The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-25
Erskine Dale Pioneer
By3JoHN FOX JR,
Copyright 1915, 1890 by Charles scribner's sons,
BY JOHN FOX JR.

Il hoped you would say that. I
did but he shook his head"
Poor 'Erskiner she whispered,
and her tears. came. Her father
leaned buck and for q moment
closed his eyes.
There is more,' he said finally.
"ErskiHe's father was the eldest
brother-and Red Oaks"
The girl sprang 70 her feet, ago.
ntzed, shamed; Belongs to Er.
skiue;" she finished with her face
In her hands. "God pity me-" she
whispered. u drove him from his
own homo.n
NO" said th old general with a
No" said the old general with a
barb deep, but sooner or later II
had 10 be done.
Look here!" He pulled an old
piece OF paper from his pocket
and handed 1t to her. Her vide
eyes fell upon a rude boyish
scrawl and rude drawing OF a
buffalo pierced by an arrow:
ut mako me laugh. / have no
use. l give hole dam pIantashun
Barbara"
"oh, gasped the girl and them
where she .
Voting at Williamsburg TO get
his discharge She rushed swift.
ly down the steps. calling:
"Ephraim! Ephraiml"
And ten minutes later the hap.
ry, grlnning Ephraim, mounted on
the thoroughbred, was speeding
chosd Of n whirlwlnd OF dust with
a little scented note in Ills tattered
SLOUGH hat:
You said you would come when.
ever l wanted you. want you to
come now.-BARBARA.
The girl would not go to bed,
and the old general from his win,
dow saw her like somo white spir.
It OF the night motiotlless on the
porch. And there through tho
long hours she sat. The dawn
camo and with It Ephraim. The
Girl waited where she was. Eph.
rain took of his battered hat.
"Marse Erskt1e done gone, Miss
Barbary," he said brokenly. He
done gone two days"
The girl said nothing, and there
tho old general found her still mo.
tionless-the torn bits OF her note
and the torn bits OF Erskine's
serawling deed scatter about her
XIV :
On the summit Of Cumberland
Gap Erskine Eale faced FREELY
east and looked his last on the
forests that swept unbroken back
to the river James.
That winter he made his clear.
ing on the land that Dave Yandell
had picked out for him, and IN the
cehter OF It threw up rude log
hut In which to house his mother,
for his remembrance OF her made
him believe that she would prefer
10 i've alone.
In the carly spring, when he
brought his mother home, she said
that Black Wolf had escaped and
gone farther into tho Wilderness
that Early Morn had gone with
him.
Erskine, not knowing that Bar.
baro was on her way TO find him,
started on huntins.trip. In a few
days Barbara arrived and found
his mother unable to leave her bed
and Lydia Noe sitting beside her.
Barbara was dlsmayed by EFT.
skine's absence and his mothers
look Of suffering and extreme
weakness, and the touch Of her cold
fingers.
There was no way OF reaching
herr son, she saId--he did not know
OF her Illness. Barbara told her
Of ErskIne's giving her his inherit.
itancc, and that she had come 10
return II.
Meanwhile Erskine, haunted by
his mothers sad faco, had turned
homeward. To his bewilderment
he Iound Barbara at his mothers
bedside. A glance ut their faces
told him that death was near.
His mother held out her hand to
him while still holding BarDara's
As 10 q dream, he bent over TO kiss
her. and with a last effort she
Joined their hands, claspinE both,
a great peace transformed her
face as she slowly looked at Bar,
bara and then up at Erskine. With
Uigh her head sank lower, and
her lovely dimming eyes passed In
10 tho final dark.
Two days later they were mar,
r!ed.
In the silonce that fell. Erskiue
spoke OF tho ITO before them. OF
lts hardshipB and dangers, and
then Of the safety snd comfort Of
Virginia. Barbara smiled:
"You choose the wilderness, and
your choice is mine. We will
She flushed suddenly and bent her
head.
ITO those who come after US, "
finished Erskine.
THE END