Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-09-28

N4 oAoon CgCc Va EVut my i
kins could not tell whether he In
tended to forgive his unhappy wife or
not.
But Percival did not wait to find
out He sprang to the door. jerked 1t
open and closed it behind with a bang.
In fact, ne did not even see Evelyn
slip quietly into a faint or Marcus
snatch her into his arms as II he never
intended to let her. go.
It raj only Polly who heard the
passionate love words that came from
lips that had so often flung oaths at
her and her people. She watched Mar
Gus DULY, her heart aching and her,
muscles rigid with pain. Robert had
not believed what Evelyn had saidl
lie had gone away without a word to
herl OF course, then. he did o love
her any moreI
Unnoticed by the MacKenzies, Polly
Hopkins sat very quiet, while Evelyn,
who had regained consciousness, was
clinging to her husbands neck and
listening to his assurances that she
was forgiven. Then suddenly, through
the low rumble of Marcus voice and
the signs and sobs of Evelyn, Pollyop
heard a shrill squatter call. She rose
slowly to her feet and stood rooted
to the spot. The voice that had
sounded was high, childish, like Wee
Jerry's.
With the superstition Of her kind.
Polly was overcome by a great fear.
Jerry was dying alone in a place Of
strangers! His little spirit had called
to her In the grief Of its goingI She
cast a glance at the man and the
woman. They were wholly enveloped
In themselves and paid no attention
to the plaintive wall that broke from
her lips. She struggled to the door
and opened II, and there-right before
her startled eyes-was Daddy Hop
kinS, with Jerry astraddle his neck.
"Daddyw came in one ~bewildered
cry from her shaking lips.
Then they faded from her vision,
and the brown eyes yielded to semi
consciousness, and semi-consciousness
was lost in complete oblivion.
s When Polly Hopkins again lifted
her lids, she was surrounded by a
group of people whom at first she did
not recognize. Then Daddy Hopkins,
detached himself from the rest. He
was seated very near her. That was
nice, indeed she. thought dimly. She
must have dreamed that Old Marc
had sent him to prison. Wee Jerry
was cuddled at her side. Then he,
too, had never gone away!
What brought full remembrance to
her was the sight Of Larry Bishop
leaning against the wall at the foot Of
the bed. He was looking at her with
tear-filled eyes, his cracked lips work
ing painfully.
Larry" she cried, struggling up.
1t was Marcus Mackenzie that
showed himself In beside jeremiah and
bent ove her.
LARRY didn't do it, Daddy; I did"
she moaned. "Please, Mr.. Mackenzie,
please, believe mel"
She crawled YEARLY into Jeremiah's
arms and Rugged his bushy head.
"Oh, Daddy Hopkins, I got to go
!, toto jail. l been--a wicked-bad-'
She was straining so to finish that
Robert Percival was no longer able tG
keep quiet. He stepped forward SC
that Polly saw him over Daddy'i
shoulder. She glared at him wildly.
.'Tell '~em--oh-tell EN-" she shud
> dered.
, The tears In his eyes softened he
expression. {F'
/ "It's- like you to feel sorry for me
sir" She winced San gettin' Dadd!
!. an Wee Jerry back is like you, too
. Every day I'm in Jail TIL be prayin
/: you'll be happy" She strangled at tn
memory Of Old Mares words, 'rll &c
you next, huzzyl I" IVY
Then Robert, stung with remorse a
i his disbelief In her, picked her out o
her fathers arms. When he had place
her in a chair. he said:
d "Polly, darling. we've heard th
whole story from--from--"
o He looked toward Larry Bishop
stumbling as If he did not remembe
a his name.
; "And we've forgotten It, too" Mat
,fJ Kenzie doomed III. S'sYesterday
wouldn't have been any great loss
my whole family had been sunk in tn
lake. We were oil more wicked tina
n any one In the Silent City. But Il
night It's diferenti"
Polly Strengthened up. her eyes bri
= liant with questioning.
" Daddy" she asked, "does he
mean-AI ain,t goin' to 5aiI for fnySlifi
long7 ION, Daddy
ID She was in the big s~quatter's gu
stretched arms In a -twinkllng, wee
In ing against his breast
N "This nights work. said MacKeI
4. zle, moved almost beyond speec
II awOn't pass outside the few who kno
Is IL. And P~olly--look up, child. I wal
70 to tell you something
In silence she dared a tinild CLAM
at him.
" .'While you--you were-asleep--ju
ct now. Mr.. Perclyal and / made arrang
ly ments with your father to give hi
a. work" Mackenzie told her. sDo
to that please youf"
lawful much" she sighed; then 81
,st turned and looked at Bishop, standil
M against the wall.
sWhat about Larryi" she murmur
softly. Poor, poor Larry"
"THi help him. too" Marcus agre
eagerly.
m. Polly cogitated n small momei
as There's Lye Braeger," she sigh
again. HE amt got many frien'