The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-07-26
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(Copyright 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)

( L.se2en~N1sNs$SsSeS 9sS%%~S~~S$s$0"F
/ (Copyright. 1919 by the Mcclure News
paper SyndlcateD
/ They had called him "EI"V"nlh Hour
Pete" at home long before he mad ever
zone into training camps all through
his leiSurely boyhOod days and later
through his teens when he helped ms
'uther at the old saWmiiI on the side
If Rocky Knob
"Randy's purity SLOW going" Old Hal
sey would say, watching his over
grown, lanky son toss slabs out the
side door to the big pile on the sloplng
hillside. But he's as steady as the
liver. 1t goes down and it amt good
tOr nOthin half the year, but when II
Toes start off it makes up for lost
! lime"
The other boys at school had nick
named him eleventh Hour Pete as
soon as they discovered his propensity
| 'or landing right at the last minute
Just before the bell rang at nine,
|
| Randy'S bare feet would get over the
1oofSlii Oh the entry just " ihiii"'e
| before the teacher was ready to mark
him down a failure, he would spell the
"ord flSHl' anu aS Hi," i""e, iinS''
I"I"' Just "iloii " gu ''lou7'''
''u'' navy '''' W ''''"7l' 49,. ,.'E,
'''D' ~ v s'''" 'I' ',lo'''' II ~,
'n" ,'i.'' w." ,5 N.Y. ' .n,,,o,.H,at
- ; nG|.' ,,.,,n, - aa,,n 20 Methods
49, '1' 2....I,, ',>'' >'''
=. -, ... WEI.
,on,o Gov WON'T Wv, DonGvq" his
mother vonld osI, tentatively and
pondv,a Inol, soIr.conscionc and dodro
4ha direct Issue with q smile Rut All
tbn voorS ot homo FIvo had led his
fancy by = golden cord, lust the sight
Of her dancing ahead along the coun-
try road was enough. Her hair was
red, not bright carroty red, but a shiny
sort of chestnut and it hung in long,
thin, home-tended curls below her
waist. Then her eyes were hazel, cats
eyes, the other girls called them, and
there was provocative lift to her up
per lip that started even Randy's slow
blood to moving faster.
Yet he enlisted without asking her
to marry him, and went overseas with
everybody ut the Knob prOphesying
/ ElVa would marry somebody else While
he was gone, and asking why on
earth ne. hadnt taken her, when she
was wiling.
''Ot course Id marry Randy" she
said fatty and proudly, when they
teaSed her about him. "Why not?
He's the only fellow on the mountain
with any good looks or nerve"
Didn't have nerve enough to ask
you, just the same" Tuck Phillips
Chuckled.
"He had nerve enough NOT 70
didn't he? Randy. isn't the sort TO
marry girl so as TO give her an
allotment and then run the chance
of leaving her a widow" EIva's big
eyes were bright with anger Sand
say, Tuck, Just because you're over
age is No reason wbv Won oor,+ ~
list. They're taking them in the ma
rines, you know, bigger and older
than you are"
Two wears later Tuck drove down
to the county seat after marriage
license. No news had come from
Randy after the first wear, and he had
been reported missing after the hip
Snrinp drive Whom tho troons ho,,o,,
coming home, Elva watched every dav
for news of him, but the DAYS passed
and months until Tuck found her IN q
tired, helpless mood one day. Her
father had had a stroke after one Of
his usual election fights. Election on
ROCKY Knob was something more than
a mere form Of government. 1t was
the one day in the year when custom
almost commanded all loyal citizens
to uphold their personal principles
and prejudices against all corners, and
the Judge was famous for his election
Tits.
But this day they had carried him
back up the mountain a quiet, limp
old figure. and Elva had cared for
him. Tuck came daily. In his way
he was gentle and tactful, and tho
judge liked him. There were three