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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1922)
NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. Storm CHAPTER XIII Continued. 15 "So you're here, young innii," ho snarled. "Well. muddling In this busi ness won't do you any good. Didn't I tll you yesterday what I Intended to lo; and you laid the nerve to upset my wife about It. You're making .yourself I lie laughing stock of the whole town! Now you'd better go If you don't want to witness a little comedy that'll Ktlck In your memory for many a long day." The speaker turned to I'nllynp. "Whore's that boy?" he demanded. Involuntarily I'olly looked toward the eot where Wee Jerry lay asleep. "You mean the baby Oh. you don't mean Jerry?" she questioned dully. He held out a jinpor which the squut ler girl look as If she had been In a stupor. She held It up, tried to make out what wus printed on It, then dropped her hand hopelessly to her Mlde. With an exclamation of pity, Itobert -went to her and took the lingers that Hutched the paper, "I'olly," he said swiftly, "you'll have to give Jerry up for a little while. Just a little while"-, She snatched her. hand away, the document fluttering to the lloor, In a Polly Struggled Madly, and the Child Shrieked and Clung to His Sister , 'With All the Puny Strength He Had. moment she hud picked up the child from the cot and hugged him to her breast. "Old Marc ain't come for the Imby, Jius ho?" she shrieked, her tone high pitched and strained. "He's mine, Jerry Is. I'm goln' to keep '1m hero till Dnddy comes homo; so you might am well all scoot." In the stillness that fell as her voice liroke, euch man was Impressed with the martyrdom sho was passing through. Robert hud never Imagined a person coitld go so white and still be ullve. With an ejaculation, hoarse and ricllant, ho sprang to her side. "I'olly," ho cried. "My God, don't look that way I Listen to mo!" "Can ho tako tho baby?" fell monot onously from her blue lips. "That's Just what ho can do, Miss Hopkins," thrust In Mackenzie. "The law says u child cun't stay in a place like this. You'd havo seep that If you'd taken the pains to read the pa Iter. I'ut some wraps on tho child, Jills I" I'olly stood with Jerry gripped tight ly against her; and, frightened, the little boy begun to cry. "I want my Daddy Hopkins, Polly op," he whimpered brokenly. I'olly looked bo dreadful that for n moment MacKenzle was silent. Her eyes had an expression of such hate and deadly determination la their tdngulur brown depths that for u mo mont ho held bis breath. "If you tako him," sho spoke at hrst "why, d n you, I'll kill you I" At llrst MucKonzto eyed her con temptuously. What did such a girl's threats mean to him? Then he laughed. Ami that laugh stung the mmsltlve girl more than If be had truck her. "You took our Daddy Hopkins," she Void lit in. drooping a little at the tell Ing, "hut Jerry He's my Imby, an' I keep him In the shanty till his puppy comes home. You hear, the hull of you, don't you?" Her eyes were roving from one to another, but her voice lowered on each word, hecauso In the steady gaze of Old Marc and his deputies she saw no relenting. "I'd rather he'd die," sho screamed. "I'd rather he'd be next to Granny Hope In the graveyard ! Got out of litre, I say." The scene wuh even more nerve racking than MacKenzle hud expected. "Tako him away from her, Ilowors." lie ordered, turning to otto of tho men. Tlie man spoken to stopped forward In evident unwillingness ; hut a shout tsoni MacKenzle mulo 111 t ti grub for by Grace Miller White Copyright by Little, Brown & Co. the child, With one hand the frenzied girl beat at him with till her energy, hut he struck down her slim young lingers as if they had been twigs. Thrusting one arm around her, he caught Wee Jerry by the shoulders. Hut to disengage the boy's clutch from the chestnut curls called forth ull the quickness the ifiun possessed. I'olly struggled madly, and the child shrieked and clung to his sister with all the puny strength be had. "Keep away, Perclvul," snnpped MaeKenzfe, pushing Robert backward. "If you lay one linger on my men, I'll take the girl along to Jail." To save the girl he loved, Itobert compelled himself to stand by while the boy was torn bodily from her. He saw one of the men drag a blanket from the lied and throw It around Weo Jerry. , Then ho snatched at tho girl, but she quickly eluded his grasp. Uow awfully her eyes glowed, and how lur face twitched ! "(let out with him before she cuts up any more," growled Marcus, as oily bounded forward only to be met by the speaker's