Montgomery County sentinel., 1915-06-11
A Chicken
Hearted Man
He Was Saved From Ruin
by His Sweetheart
By RUTH GRAHAM

AVN NAChoiSou was CerJdluly very
lovable fellow. AS boy he was laugh
ed at by his companions for being
what they called Chicken hearted
that is. he could not bear to see his
mother chop the head Off a chicken be-
fore cooking It Like many farmers
boys he left the farm as soon as he
could get away from 1t and went to
the city.
But before going Tom found his ro-
nance. Indeed, that was his reason
for going. Ellen Tucker was a slip
Of girl fifteen years old, tall for her
age and straight as an arrow. Every
morning she drove her fathers cows
to pasture. passing the Nicholson farm
One day 1t rained, and Tom, noticing
that Ellen's shoes were not waterproof,
told her to go home and he would drive
her cows to pasture for her and back
again In the evening. Ellen accepted
the offer. and 1t won her young heart.
After that occasionally the two used
to drive the Tucker cows to and from
pasture, and 1t was quite natural that
they should become attached to each
other. 4 boy and a girl in the country
are more readily attracted to each 9th.
er than In the city. The route to the
pasture was over a wood road, inclos-
ed on each side by trees that in some
parts arched 1t over. In these the light
was subdued, coming only from sun
beams that pierced the branches. It 80
happened that one day when passing
through this place Ellen stopped and
remarked upon the stiffness. Naturally
Tom stopped too. He had been walk
ing beside her and was very close to
her.
Il was Just as natural for Tom to
put an arm around Ellen's waist, bend
forward and kiss her as for the leaves
to grow on the trees. for insects to
buzz about them, for birds to build
their nests. and It was equally natu.
raj for Ellen to accept that kiss as
matter Of course. They liked 1t so well
that they took several kisses. Then
they went on after the cows.
This is very well for the birds, who
make their homes by finding straw
here. feather there and, after the
brood comes, bringing worms for food
from the plentiful supply at hand, but
with mankind 1t is different proposi-
tion. For awhile the pair we're happy
in their newly found love, but 1t was
not long before the necessity of pro.
viding for their future livelihoods
dawned upon them.
This, as ! have said, is what took
Tom Nicholson to the city. He had
known OF men who had gone from the
country TO the city and made them
selves far more comfortable there than
they could have done cultivatlng the
stony ground about them. Tom said
goodby one day to Ellen, 1t being un.
derstood between them that when he
became successful he would return and
take her back with him
Tom made friends 80 rapidly that for
awhile he got on very we'll II was
when he had made his start that he
began to lose ground. This was be-
cause when he had come to town he
had nothing TO give and all favors
passed from others to bin. As soon
as he got something the tide turned
the other way. After having been in
the city several years he had made
himself so useful to ore Paul Elmen-
dorf that the latter gave him a part.
nershlp In his business and went away
for long absence, during which he
proposed to travel and see something
OF the world
That was the end OF Tom Nicholson's
rise His chicken heartedness had not
changed n bit. II a poor widow want
ed credit n few tears would bring from
Tom all she desired. II drummer
wished to sell him goods he had no
use for he had only to tell Of a suffer
ing wife and children at homo and the
sale was made. And so 1t was that
when the senior partner returned he
found a large deficiency In his busi-
ness, with number Of loans, gifts
and other outlays charged up TO the
juniors Individual account
Elmendorf was very much disgrun-
tied He at once dissolved the firm,
and Tom was put out to shift for him
self. His former partner kept an eye
on him and whenever Toms affairs
seemed to look up bit would make IN
effort to collect the money Standing to
his debit on the books Of tho concern
ElmendOrf always sent a collector TO
dun his debtor. At first he tried very
gentlemanly persons, who were In
structed TO try TO persuade Tom to pay
something on account; but, since Tom
had nothing to pay with, they got moth
ing. Then the creditor sent bully. |
He came back with a broken nose.
Several others who tried 10 force mat |
ters received the same treatment.
Meanwhile Ellen Tucker was stih |
driving the cows to pasture-and alone. |
Tom wrote her encouraging letters till |
his partner returned from his travels;
then the letters suddenly stopped |
Tom could not bear to write her that |
ne had come TO grief and their union |
was farther away than ever Ellen
endured his silence and her suspense
as long MS she could, then resolved to
90 to the city and discover for herself |
what was the matter.
She boarded tain one day with a
wicker suit case and. taking n seat,
placed the case on the floor beside her.
A man came through the train carry.