The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-05-03
ElW Of PllEY MloB
ox SYLVIA TURNER.

dcpoSiting her on the lonely. narr""
PLATFORM. and Slipped AVA! into The
shahowy mountain distances.
Expecting anybody to meet you:"
She turned with IL little start al the
cheerful voice. and faced Hiram B"f-
fat. general factotum around the sta
ton.
NO. hardly" she answered nerv-
ously. Il can hire some sort OF CON
veyance. I presume
well. l don't know where. ma ram"
said Hiram eenially. II not reassur-
ingly. Ben Lathrop keeps a horse.
but he lives over the edge of the
mountain. and the mex, best is old
Jake's mule. II he's home and sober.
like as not he'd take you where you
want to 20. Going very far:"
II want to 20 to Mr.. Fallows home: :
Mr.. Jerrold FallOws."
The mule took Its. own time. and II
was nearly s 30 before Jake pulled up
before a mountain shack. just as the
morning sun broke in glory over the
crest of Piney Knob. At the two win
dowS hung white Scrim curtains. with
glimpse of Towering gernniumS nlon:
The sill. And from the back came a
full. girlish cOntraltO voice singing
joyously.
That's Elvy." said Jake. Got uice
singing pipes, ain't she?"
Then in the cool mountain morning
air Jerry Fallows' mother and the girl
he loved. Elvy Of Piney Knob. met for
the first time. She was just girl.
not more than eighteen. but with the
mountain spirit about her.
won't you step inside and sit by
the fire. where it's warm?"
Elvy's soft, rich, southern voice was
beautiful. Unconsciously Mrs. FAIL
lows breathed a sigh of relief. Jerry
surely had n good excuse for falling
so ridiculously In love, at any rate.
"Jerryll be awfuly glad to see you
when he comes home" Elvy knelt to
put on some fresh. dry wood under
the big back log. Hes just gone up
to the wood lot after load"
II am glad he Is not here" Mrs.
Fallows sat upright. 1t was not
pleasant tnsk that had brought her to
the mountains. II think you are the
one to decide for him."
III" Queried Elvy. sitting down on
the round braided rug In surprise.
"Why?"
You know. Of course, Jerry would
never have remained here In this will
derness II he had not met you. He was
sent down by his uncle's lumber inter
ests to look the ground over and re-
port on conditions. Later, he was put
in charge Of the cutting out Of timber
ut his own request. The next we
heard was that he was married"
"And you never even sent one little
word back to him." said Elvy, softly.
dreamily almost, gazing into the crack
ling fire. II don't see how you could
have done that to him."
''Don't your" the older woman's face
hardened. after you had raised a
son, your only one, built all your hopes
and ambitions on his future, and then
at twenty-five, he married a-a-"
"Just a mountain girl like met"
"Yes. Could you understand and
forgive him?"
II guess when you really love. you
can forgive most anything"
Possibly" with bitter little laugh.
Il could not. You have been married
now for a year. came down to Jerry
with his fathers word Of forgiveness.
He is willing to overlook all the past,
and take him back. give him an as.
sured career, and make up to him for
this mIsspent year. But you must
stay behind him here, and If you really
do love him, you will think Of him
first. Give him a year or two back In
his own world. II when he is success
full and really grown man. he
sent to It."
Elvy rose slowly. Then without
word, she went into the next room.
Mrs. Fallows waited. 1t had been
hard, but not as though Jerry himself
had ben there to argue with. The girl
was proud. She would surely let him
go. And then behind her she heard
Elvy's football, and turned her head.
Proud and silent she stood there. a
world of love In her eyes. and In her
arms Jerry's flrst-born
Hes only a month DID," she said.
gently. But he's the reason why l
couldn't ask Jerry to 60 away and
leave u.s."
1t was little past ten when Jerry
drove down the road with his load Of
wood. When he entered the kitchen
he stood amazed. With one Of Elvy's
big aprons on her, his mother sat be-
fore the fire bathing Jerry. Jr.. her
face radiant with contentment. She
laughed as she put up her face for a
kiss.
"Oh, Jerry" she said. isn't he won
derful9"
Jerry knelt before them both. his
eyes full of fun. Was this his con-
servative, worldly little mother from
New York?
stNuAx, ho eof<J v,,ttj,,, bfs