The Lamar register., 1892-07-16
cru,ch. Ye. r m goin' to give Broom.

then commenced to rea on with him
out ne shook his head stubbornly, and
would not listen. lie requested me TO
get pen and paper and write down his
olctation. H. was useless putting hi IN
on; he would call another shipmate II
l refused so / brought writing ma.
teria,s propped him up on the pill.
lows and indited the following, sub
stantIally. as it came from his lips:
My DARLING BRooss: | address Won
thus for the last time. ! have met with an
accident aud only have one leg left TO meet
another of like nature. l am very sorry
ior both our saScs tina; all this has hap
pehed, because through the loss Of my limb
must lose you, for / know you have
enough seuse not to care for only half !,
man. Burn uu my letters and picture. The
iater. believe, Is full length, and no
longer correct likeness Kesp tn, plrrot
brought you from the South Seas, by
which to remember me as | once was Nvhea
could climb 10 the main-top quicker than
any iolly tar aboard the Natalie l hone nv
the tins get back you'll be married and
setilcd down. with "a baby named after me.
II Tom was longer name I'D insist upon
you splitting 1t in two, Just bscause-but
never mind why. BroOms, youll make
some solid man the sweetest little wiz. on
earth. There, good-by Brooms, l could
add To the brine OF the old sea IL | war.
leaning over the deck-rail As Il is I'm
wgttinR a han lxcrchi (, gand my frien
who writes this for me IS a witness
BrOoIns, III never forget you, and am Your
IN .ad Always Ton"
Tom managed 20 scratch down his
own signature He requested mo to
mail the letter and sinking back in
the folds OF the pillows exhausted.
was soon IN slumber.
did not dare detaln the note. Al
ter struggling against strong desire
to do 30. took it nshore with me in
the afternoon.
Tom Was ca;mer after that; he
seemed stoically resigned. He refused
To take any more thin broth. and de-
manded something to eat His ir-
ritabllity was a sign oil Improvement
In health Toms biuntncss sometimes
might have been mistaken for anger.
One morning about two months AZ
terward he surprised every body by
calling for his clothes and the crutch
that had been provided for him. Hav-
ing been up in a chair several times
We assisted him into his clothes. aud
had the satisfaction OF seeing him
totter on deck.
That afternoon he received a letter
"MT PHrcIaUs OH Bor-For YOU are
pryricus now that therc isn't so much LOFT
% you. | want you - distinctly understand
thst Your relies belong TO me What thers
l. Of you / want, II II isn't morr than .
little fngrr. You necdn't think I'm going
10 lr; you OF, oven II you do sacrifice .
member IN Tho hopes that will. No, in
dced / am not that kind OF a woman
Oh, Tom / am 50 sorry that you have lost
leg. IL Will spoil AL our pleasure at
dances, and you did used tn enjoy waltziny
50 much. but / don't care IL YOU will ouly
come homo aad marry me. II you write
such q letter as your last after you get this
one I shall 20 stark mad Anti not try 70 re
cover. | think ] shall be able to hriug you
under thr dom site yoke, bsc4uss YOU can
not run away from ms- ! am going TO let
ms finger nails grow and got in training, rs
pugiltstic parilncs has It, for You. | do
hope you've got about enough OF the sary-
ice 10 last you for life ON, dear Tom,
wout you como blciSf 1 would love yOu
jlsi asnuch II both your legs werc gone.
Have you received the bog OF ncc.ities,
etc yeti
With uudyins. unaItsring love sm
yours. OILS, BRooMs.n -
Fnew before Tom had finished
perusing the letter By the Joyful ex-
preston on his face that Brooms had
not consented to the discontinuance
OF their relations. lie spraug up
grasped his crutch bade me follow
him and hobbled into corner where
he read me Brooms letter
.iiain't she darlin' 7r he asked.
carefully placing the message in his
pocket
Our vessel was government
cruiser. and had put into this port for
repairs When she was finally re.
leased from the dry-dock the Natalie
set out for New York. where in due
course we arrived. Tom and myself
were honorably discharged from the
service and parted he going 10 Phila-
dclphia and to Boston
A few weeks later received an in
vltaiIon to Toms wedding and de-
clded to attend it The occasion " As
almost pathetic The beauty OF
Brooms upon which had heard Tom
dilate so often was undaniable. As
she stood up with him. her beryl-
tinted eyes flashed with the fire OF a
woman's love her cheeks suffused.
her lips like wet coral murmuring
the responses TREMENDOUSLY, the white
serge all about her graceful throat
and the orange blossoms in her Titan
hair. / must confess that for once the
matter of-fact Tom Abercorn excited
my envy. And when it was all over
and the guests presents had been
duly examined and admired Brooms'
,r>iher. with redundant gracIousness
~ Nd her n deed to an elegant
NJ stone house and told the bride
80 groom it was 10 be their future
home
Tom is at present slap-up official
in the Philadelphia navy-yard. lie
don't half earn his handsome salary
the rascal There is scarcely any
thing for him to do. Tom is lazy |
fear; but then. he can afford TO be
aud Brooms who is sole heir to her
fathers estate is
constantly teasing him to resign and
let the old navy yard go to grass -
Nu.fnpa1 Trffatfsa