Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-05-03


TO turn her attention TO the work IN
her hands. but again and again she
caught herself sitting With idle fingers.
Finally. worried by the conflicting
emotions that were crowdIng in upon
her. Polly flung herself into the open
and ran swiftly along the ragged rocks
TO little glen where many time she
had been before. Here she waded
through the brook and sank down be-
side IL. Mind-picture after mind-pic-
ture passed before her. She saw
Daddy Hopkins happy with Jerry in
the shanty. no longer afraid TO fish
and hunt. Then she vfsioned the ST.
lent City. safe at last, and saved by
her. Her head sank into her hands ;
and sobs racked her slender body.
But 1t was not long before she sat
up and tossed back her curls. 1t
seemed as If she had heard voice.
She turned her head slowly: and 10,
Robert Percival was standing across
the creek. smiling at her.
u followed you Polly Hopkins he
called, and springing across the water,
he added: you ran so fast ! lost you
at the corner of the ragged rocks. and
IT'S taken me an this time to find you"
He sat down beside her and took her
hands; but Polly could not look up
at him. Embarrassed beyond utter
ance. she withdrew her fingers, letting
them fall listIesslv. Robert laughed.
Her lovely face, first white then scar
let, only told him that she was glad
to see him, and spoke Of girlish inno-
cence. dear to all men.
"You went away so suddenly the
other night" he ran on. Il didn't have
a chance to say half wanted to. /
had something for y6l, too. but
couldn't get away until today TO bring
II down."
He pulled little roll of paper from
his pocket and handed ii to her. Won
deringly she opened Ii, and there was
an exact reproduction of ''The Great
est Mother in the World"
Polly was so overcome she contin-
ued silent.
Don't you like II, little PollyopT'
queried Robert, putting his fingers I'M
der her chin and raising her face to
his.
"Yepw she whispered. blushing.
"Sure, sure / do. love it."
''Then why don't you smile?" he de-
manded; and as she shyly complied
with his request, he ran on: 'Tve
talked with Mackenzie, and he's so
set Confound it! He makes me so
hot can scarcely listen to him. But,
Polly dear, III do everything l can.
I've got money and friends, as well as
he has. and I'll use 'em too. Win you
trust me. sweet?"
She bowed her head in grateful as
sent. How she thrilled at the touch
Of the warm, white hand!
"Look at. me, dearie." he begged,
and, when she did flash him a rosy
glance, he caught her TO him. 81 love
you, little girl" he whispered.
"An' loves the greatest thing in
Ithaca. amt it?" she murmured in
trembling confusion.
yes, yes, he breathed. Little
girl-oh, my littlest dear"
His voice trailed away, and his pas
sionate kisses made Polly Hopkins for
get everything but him. Primeval pas
sion rose within her. She had found
her man, and nothing should take him
from her
Then while Robert was telling her
of his hopes and plans, rehearsing his
love for her and his desire to help her
read and study, they walked slowly
back along the ragged rocks in the d.
rection OF the shanty.
They were almost at Polly's home
before he left her. She watched him
stride up the hill. and. after he had
disappeared. she threw herself fat
upon the earth; and mingled with the
birds song in the willow trees, and the
ripping of the waves upon the shore,
came her cry:
ooh. God dear. can't marry Oscar,
I can'ti You'll have to help the squat
tiers some other way, darlin'."
The days that followed, bringing
with the spring flowers fiocks OF SUM-
mer birds, seemed an eternity to Polly
Hopkins She went about her du-e s
as one In a dream. In spite OF Rob-
ert's efforts, several of the fishermen
had been sent to the Ithaca jai, for
petty crimes.
Two men had been trapped IN the
Bad Mans rayine and taken Off 70 the
Jail without so much as farewell to
their families. Polly had gr0aned with
their women and wept over their ba-
bies. She was quite sure Percival was
doing everything anybody could do I;
but sometimes the thought of Evelyn's
demand intruded on her mind. and she
wondered II 81 were doing right in
refusing It.
One morning ut daybreak Polly saw
her father lift his gun from the wall
and sit down to clean 1t. Now, why
was he doing that, when he knew very
well he could not use It? She stood
looking down upon him, her heart
beating rapidly.
"You amt goin' to hunt yet, honey"
she protested, squatting down beside
him.
"Yep," returned Hopkins glancing
up. .There amt no one astir so early,
an I'll bring back something, mebbe
woodchuck or skunk. We Amt
had enough to keep q mess of flies
alfva since Old Marc nOf hack"