The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-07-05
ElW OF nnEy KNOB
By SYLVIA TURNER.


Mrs. Fallows alighted from the lit
tie local train as sole passenger for
DeerfOOt. The train went on. after
depositing her on the lonely. narrow
platform. and slipped away into the
shadowy mountain distances.
Expecting anybody to meet your
She turned with little start at the
cheerful voice, and faced Hiram BOf-
fat. general factotUm around the sta
tiOn.
mo, hardly" she answered. nerv-
Ously. 81 can hire some sort OF con
veyance. ! presume"
well. | don't know where ma'am, "
said Hiram genially. If not renSSur-
ingy. Ben Lathrop keeps horse.
but he lives over the edge OF the
mountain. and the next best is old
Jake's mule. If he's home and sober,
like as not he'd take you where you
want to 60 Going very far?"
~ want to go to Mr.. Fallows home :
Mr.. Jerrold Fallows."
The mule took its own time. and 1t
was nearly $50 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
a glimpse of Towering geraniums along
the sill. And from the back came a
full. gtrish contraito voice singing
jOyously.
That's Elvy." said Jake Got nice
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 a girl,
not more than eighteen. but with the
mountain spirit about her.
wont you step inside and ST. by
the fire. where it's warm?"
Elvy's soft rich. southern voice was
beautiful. UnconScouSly Mrs. Fa!
lows breathed sigh of relief. Jerry
surely had good excuse for falling
so ridiculouSly In love. at any rate.
"Jerry'll be awfuly glad to see you
when he comes home" Elvy kneit to
put on some fresh, dry wood under
the big back log. Hes Just gone up
to the wood lot after load"
~ am glad he is not here" Mrs.
Fallows sat upright. 1t was not a
pleasant task that had brought her to
one to decide for him."
"I?" quered Elvy. sitting down on
the round braided rug in surprise.
"Why?"
You know, Of course. Jerry would
never have remained here In this viii
derness If he had not met you. He was
sent down by his unclc'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
word back to him." said Elvy, softly,
dreamily almost, gazing into the crack
ling fire. "I don't see how you could
have done that to him"
i''h Spu tiC ol'itI Nblliih > IiEG
hardened. after you had raised
son, your only one, built all your hopes
and ambitions on his future. and then
at twenty-five, he married a-n-"
"Just mountain girl like me?"
"Nes. Could you understand and
forgive him?"
II guess when you really love. you
can forgive most anything"
POSSIBLY" with bitter little laugh.
81 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 misspent year. But you must
stay behind him here, and if you really
do love him, you will think of him
first. Give him year or two back in
full and really a grown man. he
chooses TO return to you, we will con.
sent to It,"
Elvv rose slowly. Then without a
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 f1rst-horn.
Hes only month old" she said
gently. But he's the reason why I
couldn't ask Jerry to go away and
leave u.s."
II was little past ten when Jerry
NyOyo dOu.O no rnoI n,f<h III.