American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-04-14

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Then She Went Closer to the Fence
and Spelled Out the Words Under
the Picture: "The Greatest Mother
in the World"
keep the squatters from trespassing
on his woodland, and in front of II
Polly Hopkins stood. A bill poster
had passed and left on the fence a pie.
ture that caught her attention.
1t was a beautiful woman, her eyes
saddened with tears, and she looked
straight out of exquisite coloring at
the wide-eyed squatter girl. In her
arms was a withered, sick, little man,
and PollyOp knew that somewhere over
the ocean an enemy, perhaps a man
like Old Marc, had hurt him. The
woman held him close as she looked
at Polly, and for a moment the girls
eyes stung with tears. Then she went
closer to the fence and spelled out the
words under the picture: 1.-THE Great
st Mother in the World"
Ali So she was, this protector of
the hurt and the sick! The Red Cross
poster carried fits wondrous message
TO the very bOttOr of the squatter
girls heart.
A sound, close at hand, caused her
TO turn swiftly. A man on horseback
had drawn up on the side Of the road.
The blood came In swift leaps to
Polly's face. There was the 'beauti-
sul angel" looking down upon herl
What could she do but etare back at
hm? In another instant ne had die
mounted and was coming toward her.
Jerry slid from her shoulders to the
round. Pollyop's hand clasped his;
nut she did not speak. What had hap
)ened to her "angelT" He looked diff
eerent more like the other men she
occasionally saw ON horseback. That
was IT. He was not wearing the olive
1rab uniform! To add to her confu-
sion Robert Percival was smiling at
her in the most friendly way. Then
he glanced up at the picture, his fine
lace %saddening.
"The Greatest Mother in the World,
little girl" he said, and he smiled
again.
"The Greatest Mother in the World"
repeated Pollyop, In awed tones.
Does that mean she's mother to the
squatter kids what was hurt in the
war, misterT
"Yes," he replied after a short pause.
Eyes, 1t means that, and more. She's
mother to every hurt boy and brings
comfort to every one GA earth that
needs help"
"Golly, she's some mother, amt
she?" breathed Polly soberly. "She's
beautiful too. Squatter mammies has
too many kids to stay handsome like
her," She made a backward motion
with her thumb toward the fence and
searched his face grAvely.
A choking sensation in Roberts
throat made him cough. The girls
statement was like q charcoal draw
Ing in which a few broad lines tell the
whole story. He felt his interest in
her increase. She was the quaintest,
prettiest and most solemn child he had
ever seen. Yes, he knew she was an
lnhabitant 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.
. "What's your manner" he inquired.
r "Just Ponyop,' was the answer,
"Polly Hopkins. My daddy is Jere-
!. miah Hopkins, the mayor of this set
o Element"
Surely Robert remembered very
e well Mackenzie speaking of Hopkins
and he remembered too the painted
Invitation over a hut door as IL Il
were before his eyes. Looking PollyoI
s over from the top of her curly head t
it the tips Of her bare feet, he decided
n that she had written 1t.
3 Question after question he flung a
!. her, and answer after answer cam
8 from Polly's lips. She told him wherl
E. she lived, and how she cooked tn
beans, bacon and fish Daddy Hopkin
a, provided; how cold 1T was in tn
shanty when the cruel north win
swept up the lake; and how wet |
was when the rain fell and clamm.
Is 6ogs shrOuded the world in gray hoy
1t Granny Hope vas sick with pains. Sh
N gave him an inside view of life in tn
At Silent City. LoGg before she had fiji
he ished h.r recital, Percivars courtes
rs had put her at her ease, and she wa
chattering like a magpie.