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Show BbVbTbTsU - " -iiMMTIfff - 1 Storm Country Polly by Grace Miller White lYfftV i Copyright by Little, Brown & Co. BBBJ t .-uSST t i SSSS I THE "ANQEL" sTTrtOPSHB. Occupying a dilapidated dilapi-dated ahack In Ilia Bllent City, a spatter scttlemont near Ithaca. Kim York, Polly Hopkins Uvea Bjfjjjafjn vttb tier father, small Jerry, and BBS U woman, Cranny Hope, On BBBb am adjacent farm, Osrar Ilennott, BBBfl BKvaiwrous farmer, Is a neighbor. J If is secretly mnrrled to Kvelyn Bfl Robertson, supposedly wealthy alrl BHJB the neighborhood. Marcus Mae. BBHJ Krnl, who owns the ground the KHB aejwiltsrs occupy, Is their deter- BIBB tnia4 enemy. I'olly overhears a Bm cnTrnatlon between MftcKenzle BBHJ " stranger. In which the former J avoirs his Intention of driving the J WMtters from his land. The siren- Bl atw sympathises with the squatters, J a4 earns Polly's sratltude. I-Jvelyn BBBaj XeAerUon discovers from her moth- MBHJ r that they are not rich, hut prac- BBHJ llcalty HrlnK on the bounty of BBBJ Kobert I'erclval, Kvelyn's cojxln HBBJ rtJljr learns from Evelyn that ,he BBBf asnnpnthetlc stranger Is Itobert BBf rerclvat. Kvelyn charges roily BH I with n mrssiiKe to Dennett, trlllnff HJBB II him she ran Rive him no mors H II mener. she already bitterly regrets HB ber marriage to (lie Ignorant farm BBBf . Tolly conveys her message and JBC Ofcnr makes threats. He Insists BBJB Kvelyn meet hlin that night. Polly BSj her father nnd tJirry Illshop, HJB m squatter, take an onth In do Mac- Kenste no Injury. Kvelyn unsuecess- fatly tries to net money from her JB rslher with which to buy oft Bon. i U and Indues htm to leave the ; eawfitry. giving her her freedom. ' m( and MacKenila avow their HJB leva. BBBS "" M CHARTER V Continued. BBBj "1 wanted to 'fess up to you this BBBj Mttnilnff, roll," Oscar rnn on. "It's JjMJ m funny thing, but 1 reckon I enro BBBj anon? for your Utile finger ttmn for BBj Xve's wliolo body. Muybo somo tiny BH after I cot nil her casli " BBBJ roily roughed down n lump that BBJ trMstod In coming up In her thront. BBJ Tnw needn't spiel lovln's to me, Os- BBJ ear," c gulped, "on I believe In be- BBJ In' turnest. 8o, lioforo your woman BBJ nmm, I might ns well kIvo you n bit H T my mind. If I owned ynu from your H mp to your Imo(h, I wouldn't use you H for a doonnat In front of Dnddy'g H lie l(it n look of iimnreinent. The H rmMeiit mnlle fnded from Ids fuco, H mi M ltM miKged nt the corners. H Then be arose to Ids feet. j "I lirm tlilnlclnir nbout you nil dny," H be brfe forth. "You'vo cot every- B Wnjr lookK. nctlon nnd brains. I WM waul you, Tollyop nnd I'm RoIiir to M klm you Ihls time, so help mo God " H lie look n step lownrd bcr nnd I'olly M cramMed n.. Juki nt that moment H Kttlyn KolitrtHun entered. Oscnr Iten- M mM lamed swiftly, nnd I'olly, very 1 Wm, Pe. filored herself nt ICvu's side. And HjH m IIe r'nd foamed the Inko to fury m ami ahook Oninny Ilopo's fomnken lit- H He fjul, the tun n nnd two lrl stood alfetit a Ions, tctifo minute. m Then Osenr smiled nt IJvelyp, a trl- M mmftmttt. Insulting .indie. "Ite y thought It best to mltd mo, j my H&," he laughed. "I guess after m m wMIe you'll eonio to know I mean m what 1 imy." B Hte tried to speak but could not. B raMy squeezed her nnu encouragingly. V "Toa're a menu duffer, Oscnr," she Mtnsat en. "Your womnn',1 scared of V ya. Ibat'a all. Try ticln' better, an' H are kw j,o likes It." H "Ste'si got n good right to bo d d V afim-gV grunted llcmiett, "Now out H wH H. Kve. What's the rumpus? You iHtvev't sent me it cent for n month." WKa slmklng flugeni Kvelyn pushed H her windblown lialr. BV "I roakbi't get nny money, Oscnr." H atic aWed. "ily ullownnco Is nil gone. H I care every cent of It to you. You f kaw very well mother won't glvo mo tmy asnre." BVfi Sbe had one curd left to play, and PSH afce.fcopcd It would tube iho trick, H i lgtit ns welt tell you," she con- H tlmK-fl. the stcQl In her eyes wiping away the blue. "Mother hasn't nny flf SMMtry. All I thought wo had belongs V o Coastn Hof)." MB St rrnsvd spenklng nnd waited nn MK lBaUl In note how her, news struck Wr kwbacMl. lie nung up n clenched H T1e devil tako you, ICvo" he rrled. j "nostt try to put nuythlug over on me m Hke thai. Yoti'ro the biggest liar In H Tetsaklus county." V lluit he partly believed her t-howed H la ku manner. El I'1 never n' married you If I'd n H knoirii Hint two yearn