The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-12-25
KNOWN AS "BIDDY' M'REE|
BY MAURICE SMILEY.

for being so devoted to his mother.
/ That is those whose opinion really
amounted to anything. OF course
some of the light-heads made fun of
man of twenty-five still tiled to
his mothers apron strings" as they
rang the changes on the old cheap
| witticism. Tom didn't care for that.
Perhaps, however, he really did care
after Millie Lee took the district
school He didn't want her to make
! fun of him.
After Toms father had worn him
, self out on the old place and had
been gathered to his fathers, Toms
two brothers and sisters had married
off" one by one. But he stayed on,
wringing by unremitting industry a
| scanty living from the rocky soil.
If Tom had ever given any thought
to setting up home of his own, he
had resolutely banished it.
ITS a shame, Tom" said his moth
er, wistfully, that you should be tied
down here on this old place to an old
woman when you ought to be setting
up home of your own"
"All right, then" he replied, with a
smile, 'I'll bundle you off to the poor
house and strike out for the city"
Then he caught his mother up in
his arms and said, tenderly;
Never you mind, mother, I'm not
worrying about it and why need you?"
But all the same Tom did a good
| deal of worrying. For one thing, Mil
! lie Lee while she seemed to like him
more than any of the other young
men in the neighborhood, was yet a
little too fond, apparently, of Bud
| Brighton to preserve Toms entire
| peace of mind.
| Then there was the matter of that
black streak down in the pasture
| Tom hardly dared to hope that there
was coal down there. Secretly he
was sinking rude shaft. though he
| told his mother he was only digging a
well to increase the supply of water
! for the stock.
| Then came the day when he Struck
it." He could hardly realize all that
it meant when his drill hit the hard,
| black substance which proved to be
| an excellent quality of coal
When he went home that night two
surprises awaited him. His mother
| was seriously ill and Millie Lee was
| waiting on her.
For reasons of his own, he did not
say anything about finding coal in
| paying quantities. He would stake
| his chance with Millie on the merits
| of the case and If she cared for him
at all, she would accept a hard-work-
| ing poor man.
He watched her as she prepared
the evening meal and a sudden re-
| solve took possession of him.
"It looks awful homelike to see you
around the old place, Mile" he said.
'I've got something on my mind that
I have had there for long time"
She paused in the act of taking the
biscuits from the oven and possibly
the heat from the stove made her
face flush.
| 81 know I amt good enough for
you," he went on, bluntly. 81 haven't
| had any education. I've just been
taking care of mother ever since l
was a boy and | haint had the chance
| that lots of young men have had.
You know what the old place is
| There amt much to be made out of it.
1t wouldn't support three people very
we'll, specially when one of 'em has
been used to better things"
| Millie was nervously setting the
table by this time. She nodded as he
paused, but neither of them noticed
the disheveIed figure peering in the
doorway, the eyes wild with fever.
"I don't mind telling you, Tom, that
] would marry you If it was not for
your mother There isn't enough for
US all. You will have to do something
about her"
Perhaps she put the test badly, for
Tom thought she really meant that he
must give up his mother and let her
shift for herself The thought cut
him like knife and he stared out
into the night too panied to say any
thing for time.
Il can't do that. Millie," he said
slowly. Il can't leave my old mother
not even for you. didn't think you
was that kind. thought you was diff
ferent"
Before she could explain Tom had
passed into the bedroom, to give q
cry of alarm a moment later and
rush out into the darkness.
He found her wandering aimlessly
along the road to the town, babbline
incoherently in her delirium about
getting out of the way"
Strong and tender arms bore hel
back to her home and beside the bed
where Tom was kneeling Mile Lee
put her hands on his shoulder and
said:
Il didn't mean 1t the way you
thought, dear. was only trying you
| only meant-that-I-"
"That you love me too much to be
a burden to me?" asked Tom In q
whisper of fierce joy as his mother
dropped off into calm sleep.
|. Millie nodded as she put her head
where her hands had been.