The Lamar register., 1922-02-22

kins lives with her father, small Jerry.
and an old woman. Granny Hope. on an
adjacent farm, Oscar Bennett, prosperous
farmer. is a neighbor. He is secretly
married to Evelyn Robertson, supposedly
alone knows their secret Marcus Mac
kenzie. who owns the ground the squat
ters occupy. is their determined enemy.
Polly overhears a conversation between
Mackenzie and a stranger. in which the
former ayows his intention Of driving the
squatters from his land The stranger
sympathizes with the squatters, and
earns Polly's gratitude.
CHAPTER II.-Evelyn Robertson dis
covers from her mother that they are not
rich. she supposed, but practically Nv
ing on the bounty of Robert Percival.
Eyelyn's cousin.
CHAPTER III.-Polly learns from Eve
Ign that the sympathetic stranger is Rob
ert Percival. Evelyn charges Polly with
a message to Bennett, telling him she can
give him no more money. and urging him
10 be patient She already bitterly re-
grets her infatuation with and marriage
TO the ignorant farmer
sometimes, but it's not she altogether
But-hut@"
"Then-then-it's your fine-lookin
cousin" came brokenly from Polly
during the pause In Miss Robertson's
statement.
"Of course. | wouldn't have him
know for anything" Evelyn nodded as
sent. "Oh. goodness. I might as well
tell It and get II over. love some one
else. nnd he loves me, Pollyop. ]
want to be his wife more than I've
ever wanted anything before. He's
wealthy, dear, and I've got to marry
him"
Polly's face gathered n shocked ex
ghn
one when she was already welded to
Oscar Bennett? By any law Polls
knew of. girl could not have two
husbands at the same time. Even the
squatters. In their careless way of
living. did nothing like that.
"You can't tie up to no other mar
while You belong to Oscar. Miss Eve
she ventured gravely.
well, | know II; Of course ] know
IT," retorted Evelyn, resenting the
censure In the others tones: hut I've
got to he free. I'm so frantic. don't
much care how That's the way os
cur's got to help me Anyway max,
him understand he's got to wait: he
must he quiet and not bother me. Ther
come tonight. and let me know what
he says. VIII you. PollyT
The squatter girl nodded. She would
rather have heen switched than see Os
car Bennett again.
yep" she assented 'I'll hunt hin
up late this afternoon and then hrs
tie right over to you. / got to go now =
For some moments after Evelyr
left her. Polly watched the slim fg
ure on the path to the woods. Ther
she suddenly remembered Marcus Mac
Kcnzie and without backward
glance hurried swiftly toward the
south.
Meantime three squatters from th'
Silent City were in the Bad Mans
ruvine dressing the fish they had net
ted the night before. One enormous,
man was seated on a fiat rock, his bar
feet almost touching the water MS T.
hurried by to the lake. On his shoul
dcrs with his legs wound tightly
around the mans neck. sat smal
boy, little more than baby. He was
ehlvering with cold. and. as the spring
rain shot Its drops upon his face. he
lifted n small hand and brushed then
away. Seemingly oblivious Of the
weight against MS SWuFtilN mean. tft
man picked up fish and contemplated
It with scowl. Then he proceeded tc
clean II deftly.
The silence was unbroken for a Ions
time except by the rushing of the wa
ter the sruesome running of the
knives over the fish scales and little
whlmper, now and then. from the child
astride the mans neck
81 heard in town." broke forth I.y,
Brneger, that Old Marc Mackenzie.
comm home. Here's where us squat
ters get HI flung at us good ant
plenty"
jeremiah Hopkins stopped his worh
and frowned at the speaker.
He'd best be a-lookin' out for his
self" he muttered. "Mebbe he'll get s
taste of the hot place If he does any
struttln' around the Silent City"
"Mebbe. repeated Larry Bishop
and no more Marcus Mackenzie
handsome, SNUG aud rich, had been tn,
instrument that had moved the hands
Of the law to swing open the prison
doors aud shove Larry Bishop inside
Just when his young wife needed him
most.