Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-09-28

uAAlO4 =
ing to the row Of squatter shaeks at
the lakeside, Robert Percival opened
the carriage door and thrust his head
out.
This is where we turn" he shouted
to the driver. go slowi The drifts
are deep all the way down."
When he settled again into his seat
he remarked:
aIt's a bad night Hopkins. Per
haps It would have been better to have
waited until morning. after all"
The other man bent over the boys
head and laid his face against 1t.
""Twould had to be something
more'n u snowstorm to keep me in
Ithaca all night" he returned. where
my pretty brat is, / want to be-"
"of course, Of course" sighed Rob-
ert.
But he did not utter aloud the
thought which flung to his lips that
he was tortured by the same wish, too.
What he did say was:
"Your daughter will be asleep, I've
no doubt"
"Mebbe," Hopkins answered. But
Pollyopu be glad to hop out Of bed
for her daddy an Jerry babyl"
Then he coughed as II trying to add
something else.
81 been wantin' to tell you all day
Mr.. PercIval," he said ~awkwardly
"how grateful / be to you. It's kinda
hard to say 1t In words"
There's no need, l assure you" re-
turned Robert. 1.-THE only thing ! re.
greet is that you should have been com!
PEELED to stay In prison so long,"
But we're home now !" was the hap
by answer. San I'm thankin' you for
me an my brats too"
"PolIyop," sQuealed the child, wrig'
Cling. DADDY, Wee Jerry wants Pol
lop,"
Hush. Jerry" soothed his father.
"We're a-comin' lear home now
Therei Here we be-"
AS they descended from the carriage,
the baby hid his face in his big faith
er's shoulder.
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 the win
dow blind Of his home. Then his Pol
lyOp vas still up.
"Cover your horses and wait here"
directed Percival to the driver. Then
to Hopkins he said; "As 1 told you,
sir, your daughters suffered frightful-
ly. Poor girl, / am afraid, If you ap'
peared without warning, the shock
would be too much for her. Do as we
agreed in town, and go to Bishops
shack until l come for you. I'll tel
her you and the boy are home"
A long sigh slipped from the squat
ter's lips. He desired to rush In ant
hold his girl-brat to his overwrought
heart. He had heard with suppressed
emotion Roberts tale of his Pollyop'G
trials, and now as he recollected them
he could scarcely RESTRAIN himself. Ye
he realized the young man was right
so, pulling the child's bowed Leg
around his neck, he faded stolidly In
to the falling snow.
Inside the hut Polly Hopkins wa
seated, tensely silent, her slender fin
gers clasped together about her knees
Suddenly she heard voices other thai
the low hum Of MacKenzie's question:
and Evelyn's sobbing answers in tn
Icoop-hole. :
She arose slowly, ready to sprin
at Larry Bishop or Lye Braeger ]
they appeared at the door. To sen
them away instantly was the decisio
that she made as she saw the late
lift and the door slowly swing in. !
figure she recognized with startled eye
stepped across the threshold; she So
down, but was up again before b
spoke.
The nan she had so lcnged to sc
had come again. But now e was her
she did not dare let him stay a M
ment. Marcus Mackenzie might CON
out of the coop-hole eve before ST
could sendsthe newcomer away. Viii
he was pressing his great coat cola
down over his shoulders, she tiptoe
to him and with uplifted hand viii
! lpered:
| Flush Go awayl Go avs
| quicki" Making a backward gestur
she added: There's some one in Il
I coop-hole / don't want you to see
His errand having completely lie
his. mind, Robert, after a moment
!. startled inspection, stopped stifiy
= the door. The resentment and jealou
he had unused SO long Jared into Q
le tive life and licked him like fam'
Clothes such as she wore had new
been paid for with sQuatter none
She was beautiful So much his ey
IA told him, but he knew. she, was .
honesti u
She had said there was some Q
He fixed her, with stern eyes a
then showed her aside.
"Tm going to e who he is
snapped.
Po.ly's fingers caught hira as
- tried to pass her.
" "No, you can't go In there" 1
cried. please don't do it."
III, The sound Of their voices broui
Marcus Mackenzie out into the kitcl
&c in one stride. He halted at the ST
81 Of the squatter girl hanging despers
w. ly TO Roberts arm. An exclamat
br0ke from him and with M wreI
Percival was free and was at him.
ESQ it's you'll" he said in a tone I
told Polly Hopkins what was in
age mind "Damn you. you hypocrite--
roy His voice broke OF, and he. brusI