Show 20 b 0 v I 1 fe by Grace rao effler WI 1 I 1 u st ri ra 01 d b D arumn e r 0 ht ll 11 r P any 1 sweethearts SYNOPSIS occupying Occupy inc a delapl dahua shuck shack in the city a b settlement near ithaca now york polly li lives gitil her father small jerry and an old woman granny hope on an adjacent farm oscar Ls ennett pr prosperous onerous farmer farmer Is a neighbor lie he is secretly married to evelyn hubei abon supposedly sup wealthy girl 6 irl of the llie marcus mackenzie who owns the ground the squatters occupy Is their determined enemy polly overhears a conversation c 0 between Blac MacK Kenzie enzla and ti nd a stranger in which the former avows avons his intention ot of driving the tha squatters from his land the stranger sympathizes with tile the squatters and eains hollys pollys gratitude evelyn robertson lo bertson discovers disco ers rom from her mother that they are not rich but practically living on tile the bounty of robert percival evelyns cousin roily polly learns from evelyn that the sympathetic stranger Is robert percival evelyn charges polly with a message to dennet bennet telling him she can give him no more money she already bitterly regrets her ma to the ignorant farmer polly conveys her message and oscar makes threats tb rents ho insists evelyn meet him that night polly has her father and larry bishop a squatter take an with oath to do mackenzie no injury evelyn unsuccessfully cess fully tries to et gt money from her mother with which to buy off bennett and induce him to leave the country ahing her tier her freedom she and mackenzie avow their love at the arranged meeting that night bennett threatens evelyn with exposure unless she gives him money roily polly meets robert nobert per clial and they are mutually attracted tr pollys hollys feell ni being adoration oscar kills pollys hollys lamb and percival thrashes oscar macken ale orders the squatters to leave evelyn plans to marry mackenzie Mac Kenzle percival and polly confess their love men arrest pol lys father on a framed up charge CHAPTER X continued 10 you do something maam sli she e implored please do it quick an an all A light leapt into her eyes eye all and she burst out debbe some day be as aln in me a big fan faor or an heres my tord nord before god I 1 do it fur for a short space of time the two girls stared into each other s a eyes but loe lelaus lyus fell first she sank back limply take her away robert she groa tied its too dreadful after and robert lind had gone she turned swiftly on marcus 1 I vish they were vere all dead those wretched squatters she said fretfully and frowning enzle continued his breakfast in III silence miserable days passed for the entire squatter settlement that the right arm arin of tile the silent city had been topped lopped off ahen hen hopkins was imprisoned showed plainly in the abjection of its inhabitants every countenance was wrinkled with anxiety and still the strange men hovered about the ugly rumors circulated through the silent city it was said thiu that to fis ex a felony on dopkins the officers claimed that in searching him before shuttles shutting him up they had found a revolver in his pocket every one that knew him scouted the idea but jeremiah hopkins as promptly indicted tor for carrying concealed weapons the only concession robert biad h ad been able to obtain vas as per permission for roily polly to visit her father and day after day she ghe carried jerry to see him the day of hopkins trial polly had to stay at home to care for granny hope and the baby babi luie late to in the afternoon while she was boeking g wee jerry tor or there was no other way to keep him quiet there came a rap on the door placing him blin on tile the cut cot she called a soft come lu in 1 the entrance of robert percival val filled her with apprehension he looked so 60 aeilous se ilous so drawn and pale its about daddy she exclaimed forgetting tor for the moment how bow embarrassed she i as robert nodded sit down polly he be said gravely and ril ill tell aou ou cutely site she stood staring at him sit down dear he insisted 1 I 1 ant dont want to sit down she tell tile me about daddy happened lies golu to auburn laick ituk he been able abt robert would haw have contradicted her gladly would lie climaxed away the welling tears that time fume into the dear eyes 1118 ie it auburn prison she wals perc d did the jury say he was guilty I 1 I 1 yra yes polly but ive still hopes I 1 can got ft him another trial answered robert olt 01 little polly please dont cry Y HM iri ir i A I 1 unmindful that he be was holding out ills fils I 1 bonds to ro tier her she fhe sobbed hysterically t deprived ved of 0 self control tw i rt pleaded airn her t tc cease the more she kept up the incessant wall at the sound of hex her anguish jerry awoke and set up a loud screaming and ever true to tier her mother instinct for him and all others in tier wild world took him up and seated herself hushing bushing pod and caressing him the littlest mother in the world breathed robert tenderly heading bending over tier lier and a brave girl you are arc too polly II Il 11 1 I cant be brave ever any more I 1 cant I 1 need my daddy so I 1 do im my heart just busted when they took him away lie he understood and roberts very soul melted in