ngo," Oscar as- H srrtrt) honrsely. "You can va, tlenil m rrrislo of that, my ludy. Ynu wore Bj prHty careful to keep yr.,ir money n traOklra to yourself. Hit down, both of HW oat You're shivering like two ruts." BK Impulsively Kvelyn went toward him. Bflj Oo, Oscar, listen, listen to me." sho H (. trying to steady her voice. "I KB want to. be free. I can't, 1 can't live BJj (Ua iray any longer." BJE A rcarse onth fell from Dennett's Kf Ii don't need o" he shouted. Bfj ,Ta got a homo t como to my 9 fctaat You can l the work my old Bff matanVi OoIur. It's your Job, not hers. BJ Tcar ray wffe, by ginger, and as 1 B aW t ruityop Jiere, you live with mo. W r Tve pay up. I don't give a linker's Bj which you do." H ins voice grew deep as ho finished. Bj sut an evil, taunting smllo drew up H Ids Hps. Kvelyn shuddered and swayed, nnd I'olly slipped ono arm around her waist. "You want to be free from me, eh? That's It, Is It?" he sneered. "Bjome other jruy looming up to love, I s'pose. Well, I don't mind who gets my lenv-lugs lenv-lugs If you make It worth my while. IJut If not " Kvclyn's pate, beseeching face lifted to Ids. Bho could not quit him without with-out his promise that she should have her freedom. Neither must ho think that sho could get him a large sum or money. "I can't get another dollar," she repented re-pented hoarsely. "I simply can't. And und I must bo free." A frown drew the man's heavy brows together until they touched, and he lifted his fist to strike; but I'olly Hopkins, by ono swift movement, thrust Kvelyn from under (he man's upraised arm nnd crowded In between them, IlecnUso Kvelyn wns his wife, be hud the right to heat her If ho pleased, I'olly thought, but bo would not dure to strike I'olly. "If you've got to swat soma one, Oscnr," Os-cnr," she gritted between her tcoth, "swat me!" The bcnutlful while face camo close to Hennctt's, and tbo challenge In the squatter girl's flashing eyes stirred a feeling within him that he never bad had for Kvelyn Itobertson. Oscar hud always believed that a woman must fear n man to respect him, and that to respect him meant to love htm, Ho did not want Kvelyn Itobertson In the farmhouse, but ho did want money and I'olly Hopkins. If ho could master her ns bo hnd Kve, sho would come to him willingly when he was ready for her. Working on that principle, he struck out. As iho hugo list came In contact with 1'ollyop's shoulder, she staggered backward. Her low cry was followed by Kvelyn's scream. The squatter girl sunk to the Hour limply. No one had ever struck her before. "You'vo killed her," cried Kvelyn; nnd Oscnr llennctt, fearful that the girls' clamor would summon somo Inquisitive In-quisitive squatter, turned swlttly to Ro. "Doth of you keep mum about this, my lady," ho ordered. "I'm off I See?" With that bo tore open the shanty door; and Kvelyn 'stood pnntlng with her hand on her heart until tho sound of his running footsteps was lost In tlit) windstorm. Then Kvelyn led Polly Hopkins home. Ouo arm hung nt tho squatter girl's side; and tho pain In her shoulder, shoul-der, where Oscar's (1st had landed, wns tcrrlllc. On Hearing the shock, I'olly whispered: "Mcbbo he'll be quiet a while now. You'd best scoot home, huh?" A small box passed from Kvelyn's handbag to the squatfer girl's pocket. "I brought them for Jerry," said Kvelyn softly, "and oh, I'olly, whatever what-ever can I do for you to even up things? Perhaps " "Scoot home," Interrupted Polly, "I'm goln' In." Pollyop stole Into the shanty In the greatest torment she had ever known,. Granny IIopo and Daddy Hopkins hnd gono to bed, nnd sho could hear her father's loud breathing from tho back room. She was glnd of that, for If he were to leant how she had been hurt, his rago would know no bounds, She lighted a candle nnd looked about dazedly, Tho billy goa,t was snuggled against tho wood-box; nnd Nannie Lamb poked her head up and blinked at the light. Polly put down the candle ami slipped the dress from her shoulder. How dreadfully It hurt hcrt Oh, how she wanted something to tnuko her misery less Hut squatters did not have money to spend on drugstore drug-store remedies. From an old can she poured n little coal oil on n rng and bathed the In-, Jured flesh. Then she took up the lamb and dropped Into n chair by the table. In sheer exhaustion her head silnk down upon It. After a while sho straightened up. threw back her curls, nnd raised the lamb's face to hers, n wry smile Hitting