Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-02
: IllustrafeHyR I'LL livingstone
Copyright hy LittlegBrown and Company
CHAPTER XVII

In Inc meanwhile covered carriage
continuing two men and little boy
was making slow progress along the
drifted. boulevard. 4, About two miles
from Ithaca a double cutter with
sleigh bells ringing, dashed b. them,
the little light on the back of 1t glow
ing like steady red eye tntil Il Sharp
curve in the road blotted it from sight
"Sometody else out, If it's a bad
night" commented the older man, who
held the boy. ~ ~
aThey went awful fast, too, naddy
Hopkins" murmured the child. Didn't
'um, darlin':" ~
'Yep son." was the reply. s"Sleighs
20 over the snow bettern wagons"
The words hardly penetrated the
younger mans revery. His thoughts
were busy with a squatter Girl, who
would have real Thanksgiving the
next day. Her Joy he could picture.
but he coald not join it. All his
thoughts. Of her were marred by an
other vision that poisoned his every
moment. Never since he had found
Oscar Bennett dying in P8ily's bed had
he known a peaceful instant.
When the vehicle came to the cor
ner where MacKenzie's magnificent
turnout had swun;; into the lane lead
ing to the row of squatter slracks at
the lakeside, Robert Perclval opened
the carriage door and thrust his head
out. F
"This is where We turn" he shouted
to thef iriver.2 $50 slowt Tie drifts
are deep all the way down."
When he settled again into his seat,
he remarked:
ats 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 it.
"'Twould had to be something
more'n a snowstorm to keep me in
Ithaca all night" he returned. where
my pretty brat is, 1 want to be-"
"Of course, of course" sighed Rob
ert.
But lie 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"
"Afebbe," Hopkins answered. "But
Pollyopll be glad to hop out of bed
for her daddy an Jerry baby"
Then he coughed as if trying to add
something else ~ s-''1
81 been wantin' to tell you all day,
Mr.. Percival,' he said awkwardly,
"how grateful / be to you. lis. kinda
hard to say it in words"
There's no need, assure y0u," re-
turned Robert. "The only thing re-
gret is that you should have been COM
PEELED to stay in prison so long" ~
"But we're home now!" was the hap
by answer. "An' I'm thankin' you for
me an my brats too"
"POllyop," sQuealed the child, Wrig-
Cling. Daddy, Wee Jerry wants Pol
lOp."
Hush, jerry" soothed his father,
"We're a-comin' near home hON -
There! Here we be-"
AS they descended from the carriage,
the baby hid his face in his big faith
er's shoulder. -: 90
The snow was still falling quietly
into the dark lake, and the squatter,
with thrOb at his heart, caught tia
thread of light at the edge of the will
dow blind of his home; Then his Pol
lyop was still up.
"Cover your horses and wait here," ,"
directed Percival to the driver. Then
10 Hopkins he said: "As / told you,
sir, your daughters suffered frightful-
ly. Poor girl, l 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 tell
her you and the boy are hOma.'
A long sigh slipped from the squat
ter'S lips. He desired To rush in and
hold his girl-brat TO his overwr0uGht
heart. He had heard with suppressed
emotion Roberts tale of his PQllyOp's
trials. and now as he recOlleCtcd them,
he could scarcely restrain himself. Yet
lie realized the young man was right,
SO, pulling the child's bowed legs
around his neck, he faded stolidly in
to the falling snow.
Inside the hut Polly Hopkins was
seated. tenSely silent, her slender fin
gers clasped together about her knees.
Suddenly she heard voices other than
the low hum of MacKenzie'S questions
and Evelyn's sObbing answers in the
cuop-hole.
She arose slowly, ready to spring
at Larry Bishop or Lye Bracger If
they appeared ut the door. To send
them away instantly was the decision
that she made as she saw the latch
lift and the door slowly swing in. y
figure she recognized with startled eyes
stepped across the threshold; she SAT
down, but was up again before he
spoke. t,E.
The man she had SO longcd to see
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