sympathy indeed never had lie he worked so hard on any one tiling thing as lie he had bad done to defend the squatter it had been only after mackenzie had outwitted him it that it lie lie had had come to the silent city to bre break tik the bad news to polly hopkins Poll ron yop lie he began much move moved you do need your father every girl does but while hes gone if lie he really las as to go I 1 can make it liang ong without him much easier for you you must take some of the money you have for yourself lie hastened on no io one needs it more than you do no now non dont ahnke your lend head dear some one must help you ilont dont you see awful good of you to give me ine the money an let me help the squatter women came distinctly from the sobbing lips but jerry an me take a cent of yours somehow robert had expected this 1 but tier her refusal did not make him any the less determined to help tier her for a time he was silent ns as polly slowly rocked jerry back rind and forth after a few moments the boy fell asleep and ills his sister laid him quietly on the bed again no aloin NL oiN abat be I 1 coln to do she queried forlornly looking straight at him granny hope says lores imes fill all powerful an aery night I 1 cry out to the good god to bring my daddy home its true aint it jesus can help bell a squatter girl of course robert assured tier her of course fond and oil oh polly I 1 want you to be different what do you mean by bein different she stopped min him quickly quck ly ant and then slie she caught the look lie cast around the room in ill always be a squatter she went on fiercely 1 I love squatters I 1 do ills face burned at the emphasis on oil tier her words yet he liked her better tor for qt standing anding by tier her humble friends and you love me too dont don t you Poll yop he asked reaching out and taking one of her hands sh elove him ah more than she even dared to admit to her herself 1 A blush mounted to tier her curls yep im lovin you too she breathed you an daddy robt robert rt stood up dizzily bringing her up with him what was there in this a ac ato you best go now she asked crude squatter lassie anat made his heart leevirt beat so polly lie murmured drawing hor to him little polly ind the it lie be raised her face to his kiss me die sweet limp and trembling site she leaned against him as aa slie site had that day in hi 4 own home she was so tired and lonely I 1 1 I you always roily polly he I 1 in tier her ear some day I 1 want ya kofl for my wife ill take you oil ieather am away amay ay irom ithaca all of 0 you your father and the baby and grandq liepe tou too xau hear kowt you Poll yop at that polly dune clung to him she had lost sight of the fact that she might have to marry oscar bennett to free daddy hopkins and to keep her people in the silent city she only realized that slie she was in roberts arroa arms and that he was telling tier her over and over and over that lie he adored her you best go now she asked some one might you here not please PIL please nise dont kiss nie me no more 11 I 1 without the he slightest regard for tier her prote robert Ilo hert smiling gathered her completely into ills his prins arms perhaps lie he stammered perhaps sweetheart your fat fatherly herll come back in spite of marcus mackenzie Mac Kenzle goodby dear deal shy she follow followed oil him to the door watched him so go up the lane then she crept back into the shanty diddy she cried im bryin my best to save you dear tin an nn an I 1 will I 1 will darlin your braell save you daddy but oh gott god it seems as itow how 1 I 1 it doit CHAPTER XI over a week had passed since hop karis had stood before ills his peers to be judged of it a crime the law would not overlook over loo ills lawyer a good one and well paid by robert percival perceval val had fought strenuously for a new trial but fitter after much dellbe deliberation ration on the pak of the judge the motion had been denied and tills this was the last lay day of Jeremia jeremiahh hs stay in the lie county jail it was soon after luncheon time that ahagh n hagli powered motorcar vas mas carrying carryll ig evelyn robertson and marcus mackenzie to the bennett farmhouse farinh ouRe the purdin purchasing sing of the I 1 farm arin had been sot set tied its as far as marcus was concerned althou although ali eves ale pleading abing ading and oscars stubbornness had made him offer more inure for the place than it was really N orth when the farmer walked up to the automobile as it stopped before ills door oscar paid no attention to evelyn sitting beside mackenzie save to give her nn an awkward bow youre youe spoken to this squatter girl about what you ant bennett li ennett asked marcus going to the point tit at once yes sure I 1 have growled oscar 1 I told you that vother lay day but polly seems to be always holding off for something if she toes the mark tien ten ill sell my farm and take her west I 1 wont have that brat of a jerry though but I 1 suppose Poll Polly 11 make a row when I 1 tell her that you wont be worried the ho boy Y bennett piri pi n going to have the childrens society take him hopkins II will serve il a long iong term till and if you marry polly the rest of the pests will scatter after a title hile ill be glad to be rid of the whole dopkins tribe