The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-02-17

moment ne paused In the kitchen he
could hear his old mother pottering
about overhead In his bedroom. She
was doing the work his wife ought TO
do What fool he had been TO marry
Evelyn Robertson! Instead of the
fortune he had expected. he was tied
hand and foot without money or wom-
an. He thought of the radiant squat
fer girl who had just left him. Two
years ago womanhood had not dawned
upon Polly Hopkins, but today He
undertoned an oath and went out to
the barn.
Polly Hopkins ran down the lane as
fast as her legs could carry her. Ike
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 If 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 Il TO Evelyn, there was n8 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 1t
was shame the law allowed such a
blot az the Silent City upon the nat
GTal beauty of Cayuga and It's males.
tic surroundings.
Pollyop stood shiverlng, her troubled
gaze searching the lake for boat.
Daddy Hopkins had gone away early
with Wee Jerry, and she always wor-
ried 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 Polly's five-year-old
brother, and long before he could
walk, he had chosen his fathers big
shoulders upon which to beat his way
through an unfriendly and often hun
CRY world. But this same world which
had wizened Jerry had given to Polly
Wild beauty, body strong and as
plant as marsh reed.
With a sigh Pollyop turned to the
house. The door was shut against the
storm, and thin curl of smoke
twisted upward from the topping
chimney, losing itself in the baby
leaves Of the willows. The little lines
that had traced the troubled brow
vanished at the sight of slab of
wood over the door. On 1t was paint
ed in crude letters: "If your heart Is
loving and kind come right In. II It
amt, scoot off," Pollyop and Granny
Hope had worked long time to make
this sign, ane even longer 10 nail II
up.
'"Itm help the Silent City folks,
Granny" she had said. Especially,
| If smile lot at EN-"
She flung open the door and went
In, closing 1t behind her. In one cor
ner CT the kitchen, an old woman, so
old that no squatter could remember
her other than aged. sat near the
stove. About her shoulders was a
shawl, and its edges were held to-
gether with clawllke fingers.
Munching on a bit Of hay at the
wood-box was lean goat. an old
friend of Polly Hopkins. Long ago
she had found him, lost In the wilder
ness Of the Storm country. and had
brought him to the Silent City.
The shanty consisted of three rooms
Back of the kitchen Daddy Hopkins
slept. and in the miserable coop-hole
where Polly had once stored rubbish
Granny Hope stretched out her weary
bones at night. Polly's he'd ranged
the kitchen wall, and the room had
but bench, two old chairs and a
three-legged table to offer In rude hos
pitality.
II wheedled little milk from 0s-
car, Granny" said the girl. sGoddy,
but he's gettin' stingyw
She put down the pail, weht to the
stove and thrust piece of wood into
! 1t.
Woods as wet as he'll" she COM
planned, almost as II she had spoken
to herself.
The old woman stirred and lifted
her withered lids.
'HeIl amt wet" she muttered. "It's
| dry an warm--hot. mean," and she
shivered. drawing nearer the fire.
"'Tain't like this lakeside"
Granny Hope had been in the h<p,
kins' shack since the first winter snow.
Her own hut stood on a little poin>
about quarter of mile away. In II
she had lived alone ever since her hus
band had gone down in the Big Blow.
q storm that was tradition In the
settlement. and which only the oldest