Summary
In an era of burgeoning industrial ambition, George Castleman, a driven engineer, secures a monumental railroad project in the rugged Western expanse. His eager return to share this life-altering news with his wife, Mildred, is met not with reciprocal enthusiasm, but with the casual indifference of a woman entrenched in urban frivolities. Mildred, a creature of comfort and societal graces, dismisses George's vision of a shared future in the untamed frontier, effectively choosing her bridge games and city amusements over the pioneering spirit of her spouse. Thus, George embarks on his solitary odyssey, the echo of Mildred's dismissive 'When you want to see me, you can easily come home' a bitter refrain against the backdrop of a vast, indifferent wilderness.
The arduous task of taming the mountains for the railway unfolds slowly. Amidst this epic endeavor, a tender, unexpected connection blossoms between George and Zell, a young woman of the hills, whose innocent fascination with the marvels of modernity—trains, tracks, steam shovels—belies a profound lonesomeness. Following the tragic demise of her grandfather, Zell and George find solace in their shared solitude, forging a bond that transcends their disparate worlds. Months later, the stark divergence of their lives reaches its zenith: George and Zell welcome a child into their humble mountain abode, their love a testament to authentic connection amidst adversity.
Concurrently, back in the city's gilded cage, Mildred, ensnared by the machinations of the manipulative society man Morgan, initiates divorce proceedings against George. Driven by avarice and a misguided desire for 'evidence,' Mildred and Morgan journey to the wilderness, their pursuit of George culminating in a catastrophic carriage accident. Their untimely deaths, a grim twist of fate, free George from the bonds of his previous life. The 'boomerang' of fate, set in motion by Mildred's initial refusal to embrace George's world, returns with devastating finality, clearing the path for George to embrace a life of genuine love and contentment with Zell and their child, a family forged in the crucible of the frontier.
Synopsis
George Castleman, an engineer, succeeds in securing the supervision of a big railroad in the west. He hurries home to tell the good news to Mildred, his wife. As usual she is at the Bridge Club, or other place of amusement, but being so full of his good luck he phones her to come home at once. However, she continues to play her game of bridge for another hour. An hour later she enters with excuses to George, who allows her kisses to make it all right. He eagerly tells her the news and she is delighted, but when he talks of her going with him, she says: "Surely you do not expect me to go with you?" He laughingly explains that it is not tor a few months, but for years; that it is a big railroad. But she persists in her refusal to go with him. He makes arrangements for the trip, and goes off alone to face the wilderness, with Mildred's words ringing in his ears, "When you want to see me, you can easily come home." George reaches the west and the building of the road begins in earnest, but it is slow work in the mountainous country. One day Dan Holden, while sitting in front of his hut in the mountains, with his little grandchild Zell, sees in the distance the railroad crew breaking through the forest. As they draw nearer and nearer, day by day, both are fascinated by the work, never before having seen cars, tracks or steam shovels. Zell is attracted to George and he somewhat to her. However, he explains to her that he is married but she persists in seeing him, if only to cheer him up. One day, while returning from watching the men at work, old Mr. Holden falls and seriously injures himself. George carries him to his hut but the injury is too much for the aged man to survive and he dies two days later. Lonesome, Zell shares her lonesomeness with that of the engineer. Months later, strange are the happenings in the little mountain hut and also in the beautiful home in the city. Zell is a real little mother, being called the little mother of the hills, and George is bending over, looking at their new born babe with true love and happiness. On the other hand, Mildred has met a man named Morgan, a flirtatious society man, who has designs upon her and urges her to bring divorce proceedings against her husband. Leaving the city to get evidence against George, Morgan and Mildred arrive at the little village, leaving in a coach for George's hut. The driver, a half-witted chap, driving carelessly around a curve, drove his wagon and occupants over the edge of a cliff, losing his life as well as killing both passengers. The news was a terrible shock to George, but after directing his men to give the three unfortunates as decent burial as the little mountain place could afford, he was at liberty to consider Zell's love for him in a different light with the result that after marrying the little mother of the hills, he continues his work content at last that his wife and babe are worthy of his sacrifice.