cut but that girl is 1 like a burr she sticks tighter the more you pull the bargain mr mackenzie isell I 1 sell the farm nt at the price we talked if I 1 get polly if I 1 dont get er cr then I 1 wont bodt sell I 1 can make a good living here for me and my iny mother and I 1 dont intend to leave this country without roll yop the thought of liis ills staving ithaca filled evelyn with mith dread arend she knew something of the tepa tenacity city with which lie he clung to any notion that might tak take possession of him how could she have ever submitted to his cares caresses ses and the words until death do us part rang in tier her ears filling her with digg disgust 1 I 1 wish lie he were dead tills this minute she thought pas passionately donatela she mas ft as malting lag for oscar to continue but lie he evidently did not intend to so settling back as if ailous to start she said coldly ill go to tier her then as soon as I 1 can when today maam na aam asked oscar eagerly if slie site had to approach potty polly iipp kins about this disagreeable matter the sooner tile alie better evelyn thought yes slie she consented languidly 1 I might go now 1 suppose but you wont find tier her home till night eie ee marcus informed her ashes gone to see tier her father before lie he goes to auburn I 1 tried to put the quietus on that but bob cut up so I 1 told the sheilla sheil lf to let her in then ill telephone you later mr Bell nett sold said evelyn lifting her chin haughtily as if lie were really beneath her consideration good afternoon tit the hums houts slowly byl by it seemed ed tin an eternity to oscar widle lie he malted the call flout evelyn wh tall he be her voice over ti alie e telephone lie he ansu answered ered grulloy gru llly illy now dont ie 10 naty misty oscar ordered Ee belil lil imperiously im dong don tile the iest best I 1 can ini fill in a booth talking and if ull meet tile me lit at seven well mell go together to polly ll does that hint alt you all right you dont suit me ine very nery well aw ower ar grumbled into the receiver id like to glye give you the licking of your II 11 lire re my lady evelyns laugh came ringing across the wire vire dont put yourself out my dear nin ninn D she taunted now dont stun start bullying nie me over tile the phone oscar tor foi I 1 staled it hold your temper lemper if you can possibly to so ir once ce ilo do ia as I 1 tell you will you oil oh I 1 suppose so bennett rapped out whewell I 1 meet you well weli let me sec at seven even s on the bou boulevard levad near the lank inne all right and oscar slammed up the lie receiver without wa waiting to 0 o hen alieni tiny inre inere and pro trout ills tarm arm basics thoughts or of anger town r lap now so overbearing and cc con troug were soon crowded oi out i I 1 binm vr by anticipation or of till alie bilut u alien ien pony would belong to alm b ills to love vr or abuse lit ill I 1 hia own sweet wui for oscar had little doubt that the squatter girl would eventually yield to his bis will Poll yop meanwhile quite unconscious of oscars vicious intentions wits was already utterly overwhelmed with misery after the meager supper was over that hint night she sat crouched near the wood box tier her arm around billy hot kills kalns necks granny hope was 1 in bed and wee jerry having cried himself to sleep vas NIPS in hi Jeremia jeremiahh hs room rolled up in a blanket blank for the first time in tier her life ro polly ily had seen her father weep how impetuously she had kissed awny away ills his tears how site she had hung to ills his geeki when they had been forced to leave film jerry had bad shrieked his misery all the way through the streets of ithaca to male inaam tile the matter worse it began to rala rain to thunder and tighten lighten and now a forlorn foriR rn lonely little creature she sat listening to the tempest outside no com company party but the billy goat how listless and hopeless she feltl only when the thunder rolled over the lake and the lightning flashed across the sky did she lift her head bead when she wits was happy polly loved the sto inis but now with daddy in auburn allburn how could she hear bear tile the thrashing rain and the moan of the willow trees as they swung to and fro over the shanty root roof she found herself wishing fearfully that the storm would sweep oft off to the south and down behind the hills over and over in her mind went the thought that perhaps pel imps she could have helped ai I 1 j I 1 A ay 47 in n the white light of it polly saw a man lylan lying pace face down in the path leading to the shanty daddy if she had bad done what list evelyn wanted anted tier her to why she consented to marry oscar two weeks ago she knew why and blushing blamed herself she could not keep the image ieng of robert percival val 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 sta n aly by a thunderous roar that shook the very earth mingled with it came ame ft a womans comans scream polly aled to her feet some one was in trouble some squatter woman was calling tier her she dashed toward the door just ns it flung wide open and evelyn robertson rushed in polly hopkins slie she cried grasping the rhe squatter aliis arm Poll yop something struck oscar and hes dead in the mart frantically sho drew the be |