| Show acer torm M ta b r 40 irv ax grace r jl ILLS ht ly 1111 r an m ay iff lk J 0 B CHAPTER XVI I 1 continued 19 the snow was still falling quietly into the dark lake and the squatter with a throb at his heart caught the thread of light at the edge of 0 the window blind of his Is home then his pol igop was ilag still up cover your horses and wait here directed Perel val to tile the driver then to hopkins he said A As s I 1 told you sir air your daughters suffered sulTer cd frightfully poor girl I 1 am afraid it if you appeared without warning the shock would be too much for her do as we agreed in town own and go to Bl bishops shops shack until I 1 come tor for you ill tell her you and the boy are home A long sigh slipped from the squatters lips ile he desired to rush in and hold his girl brat to ta ills his overwrought heart beart ile he had heard with suppressed emotion roberts tale of his Poll trials and now as he recollected them he could scarcely restrain himself yet he realized the young man was right so pulling the childs bowed legs around his neck lie he faded stolidly into the falling snow inside the but polly hopkins was seated tensely st silent tier her slender fingers clasped to together gother about her knees suddenly site she heard voices other than the low lium hum of mackenziee MacKen questions and Evel evelyns ns sobbing answers in the coop hole she arose slowly ready to spring at larry bishop or lye braeger it if t the they y appear appeared ed at the door to send them a away tiny instantly was the decision that she made ns abe saw the latch lift and the door slowly swing lit in A figure she reco recognized nihed with startled eyes stepped across the threshold she sat down but was up again before lie he spoke the man she had so longed to see had come again but now he be was here she did not dare let him stay sany a moment marcus mackenzue Mac Kenzle might come out of the coop liole even before she could send the newcomer away while he was pressing ills great coat collar down over ills his shoulders site she tiptoed to film ilm and with uplifted hand whispered hush I 1 go awall go away away quick making a backward gesture she added theres some one in the coop hole I 1 dont want you to see ills his eirand having completely left his mind robert after a moment of startled inspection stopped stiffly by the door the resentment and jealousy he had nursed so long flared into active tive life and licked him like flames clothes Clot lies such as slie she wore had never been paid for with squatter moneal money I 1 she was beautiful so much ills his eyes told him but he knew she was not honest I 1 she had bad said there was some one in tl the e 11 he e fixed tier her with stern eyes and then shoved her aside im gibing to see who lie he Is lie he in napped pollys hollys fingers caught him ne he tried to enss her no you cant go in there she cried please dont do it the sound of their voices brought marcus mackenzue Mac Blac Kenzle out into the kitchen in one stride ile he halted at tile sight of df the squatter girl hanging banging desperately to roberts arm an exclamation broke from him and with nith one wrench Verel val nos ns free and w was as at him so its you he be said in a tone that 0 old ill polly hopkins aliat hat was in ills his mind danin damn you you hypocrite his voice broke arole off and lie he brushed nis als eyes across N with shaking fingers there behind marcus in the coop hole was his pale cousin couin cou in evelyn lie gasped thickly god cud hats B tills all about every one of 0 you took look us if as if and overcome he could oot not his sentence marcus had caught evelyn to him nd P tearlessly fearlessly ashamed asli amed hit hail I 1 unk sunk into the hie big chair to tilde hide he be finery bibich slie she knew had brought the hurt into roberts It eyes eye she she was dollied clothed in daddys daddes boots and her ott on n calico dress I 1 shut the door hob bob marcus or tiered us its calmly as lie he could mechanically robert did as lie he wis liddell bidden when he turned again maicus in was as seated with evelyn clinging tu to him and Poll face was covered by one arm 1 eveln vel iii began to cry weakly B asoli oll dear slie she broke out looking up a at t tier her cousin with stream streaming ng eyes licon been so good to tue me that sounded to pully polly its as if some one else were to be punished for the nights work I 1 no I 1 aint she protested lifting I 1 er head 1 I was us awful bud I 1 abe ue only one to blame blaine I 1 noted hated e eiery ery one of you let we me tell all or you about it she bel began a n at the beginning and repeated how she had bud concocted tile plan to mrs slie she spoke of ienir and lie as tier liet tino friends bill il 1 61 i wi in their baines aames 1 I thought I 1 could kill er cr sir I 1 site she added raising streaming eyes but when daddys daddes coat fell down I 1 an the big mammy an granny hope smiled at me I 1 quit hatin you an to kill your woman she struggled up and moving to the wall all leaned against the greatest mother in the world as it if she too would add herself to the vast family of hurt ones cues every one of her words was directed to mackenzie Mac Kenzle then im to understand he be asked slowly that you deliberately took my w ife away to kill her but she marc