across her lips. "It's goln' to be a hard Job lovlu' Oscar and' Old Mure like Jesus loved wicked folk, Nonnop," she said wider her breath, "hut mcjibe now I been face to face with a angel, I can do It." Again her head fell forward; but almost Instantly she nrose, nnd with the lumh In her right arm like n baby, moved to the side of tho bed. Then sho snuggled the lamb tinder tho blankets and put Granny Hojte's Itlble beneath her pillow. Carefully she slipped off her clothes nnd put on n conrso nig! it robe. Then, having snuffed the candle, she crawled In beside the lamb. CHAPTER VI. Twice had the golden sun sunk In n welter of splendid colors behind West hill, and twice hud the warmth of his rising scattered the mists from tho lakeside slnco the encounter In tho but. und I'olly Hopkins was making ready for her dally walk through the Silent City. It was her custom to go among the squatters and glvo them cournge, to tell them that they hud u right to their homes, to food, and warmth. How her girl's heart ached for their dumb (SBSBSswatscaaBSSBansBwassacaasaaBasasMuaM misery I Surely the squatters had suffered suf-fered In the past year! Many a boy had been taken from his home nnd sent to France, and many a mother had crept about tho settlement with grief-worn face, waiting for news from over the sen. Pollyop understood what war meant. The squnttcrs were nlways at war! Granny IIopo had explained to her that, whenever people fought nnd were cruel to one another, that was war. Hadn't she warred but two nights ago witli Oscnr Dennett? Sho had not Been him since, and Iho pain and humiliation he bad dealt her hnd been lightened by Granny Hope's assurances that love was the lcvclcr of hate. So Polly, having quantities of love nnd sympathy to spare, sent It broadcast over tho hopeless ones In the settlement nnd promptly put Oscnr Os-cnr Dennett's cruelty out of her mind. Sho did not oven remomher sometimes how much the milk Oscnr had be-grudgingly be-grudgingly given her was missed In the shack. To offset that deprivation she was free from him nnd the ugly quarrels she bad had to settle almost dally between him nnd Kvelyn. This morning, while Daddy Hopkins wns In Ithaca, Pollyop started out with her inuny loves for a walk. On her shoulder perched Wco Jerry; nt her side, In stately dignity, stalked the billy gnat, nnd tied to one of her nrms by a small ropo gamboled Nannlo Lamb Hopkins. ( Through the Silent City sho wandered, wan-dered, helping people here and there to seo tho sunny sldo of things, Do-yond Do-yond the row of shacks was the fence Marcus MncKcnzIo hnd erected to keep the squnttcrs from trespassing on his woodland, and In front of It Polly Hopkins stood. A bill poster hnd passed and left on the fence a picture pic-ture that caught her attention. It Vns n beautiful woman, bcr eyes saddened with tears, and she looked straight out of exqulslto coloring nt the wide-eyed squatter girl. In her arms was a withered, sick, little man, and Pollyop know that somewhere over the ocean an enemy, perhaps a man like Old Mnrc, hud hurt him. The woman held him close as sho tooked nt Polly, and for a moment the girl's eyes stung with tears. Then sho went, Then Sho Went Closer to the Fence and Spelled Out the Words Under the Picture: "The Greatest Mother In the World." closer lo tbo fence nnd spelled out the words under the plcturo: "The Greatest Great-est Mother In the World." Ah I So she wus, this protector of tho hurt and tho sick! The Ited Cross loster carried Its wondrous message to tho very bottom of the squatter girl's heart. A sound, clo80 nt hand, caused her to turn swiftly. A man on horseback had drawn up on the sldo of the rond. The blood camo In swift lenps to Polly's face. There was the "beautiful "beauti-ful tingel" looking down upon her! What could sho do but stnre buck at blm? In another Instant he bad dismounted dis-mounted nnd wns coming toward her. Jerry slid from her shoulders to the ground. Pollyop's hand clasped his; but she did not speak. What had happened hap-pened to her "angel?" Ho looked different; dif-ferent; more like the other men bIio occnxlonnlly saw on horseback. That was It I He was not wearing the ollve-ilrah ollve-ilrah uniform I To ndd to Y.ir confusion confu-sion Robert I'erclval was smiling at her In tho most friendly wny. Then he glanced up nt the picture, his Hue race saddening. "The Grentest Mother In the World. Ilttlu girl," ho said, and he smiled a pain. "Tho