do you mean by that, brat?" BBB risked Jeremiah, centering his keen BBB eyes upon her, BBBli s1,u cnnw forward and slipped both BBB nr.ns about his big waist. BBS "I don't want you to go today, BBB Daddy," the returned noncommlttnlly. BB "Why don't you Just stay at home, an' BBBJ nn' " BBB Wope, I'm fvm'," Interrupted Hop- BBV kins. "An Jcfry'a n-goln' with me. BB ni be back bfforo any of Old Hare's BBB pin turn ovor for another nap." BBV Polly ku.f her fHtitHf well enough BjB mo', to mako aaotne nuoeal. She dressed Wee Jerry at Jeremiah's command, com-mand, nnd then, troubled In spirit, watched him stride away In tho keen morning nlr. It had been decided among tho squatter men that to keep tho breath of Hfo In their women nnd children they must hunt nnd Ash, but that nothing should be caught that the law forbade. It was this thought that was running through the squatter's mind ns ho crept up to see If a woodchuck had ventured out. Ono was sitting up, taking a suvcy of the neighborhood, neigh-borhood, when Hopkins lifted his gun ; and with one sharp crack and a belch of smoko tho furry fellow tumbled over. Tho squatter strodo forward nnd wns In tho act of picking It up when three men appeared ns If thoy had sprung from the earth and with raised pistols closed In upon him. Jeremiah's huge Jaw dropped nt the sight of them, nnd Wco Jerry's fingers cnught tight hold of his shnggy hair. "Drop that gun," cried ono man, nnd tho still smoking rifle fell to tho .nrth. It took but a moment to snap a pair of handcuffs about tho dnzed man's wrists. It was whllo Jeremiah's face wns turned upward to qulot the screaming Jerry that ono of tho men quickly substituted a dead squirrel, uud another went nwny with tho dead woodchuck. Then tho third slipped n cbalsiS'around ono of Daddy's wrists anOMthlm down the hill to the rag-KL-dEffcits, tho child still clinging to lilsTsVele. Polly wns Htnndlug under a willow tree ns hor dyes cnught sight of Daddy Hopkins nnd Weo Jerry between two men. One of them strodo along, n little lit-tle deud body dangling from ono hand, 'while held In tho other hand was her father's gun. Sho ran toward them, giving spasmodic cries of dismay. "Daddy!" sho screamed. No answer camo from tho blinking squatter, "We caught him with tho goods on," ono man sneered at her. "Hut you're goln' to lenvo him with me," sho shrilled, making her appeal to tho man who stood closo to Jeremiah. Jere-miah. "Daddy'll promise not to hunt ne?moro, won't you, honey? Oh, Godt You said you wouldn't shoot nothln' tho law snld you couldn't." "I didn't, brat," grunted Hopkins. Then Ids eyo cnught sight of the squirrel, nnd his Jaw dropped. A bonrso groan fell from him. "I didn't shoot no squirrel, roll," he cried out to her. "I got that big chuck I wero tellln' you nbout." Then, turning glaring, fury-flllcd eyes on the man who had sneered at tho girl, he continued, "You planted that d n llttlo llt-tlo critter on rce, mister. I never shot him." Pollyop's lids widened in terror. Sho lifted ono hnud nnd caught the child's shoulder. "Jerry, baby," sho cried madly, "you was there I Tell Pollyop what Daddy shotl" "Suro I wns there," ho sobbed, drawing his sleeve across his fico. " 'Twns a big woodchuck settln up by his hole, an' ray Daddy Hopkins " Tho officer who had tho squirrel In his hand, put It Into his pockot nnd "Nopo, I'm Goln'," Interrupted Hop. kins. seised the child by the arm nnd shook him. "Here, kid," ho shouted, "nono of your lip. You'vo been set up to tell that lie." Tho man's aspect wns so threatening threaten-ing that Wco Jerry broke off his words and, grasping Daddy's bushy head tightly, smothered his sobs In his hair. Jeremiah Hopkins made a motion toward to-ward the speaker, but a sharp twist on the chain around his wrist, checked him. "You sec, brat," he groaned, "they've framed mo right." I PollTlrmsred the situation In an In- stunt. She knew the pluntlng system had been practiced on tho squntters