Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-05-11
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friend Of Polly Hopkins. Long ago
she bad found him, lost In the wilder
ness Of the Storm country, and had
brought him to the client City.
The shanty consisted of three rooms.
Back Of the kitchen Daddy Hopkins
slept, and In the miserable coop-hole
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 a
threelegged table to offer In rude hos
pitality.
II wheedled a little milk from os-
car. Granny" said the girl. "Goddy,
but he's gettin' stingy"
She put down the pail, went to the
stove and thrust q piece Of wood into
it.
woods as wet rs 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 / mean" and she
shivered, drawing nearer the fire.
""Tain't like this lakeside
Granny Hope had been in the Hop
kins' shack since the lrst winter snow.
Her own hut stood on a little point
about a quarter Of a mile away. In 1t
she had lived alone eve since her hus-
band had gone down In the Big Blow,
a STERN that was a tradition In the
settlement, and which only the oldest
inhabitants of the Silent City could
remember.
One day Polly had found her sick In
bed, and, as she had led the forlorn
billy goat home, so did she bring
Granny Hope, v realizing that In
the tottering old figure she was en-
t~ertaining an angel unawares. All she
knew was that Granny's toothless
emile, her cheerful words OF love and
kindness, made the sun shine bright
er and the meager food more filing.
During the winter, Mrs. Hope had
encouraged the girl to read. At first
that had been difficult, for the shanty
contained nothing but the tattered
Bible the old woman had brought with
her. Over and over Polly had read
the miseries of Job the patient, the
long lamentations of jeremiah, who al
ways put her in mind of Daddy Hop
kins ; and she also knew by heart the
story Of the cruclfxion of Jesus, who,
so the Bible said, was the best man
that had ever walked the globe.
So had those winter days Of close
companionship with the woman who
had lived long and suffered much, and
who 0 was almost ready to on to
larger experiences, brought out in
Polly Hopkins a greater capacity for
loving. The squatters called heI
"Pollyop, the 1ove-lass," and some
times, "Polly Of the SUM-" Granny
Hope explained this by saying 'They
all love you. Poll, an it's out Of your
own heart they get the feelin' of joy
when they see ye."
From behind the wood-box neal
where the goat stood. Pollyop took NJ
an TX. Tenderly she bent and placet
a kiss upon the goats horny head
Then she touched Granny Hope.
The woman lifted her lids and
smiled at the girl.
whats the matter, love-lasst" sh,
murmured.
"Tm goin' out, Granny repliet
Polly. "If Daddy comes, tell I'm II
be back in, a while"
Into the rain she went, her bare fee
carrying her swiftly over the ragge'
rocks, her curis gathered under he
chin like q warm ~glistening hood
When later she appeared in front Q
the shanty, her Bingham skirt We
flled with rusty pans and old piece
Of tin. She placed them on the dool
step, and looking hesitatingly at th
willow tree. went back into the hous,
From a peg Polly took a pair of he
fathers trousers and ciambered int
them, tucking her skirts out Of sigf
and rolling up the trouser legs, II
: Daddy Hopkins was much taller tina
his daughter. Into n Of the bi
pockets Polly thrust q handful {
!. nails. 1t was a ~grotesque looking gil