outstretched arms. "If you make another scene, my lady," ho rapped out, "I'll have you ar rested for obstructing the law. And ememher this, huzzy, I'm going to get oil next." Ills threat against herself meant nothing to I'olly Hopkins. Hut the word "law"! It struck at her bruin like a hammer. She suddenly felt as If a tidal wave, strong and relentless, hnd broken over her. It was tho same law taking Jerry that had Imprisoned Dad- ly Hopkins, that bud carried away arry Hlshop from ills woman. The bought brought her up with u sharp gusp. She did not cure what they did with her, but little Jerry, Weo Baby Jerry I "What you goln' to do with him, mis ter?" she begged, wringing her hands. Tell me that I I can't let Mm go till ou do!" She caught nt his arm, and tho strong brown lingers dug deep Into his llesb. "Look Into tho paper there and you'll see where I'm going to tako him," an swered MocKenzle. "Let go of my urni ! There I" Ho wrenched himself free. Then, enraged and with eyes Hushing, he shouted, "Get out with the kid, you men, nnd Btart off.1" Glad to be gone, tho ofllclnls stepped Into the open, ono of them carrying the writhing Jerry. Then I'olly Hop kins stood upright In tho middle of the shanty, grief, consternation, and then an expression of insanity passing over her face. Robert Perclvnl was nenr her, not daring to utter u word; her deep-set agony wus too terrible for sympathy. ll at once sho started forward; and ho mudo a desperate effort to stop her. "Pollyop," he pleaded. As she raced through tho doorway, he culled: "Walt wait" In an Instant he was out beside her, speuklng her name softly, Imploringly. sue pain no need io mm, mu uung up her arms. And then she laughed! Murcus MacKenzle wus standing beside his horse, and on beyond In tho lann a carriage was rolling uwuy, from which cumo piteous screums from Jerry. "Pollyop," cntreutcd Itobert. Rut Polly hud bounded from him to ward the man and tho horse. "I hope," sho shrieked at MacKenzle, "I hope your hnnds'll wither off; I'm wlshln' all you love'll dlo before your eyes, nn' every day I'll bo uskln' Gran ny Hope's lovln' God to d n you till you drop rottln' In your grave." Marcus had halted with bis foot In the stirrup, lie bad heard every word she had uttered; and drops of cold sweat gathered on his brow. Then, with an oath, he vaulted Into the snd die, put the spurs, to his horse and gal loped up the hill after the retreating carriage. Robert was leaning limply against the side of the shanty when I'olly Hopkins turned swiftly back. He spoke to her; and sho looked dazedly at him. Then she laughed again, directly Into his face; and tho young man, almost as distraught as she, tried to take hold of her. "You scoot, too," she said to him; "get out, an' stay out; nn' an' tell your llly-llvored cousin, I say, 1 hope If she ever has ir huhy It won't hnvi no eyos to see 'er with, nor no mouth to kiss 'er with I hope "Oh. God!" groaned Robert. Refore he could get back his wits she had rushed past him Into the shuck, slammed the door and burred It against him. Kor more thnn two hours Polly Hop kins lay face down on her cot. During that time her loving heart had broken and died within her. Sho hud no longer an Incentive to live, no more a deslro to look forward to Daddy's honie-com Ing. When at length she crawled to the lloor, nil signs of tears hnd dlsup poured, lenvlng the once glowing eyos dull and expressionless. There was no ono loft to love save the billy goat, and to him sho gave no heed. In her aimless wandering about tho shanty sho puuMid before the re production of "The Greatest Mother In tho World."' Polly did not care for her any more either, Dellboratuly she ouotry took an old cout and hung it carefully over tho glorious solemn face. Sho never wanted to look upon It ugaln Never Never ! Then, taking the nx, she went out nnd, us deliberately us she bad hidden from view the picture, so did sho buck from ubove the door tho welcoming sign. When It lay nt her feet, battered and partly broken, she muttered over the words, "If your heart Is loving nnd kind come right In. If It ain't scoot off." She had lenrned her lesson nt lust. leurts were not loving and kind, nfter nil. Then, with powerful strokes of the ux, she split the slab In pieces. Unfathomable depths of hate and re- enge had swallowed her soul I Polly lopklns was done with love forever 1 CHAPTER XIV. "God-Almlghty, Polly brat I" ex claimed Larry Bishop ono evening, What made you come out a night like this, huh?" Tho girl went to tho steve nnd In silence extended her hands over its top. "What's up, Pollyop?" the man de manded