The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-05-11

ciutched the paper.
Polly he said swiftly. you'll have
TO give Jerry up for little while, just
little while"
She snatched her hand away, the
document fiuttering 10 the floor. In q
moment she had picked up the child
from the cot and hugged him to her
breast
"Old Marc ain't come for the baby.
has her she shrieked. her tone high
pitched aud strained. He's mine,
Jerry is. I'm goln TO keep i'm here
TIL Daddy comes home; so you might
as well all scoot"
In the stiffness that fell as her voice
broke. each man was impressed with
the nartyrdom she was passing
through. Robert had never imagined
a person could 20 so white and still be
alive. With an ejaculation. hoarse and
defiant. he sprang TO her side
Polly" he cried. My God. don't
look that way Listen to mel"
'Can he take the baby7" fell monot-
onously from Der blue lips.
THAT'S just what he can do, Miss
Hopkins" thrust In Mackenzie. The
law says a child cant stay in place
like this. You'd have seen that II
you'd taken the pains to read the pa
per. Put some wraps on the child,
Miss
Polly stood with Jerry gripped tight.
ly against her; and. frightened, the
little boy began TO cry.
81 want my Daddy Hopkins, Polly
op." he whimpered brokenly.
Polly looked so dreadful that for a
moment Mackenzie was silent. Her
eyes had an expression OF such hate
and deadly determination In their
singular brown depths that for a mo-
ment he held his breath.
"If you take him. she spoke at last,
--"why, d--n you. I'll kill your.
At first Mackenzie eyed her con.
temptuously What did such q girls
threats mean TO him? Then he
laughed. And that laugh stung the
sensitive girl more than II he had
struck her.
'You took our Daddy Hopkins" she
told him, dropping a little At the tell
ing. but Jerry He's my baby an
keep him In the shanty till his pappy
comes home You hear, the huh of
you. don't your"
Her eyes were rowing from one to
another, but her voice lowered on each
Old Marc and his deputies she saw no
relenting.
"Fd rather he'd die" she screamed.
"rd rather he'd be next TO Granny
Hope in the graveyard Get out Of
here. say"
The scene was even more nerve
racking than Mackenzie had expected.
Take him away from her. Bowers"
he ordered, turning to one OF the men.
The man spoken to stepped forward
In evident unwilllngness but a shout
from Mackenzie made him grab for
the child With one hand the frenzled |
girl beat at him with all her energy. |
but he struck down her slim young |
fingers as If they had been twigs.
Thrusiing one arm around her, he
caught Wee Jerry by the shoulders
But to disengage the boys clutch from
the chestnut curls called forth all the
qulckness the man possessed. Polly
struggled madly and the child
shrleked and clung TO his sister with
All the puny strength he had.
Keep away. Perclval," snapped
pushing Robert backward.
IF you lay one finger on my men, I'll
take II girl along to jail"
To save the girl he loved. Robert
himself TO stand by while
the boy was torn bodily from her He
saw one Of the men drag a blanket
from the bed and throw II around Wee
Jerry.
Then he snatched at the girl, but she
quickly eluded his grasp. How awfully
her eyes glowed, snd how her face
.witched
Get out with him before she cuts
~ any more" growled Marcus as
Polly bounded forward only to be met
~ the speakers outstretched arms
"If you make another scene. my
ady." he raped out. 'I1l have you ar
'ested for obstructing the law And
this, huzzy, I'm going TO get
fou next"
His threat against herself meant
nothing to PAly Hopkins. But the
word law II struck at her brain
Ike hammer. She suddenly felt as n
tidal wave. strong and relentless. had .
,roken over her. II was the same law I
aking Jerry that had imprisoned Dad ,
iy Hopkins, that had carried away
AIRY Bishop from his woman. The !
hought brought her up with a sharp
asp. She did not care what they DID
With her. but little Jerry. Wee Baby
erry
~W'hat you goin' 80 do with him., mis-
cry she begged. uFine.ur Der hands I
Tel me that. ] can't Iet i'm 60 TIN 3