Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-06-15

Girls heart, -
A sound, esoss - hand caused her
10 tnFn swiftiysf Gman on HORSEBACK
had drawn up ~ ne side Of the road.
The blood canAs IN swift leaps to
POily's face. TAsre was the abeauti-
faI anger looking down upon heri
What could she DC but stare back al
hint In. another ipstaft he had dis
mounted and was coming toward her.
Jerry slid from her shoulders to the
ground. PoiIyop's hand elasped his ;
but she did not speak. What had hap
pened to her @anseir' he looked of.
6erent; mor like the other men she
occasionally saw ON horseback. That
was I'll he was not wearing the olive
drab uniformi. To add TO her confu-
sion Robert Perciyal was smiling at
her In the most friendly way. Then
he glanced up at the picture, his fine
face s~addening.
''The Greatest Mother In the World,
little girl" he said, and he smiled
again. g
'The Greatest Mother in the World"
repeated Poilyop, in Awed tones.
Does that mean she's mother to the
sQuatter kids what was hurt In the
war, mistsrf' =.
"Yes," he replied after a short pause.
"Yes, It means that. and more. She's
mother 70 every hurt boy and brings
eomfort II every one on earth that
peeds help"
"GOiiy, she's some mother, amt
shei" breathsd Polly soberly. "She's
beautiful too. gQuattsr mammies has
too many kids to stay handsome like
her" She made q. backward motion
with her .humbN6g Ard the fence and
searched his faeS sfkvely.
! A choking sensation In Roberts
throat made him cough. The girls
statement was fike-ra Charcoal draw.
ing in which a rev broad lines tell the
whole story. He keit his interest In
her increase. She was the qualntest,
prettiest and most solemn child he had
ever seen. Yes, lie knew she was an
inhabitant Of the. Silent City by the
clothes she wore, and the thin, bow.
legged child, to say nothing Of the be-
whiskered goat and woolly lamb that
were with her.
whats your, manner" he inquired.
aust Pollyop,," was the answer.
"POlly Hopkins. My daddy is Jere-
mlah Hopkins. the mayor Of this set
Element"
Surely! Robert remembered very
well Mackenzie speaking Of Hopkins,
and be remembered too the painted
Invitation over q hut door as II It
were before his eyes. Looking Pollyop
over from the top Of her curly head to
the tips Of her bare feet, he decided
that she had written 1t.
Question after question he flung at
her. and answer after answer came
from Polly's lips. She told him where
abe lived, and how she cooked the
beans, bacon and fab Daddy Hopkins
provided : how cold 1t avas In the
ahantyk %heK the cruel moth wind
swept SRsthe lake; End how wet IL
was when the rain fell and clamHay
Sogs shrouded the world. in gray; how
CRANKY Hope was sick with pains. She
gave him "a inside view Of life IN the
Silent City. Eohe eEe she haze An.
ighed her. recital Rysl's courtesy
Aad pat her at her <AsS, and shsavaa
chsttaring MkefA sSagpae.
.Can ! 40 sonAsthlas fOs you, Polls
HopkinsT' ausFisd ReAsEk, a. shs An
ished telling about ME I'm the squat,
teFk' city. vs. q
eAeIdung out bssh AAnds ina com
prehehsive gesture M mueh as to. Sal
he could see FOX himself how much shs
needed.
s.Sure. sure you cah,a she said with
fierce emphasis. sYols can make OH
Marc leave us sQuattcrs1 be. You're
biggern he IL The sQuatters nee,
you awful bad $8
Her voice brOkes Robert took a lonl
breath. OF coHsFss hi could help thi
girl and her people. He would, too
Az far as money gave power, he coul,
equal and surpassf Marcus Mackenzie
II did try to talk sense into Mi
MacKenzie's head he returned pres
emily, "but nowsI willAmake him leay
you alone" ~
In spite OF the curved lips abou
which q smile lurited, there was apprs
hension In her voice when she asked:
"Can You lick i'm to q finish. mil
terfs
eyes, I think I could laughed Rol
ert: '.but 1t won't be necessary.
'sThen ! see us Silent City folE
beln' happy again." sighed Polly. NV
got a awful lot Of things an folks I
take care Of here.n
Robert made d sweep with his ar,
that encompassed the group befol
him.
you have evidently !" he laughed
.An' I got more home.' interjecte
Polly. Il got Daddy Hopkins ii
Granny Hope-an' this brat Is N
brother. an this goat Is Billy HopklI
an this lambs Nannyop. Oh, sur
sir. I've got q HUN lot to love III IN
good old city"
Polly made an upward motion vii
her hand toward the picture on Il
fence. 4s
aShe's got d bunchsto love. too" a
said softly. aAin't she7r
he walked to her side and confer
plated with her the pictured woma
making her silent appeal to them Il
the wounded boy Ia her arms.
a ~Of course she has, an1wase6 Pe
/ eEval reversntly. Rbe's the Create
Neither In the Worl6 Polly Hcpkin
= 49, ~ = - AEH