The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-03-10

| turned back into the nOuse. rOr In
moment he paused In the kitchen n
could hear his old mother potfcrini
about overhead In his bedroom. Shs
was doing the work his wife oDghf II
do. What fool he had been - marry
Evelyn Robertson Instead ~ the
hand and foot without money or WON
an. He thought of the radiant SQUAT
ter girl who had just left him. Two
| years ago womanhood had nos dawned
upon Polly Hopkins. but today He
undertoned an oath and went out t.
| the barn.
Polly Hopkins ran down the lane a
fast as her legs could carry her. The
milk was safe In the bucket. and she
had scarcely reached the railroad
| tracks before she had decided not to
mention Oscars vicious demand upon
her. II she told Daddy Hopkins. he
would do some harm to Bennett, and
there would be no more eggs and milk
for Granny and Jerry. II she spoke
Of II to Evelyn. there was no telling
what the girl would do.
The tangle-haired squatter girl was
the daughter Of jeremiah Hopkins the
mayor Of the Silent City. the leader of
all those who lived In the rows of huts
that ran along the LehIgh Valley
tracks and on down the lakeside.
Uncouth and ignorant were Jere-
miah and his kind, and visitors who
came to the little city OF Ithaca agreed
with the towns inhabitants that II
was a shame the law allowed such
blot as the Silent City upon the nat
ural beauty OF Cayuga and its males
tic surroundings.
Pollyop stood shivering. her troubled
gaze searching the lake for boat.
Daddy Hopkins had gone away early
with Wee Jerry, and she always wor.
ried a little when they were out. Yet
she knew that the only way to get
the bread, beans and bacon for the
family was for Daddy Hopkins to
defy the law and drag his nets when
ever the game wardens were not
about. Without the lake and its hid
den food, 1t would be desolate world
indeed
Wee Jerry was. Poily's five-year-old
brother. and long before he could
walk, he had chosen his fathers big
shoulders upon which to beat his way
an unfriendly and often nun
CRY world. But this same world which |
had wizened Jerry had given to Polly |
a Wild benuty. body strong and AZ
plant as marsh reed.
With sigh Pollyop turned to the
house The door was shut against the
twisted upward from the topping
losing itself in the baby
leaves OF the willows. The little lines
that had traced the troubled brow
at the sight of slab OF
wood over the door. On II was paint
ID in crude letters: "If your heart Is
owing and kind come right In. II II
INIT scoot off," PolIyop and Granny
Hope had worked a long time to make
his sign, and even longer to nail II
Up.
It'll help the Silent CITY folks
sranny." she had said " Specially,
( smile alot at EN-"
She flung open the Goer and went
n. closing il behind her. In one cor
er CT the kitchen. an old woman, so
I'd that no squatter could remember
Ter other than aged. sat near the
fove. About her shoulders was
hawl, and its edges were held to-
OF har with. ri W. Ea fins
Munching on BIT OF hay at the
was a lean goat. I'm old
riend OF Polly Hopkins Long ago ,
he had found him, lost In the wilder
ess of the Storm country. and had
rought him to the Silent City.
The shanty consisted OF three rooms
ack of the Kitchen Daddy Hopkins
ept. and in the miserable eoop-hoie !,
here Polly had once. stored rubbish
ranny Hope stretched out her weary
ones at night. Roiiy's bed ranged
lie Kitchen wall! and the room had
ut a bench. two, old chairs md
iree-legged table~to. offer in rude hos
tally.
II wheedled a. lit1ie mffk from o.
,r, Granny" said the. girl. '-ssoddy. =
1t he's gettini s,ingy,''
She put down the paid. wer.s to the
owe and thrnsti a, piece OF wood into
woods as wet as heii" she com
aimed. almost as if she had spoken
herself.
The old woman ssifred and lifted
n wIthered! lids.
Hell amt wet" she mastered -It'a
y an wanH-hot. I mean" and she
ivered. drawing nearer the fire.
Taln't' like this pakesidA."
Granny Hope had beea IN the "A, D
MS shack since. the first winter snow
er own hut stood on little point
out a, quarter Of noffe away. In b
e had dved alone ever since her hus
nd had gone down in the Big Blow
storm that was tradition In the
ttiensent, and which only the oldest
habwants Of the Silent City could