before. At lust tho law had her best beloved. "Daddy never killed that squirrel," sho raved. "Ho didn't; on' you d n duffers know he didn't. You can't get by with nothln' like that. It's crooked! Here, you you you glrarno my daddy 1" Llko a wildcat unloosed upon them. Polly flow first nt one, then nt tho other. oth-er. Sho bit nt them, toro nt their clothes and kicked out with her strong, bare feet; but It was llko a small forco attacking a mighty mounlalu. Strong hands pinioned her nrms, find while she stood raging nt them, she sow Weo Jerry snatched from his father's fa-ther's shoulders and set on tho ground. Then they led Daddy Hopkins nwny. Dared for a moment, Polly stood slinking slink-ing from head to foot. Ornsplng Jerry by tho hand, sho ran swiftly nftcr them, crying out In despair that Daddy must go homo with her and the baby. At the lane Hopkins turned and spoko to her. "Urnt," ho choked, swallowing hard, "kiss your daddy, an' let me smack Wee Jerry too. Go on home. I'll bo cotnln' bnck ufter a bit. Tell Larry they got me, an' that I snld for him to look after you an' the kid I" With hor arms about his neck sho gave the promise squatter xworacn make their men when tho majesty of (lie law steps Into the Silent City. "111 keep tho baby nn' the shanty till you" get back, Dnddy darlln'," she robbed. "Give your girl-brut kisses, un' hero's Wee Jerry I" Kveu the ofllccr who bad tho squirrel squir-rel turned his head as tho girl clung to tho big squatter. Afraid to lead their prisoner through tho dllent City, the deputies marched him up tho Inno toward tho railroad tracks. As they turned Into tho boulevard, Hopkins looked back down tho hill. Pollyop was still In the road, and Wee Jerry wns In her arms, his face pressed against her neck. CHAPTEn X. As In a nightmans tho squatter girl blundered along tho path, back to tho hut, carrying Wco Jerry In her nrms. Granny Hope was hobbling from tho coop-hole when the girl stumbled over the threshold. "Something nwful's hnppencd, huh Pollyop?" the woman faltered, and limping across tho floor, sho bent and gathered tho thin small boy to her. "Come to gmndmu, Jorry dear," she coaxed, "an' hear a wco bit about Love." Tho crooning voice, choked with en-treaty, en-treaty, touched the edge of Polly Hopkins' Hop-kins' soul. She swayed forward to her Unccs, caught tho one withered hand extended to her and clung there. "I'll set, my bird," mumbled Mrs. Hope woakly, and sho dropped Into a chulr with Jerry In her lap. "Therol Aw I Don't cry that way, honey. Listen, Lis-ten, dear heart. God's everywhere! An His lovo tool Can't" Out of tho shower of glistening curls appeared n wnn, tearful face. "Daddy's been took to Jail, Granny Hope," Pollyop burst out. "God can't go In n dirty Jail, God can't I Old Marc" Mrs. nopo's sudden trembling broke off tho girl's words; nnd Polly wept again lu hopeless misery as the worn-uU worn-uU repeated 'almost dully: "God can't go In n dirty Jail." Then her face, lighted by a radiant thought, lost Its drubness; and for a time she stroked tho bowed young "head. Then : "Bo your daddy lovln you an' the buby?" she queried softly, Thnt question had never been put to Polly Hopkins before. Had Grunny Hope genu cruxy to ask such a thing? Kvcry bquntUr lu tho settlement marveled mar-veled ut Jeremluh's devotion to his children I "Huh, brut dear?" came more forcl- bly from Granny Hope, as If she wero determined to have on answer. Pollyop lifted her head wearily. "Sure, sure, Granny," sho moaned. "He'll love us till he dies." "Then my luss nln't bellcvln' any longer that tho God Is love, like once she was, huh? If Daddy Hopkins has went to prison like you snld, then ain't God there? An', dear lassie-child, love's love, tin' God's Ood behind tho burs Just the sumo as In this hero beautiful shanty!" Tho girl, still on her knees, edged closer to the old woman's siU- and put her nrms n round him. "Listen to what Grnhny Hope says, baby dear," she