The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-02-08
ELW OF PIHEY KNOB
sy SYLVIA TURNER.

Mrs. FailOws allghted from the III
tie local train IS sole passenger foi
Deerfoot. The train vent on after
deglositing her on The lonely. varroU
platform. and slipped away into the
shed0wy mountain distances
Expecting anybody 70 meet youY
She turned wifh 3 little start az the
cheerful VOICE. and faced Hiram Bof-
fat. general factotum around the sta
lion.
-No. hardly she answered, ugrv-
ously. Il can hire some sort Of con-
yeyance, I presBme.~
swell. I don't know where ma'am,"
said Hiram genialiy. II not reassur-
ingly. Ben Lathrop keeps e horse
but be lives over the edge Of the
mountrin. and the next best Is old
Jake's mule. II he's kome and sober,
IKE as no, Red .ake you where you
want 10 60. Going very fsfr
4 want 10 90 70 Mr. FaIloHs home;
Mr. Jerrold Fsllows-"
The mule took rs own time. and Il
was nearly s 30 before Jake pulled Up
before a mountain shack. jus; as She
morning sun broke in glory over the
crest Of Piney Knob. AT the. two win
dows hung white scrim curtains. with
u n glimpse Of lowering geraniums along
the sill And from the back came q
full, girlish contralto voice singing
ioyousIy
That's Eivy." said Jake. ~Got nice
singing plpes. alnt shef"
Then IN the cool mountain morning
air Jerry Fallows' mother and the girl
he loved. Eivy Of Piney Knob. met for
the first time. She was just girl
not more than eighteen. but With the
mountain spirit about her.
Wont you step inside and sit By
the fire. where It's warmf
EIvy's soft, rich. southern voice was
beautiful. Unconsciousiy Mrs. Fal-
lows breathed a sigh Of relief. Jerry
surely had a good excuse for falling
50 ridiculOusly IN love, at any rate.
"Jerry1l be awfuiy glad to see you
when he comes home" Elyy knelt 10
Put on some fresh. dry wood under
the big back log. He's Just gone up
TO the wood lot after a load"
Il am glad he IS not here" Mrs.
Fallows sat upright It was not
pleasant task that had brought her to
the mountains. II think you are the
one 10 decide for him.
"I?r queried Elvy, sitting down on
the round braided rug In surprise.
~whyY
"You know, Of course Jerry would
never have remained here tn 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 |
at his own request. The next we
heard was that he was married"
And you never even sent one little I
word back 70 him" said Elvy, sqftly. /
drcamily almost, gazing into the crack
ling fire. Il 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 4
at twenty-five, he married a--a-"
Just a mountain girl Ike mel"
"Yes. Could you understand and
forgive him7"
4 guess when you really love, You
can forgive most anything"
Possibly" with bitter little laugh. n
Il could not You have been married
now for 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 mlsspent ar. 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 "a
his own world. If when he is success
ful and really grown man. be
chooses to return to you, we win con-
sent to IT,"
Elvy rose slowly. Then without a
word, she went into the next room.
Mrs Fallows waited. It had been
AHAAf uuA noA a. tAVutA Jerry HtuhtlA
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 frst-born.
Hes only a month old" she said.
gently. "But he's the reason Why /
couldn't ask Jerry to 90 away and
leave u.s."
II was a little past ten when Jerry
drove down the road with his load or
wood When he entered the kitchen
he stood amazed. With one Of Elvy's
zig aprons on her, his mother sat he
'ore the fire bathing Jerry Jr.. her
ace radiant with contentment. She
aughed as she put Up her face for a
Kiss
"Oh. jerry" she said. isn't he won.
Ierfulf"
Jerry kuelt before them both. his