Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-02-24
Storm
Country
Polly
Gy GRACE
MILLER
WHITE
Iccpyrighr by Little. Blown s. Company
Illustrated by R. H. Livingstone

~ " l. . OA0
S q n0rsy stream rumDIeu uown the MIL.
ed with wistful eyes she watched It
and through the fast gathering dusk flow
away to the lake. 1t was then she saw
v something moving about in a small
din pool of water in a rock basin. Care
fully she put the milk and eggs on a
whit OF smooth turf. Down the bank
N she slipped, and there In the falling
be gloom. struggling in the water. was q
baby lamb. Pollyop tucked her skirts
mn about her waist and waded into the
lie water. Several times she fell, and,
NJ dripping wet, scrambled up again.
n when she pulled the lamb to the bank,
tts she dropped to the ground, gaspIng
for breath.
= "Poor little duffer" she murmured.
You was most gone, wasn't you?
NV. Come on home with Pollyop an get
loved up a Bit"
.ro,, In the road she picked up the pail,
slipped the eggs into the milk and
went swiftly down the lane, the lamb
~. under one arm. Polly's heart sang
ldei with gladness. Out of the rigors Of
ggesthe Storm country, out of the cold
nd Vravine water, she had found another
ID little thing to care for.
far jeremiah Hopkins and Larry Bishop
we're in the shack when Polly arrived
etin;Tith her burdens. With much pride
tell The displayed the lamb then she fed
wan.lim a portion of the milk with a spoon.
her While she was preparing the evening
,er neal, she invited her fathers friend to
wake potluck with them.
sum After supper she settled her family.
Wee Jerry she tucked into Daddy's
led, and Granny Hope was made COM
% Ortable in a chair by the stove, where
-ool rhe soon nodded off to sleep. Then,
AniAe lamb in her lap and the billy goat
witb { her knee, Pollyop sat down on the
nc hdge of her cot, facing the two men.
he knew by the dark expressions on
heir faces that a question of import
I'D come up.
NE an Larry, brat, have been try
Mthink OF Some way of gettin' rid
h,Efd Marc" began Hopkins grimly.
not~hJervous brown fingers plucked at
hT e lambs wool as Polly, going white,
n,o,, Jared at her father.
alr , "You don't mean hurtin' him, Daddy
ear, do your" she broke out. ooh, If
lat's what you're talkin' about, don't
b It. Don't do 1t, Daddy! Something
e~autiful is goin' to happen to US
-HA luatters. God up in the sky sent a
ngel smack down from high heaven
:, "a help u.s."
~, The serious, lovely face turned
leadingly, truthfully up to his pre-
40 ented Hopkins from INDUCING his
esire to laugh. Polly turned and
,loked at Larry. His dark face was
eavy with frown and deep, grief-cut
ines.
=. There amt any angels anywhere
Ut up there" muttered Larry Bishop,
laking an upward thrust with his
humb.
~ u Yep, there is, Larry" contradicted
II oily ~impetuously. "I seen one. He's
igger'n you an Daddy put together,
guess; an his face looks like the
I'm, all shiny an bright. He says the
~. quatters has to have a place to live
Hn just like other folks, an he won't
ct Old Marc run us out of the Silent
y, 1ufy. Mebbe after a while, when he
L cts 70 workin' for us, you can hunt
fsh just the same as ever!"
s~~ hopkins looked at his daughter as
she had lost her mind.
What's eatin' you, brat?" he
T. runted.
~ "Nothin'," replied Polly, "but 1 know
that ! heard"
~ Spiel it out to u.s. put in Bishop
50 agerly.
TJ Then Polly told them. Both men
Ie lughed.
Why, he's got more money'n Old
. tarcs Poll" snapped Hopkins. "It's
Wv Hst Because we don't happen to be set
~ on his ground that he amt want
'baf us off"
II was quite evident that both the
WV shermen were of one opinion. Polly
81; o up and placed the lamb in a corner
. the wood-box.
Il pet a eel he helps US squatters,
rel ough," she nodded positively. "An'
i, NJ y both got to promise right now on
hopi s," she picked up Granny Hopes
7 sHDle, that you won't use a gun on
arc Mackenzie, nor do nothin' harm
rn to him. Let the other man look
ter us. There! Kiss this here book,
you'll both feel better"
-asine 1.efe was something compelling
Iidnr out the girl. 1t may have been the
nes OF her voice, wonderfully sweet
90 tremendously earnest. 1t may
any i've been the brilliant smile she
Vi shed upon her listeners. At any
and te, the mayor of the Silent City and
. ugrry Bishop, his henchman, repeated
I'm uuH apathy the oath she dictated to
sspd EN-, The words that made the Storm
at 1917 a saIe haoltation for Marcus
lever ,sed tbn PHIL ond co., 80, -