The Colorado statesman., 1919-07-26

his leisurely boyhood days and later
through his teens when he helped his
father at the old sawmill on the side
of 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 sloping
hillside. But he's as steady as the
river. 1t goes down and 1t amt good
for nothin' half the year, but when 1t
does start off 1t makes up for lost
time"
The other boys at school had nick
named him Eleventh Hour Pete" as
soon as they discovered his propensity
for landing right at the last minute.
Just before the bell rang at nine
Randy's bare feet would get over the
doorsill of the entry. Just a minute
before the teacher was ready to mark
him down a failure, he would spell the
word right, and as Elva laughingly
said Just when a girl thought he
didn't have nerve enough to kiss a rag
baby, he'd grab you around the neck
and kiss you rougher than any of the
other boys" And Elva was somewhat
of q judge when 1t came to methods,
even at twelve.
Reckon you'll marry Elviry Wilson
some day, won't you, Randy?" his
mother would ask tentatively, and
Randy'd look self-conscious and dodge
the direct issue with a smile. But all
the years at home Elva had led his
fancy by golden cord. Just 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 1t 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 at the Knob prOphesying
Elva would marry somebody else while
he was gone, and asking why on
earth he hadn't taken her, when she
was willing.
"Of course I'd 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 to,
didn't he? Randy isn't the sort to
marry a girl so as to give her an
allotment and then run the chance
of leaving her a widow" Elva's big
eyes were bright with anger. "And,
say, Tuck, just because you're over
age is no reason why you can't en-
list. They're taking them In the ma
rines, you know, bigger and older
than you are"
Two years later Tuck drove down
to the county seat after n marriage
license. No news had come from
Randy after the first year, and he had
been reported missing after the big
spring drive. When the troops began
coming home, Elva watched every day
for news of him, but the days passed
and months until Tuck found her in a
tired, helpless mood one day. Her
father had had stroke after one of
his usual election fights. Election on
Rocky Knob was something more than
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
60 IN
Tits.
But this day they had carried him
hack I'D the mountain a quiet, imp
old figure, and Elva had cared for
him Tuck came daily. In his way
he was gentle and tactful, and the
iudpe liked him. There were three
hundred and some odd acres of land
to look after, and all the timber be-
sides.
"rm gone by, Elva," he said. bet
ter get q man you can trust TO LOOK
after things. Tuck's right next to u.s.
and he's been a good neighbor. give
my consent right now"
But Randy may come back"
"He amt never had the gumpuon
to ask you, has he? Amt you got any
pride at all for a girl that don't nave
to pick up with the first one that
comes along2"
Elva had WINGED, and when TUCK
asked her again that night, she had
nodded YEARLY.
"Only just one thing, Tuck" she
added with a flash of her old spirit.
81 think ought to tell you this. There
amt any man on earth ever can be
to me what Randy was"
"Well, guess l don't have to worry
over that. He amt on EARTH" he
told her slowly.
"He's never been listed dead"
Tuck toed the ground industriously
and looked at the pattern he traced.
az didn't want to tell you, but Har-