The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-12
MILLY.

L SuSco pooA II IL AufC " SO
without his supper tonight" said
Widow Hosmer, as she peercd anxiously
out into the bleak, rainy twilight. Pete
has sprained his leg so, slipping down
out Of the hayloft, that he can't take n
step on it, and I s'pose you and l will
have to finish the chores, Milly."
"All right, mother; l can milk old
Speckle as we'll as not; and her we
have, only to close up things for night.
Pete managed to get the hay down be-
fore he got himself down, but I do think
he is the most awkward, unlucky crea-
ture that we ever had on the place,
Here it isn't a week since he almost cut
his thumb off, and it's amercy he didn't
burn the house up yesterday when he
went and started the great fire in the
fireplace without ever taking the boards
off the chimney"
eyes, that's so; he does seen q bit I'M
. balanced; but I feel sorry for the poor
fellow. He's grooming dreadful with
his leg, and won't let me do a thing for
it; says he has got it wrapped up and
thinks it will get easier after he gets to
bed. I gave him some liniment for it
and he went to his room. And now
comes this dispatch from jim, md no
one to go to the station with his lunch"
pc "Never mind, mother; we'll fix it
somehow" answered pretty, brown-eyed
Milly, as she hustled about, putting on
her waterproof and overshoes prepara-
tory to finishing the chores, and the
darkness hid the rosy flush with which
she said as the first tinkling streams of
milk made music in the tin pail !:
"Mother, l believe l can carry Jim's
lunch down to him myselfw
"Mercy, Milly! Id never dare to let
you!-the night SO dark and the road so
long and lonely! No, indeed, child ;
Jim would never allow it,"
81 know, but it is too bad for the
poor fellow to go without his supper
this cold, bleak night, and I know every
inch of the way with my eyes shut"
Mrs. Hosmcr shivercd q little as she
drew her shawl closer against the keen
autumn blast, and one could see that
her resolution wavcred a little.
IA cup of nice, hot coffee from home
would seem sort of cheerful to him."
she said, in a mcditating tone, ''and it's
proper kind of you to make the offer,
child; but l doubt it's being safe for you
going SO far alone"
"Nobody would be likely to be out
such a night as this, unless it should be
some of the neighboring farmers, and
even if there were the darkness would
hide me-"
''l'm a raid to let you go, Milly. I've
heard of tramps, and"
tttTll tell you, mother; I'll take Jlm's
revolverl He left it in his room the last
time he was at home"
"Weu," began Mis-. Hosmer, doubt
fully, though you'd never dare to use
it."
''Yes, I would, if I really needed to ~
responded Milly; $50 let US call it set
tied, and go in and get something nice
put up for lunch" ,
Really pleased down in her maternal
heart for this regard for her sons com
fort, Mrs. Hosmer gave a reluctant con-
sent; for Jim was her only and almost
idolized child, little Milly being only
the daughter of a dear dead friend
whose child Mrs. Hosmer had gladly
taken to her home and heart.
The farm was small and Jim detcsted
farming, SO q man was always employed
on the place, while ambitious Jim risked
life and limb as m engineer. He was
now q handsome, stalwart fellow OF
twcnty-six, whose broad shoulders.
bronzed face, and merry eyes were Sc
cretly enshrined in Milly's heart as her
ideal of all that was noble and manly.
As for Jim, he, too, had an ideal, and
often rs he sat waiting on his engine he