The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, February 23, 1922, Image 3
THE PEOPLE. BARNWELL, S. C. ...
Iht
•mpany
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“JUST POLLYOP—POLLY HOPKINSP’
i
%
“What'* your name f” he inquired.
“Just Polly op,” teas the answer. "Polly Hopkins. My daddy
is Jeremiah Hopkins, the mayor of this settlement.”
"Can 1 do something for you, Polly Hopkins?”queried Robert,
as she finished telling about life in the squatters' city.
■ She flung out both hands in a comprehensive gesture as much
as to say he could see for himself how much she needed.
“Sure, sure you can,” she said with fierce emphasis. “You can
make Old Marc leave us squatters be. You’re bigger’n he is! The
squatters need you awful bad.”
Her voice broke. Robert took a long breath. Of course he
could help this girl and her people. He would, too! As far as
' money gave power, he could equal and surpass Marcus Mackenzie.
“I did try to .talk sense into Mr. MacRenzie’s head,” he re
turned presently, hut now I will make him leave you alone.”
In spite of the curved lips about which a smile lurked, there
was apprehension tn her voice when she asked:
“Yes, I think I could” laughed Robert; “but it won’t be nec
essary.” . \ 4
“Then I see us Silent City folks bein’ happy again,” sighed
Polly. “We got a awful lot of things an folks to take care of here.”
T\«r« you —Storm Cow ■try Polly and Robort Porciral,
Wroia* and bar* af anotbar al tbaaa faaciBatiaf ttarias by Graca
Millar Wbita. ‘‘Toss af tka Storm Country” was bar ftrst story-. It
arms printod as a so rial la a aaafasiao for woaioa—aad practically
ostablisbod tbo aiagasiaa. It was pat oa tbo morio scrooa—aad amdo
tbo fortuaa of a woma a film star of world-wido fame. Of c oars a
Graca Millar Wbita (Mrs. Friaad H. Millar) kapt rifbt oa writiag of
tbo “Storm Couatry." Half a doaoa otbor stories bare boaa successes.
Mora tbaa a millioa capias of bar books bare boon sold. Tbo "Storm
Couatry," by tbo way, is Cayuga Lake aad ricaity ia Now York, oao
of tbo garden spots of tbo world.
Giron a beautiful aad persecuted squatter girl aad a nice young
man with brains, sympathy and moaay—wbat more do you want for
romance!
CHAPTER I.
Four miles from Ithnrs. N. Y„
Oscar Bennett's farm spread its acres
•long the face of West ‘ Hill between
the Lehigh Valley tracks and the high
way leading to Trunianshurg. Oscar |
Bennett was whst the country people
and even the Ithaca folks called a fine
fam*er . His farmhouse faced a lane |
that led to the west shore of I^ike 1
given to the wide eyes their shade of
ripe chestnuts.
Polly eipected every moment that
Oscar would reach out for the pall,
and, though with bad grace, he’d give
her the milk Just the same. She fid
geted Jn her chair and drew a long
sigh—he was staring at her In such a
peculiar manner from under hla heavf
omwa.
Why had he not noticed before that
Polly noted the glitter In Bennett’s
angry eyes and felt again the .quiver
of fear.
“She gives you all she gets her Ha
gers on." she came back at him In de
fense of the absent, Evelyn. “Lots of
times site’s got along on About nothin’
to send you cash, an’ didn’t 1 come
runnin‘ up here with It as soon as she
give it fo N° w ,u *’ s gettln’
on that Jgye iiln’t spendln* her money
on herself, an* she watches ’er like a
hawk does a chicken. She told me
that only yesterday."
The squatter girl rose to her feet,
anxious to be gone.
“Oscar, you might be lettln’ me
have just a wee bit of -thilk. You
ain’t losln’ nothin’ through me."
She picked up the pall, and with a
wl the mton snatched it out of her
Wbuien’re a d—d nuisance," he
grumble^Nv“Well, wait here.”
He went otrt^of the room, and Polly
Hopkins drew a'iqng breath. Tt was
getting harder every-day to get the
milk she needed.
When Bennett returned>^he was
standing with her hand on tntKdoor
knob, ready to go. In silence she t
the pail he offered her. *
“Looka here, Pollyop,” he began ab
ruptly. as Rollv opened the door.
“W’hat’s to hinder your paying for
your milk yourself?"
He said It with extreme deliberation,
making emphatic the last words.