sobbed. "Love's went right niong to Jull with our daddy. Jcsus'll help Mm. He can, can't he, Qrnnuy dear?" "Ho can' an' He will, poor brntR," answered Mrs. Hope. And then through the quletudo of the early morning sho voiced In tremulous words the promises thnt had been food and drink to her during nil the lontly years that had passed over her head. "Ask, an' you'll get It, dear lambs. Seek your dnddy, an' you'll find Mm. little dears." One of Pollyop's arms went about the woman's pec& In a trice. The with thready tocks of gray; and thw two queering wizened llpa Ml P trembling roy moulh. ,. -Soy something more, little annn. u hat you sny He will-tucbbe huh? Weary with unusual emotion, the woman's head bobbed forward. -Ood, Pollyop." she whispered faintly, "there nln't no mebhc When you get a swat from a hand like Old Marc's, then a angel from Henvcn- Instantly Polly Hopkins was ou her feet. An angel from """' A blessed angel would help Daddy Hop-kins Hop-kins I "Darlln'," she murmured, bending mcr Mrs. Hope, "get on my bed nn taltc Wee Jerry. I'm goln' out. Polly Hopkins wns In tho Itohcrtson gmpe nrbor before sho fully realized the task which she had undertaken. To thrust herself into the presence of Itobert Perclval was not so easy as alio hud anticipated. "Just let Pollyop find Mm alone, Jesus denr," sho prayed, and then stepped out from among the vines. It wns n cozy scene thnt met her cjes when she ventured Into tho house. The ''ninlly were nt breakfnstj and Marcus MncKenzle iu his riding suit was drinking coffee. At tho sight of her he put down tho cup and rose to "He Can, on' He Will, Poor Drats," Answered Mrs. Hope. his feet ; and instantly Perclval got up too. Evelyn went white; and an ejaculation fell from Mrs. Robertson's Throwing n questioning glanco from ono to the other, the girl's eyes settled set-tled nt last on Itobcrt's face. "They've took my Daddy Hopkins to Jail," sho faltered, "nu' Tvo como to get 'iru dock. Tho loud laugh that burst from MncKenzIc'fl lips brought a glare from Itobert. "Thank God, we've got hlra nt last," Marcus exulted. Tho expression of woe died In tho squatter girl's eyes ns Itobert Perclval camo toward her. "What!" ho ejaculated, and then as though conscious of tho hato that was directed at the nowcomer by Marcus MacIConzle, ho added In a lower tone: "Poor llttlo girl I Come into my study, Polly, nnd tell mo about It." "Nonsense, Hob," Interrupted Mac-Kcnzio Mac-Kcnzio rudely. "Let her tell her llos here. I'd like to hear what sho has to say." A flush mounted to Itobort's face as ho turned angrily on the speaker. During the moment he was struggling for composure, Mrs. Itobertson and her daughter hung ou the scene with bnted breaths. "Must I remind you whose houso this Is, MncKenzle?" demanded Perclval Percl-val finally.; and Murcui sank down Into Ids chair with a muttered apology. "I didn't come to tell lies, Mr. Mac-Kenzie," Mac-Kenzie," Polly broke out Impotuously. "I've como to tell God's truth." Then tho recolloctlon of her futher's desperate des-perate need overwhelmed her, and sho walled: "Your men planted a squirrel on Mm, sir; Daddy t-uld so, un' Jerry saw 'em." To Perolvnl, wntchlne tho mnn nnd girl, enmo the conviction thnt she hod told the trutli, uud that MacKenzle knew sho had. Hefore ho could break In, Polly spoke again. "Please, sir," she begged, "please, Sir. MncKenzle, give Mm bnck to me. You can. Do It, nu', an', oh, God, I'll dlu for you." Sl.e fell forward on her knees; and then Marcus MncKenzle laughed again. Ixiwer nnd lower fell tho curly head, for the sarcastic sound told her more plainly tbun any words could havu done thnt she would get no aid from him. Itobert stooped and lifted her up. "D n you, Mnrcl Stop It I" ho de-mantled. de-mantled. "It's wicked, downright wicked!" And to her he murmured: "Poor little girl 1 Poor little Polly." lie tried to lend her away; but how could she go without making another rSft? She turned to Evelyn. |