ugnln, curiously, dropping Into a chulr. "You look something awful !" And so she did I The long-lasbcd eyes had guthcred and held an Indefin able expression of hatred. The fair, lovely face knew tender sympathy no more. She was no longer Polly of the Sun. For her that orb had become merely a ball In the sky, hot like the stove nnd bright like the candle flume, only more so. Nor did the pnlo winter moon ever catch her dazzling smiley. The winking stars hnd forgotten weeks ago that once a squatter girl had stolen out nightly to throw upward a kiss, begging them to deliver It to the cruci fied ono there beyond them the good Jesus who sut on tho golden throne nnd who, had sent her tho message by Granny Hope that "Love were strong-, er'n hate any day." As usual her feet were In Jeremiah's boots, and us usual she wore his coat. Her curls were covered with snow, and ns she studied tho dark-faced man sho shook drops of water from them. She ndvanced toward him, choking with emotion. Since Woo Jerry had gone, her hours, spent In planning re venge, hud completely cxhuustcd her. Sho wns so tired that when she reached Larry she crouched before him on tho lloor and turned a pale, be seeching fnce up to him. "I've come, Larry Bishop," sho be gan grnvely, "to ask you to help mo to oven up a little with Old Marc." The squatter's head went up, nnd a startled expression shot Into his ilerco eyes. Then he sank lower In his chair, ami the lire died out of his counte nance. "Who cun get even with that d n brute?" he muttered nfter a while. "Squatters can't! We'd all go to Au burn If we muss up him or hls'n." A white young face shoved so close to his that Bishop drew buck. "Who cares a d n about Auburn?" Pollyop exclaimed roughly. "We won't go there till we've tore Old Marc's heart to pieces an' mudo It hurt like yours does, Lurry, like mine does for Jerry an' Dnddy Hopkins. Wouldn't you be wlllln' to spend a few years In Jail If you could mnko him howl nn' go almost mud like me an' you' have, Lurry?" Bishop looked beyond her head Into a dark corner. It was In that spot he often Imagined he saw the wraith of his woman. Ills unsteady regard set tied; and tho ghost woman rose mist ily, gazing at blni with unearthly eyes Then the pnle, unsmiling phantom ex tended her nrms and within them up peared u frail Infant. "God!" burst from his lips like a shot from a gun. Pollyop glunced backward, over her shoulder. But the shudder that run over him brought her haggard face hack to bis. "Ain't your heart hurtln' something awful for your Betty woman nn' your brut now, this very minute?" she queried abruptly, as If she, too, hud seen the ghastly thing In the corner. "God, yes!" he shivered, taking firm hold of his chin to hide the tremble of It. She seized his arm viselike, tho grip drawing n groan from tho squatter. "An1 wouldn't you Just love to see Old Marc twist an' squirm like a stepped-on baby snake, huh?" came In one long, sobbing breath, Agnln tho shifty look of the tortured man came to rest on the gloom beyond. "I'd die for It, so I would, Pollyop," he cried. "Out with wbnt you got In your benn, Poll ; un' I'll listen, so help mo God!" Pollyop leaned heavily ugalnst him, panting. Shu wns muklng an efTort to toll hlni her plan. With a swift up ward motion of her head, she began to talk In broken tones; and as sho pro ceeded, Lurry Bishop raised stralghter In his chulr. Polly's voice trailed Into sllonce; and Lurry flent one hnsty look over her head. The wraith smiled sadly at him and was gone. He shook himself and .uruggled to his feet. Then u broad, wicked gsln spread his lips apart, and ) laughed aloud. Pollyop, still on the f.iKtr, laughed, too, hysterical sobs catching at bur throat, and u deslro to 1i Polly' scream forcing her bunds to her mouth. Such awful sounds were un usual In the Silent City, where even honest mirth was no longer heard be cause the men and women scarcely dared breathe for fear an enemy from Ithaca would suddenly appear. "Glory ho to God I" ejaculated the man, hoarsely, "that's the bow of it, brat! It'll he u whack for my dead woman, an' " "An' a good whack for the Hopkins tribe, too," cried I'olly, scrambling up. "It'll be a black Thanksgiving for Old Marc, huh, Larry? I'm goln' hack home now." She turned to the door, but baited with her baud on the latch. "You promised I could do It, Larry," she reminded blni. "You'll tell Lye Braeger that, too, won't you?" Sinking limply Into his chair, Bishop wiped his wet Hps. "Yep, lass," he assented with a groan, "lou enn turn tno trick:; l promise you that." If Jeremiah Hopkins had seen his girl, bis Polly of the Sun, when