Middletown transcript., 1922-06-03
CHAPTER XVI
"Cnn you speak to me?-

!
"Cnn you speak to me?"
Pollyop's voice was as tender as
when she had repeated heavenly prom
fses to the sad ones Of the Silent City
and had taught them that love was
ever present.
Evelyn gazed at her electrified. The
brown eyes were softly luminous. The
lips which only little while ago were
strained and blue now were scarlet
and fraught with sympathy. What
wonderful thing had happened? Pol
lyop had taken the rope off her feet
and hands. She could wriggle little,
although her flesh hurt dreadfully
when she tried 1t.
Prompted by the attempted move
ment, Pollyop dropped to her knees
and began to chnfe the injured an
kles.
"I'm goin' to give you back to your
man." she said, quaking. "But you
got to swear to him I swiped you, an
not any squatter men. He'll Jail me
forever, mebbe, but I don't care about
that. l love Larry an Lye Braeger
too much to haul 'em into this"
Then her face fell beside Mrs. Mac
Kenzie's, and she wept Historically.
Evelyn's fingers clutched at the chest
nut curls.
"Pollyop, oh, Polly, darling!-
This was all she could say, for she.
too, was weeping even more wildly
than the other. In the presence of
such divine unselfshness, the petals
Of her withered soul seemed to lift and
open, as she CROPPED for broader
understanding.
|. 'Granny Hope learned me lot of
things" came up to Evelyn brokenly
"She always said. GRANNY Hope did
that love was stronger'n hate an
must just pray your man wouldn't be
so wicked to us squatters."
The glistenlng brown head rolled
back and forth in consuming agony.
Don't, Polly darling" Evelyr
begged. Don't, it's all right now
And my husband will"
| Polly sat up, brushing back damn
ringlets from her brow.
, HE won't do nothin to help me,
she shot out. "Nothin' at all! First
l know him better'n you do. Ther
next, l wouldn't ask him. Cause
cause I'm that bad, l ought to b'
, without my Daddy Hopkins an IN!
Jerry baby" Her voice rose in wilt
appeal. "But, God dear, how much
: want 'em. Oh. how l want 'em!"
The words cut into Evelyn's hear
t with the keenness of physical pain
: Only little while before she had stoot
, alone at the brink of the grave. There
had been no hope that the summme
> would bring helpless wee thing t,
t hold her close to Marcus. But now
Her thoughts whirled. So great wa
! her faith In Polly Hopkins that sh,
knew in little while she would b.
l back In her husbands arms.
r The attack of weeping over, Pollyol
r arose and beat again into pap tn
{ hard bread and hot vater. This tim
r she took all the sugar left in the cup
| board. Daddy would not be home TO
r over two years, and Baby Jerry prob
! ably never, and she-she wouldn't b
: in the shanty long. Groaning, sh
whipped the spoon so fiercely tina
r some of the contents of the cu
e splashed on the floor.
r 1T amt very toothsome," she said
coming back to the cot; "but the hut
- cold, an you need lot of warmir
: up. I'm goln' now an get your mar
r You get this hot pap into your stom
ach while I'm gone"
Evelyn waved the cup away, holdln
out shaking hand.
II don't want you to go without me
Pollyop," she cried. "Please. don
leave me here alone. I'm terribl
scared, IL"
The grave young squatter conten
seconds, perhaps.
You're afraid of the fishermen, ain
you, Miss?" she asked. "Well, you'v
got right to bel Larry's differen
from the rest, though he was as viii
in. up to this night to chop off you
head, as me. But Larry's hearts sol
and kind, Larry's is"
I'm AFRAID OF everybody, Suspe
Evelyn. Everybody but you, Poll.
Please, take me with you, or-or-
let me stay till morning"
A slight shake of Pollyop's hea
brought Evelyn to sitting position
but pain-racked bcnes and nerves lai
her back again.
"There,' interjected the other cir
"You can see how hard it'd be to g
you through the snow to your ma
house. You'd die before you got ther
I'm blest if you wouldn't. No, got
go alone, Miss"