Polly threw up her head and eyed
him sharply. *T run my legs most off
for you as ’Us, Qscaf,” she retorted,
“between here aud-^the Robertsons’;
but I don’t never have no money. You
know that, an’ Daddy Hopkins don’t
get much, either. If I had a dollar, I
bet I’d spend every penny of It flllin’
up Jerry an* Daddy an’ Granny Hope
with milk an’ eggs.” To make him
understand how anxious sue was to
please him, she went forward a pace.
“An’ I’d buy ’em all of you, Oscar.
That’s ns true as Granny Hope's God
Is settln* up In the sky."
“I didn't ask you for money," an
swered Bennett, staring at her. Sud
denly he came close to her; and Polly
backed to the door. Hla face was red
and agitated; the cords In hla neck
were swollen while his fingers twisted
eagerly. That was another thing about
which Polly's eyes had been opened tn
two years of growing womanhood.
When a man looked as Oscar did now.
a girl got away as fast as she could.
"You might pay me In kisses." he
muttered hoarsely, towering over her.
“Ten kisses for each bucket. You’re
s heap prettier than Eve."
For a long moment Polly did not
speak. Her breast heaved as she
swayed backward.
“I get all the kisses I want to
home." she said. “Here, take your
hand ofifn me, Oecar. or I'll tell Eve
tiayuga. and from the front porch he I **'7 Hopkins was so pretty. Oscar
«ould see. much to his dislike, the few *"»**”*• • *l'»w amlle parted hla
straggling squatter shacks that ‘'l* *>*» *"* r « f * d * •"<!
brought to an end northward the 81- ,on * dark lashes only added to Ben-
lent City. Like all other substantia! n * ,t,, !,u ‘ ,d * n ^“Iratlon. A quick-
«ttlzens Oscar detested the squatters.
In his estimation they were a set of
thieving loafers snd sneaks, and many
tlmea he had wished that he owned
the ground they squatted on Instead
of Marcus MacKenzie.
Of course It was no secret that
MacKensie never let an op|M»rtunlty
slip to pop a fisherman Into Jail, hut
In Bennett's opinion that treatment
•was not aevere enough, and t»esides. It
did not accomplish anything. Mnc-
Kenzle's Idea was to Jail the men
•whenever the chance came and for a
period as long as the law would allow.
But what good did that do? Fierce
x “"atred flamed In the haggard faces of
he women, and they held to their
•quatter rights with the tenacity of
leeches until their husbands’ were
given hack to them. Bennett would
bave done away with the wives and
mothers If the Job of breaking up the
Silent City had been his. No man
•would hang to a hut long without a
woman in it. t
• One morning in the early spring Os-
<nr was finishing his breakfast when
the door opened slowly. A girl with
a small tin paU In her hand stepped
Into the room. She smiled at t\jm al
most humbly.
“Shut the door!” he shouted at her.
**Where's your manners, Polly Hop
kins? Can’t you see the ruin’s com
ing In after you?”
The smile faded from the girl's face.
Mechanically she turned, closed the
•door and, uninvited, seated hprself in
a chair and placed the pail at her
aide.
“So you’ve come begging. Pollyop,”
went on the farmer, wiping his Tlpa,
•on the sleeve of his gingham shirt.
“Well, you mights as well turn tali
jtnd run home again, for you’re not go
ing to get anything more from me. I
don’t want a poacher’s brat around
here."
The girl’s bare wet feet drew tense
ly backward under the chair; but she
-remained discreetly silent. Osear al
ways abused her aud called her nam^s,
but that was because she was a squat
ter. After a while, he'd change his
mind, and then she would take home
what ah^ewroe for. She-ooted with a
•quick breath that Oscar’s eyes softened
luring the time he was silent. That
ed well for her errand; but Ben
nett's mind-was not on milk or-any
•of thoae suffering for the want of It.
He had Just discovered that Polly
Hopkins was' beautiful even If she
barefooted-^ and ragged. Her
straight young shoulders were covered
with wot curia that teemed to have
•qiiH
Rdur
Pv-i
"neti
drawn breath slipped audibly past the
tiian's teeth. Pollyop sensed In his at
titude toward her a new quality that
she recognized intuitively at danger
ous. To bring his attention hack to
the purpose of her visit, she ventured
to say:
“I thought It wouldn’t hurt you
none, Oscar, to gimme a little milk for
Granny Hope an’ Jerry. I’m always
runnln'. errands for you an’ your
woman."
Bennett’s heavy farm hoots made a
scraping sound under the table.
“What good does that do me?" he
returned. “I'pon niy .soul, I might as
well be without a wife as to have one
who won’t live with me or let anyone
know I’m _ her husband. I’m gettln'
sick, good and plenty sick, I can tell
you. Miss PoJly Hopkins."