Greatest Mother In the World." repented Pollyop, In awed tones. "Does that mean she's mother to the squatter kids what wus hurt In the war, mister?" "Yes," he replied after a short pause "Yes. It means Hint, and more. "SheV mother to every hurt boy und bring ,,,, awnwoMM " I comfort to every one on earth that npeds help." ... I ' "(lolly, Mic's some mo her, a in t she?" breathed I'olly soberly. "Me- , beautiful too. Squatter mammies has too many kids to ttny handsome ke j her." She mndc a backward motion with her thumb toward the fence nnd searched his face graxely. A choking sensation In llobcrt i ' throat made hlm cough. The girls stntement was llko a charcoal draw-Ing draw-Ing In which a few broad lines tell the whole story. He felt Ids Interest In i her Increase. She was the quaintest, prettiest and most solemn child he had ever seen. Yes. be knew she wns an Inhabitant of the Silent City by the clothes she wore, nnd the thin, how- legged child, toay nothing of the he-whiskered he-whiskered gont and woolly lamb that were wllh her. "What's jour name?" he Inquired. "Just Pollyop," wns the nnswer. "Polly Hopkins. My daddy Is Jeremiah Jere-miah Hopkins, the mayor of this settlement." set-tlement." Surely I llobcrt remembered very well MucKcnzle speaking of Hopkins, nnd he remembered too the painted Invitation oer a but door as If It were before bis eyes. looking Pollyop over from the top of her curly head to the tips of her bare feet, ho decided that she had written It. Question after question he flung at her, and nnswer after answer camo from Polly's lips. She told him where , sho lived, and how she cooked tho beans, bacon nnd fish Daddy Hopkins provided; how cold It was In the shnnty when tho cruel north wind swept up the lake; and how wet It was when the rain fell and clammy fogs shrouded the world In gray; how Granny Hope was sick with pains. She gave hlm nn Inside view of Ufa In the Silent City. Long before sho had finished fin-ished her recital, Perclval's courtesy had put her at her case, and sho wns chattering like a magpie. "Can I do something for you, Polly Hopkins?" queried llobcrt, ns she finished fin-ished telling nbout life In the squatters' squat-ters' city. Sho flung out both hands In a comprehensive com-prehensive gesturo ns much as to say he could see for himself how much slie needed. "Sure, sure you can," she said with fierce emphasis. "You can make Old Marc leavo us squatters be. You're blgger'n be 1st The squntters need you nwful bad." Her voice broke. Itobert took a long breath. Of course he could help this girl and her people. He would, tool As far ns money gave power, he could equal und surpass Marcus MacKcnzlo. "I did try to talk sense Into Mr. MncKcnzlc's head," he returned presently, pres-ently, "but now I will make him leave you alone." In spite of the curved lips nbout which u smile lurked, there wns apprehension appre-hension In her voice when she asked : "Can you lick Mm to a finish, mister?" mis-ter?" "Yes, I think I could," laughed Hob-ert; Hob-ert; "but It won't be necessary." "Then I seo us Silent City folks beln' happy again," sighed Polly. "Wo got a awful lot of things an' folks to tako care of here." Itobert made a sweep with his arm that encompubsed the group before him. "You have, evidently I" ho laughed. "An' I got more home," Interjected Polly. "I got Daddy Hopkins nn Granny Hope an' this brat Is my brother, an' this gont Is Hilly Hopkins an' this lamb's Nannyop. Oh, sure, sir, I've got o hull lot to love In this good old city." Polly made nn upward motion with her. baud toward the picture on tho fence. "She's got a bunch to love, too," sho suld softly. "Ain't she?" He wnlked to her hide nnd content-plated content-plated with her the pictured woman, making her silent appeal to them for the wounded boy In her nrms. "Of course she bns." answered Per-clval Per-clval reverently. "She's the Greatest Mother In the Wot Id, Polly Hopkins, nnd and " his gnr.o dropped upon her, nnd be continued, "and you're the littlest mother In the world." A glnd smile widened the girl's lips. All the fear that had been us n ton weight upon her bad fallen away. She wanted to pay hlm the highest compll-went compll-went she knew. When he had mounted, mount-ed, she told him gently; "Some day you'll be the biggest an' most bomitlfulest daddy In the world Good-by." "Then Perclval .tapped . Two well.olanted thumps Jtd Dennett llko log on tba ground," (TO HE CONTINUED.) |