fare interjected evelyn marcus made a wide gesture with one arm Il hush allush eve he muttered 1 I want to hear what miss bliss hopkins has to yep I 1 took her trailed on pony polly an I 1 meant to croak her too an throw er lit n the lake juar t to get even with you sir then iby why you do it demanded TM marcus arcus threw a short glance at the other man standing white and silent she cleared her throat and leaned only the harder against the wall on a sudden she continued as it if eager to finish her tale 1 I somehow remembered everything granny grandy hope learned me when she was in the shack here she alwaes aldass said mister when you was devilish enough to snake a squatter from the silent city pomy polly paus paused ed and coughed then proceeded in the dead silence granny said you was ans the image and likeness of t the lie good god up in tile the sky an a brother lo 10 jesus tho the same as us squatters but I 1 said I 1 ever want to fly away to god if lie ile looked like you I 1 leaving the wall she came forward and hurried on an I 1 meant it them times an much more after 3 you au railroaded my daddy and swiped d J jerry away front from me marcus placed his wife inife in the chair and stood up he started to speak to Polly cip but eve evelyns lyns cry caused him to turn swiftly the drabness of her face startled him mare marc roberti robert 1 she said 1 I cant go back haime ho me until ive told you something no marc blare dont stop me I 1 will talk now listen oh honey tills this appeal was to tier her husband who had laid ills his fingers on her shoulder wont you hold my hand while I 1 tell it much moved marcus did as she requested ills firm clasp seemed to encourage celyn and she went on darling ive always been dreadful to to polly folly hopkins and and ashes been an angel to me she wits was going to tell it all raged through pollys hollys mind was she going to bring to light her relations with the dead oscar old marc would never forgive ill thinking more now of the baby coming next nest summer to the almost incoherent woman than of her own happiness liap made a movement as if to contradict the statement but evelyns impetuous rush of words halted tier her no polly im going to put pot things right now even if marc leanes me tonight she declared clearing her ahr throat at robert dear boy I 1 lied t to 0 you I 1 lied to polly and to you I 1 marcus oscar bennett i hollys pollys sweetheart at ull all ile he he was vlas my husband I 1 mackenzie stiff suffered ered but did not drop the cold fingers lie he held and evelyn wept bitterly unable to go on A horse outside but in the shanty no sound could be hear save the hysterical sobbing of evelyn it seemed to robert as if he be nit must it i shake from ills his cousin the rest of th alie e dark story so Illi impatient patient ads da lie he to hear it then then when you ca came me dij nij r my beloved evelyn raised her tired ees ebes to her husband 11 1 I tried to giat gat rid I 1 did my best to get pt silv fully hopkins to promise shed marry oscar after lie he had treed freed me I 1 wanted to get ill bilm out of tile the country Uni unwilling villing to spare herself the least humiliation slie she ended in fit piteous confusion 1 I was glad when bhea i knew ile he was dead acad then bovy did he die came swett ly iv from Mac mackenzue Kenzle olt oil just jua jus t as the doctor told yon mare marc dear replied evelyn ile he was struck by lightning and died frum from the shock 1 I was free then und and and I 1 made polly swear over and over a again ga in shed never tell any ally anel and and I 1 gave her the silk diess she wore hint day in the auburn car 1 I 1 I hei about that too put but mare marc dear lovy iove I 1 knew ou hated her and robert bounded to his feet as tile the girls words trailed away into silence over MacKen mackenziee face were speeding sa so main different expressions that tile he brown ebes 05 os of I roily oily alop tons not tell Nhe hiHi lher cr he ta in tended to forgive his 1113 unhappy wife or not dut cut percival val did not wait to find out ile he sprang to the door jerked it open and closed it behind with it a bang in fact he did not even see E velyn evelyn I 1 slip quietly into a taint faint or marcus snatch her into ills hia arms as it if he never intended to let left hergo bergo it was only polly who heard the passionate love words that came from lips that had sa BO often flung oaths at be her r and lier people sc watched marcus dully her heart itching and an d her muscles rigid with robe robert r t had not believed what evelyn had said I 1 ile he had gone away without a word to lierl herl of course then be ie did not love her any more morel I 1 unnoticed by the caf benzies rony roily hopkins sat very quiet while evelyn who had regained consciousness was clinging to her hus bailIs neck aad listening to ills his assurances that she w was as forgiven then suddenly through the low rumble of Bl marcus arcus voice and the sighs and sobs of evelyn heard a shrill squatter ill she rose slowly to her feet and stood rooted to the spot tile the voice that had sounded was high childish like wee jerrys with the superstition if f her kind polly was vias overcome by a great fear jerry was dying alone in a place of strangers ills his little spirit had bad called to her in the grief