she went home that night, he would not have recognized her. Her face was crafty, pitiless, and as white us the snow under her feet. Then sho waited stolcnlly day after day, feeding the billy gont but absent mindedly, asking no questions of Lurry or Lye Braeger how soon her Idea could bo carried out. She believed that they would leave no stone un turned to even up with Marcus Mac Kenzle.' Enrly one evening Lurry Bishop burst Into the Hopkins but without the formality of a knock. He looked yearn older thnn he hnd but yesterday; and Pollyup got up, locking and Interlock ing her lingers. "Well?" she asked from between chattering teeth. "It's done, by God!" he hissed, al most strangling behind a shaking hand. "It were most uwful, Polly. If I'd stuck a bog In the glzznrd, the squeul In' couldn't 'a' been worser." The speaker's tones, his half-bent fig ure, his shifty glances, brought u grunt from tho plrl. "An' you're gettln' sorry by the min ute, Larry Bishop, I cun see that," she returned, giving blni a smurt rnp. "Stnnd up, Larry man. Once " A sudden rush of emotion thrust Into her throat such an ncho thnt for several seconds she was unable to conclude. "Once," she repeated, after clearing nwny the huaklness with a hacking cough, "I thought love were the great est thing in the world. But It ain't, Larry Bishop, It ain't 1" Btshpp fidgeted with his cap, turning It around and around by Its brim. When he looked up, tho burning glow hud died from the depths of his eyes. "It's a slckenln' thing to see u wom an suffer that bud," he muttered. "God, brat! Nope! Don't sny notbln till I tell you what me an' Lye did !" At the memory of It, the speaker wiped drops of sweat from his face. "She hollered about lovln' her ma," droned Bishop, "an' tU v rIip hoi- She Turned to the Door but Halted With Her Hand on the Latch. lercd In my hut for her mini wns some thing scund'lous." "Like your Betty died n-howlln' for you, 1 s'pose, Lurry," enmo back the girl promptly. "An' I been thlnklu' all day how Granny Hope tucked your dend brnt alongside his mntnmy In the collln. Some uwful thlnklu', Lurry miin 1" Tho squntter's sudden gruyness nnd swallowing bard as If something had stuck In his windpipe was the only evl deuce he gave that he hnd heard the cruel words. "Wo got 'er Just after dark," he con tlnucd, woefully. "She's been tied up In my shack overkslnce." (TO HIS CONTINUED.) Nearly half of tho Presidents of the United States have beeu of Scotch descent. THE AY iuMlLLLli CLEAN PACKAGE FOR BUTTER Carefully Packed Product Gives Moro Enjoyment to Consumer Than Slip-Shod Parcel. (Prepared by (he United tftates Department of Agriculture.) For the sumo reason that a man prefers to eat his meals from a clean tablecloth he prefers to get tho butter lit eats in a clenn and attractive pnek nge It helps him to get more enjoy ment from his food and that means ho rcnlly gets more vuluo out of it, even though carelessly packed products may contnln Just ns much food vuluo ns those thnt nro put up carefully. Tho package Into which butter Is put Is of more Importance than most Working Butter Refore Putting in Package. food pneknges, because the product which It holds Is extremely sensitive to outside Influences, especially odors. Men who have made n business of rtudylng market conditions and meth ods have long given nttentlon to the pucKuge problem ana tney are still at It. This yenr nt the Nntlonnl Dairy show, belli In St. Paul, Minn., October 8 to 10, the United Stutes Department of Agriculture had an unusual show of butter packnges that proved of as much Interest ns a lot of curios. The department has collected package from the varloua countries of the world that make butter In consider able quantities, and they were shown In comparison with pnekages that are used In our own country. In addition there were examples of good and of poor pncklng. FAVOR SWEET-CREAM BUTTER Product In Storage for Year at Nor folk, Va., Scores Higher Than That on New York Market. After remnlnlng in storage for ono year, snmples of sweet-cream butter recently Inspected at Norfolk, Va., scored higher than the highest score for butter quoted on the New York mnrket. These snmples, whlcti re ceived scores averaging 03.47, were representative of 1,000,000 pounds of butter packed for the United States navy under the supervision of the United States Department of Agricul ture. The scoring wns done by a spe cialist from the dairy division and n representative of n commercial butter firm In New York city. "This butter, which was mndc for tho navy last year," said the Inspec tors, "was of such line qunllty that we