Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-07-01
"BROOMS."

likes and dislikes. She couldn't have
been more than II years old when
she first said that she liked me. and
she stuck to 1t up to the minute I bid
her good-by and started for Japan.
What's Teller 20 do when girl
keeps tellin' him she's in love with
him? Of course. I had to give in
after awhile. l knew her father
would fume over it and call me q
rascal; but to tell the truth. /
couldn't help likin' her. and thought
to myself if she liked me we'll enough
| to marry me it would not make so
| much difference what her governor
said. anyway"
These remarks were made by Tom
Abercorn on the deck of an American
| man of-war anchored in an eastern
port We spent many idle afternoons
as old friends will, in reminiscent
conversation. l had been cruising
| about the world for nearly three
years before it occurred to me that
| was tired of it. A mere roman tic
| caprice, considerably reinforced by
Tom Abercorn's brusque persuasion.
| first place. and now that the glamor
of marine experience had worn off l
| began to wonder whether l would
not be happier on land.
There was some reason to believe
that Tom was also growing dissatis-
| fed. though he seldom limited any,
| thing to that effect He was a rough
and-ready fellow. and the life of the
sea was more suited to his nature
than to mine. While / was at COL
lege breaking down naturally deli
cate constitution by hard study. he
was in machine shop developing an
iron muscle that had occasion to
envy more than all the erudition
had acquired.
But while Tom was physically
adapted to cope with ocean vicissi-
tudes. there was q magnet that ever
drew his thoughts ashore. He was
engaged to be married. The father of
his inamorata was large and wealthy
broom manufacturer in Philadelphia.
and Tom always spoke facetiously of
the young lady as Brooms. In fact
that was the nickname by which she
was called by the members of her
family and her most intimate friends.
'But Mr.. Grayling knows all about
It now," continued Tom, after a
pause. ''Brooms told him. I fancy
he would have been pretty mulish. if
he hadn't seen it was no use; so he
says: DO you love him?' and Brooms
replied :Eg What do you take me for.
papa hypocritep' Then the old
man says: .:All right, marry him t"
| Any further conversation was cut
off by the gruff voice of the executive
| officer. Tho vessel was trespassing
upon the channel and the harbor
master had sent an order for it to an
Choir farther out in the roadstead. so
that it would not be an obstacle in the
course which ships entering or leav-
ing port were obliged to take.
Tom Immediately went to his duties
in the engine-room where he met
with an accident that nearly cost him
his life. At nearly the foot of the
iron hatchway he slipped and fell so
that his left foot caught in rapidly
revolving crank. Before he could
throw his arms over his shoulders and
grasp an iron rod to extricate himself,
his leg was horribly mangled just be-
low the knee by another revolution OF
the crank. He tainted away before
help could be summoned.
After Tom had been carried. uncon-
scious, to the deck. 1 set about in the
absence of the surgeon. who was
ashore. to check the flow of blood
from the wound by twisting hand
kerchief around the upper part of his
limb with tourniquet. When the
surgeon appeared on the scene he as
sured me that had saved my friends
life though the leg must be ampu-
tated at once he declared as he gazed
on the poor man groaning with agony.
And against all of Toms protesta-
tions he was borne into a cock pit
and laid on table. The surgeon in
sisted that there was not even time to
administer ether. L have forgotten
how many mon were required to hold
him. 1t was wholly beyond my cour-
age to stand by and see them mutilate
my comrade with all those knives and
saws Into his mouth they forced
WOODEN cloth. to serve the double pur-
pose of muffiing his cries and furnish
ing him something to bite on.
At last it was over. and then they
gave him opiates- From the time his
wound was bandsgel l became his
nurse. and watched over him through
the long days and nights as though
he was a brother. He grew so enact
ated and weak that no one would have
recognized him as the whilom strong
muscular Tom Abercorn. But he
began to mend after few weeks,
though his convalescence was slow.
He grew nervously morbid. and fire.
quently when reading to him would
look from my book and find him Sob
bling Historically. l did not interrupt
his grief thinking 1t was but the ma
tural result of physical weakness.
But one day when was about to read
to him his favorite poem. The Lady
OF the Lake" he begged me to defer
It He was unusually pale and
thoughtful on this occasion. On the
previous night he had been in great
pain. and exceedingly restless
George" said he. in q serious
tone i am going to write to Brooms
that our engagement is of. and tell
her why. I am only half man now,"
and he made droll feint of taking off
his shoe from the foot that had been
amputated. IF was to insist upon
marryin' her she would be dreadfully
because Brooms is the
proudest woman l ever did see. 1t
would cut her to the quick to know