of its going she cast a glance at the man and the woman they were wholly enveloped in themselves and paid no attention lor to the plaintive wall that broke from her lips she struggled to the door and opened it end there right before her startled eyes was daddy hopkins hopking with jerry astraddle ills his neck Dad daddy dyl 1 came in one bewildered cry from her shaking lips then they faded from her vision and the brown eyes yielded to and semi consciousness was lost la in complete oblivion when polly hopkins again lifted tier her lids she was surrounded by a group of people whom at first she he did not recognize then daddy hopkins detached himself from the rest ile he was seated very near her that was nice indeed she thought dimly site she must haie dreamed that old marc had sent him to prison wee jerry was cuddled at her side then lie he too I 1 had never gone awall away I 1 nab what at brought full remembrance to her was the sight of larry bishop V fal I 1 I 1 ill r I 1 10 she was in the big squatters out cut stretched arms anns in a twinkling weeping against his breast leaning against the wall at the foot of the bed lie ile was looking at her with I 1 tear ear filled eyes his cracked lips working painfully I 1 larry she cried struggling up it was marcus macken Mae Kenzle ale that shoed himself in beside Jere jeremiah nilah and bent over tier her larry arry do it daddy I 1 ill did she moaned please sir mr macke mackenzue Mac Kenzle lezle please believe me she crawled wearily into Jeremia jeremiahh hs armand hugged ills his bushy hrad head olt oh daddy hopkins I 1 gut got to go to to jail I 1 been a wicked bad she ile was straining ning so to finish that robert percival val was no longer able to keep quiet ile he stepped forward so polly saw him over daddys daddes shoulder slie she glared at him mildly vividly vil idly tell em cm uli uh tell em site she shuddered the tears in his eyes softened ened her expression its like ion on to few sorry for tile me sir girl she winced an gettin daddy an wee jerry back bach Is like you too every v ery tiny day im in jau jail ill be be happy slie she strangled at the memol memory y of old mares marcs words word ill get you voll next huzzy buzzy 1 I then robert kobert stung with remorse at ills his disbelief lit in her picked her out of her fathers arms anus when lie had placed her in a chair he sald said polly darling weve heard the stor story y from froni from lie he looked toward larry Pl shop stumbling ns as if tie lie did not remember his batile anti and weve forgotten it too mae kenzie boomed in yesterday st oil I 1 1 I nt have been any great los IOA lo IO A s if it mf my it hoie family had been sunk lit in the juice we wore nil all more wicked than ally anny one in the lie silent city but tonight its dIf different ferAt I 1 polly straightened up tip her eyes brilliant with questioning daddy she blie asked does idies he hc mean I 1 aint coln to jail for tny lay lifelong oh paddy daddy she sa s1 was I 1 in a the strete stretched bed arms arm bi 9 ing against lit in fa brias tw I 1 e WS this nights vork moved a at anost be outside fl w it and polly Y look ia T to tote tell 3 01 met fit at in film all e dared while you w a now mr perell val and a I 1 ments menta with your faithee i vork ork me mackedie Mac Keie ald that plea please youl bogy I 1 I 1 aeiful much all i e s turned and loo looked ad at el against the wall what about lamy softly ill purr K door la help alm too eagerly A polly y cogitated on e theres there 3 lye iara eberz again lie he aint got lye aint 1 4 mackenzie a laugh 8 11 relief over t the he gloomy en lye bradge claimed and tiny any other othe i wants to wor work k v iv overwhelmed ero sity stood up bieti showering each should er he her lovely eager 1 1 I guess debbe you d all the time like grannie grai once she said shyly you sir an I 1 im OD one gods in the just like I 1 az like lukea ca C a smile ml lips lipi just lvie like terry jerry C 1 because she was I 1 aoa 0 mackenzue Mac Kenzle replied so bolt lem it if child i my looks as it 1 as jerry looks like his hl I 1 satisfied then he hurried ill his wt fering to carry robe them no sir said gald tin that 4 stoutly ive got to talat tall kins king im coln now too an bishop got to go ansi an ger iles hes sick in bed I 1 io mick ache good night nig I 1 you tomorrow jerry ilo E lie ile made a gesture gestur eor robert and went wi with him there she afo 1 twitching smile to his I 1 10 in ing her arms about hla his ne P I 1 ing him its all right now U she whispered good fyd when she turned her face was suffused blood V aint your horses gel she queried its woral a when you came jeremiah blinked at the the cot and picked u baby to hide ills embair deml seated himself andracki and rocki back and forth hewa at of ills his beautiful daughter I 1 unlike herself her ha A glistening curls over evel I 1 sons exquisite clothes the horses are well covek answered robert ill ric the drivers while to wait vt s then unable to bear abu longer he burst out darling can you ever eve 6 she gave lit him in one belp i and like a fluttering bird bin si arms and stayed there two tivo young things vil wit thi tween them and long sti clung to each c tinkle tinkle of the macli aai bells was lost la in the cl dlab then the squatter garil gli herself from |
