Middletown transcript., 1922-03-18
CHAPTER VII,

when he left the two girls in Granny
Hopes shack would indeed be a task.
OF late Evelyn had ceased to attract
him. In the excitement of the court
ship he had put his best foot forward
and for a time after the marriage he
had found great satisfaction In the
thought that she was his. When the
glamor of their secret honeymoon.
time had worn off, and the farmers
crude, cruel nature had been disclosed,
Evelyn's mad infatuation had dIsap.
peared in terror-stricken horror.
AS Evelyn was finding in Marcus
Mackenzie mate more to her taste,
Benefits primitive passions had burst
into a sudden flame for Polly Hopkins.
The squatter girls scorn of him, her
drawling ridicule, only made him de-
sire her the more.
scene with the girls, he left his house
and took his way to the lake. He
crossed his fodder lot and plunged
into the Mackenzie forest which lay
between the railroad tracks and the
water. In his pocket he had a letter
for Evelyn. He intended to kill two
birds with one stone. If he could find
Polly Hopkins alone, he would tell her
the decision he had come to and give
her the note to deliver.
Oscar did not relish entering the
Silent City by the highway. The
squatters hated him as much as he
did them, more, in all probability; and
1t was his habit to give the settlement
a wide berth. If he discovered any of
them on his land, with the exception
of Polly Hopkins, he drove them away
furiously. Oscar was one of those who
would rather have produced rot on
his land than give 1t to the needy.
Before vaulting the Mackenzie
fence, the sound of people talking on
the other side halted him. Pollyop's
voice came distinctly to him, and an
other voice, mans, answered her.
The deep well-bred tones Bennett was
sure did not belong to a squatter. He
listened carefully to pick up the i'm
port Of the conversation. The bass
voice mumbled something about n
mother. In response, the squatter
girls tones fell upon his ear: "Some
day you'll be the biggest an most
beautifulest daddy in the world" Then
followed the rush of departing hoofs.
Jealousy tore at the eavesdropper. 1t
did not take him long to get to the top
of the fence.
Some sound he made brought the
squatter girls head around sharply
from her survey of the picture.
"What do you want?" she asked sui
lenly, frOwning at him.
Oscar jumped tc' the ground.
II come down TO see you, Pollyop,"
he rejoined, corning forward. "Who
were you talking to?"
The only safe way to get along with
the farmer, Polly had concluded, was
to have nothing to do with him.
leave me be, Oscar Bennett" |" she
shrilled. 81 don't want nothin' to do
with you. I'm goin' home"
To cut off her retreat, Oscar needed
to take but couple Of strides, and he
promptly took them.
"Jeminy crickets!" he expostulated
"Don't be so confounded short, Pollyop
You needn't be mad because swatted
you one. You aren't my woman vet
but you're going to be just as soon as
can get shut Of my lady Robertson"
Observing no signs Of softening in the
girls face, he switched his attack.
"Say, where'd you get that lamb?"
This query unfolded new terrors for
Polly. She had not thought Of the
lamb belonging to anyone but herself.
Had she not found him dying in the
water and loved and fed him ever
since? She looked first at the man.
then down az the lamb.
"He's mine, Oscar" she hesitated.
"I've had him two hull days now."
Oscar laughed.
"a likely story!" he jeered. "How
long since squatters raised sheep?
Where'd you get him?"
"Found him." she answered, putting
her hand on the little animal.
"Then he isn't yours" he retorted.
land he can't be anybody's but mine,
! thought was missing some lambs"