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Show hla to love or abuse at his own swee will for Oscar hud little doubt that the squatter girl would eventually yield to his will. Pollyop, meanwhile, quite unconscious uncon-scious of Oscar's vicious Intentions, was already utterly overwhelmed wltn misery. After the meager supper was over that night, she sat crouched near the wood-box, her arm around Billy Hopkins' Hop-kins' stringy neck. Granny Hope was in bed and Wee Jerry, having cried himself to sleep, was in Jeremiahs room, rolled up in a blauket- For the first time In her ltfe Polly had seen her father weep. How impetuously im-petuously she had kissed away his tears ! How she had hung to his neck I When they had been forced to leave him, Jerry had shrieked his misery all the way through tbe streets of Ithaca. To make the matter worse, It began to rain, to thunder and lighten. And now, a forlorn, lonely little creature, she sat listening to the tempest outside out-side with no company but the billy goat. How listless and hopeless she felt I Only Vhen the thunder rolled over the lake, and the lightning flashed across the sky, did she lift her head. When she was happy, Polly loved the storms, but now, with Daddy in Auburn, Au-burn, how could she bear the thrashing thrash-ing ruin and the moan of the willow trees as they swung to and fro over the shanty roof? She found herself wishing fearfully that the storm would sweep oft" to the south and down behind the hills. Over and over In her mind went the thought that perhaps -she could have helped In, the White Light of It Polly Saw a Man Lying Face Down In the Path Leading to the Shanty. Daddy If she had done what Evelyn wanted her to. Why hadn't she consented con-sented to marry Oscar two weeks ago? She knew why, and, blushing, blamed herself. She could not keep the image of Robert Perclval from smiling at her. All of a sudden a frightful flash of lightning made dim the flicker from the small candle, and was followed instantly in-stantly by a thunderous roar that shook the very earth. Mingled with it came a woman's scream. Polly struggled strug-gled to her feet. Some one was. In trouble! Some squatter-woman was calling her. She dashed toward the door Just as It flung wide open, and Evelyn Robertson rushed in. "Polly Hopkins," she cried, grasping the squatter gliTs arm, "Pollyop. something struck Oscar, and he's dead In the road." Frantically she drew the dared Polly Pol-ly over the threshold. The darkness was dense, and the torrents of rain pelted their faces. ADorher zigzag streak of fire ran across the sky, making mak-ing a vivid picture as it blazed Cornell Cor-nell university into plain view. In the white light of It, Polly saw a man lying ly-ing face down In the path leading to the shanty. He made no effort to get up as the two girls bent ever hlra. "Mebbe he ain't dead," muttered Polly, shuddering. "Lefs hie btra In the hut" Between them they dragsed the heavy, Inert body Into the shanty and shut the floor. Oscar looked dead when they turned him over. His face was livid, and his eyes tightly strut. "The thunder hit him, nuhr questioned ques-tioned Polly, awestruck. Shudder after shudder ran over Evelyn. Ev-elyn. "1 don't know," she moaned. "Yea I tuprxwe so. Oh, It was dreadful r - She began to cry, wringing her hands desperately. "Don't do that," begged Pollyop, with a shiver. "Come on an' help me get Mm up on my bunk." Weak from the shock, Evelyn was of little service In lifting Oscar. But the bed was low, and finally after mHch tugging, he was rolled lifelessly over on his back, stretched to his full length on the rickety cot. Standing side by side, the girls looked anxiously down upon him. "I guess mebbe he's dead, ain't her queried Polly woefully. "Thna did thai atom c.untry give back to Evelyn fte-bertaon her freedom." (TO BE CONTINTTRT).) The prince of Wales Is erempted j from Income tax, but bU brothers are ; not j |