This speech did not disturb Polly
over much, for he’d made It a dozen
times before. It was only the expres
sion in his gaze, she did not quite
like. Her mind went to Evelyn Rob
ertson, the girl that Oscar had mar
ried. As if It were but yesterday, she
remembered how two years ago she
had gone with them under protest to
a minister far back In the hills. . Eve
lyn had explained that for some time
To come no one but the three must
know of the marriage. ^
Pollyop had learned a great many
things in two years! What girl does
not after she’s passed her fifteenth,
birthday? One of the things she had
found out was that Oscar was a dread
ful person, more dreadful than most
of the squatter men. Of course the
men folks of her people did beat their
women, now and then. Thut was their
right without any question. The blood
colored even her ears as she reraem-
bere ’ how Oscar hectored his wife tor
the money it was so hard for Evelyn
to get. Another tljing sh* fiad come
to understand was that, if Oscar had
not been afraid of the powerful Rob
ertson family, he would have forced
Evelyn Into his home long before this.
It had been a hard two years’ task to
keep him quiet. / ^
“Mebbe you are gettln’ sick, Oscar,”
she interposed. “I don’t know—-
mebbe; but you know what that old
“l Didn't Azk You for Monoy.”
the first time I get sight of her."' She
glared up at him like a cornered ani
mal. "I said Fd tell Eve. I’ll do more
than that! I’ll put old woman Rob
ertson next to your coppin’ her kl<f
an’ marryln’ ’er.”
Oscar’s fingers relaxed, and his hand
dropped away from her arm as a
rough laugh left his Ups. She looked
so lovely, her eyes blazing, her curls
tumbled in confusion on her shoulders,
that he would have taken Ids pay for
the milk without her permission If she
had not thrown at him a threat he
feared she would carry out. /
“Men’s kisses are what you’ll get,
my pretty lass," he predicted grimly,
“and If I was finished with Eve, by
God, I’d set about getting my share.
I won’t always be married to my lady
Robertson, mind you, Follydp.’*
The blood had left his face. He
was quite white and stent, and by this
time Polly was on the porch.
“’Taln’t so easy to get unmarried
as ’tls to get married," she told him.
"An’ me! I’m Just Daddy Hopkins'
brat, an' I don’t want any kisses but
hls’n. Fd let Jerry’s tongue *o twist
for milk before Fd pay for it with—
with—" .
turned back Into the boose. ♦ Peg the
moment he paused In the kitchen; be
could hear hla old mother pottering
about overhead In his bedroom. x She
was doing the work his wife ought to
do! What a fool he had been to marry
Evelyn Robertson! 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 ham.
Polly Hopkins ran down the lane a*
fast as her legs could carry her. The
milk was safe In the hucket. and she
had scarcely reached the railroad
tracks before she had decided not to
mention Oscar’s vicious demand upon
her. If she told Daddy Hopkins, he
would do some harm to Bennett, and
there would be no more eggs and milk
for Granny and Jerry. If she spoke
of it to Evelyn, there was no telling
what the girl would do.
I The tangle-haired 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
hat ran along the Lehigh Valley
and on down the lakeside.
Unchuth and ignorant were Jere
miah and his kind, and visitors who
came to the ittile city of Ithaca agreed
with the town’s inhabitants that It
was. a shame the law allowed such a
blot as the Silent City uppn the nat
ural beauty of Cayuga andltamajea-
tic surroundings. \
Pollyop stood shivering, her ^roubleMv
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 hit nets when
ever the game wardens were not
shout. Without the lake and Its hid
den food. It would be a desolate world
Indeed, t
Wee Jerry was Polly’s flve-yesr-old
brother, and long before he could
walk, he had chosen his father’s big
shoulders upon which to heat his way
through an unfriendly and often hun
gry world. Rut this same world which
had wizened Jerry had given to Polly
a wild beauty, a body strong and as
pliant as a marsh reed.
With a sigh Pollyop turned to the
house. The door was shut against the
storm, and a thin curl of smoke
twisted upward from the toppling
chimney, losing Itself In the haby
leaves of the willows. The little lines
that had traced the troubled brow
vanished at the sight of a slab of
wood over the ^nor. On It was paint
ed In crude letters: “If your heart ia
loving and kind come right In. If It
ain’t, smot off." . Pollyop and Granny
Hope had worked a long time to make
this sign, and even longer to nail lls
up.
“It’ll help the Silent City folks.
Granny." aha had aaid. “ ’Specially,
If I amlle a lot at ’em."
