The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-02-09

vvoe doing the WORN We W. -
40, ,yba, a fool he had been to marry
ryelyn Robertson! Instead OF I'VE
cor,nne he had expected he was 'eu
- o,d foot without money or wom'
ON He thought Of the radiant squat
,er Girl who had just left him. Two
,oore ,co womanhood had not dawneu
mon Polly Hopkins, but today lie
pndertoned an oath and went OUT "
the harm.
polly aopklns ran down the lane as
fas, ss her legs could carry her Nv
,n,,t wos snfe In the bucket. and she
had scarcely reached the rai'r"au
,racks before she had decided not 10
,nen,lon Oscars vicious demand upon
her n she told Daddy Hopkins, ne
would do some harm ia Bennett, ana
,bere would be no more eggs and MIX
for Granny and Jerry. II she SPOKE
Of It 10 Evelyn, there was no te'''ns
what the girl would do.
The tnngle.hnlred squatter girl was
the daughter Of Jeremiah Hopkins the
mayor Of the silent city. the leader OF
all those who lived In the rows OF huts
that ran along the Lehlgh Valley
tracks and on down the lakeside.
Uncouth and ignorant were Jere-
mlah and his kind, and visitors VINO
came to the little city Of Ithaca agreed
with the towns inhabitants that II
was a shame the law allowed such
blot AZ the Silent City upon the nat
rTal beauty Of Cayuga and its males
tic surroundings.
Pollyop stood shlverlng, her troubled
gaze searching the lake for boat.
Daddy Hopkins had gone away early
with Wee Jerry. and she always wor-
ried little when they were out. Yet
she knew that the only way to get
the bread. beans and bacon for the
family was for Daddy Hopkins to
defy the law and drag his nets when.
ever the game wardens were not
about Without the lake and It's hid
den food, II would be desolate world
indeed.
Wee Jerry was Polly's 6ve-year-old
brother, and long before he could
walk, he had chosen his fathers big
shoulders upon which to beat his way
through an unfrlendly and often hun.
cry world But this same world which
had wizened Jerry had given to Polly
a Wild beauty. n body strong and as
plant as a marsh reed.
With n sigh Pollyop turned to the
house. The door was shut against the
storm. and thin curl OF smoke
twisted upward from the toppllng
chimney. losing itself In the baby
leaves OF the willows. The little lines
that had traced the troubled brow
vanished at the sight Of slab OF
wood over the door. On 1t was paint
ed In crude letters: "If your heart IL
loving and kind come right In. II II
amt, scoot on" Pollyop and Granny
Hope had worked long time TO make
this sign. anf even longer TO nail II
up.
"It1l help the Silent City folks.
Granny" she had said. especially,
II smile a lot at EN-"
She flung open the door and went
In, closing II behind her. II one cor
ner Ct the kitchen. an old woman, so
odd that no squatter could remember
her other than aged, sat near the
stove. About her shoulders was
shawl, and It's edges were held to-
gether with clawllke fingers.
MunchIng on a bit OF hay at the
wOod-box WIS lean goat nm old
friend OF Polly Hopkins. Long age
she had found him, lost In the wilder.
ness OF the Storm country. and had
brought him to the Silent City.
The shanty consisted of three rooms.
Back OF the kitchen Daddy Hopkins
slept and In the miserable coop.hne
where Polly had once stored rubbish
Granny Hope stretched out her weary
bones az night. Polly's bed ranged
the kitchen wall, and the room had
but bench, two old chairs and a
three-legged table to offer In rude hos
pitality.
II wheedled little milk from Os.
car. Granny" said the girl. "Goddy,
but he's gettlD' stingyv'
She put down the pail. went to the
stove and thrust piece Of wood into
Il.
Woods as wet as heh," she com.
PINNED. almost as II she had spoken
10 herself
The old woman stirred and lifted
her wlthered lids.
Hell amt wet" she muttered ATS
dry an warm-hOt. | mean" and she
shlvered, drawing nearer the fire
" 'Taln't like this lakeside"
Granny Hope had been In the Hon
kins' shack since the first winter snow
Her own hut stood on little point
about a quarter Of a mile away. In II
she had lived alone ever since her hus.
band had gone down in the Big Blow.
a storm that was tradition in the
settlement, and which only the Oldest
lnhahltants of the Silent City could
remember.