Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-22


was doing the work his wife ought to
do What a fool he had been to marry
Evelyn Robertsonl Instead OF the
fortune he had expected, he was tied
hand and foot without money or wom-
an. He thought OF the radiant squat
ter girl who had Just left him. Two
years ago womanhood had not dawned
upon Polly Hopkins. but today He
undertoned an oath and went out to
the barn.
Polly Hopkins ran down the lane as
fast as her legs could carry her. The
milk was safe In the bucket. and she
had scarcely reached the railroad
tracks before she had decided not TO
mention Oscars vicious demand upon
her If she told Daddy Hopkins. he
would do some harm 10 Bennett, and
there would be no more eggs and milk
for Granny and Jerry. II she spoke
OF IL TO Evelyn. there was no telling
what the girl would do.
The tangle-halred 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 Lehigh Valley
tracks and on down the lakeside.
Uncouth and ignorant were Jere-
miah and his kind, and visitors who
came 10 the little city OF Ithaca agreed
with the towns inhabitants that IL
was a shame the law allowed such a
blot as the Silent City upon the nat
ural beauty Of Cayuga and its majes-
tic surroundings.
Pollyop stood shivering. her troubled
gaze searching the lake for a boat.
Daddy Hopkins had gone away early
with Wee Jerry. and she always wor-
ried a 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 its hid
den food, II would be a desolate world
indeed.
Wee Jerry was Polly's five-year-old
brother. and long before he could
walk, he had chosen his fathers big
shoulders upon which to beat his way
through an unfriendly and often hun
cry world. But this same world which
had wizened Jerry had given to Polly
a Wild beauty. body strong and as
plant as a marsh reed.
With a sigh Pollyop turned to the
house. The door was shut against the
storm, and thin curl OF smoke
twisted upward from the topping
chimney. losing itself in the baby
leaves OF the willows. The little lines
vanished at the sight OF a slab OF
wood over the door. On IL was paint
ed in crude letters: "If your heart is
loving and kind come right In. II II
amt. scoot or" Pollyop and Granny
Hope had worked long time to make
this sign, and even longer TO nail IL
up.
"Ttn help the Silent City folks.
Granny" she had said. especially,
II / smile a lot at EN-"
She flung open the door and went
I'm. closing II behind her. In one cor
ner OF the kitchen. an old woman. so
old that no squatter could remember
her other than aged. sat near the
stove. About her shoulders was a
shawl, and its edges were held to-
gether with clawllke fingers.
Munching on a bit OF hay at the
wood-bOx was a lean goat, an old
friend OF Polly Hopkins. Long ago
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-hols
where Polly had once stored rubbish
Granny Hope stretched out her weary
bones at night. Polly's bed ranged
the kitchen wall. and the room had
but a bench, two old chairs and
three-legged table to offer in rude hos
pitalIty.
81 wheedled a little milk from Os-
car, Granny" said the girl. "Goddy,
but he's gettin' stingyw
She put down the pail. went TO the
stove and thrust a piece Of wood into
Il.
woods as wet as hell" she COM
planned. almost as II she had spoken
to herself.
The old woman stirred and lifted
her withered lids.
"Hell amt wet" she muttered. IT'S
dry an warm-hot. l mean," and she
shivered, drawing nearer the ire.
"'Taln't like this lakeside"
Granny Hope had been in the Hop
kins' shack since the first winter snow.
Her own hut stood on a 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 a tradition In the
settlement. and which only the oldest
inhabitants of the Silent City could
| remember