She flung open the door and went
In, closing It behind her. In one cor
ner cf 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 dawllke fingers.
Munching on a hit of hay at the
wood-box* was a lean goat, an old
friend of Polly Hopkins. Long ago
she had found him, loat In the wilder
ness of the Storm country, and had
brought him to the Silent City.
'The shanty Constated of three rooms.
Back of the kitchen Daddy Hopkins
slept, snd in the miserable coop-h<Ue
where Polly had once stored rubbish
Granny Hope stretched out her weary
hones at night. Polly’s bed ranged
the kitchen wall, and the room had
but a bench, two old chairs and a
three-legged table to offer in rude hos
pitality.
“I wheedled a little milk from Os-
^car, Granny," said the girl. “Goddy,
but he’s stingy!”
She put down the pail, went to the
stove and thrust a piece of wood into
it. * .
"Wood’s as wet as hell," she com
plained. almost as if she had spoken
to herself.
The old woman stirred aud lifted
her withered lids. *
“Hell qln’t w-et," she muttered. “It’s
dry an’ warm—hot, l mean," and she
shivered, drawing nearer the firfe*
“ ’Taln’t like .this lakeside." V
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 It
she had lived alone ever since her hus
band had gone down In the Big Blow,
a stonn that was a tradition In the
settlement, and which otrty the oldest
inhabitants of the Silent City could
remember.
TWO NIUO IN EXPIOSIOII
Barnatt Griffin Olss at HoefTltat In
Columbia—Details of Gaston Saw
' Mill Tragedy Meagre.
Columbia.—Barnett Griffin, of Gas
ton, died at the Baptist hospital as the
result of Injuries received iu a holier
explosion which .also instantly killed
Griffin’s brother and injured a third
man. Ba-natt Griffin was only about
15 years old.
The explosion was that of the boiler
of & saw mill at Gaston where, ac
cording to the information reaching
Columbia, the two Griffin boys and
several Other persons were working
at the time. A piece of flying debris
struck Barnett Griffin in the head,
fracturing his skull, while his left
arm was also lacerated severely. The
explosion also caused a .deep burn
about the abdomen.
Barnett Grlffjn was brought to the
Baptist hospital where he underwent
an operation in a vain effort to save
his life, living only about £>alf an hour
after his arrival here.
Young Griffin’s brother was almost
instantly killed by th# explosion, ac
cording to the information received In
Columbia, while a third young man
was almost completely buried beneath
the debris to escape with minor hurts.
Outlines Program for Convention.
Sumter.—Poet O of the T. P. A. gave
a smokef for its members for the pur
pose of considering plans for the state
convention which will be held in Sum
ter May 4 and 5. The smoker was
held at the Y. M. C. A. building and
the repast was served by the high
school “Y" girls. H. L. Scarborough,
who is president of the local post,
placed before the members a tentative
program which he had outlined and
which had been approved by various
posts and members to whom he has
submitted It over the state. The prin
cipal features of this program are n
compact business session for the first
day. with a lunch at mid-day, a chicken
stew late In the afternoon and an en
tertainment that evening; for the sec
ond day a short business sesion that
will eaable up-country delegates to
takp the noon train for their homes.
•Old Marc had a beautiful
angei with him.*’
Oscar sprang at her. She was so
Mias Robertson woukF** to ytffr nif tahftffztngff airuring even
her girl If you. told. You’d get Eve,
mebbe, but you sure wouldn’t get any
more money.”
The man’s frfire darkened.
‘That’s. Just the rub." he conceded,
“hut at that Eve^ ain’t playing square
with me.The Robertsons have money
to burn, and she deals it out to me In
small little dollars. I tell yon I’m sick
of the whole thing."
in her grotesque attire that for the
moment be forgot bfe had reason to
fear her. *
“FI! kiss you. anyway." he snarled,
but Polly r fleht-footed and afraid, shot
from the porch and reached the lane,
the milk dashing against the cover of
the pail.
The man halted, looking after her.
, With g shrug of hla shoulders he
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
' • fa.'.
v The Fourth Estate.
The expression “the fourth estate,"
referring to newspaper workers, is
credited to Edmund Burke, who la
QW&ed ln ’P'lMfjVllifj
tore on “Heroes and Hero Worship” as
saying. “There are three estates in
parliament, but In the reporters’ gal
lery yonder there sits a fourth estate,
more Important far than they all."