ennnot neglect the opportunity to com ment upon the comparatively small amount of extra work required to pro duce a product of this quality as com pared with the nverage butter found on tho largo mnrkets." This butter wns mndo from a per fectly sweet cream, with a compara tively high salt content nnd low mois ture. The moisture content did not exceed 1.1.5 per cent. After one year in storogo only one snmple scored us low ns 02i. Of the other CO snm ples, 24 scored 04, two scored 03 and 24 scored 03. Consumers who are accustomed to a pronounced flavor In butter do not at first show favor to sweet-cream butter as It Is somewhat lacking In this- respect when fresh. A demand for sweet-crenni butter, however, Is growing steadily, nccordlng to butter denlers handling this product. On be ing held In storage tho flavor becomes moro pronounced, nnd for this renson sweet-cream butter Is often scored higher nfter storngo thnn when fresh For storage purposes such a butter Is far Superior to the ordlnnry butter, which usually loses In quality during the storngo period. Hlah-Prlced Sire. Any sire Is high priced that will not rwiss on to ills offspring tho char acters which go to muko them deslr- able from the mnrket stundpolut. Slews of Tuberculosis. A cow that stays thin In splto of rood feed and has a cough snows pretty suro signs of tuberculosis. Let a veterinarian tost her. Producers Not Boarders. The cows on a successful dairy farm must be producers and not boarders. CORNS " Lift Off with Fingers Doesn't hurt a bit! Drop a lltti Treezono" on an aching com, Instantly that corn stops hurting, then shortly you lift it right off with fingers. Truly! Your druggist sells a tiny bottle of "Freezono" lor a few cents, sufficient to remove- every hard corn, soft corn, or corn between tho toes, nnd the calluses, without soreness or irritation. All Ho Got. Two tramps approached n likely looking dwelling on the country road and tossed up with their last half penny which of tho two should call there and solicit alms. One waited at the entrance gate, and the other walked up the drlvo toward the hall door. In a few seconds the latter reappeared. "Well, did ho give you anything?" asked his expectant companion eagerly. "Oh, yes," was thj reply. "Ho had a bulldog by the hand, and ho gavo mo ono minute to leave his garden. And here I am." Scotsman. MOTHER! CLEAN CHILD'S BOWELS WITH CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP Even a sick child loves the "fruity" taste of "California Fig Syrup." If the little tongue is coated, or If your child Is listless, cross, feverish, full of cold, or has colic, give a teaspoonful to cleanse the liver and bowels. In a few hours you, can see for yourself how thoroughly It works all the constipa tion poison, sour bile and waste out of the bowels, and you have a well, play ful child again. Millions of mothers keep "California Fig Syrup" handy. They know a tea spoonful today saves a sick child to morrow. Ask your druggist for genu ine "California Fig Syrup" which has directions for babies and children of all ages printed on bottle. Mother I You must suy "Cnllfornla" or you may get an Imitation fig syrup. Advertise ment. Rare Indeed. In a recently published story occurs the following: "Having thrust n New Testament into his pocket before starting ho now took It out and rend the Twenty-third Psalm." This must have been a rare copy of the Testa ment, unknown to nny person other than the author and his character. Hens in Trouble. Luclle wus sent to a neighbor to get some eggs. The neighbor Informed her that tho hens were molting, and she could not let her havo any. When she reached home Luclle said : "Mamma, Mrs. T. can't let iis have any eggs because her hens nro wilting." The Wool Combers. In the Latin quarter of Paris one often sees groups of bareheaded wom en, sitting In some quiet corner of the street, perhnps within n church door, picking and combing tho wool of their mattresses. No matter how poor a French peasant mny be, ho almost al ways possesses a comfortable bed with a wool mattress. The "Strike" Is On. The customer called the waiter. "There's a chunk of wood In my Bausnge," said he. "I expect to be served with the dog, but I'll be bunged if I'll ent the kennel, too." M oy qbproducts Baby Carriages &Fumiluro Ask Your Local Dealer Write Now for 32-Page Illustrated Booklet The Lloyd Manufacturing Company WciUDOoJ.Waktfield Co.) Dept. E Menominee, Michigan (19) LARGEST AND STRONGEST IN THE CENTRAL WEST Haadqumrtora OMAHA, NEBRASKA TOTAL ASSETS $110,000,000 Keep Nebraska Money in Nebraska Patronize Homo Industries i iu i:vui I