The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-05-11
ELW OF PINEY KNOB
BY SYLVIA


depositing her on the lonely, narrow
platform, and slipped away into the
shadowy mountain distances.
Expecting anybody to meet your
She turned with a little start at the
cheerful voice, and faced Hiram Bot
fat, general factotum around the sta
ton.
mo, hardly" she answered, nerv-
ously. II can hire some sort of con-
veyance, I presume"
"Well I don't know where, ma'am,"
said Hiram genially, If not reassur-
ingly. Ben Lathrop keeps a 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 go. Going very far"
81 want to go to Mr.. Fallows' home;
Mr.. Jerrold Fallows."
The mule took it's own time, and 1t
was nearly 80 before Jake pulled up
before q mountain shack, just as the
morning sun broke in glory over the
crest Of Piney Knob. At the two win
Vows UuuR WIltc SCLllu Sul loihos VAeh
a glimpse of Towering geraniums along
the sill. And from the back came a
full, girlish contralto voice singing
joyously.
"That's Elvy," said Jake. "Got nice
singing pipes, amt 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 sit by
the fire, where it's warm?"
Elvy's soft, rich, southern voice was
beautiful. Unconsciously Mrs. Fall
lows breathed a sigh of relief. Jerry
surely had a good excus for falling
so %ridiculously In love, at any rate.
"Jerry'll be awfuly glad to see you
when he comes home" Elvy knelt to
put on some fresh, dry wood unde
the big back log. Hes just gone up
to the wood lot after a load"
81 am glad he Is not here" Mrs.
Fallows sat upright. 1t was not a
pleasant task that had brought her to
the mountains. II think you are the
one to decide for him."
"I?" 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 If he had not met you. He was
1a-+ Jo,,a ~, b;c ,1nolo,c Yunha iptor-
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 wen sent one little
word back to him." said Elvy, softly,
dreamily almost, gazing into the crack
ling fire. 81 don't see how you could
have lone that to him."
"Don't your" the older woman's face
hardened. "After o had raised a
son, you 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 me?"
Eyes. Could you understand and
forgive him?"
81 guess when you really love, you
can forgive most anything"
POSSIBLY" with a bitter little laugh.
81 could not. You have been married
now for a year. l 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
60 love him, you will think of him
first. Give him a year or two back in
his own world. If when he is success
full and really a grown man, he
chooses to return to you, we will con-
sent to it."
Elvy 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
vas proud. She would surely let him
go. And Their 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.
"He's only a month DID," she said,
gently. "But he's the reason why I
couldn't ask Jerry to go away and
leave u.s."
1t was q 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-