This was in 1839. In this country
where class dlstincthms are not Jhade
poiltl -ally little ever ia heard af the
three estates—*he nobility, the clergy
and the people—but the term “fount
estate" It comparatively
This will fix
^ my cold
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New Disci _
For Colds and Cou^i
Stubborn Bowels Tamed. Lcwv-
ing the bowels unmoved results ia
health destruction. Let the gently
stimulating Dr. King's Pills bring ta
you a regular, normal bowel functioa*
mg. 25 cents. All druggists.
* * w-wu
King’
Bank in Opur** 1 *"-
Anderaon—The Cltlseda’ Bank of
Hones Path opened Its doors after be
ing closed for almost a month. The
directors are optimistic about the fu
ture of the bank, and tendered a vote
of thanks to James Craig, state bank
examiner, and his assistants In reop
ening the Institution During the
first hour after the hank reopened de
posits amounted to t&.000. The old de
positors guaranteed to leave their de
posits in the bank for a yaar.
Regrettable Error.
The battalion waa in camp. TeatB
had been pitched and ail made ship
shape.
The cooks had lit their fires rad
dixies were simmering sweetly. 7 1 -
Tlte sergeant _ major made hlB
rounds.
“Tripe and unyuns for supper," ha
said. "Get the tripe ready."
One of the cooks looked up in ear-
prise.
“But where’s the trotpe, rirT* hq
asked.
“Hanging, up on that tent pels," waa
the reply.
“Lor*," said the cook, “an* I Jrat
been wiping roe ’anda on 111 Tort tt
was a dirty towel."—London
Paradoxical ReeuK.
“Did she succeed in her
making?" “Yea. and yet she
sweet mesa of it."
We do not beMeT*L{hat the klcHef
a cow Is the moat acceptable form of
milk ponoh.
-t—
Hundreds at Work on Bridge.
Charleston —The scene at the atta
of the Santpe river bridge and tbo ap
proaches thereto ia a very busy one
at present, with something like 100
men at work, and the big construction
project is shaping np very well, the
prospects being that the bridge will
be completed about this time next
year. Work on the substructure, on
the piling and on the filling ia pro
ceeding rapidly and the substructure
is approximately threeTourths finish
ed. it is estimated. Work oa this end
of the project has been slowed up a
bit because of the high water, but that
has not hindered activity on the shore
ends. The Slmons-Mayrant company
has this constrnction In charge. It is
of Interest to note that material for
ttre superstructure or bridge proper,
is’arriving and the Atlantic Bridge Co.,
contractors, will in due time com
mence work on this feature of the
project
Local Agent* Wanted
i« mu ft Hick cumm rwiiy asftf >—a
lift* •< Stlvvrwftr* SlPMt trwa Cftfttftry ta
•atrft 1 ■ r—«cm*nt of M M far aampiao w-
OftlroS which will So r«faftdw<S (So to
lar* of mmpUt to Lrft*au«rf oSoo Live
ftftonto mako Mg moftojr Prod It gtwoa for to-
poftt ordoro Writ* for forth or oortleoloro to
VmoiKlA SJL1
twang coiiPAjrT
Killed by Automobile.
Anderson, r— Abraham Paletz was
struck by an automobile and died from
his Injuries shortly after he was taken
to a hospital. The car was driven by
Henry Hill, young white man from
Equinox mill. Charlie Hill. Raymond
Morris and two other men. named Hel
ler and Freeman, are being held at the
county Jail. These four men are said
to have been in the car.
SLOW
DEATH
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Train Kills Two Mules.
• Fort Mill. — Southern railway pas
senger train No. 114, northbound, and
due in Fort Mill about uoon, ran into
a team at Spratt street crossing, kill
ing the two mules and demolishing the
wagon which was loaded with wood,
while the driver. Tom Smith, narrowly
escaped with his life. ^
Cuticura Soap
The Velvet Touch
For the Skin
Selllhg Sweet Potatoes.
Manning. — The Manning curing
house shipped 560 crates of sweet po
tatoes. These potatoes were sold by
the South Carolina Sweet Potato as
sociation to a firm in Washington and
brwa-ht a fancy price, showing de
cidedly the value of co-operative mar
keting. The grading and packing of
the crates were under the supervision
of L. H. Lewis, marketing agent of the
extension forces. Large numbers of
farmers observed the manner in
which the potatoes were handled and
gained much valuable information.
Pot Discusses Marketing Plan.
. ^ Newberry.—Clarence Poe, editor of
The Progressive Fanner, addressed a
court house here. The court honue
could not accommodate all who had
come to hear this student of agricul
tural problems. His suf^ect^as the
cooperative marketing or pool lug of
cotton in connection with the
paign being pressed over the state.
PLUG TOBACCO
Known as
‘Tryit-andyou.
will know why
ChillTonic -