The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-05-03
In The courtin'
"a ronanceT'

"a renamed"
'Yes, MN; that's It. r know Tum.
mus that's my mans name, or was
bis name before he didn't need d name
at all-was q solger. He wint or to
the war with the dagos 10 CuDy an
sxtinguished himself there"
"Did he get promotedT
Eyes, nun. He was made a car.
porel afther the battle OF Gussymuss
an a sergeant at San Joen hills. y
see, the dagos was at the top firin'
cannon balls. One Of 'em KEN along
an took or ,rummus' right leg. He
stood stiIl"-
wounded as he was-stoodY'
that's just the secret, MIN. All
the rest OF his regiment run away. hut
Tummus, havin' but the wan leg,
couldn't run. so he stayed where he
was. That's what he told me, but he
didn't tell It to the officers, an they,
thinkin' he stayed because he was
brave, made a sergeant Ov i'm. But
It didn't do Inn no good, for he was dis
charged from the service an STINT
home. But that wasn't all of 1t. At
Their the war they sent i'm medal,
big round wan wild pictures on the both
sides OF II. II was made out Of
cannon"
"And you nursed him1 That's the
romance7"
''No, ma'am; not exactly, ma'am. OF
didn't see 'em for the matther Ov Eve
years afther that OF was workin' In
boardin' house for sailors an thin
kind down by the wharfs. One mornin
whin OF was dom the rooms OF wiut
into wan room where OF seen some
thin stickin' out o. the bedclothes.
At FIRST OF thought 1t was the handle
Of a warmin' pan, but OF recommem-
bered that they don't use warmin'
pans no more, at least in this country.
Thin OF thought 1t moight be the han
die o. wan o. thin things the min
workin' on tine sthreet pound the dirt
with. We had sthreet workers In the
house, am OF thought one oY 'em
moight have taken his FOUNDER to bed
with i'm. Anyway Oh knew 1t was
somethin' that 'ud be soilin' the bed
clothes, an OF was very mad, thinkin'
Ord have the trouble o, goin' for clean
sheets. So / took hold ov It an give II
a jerk wild all me stren'th.
ut come out aisy enough, nm at
t'other ind there wasn't bit o. iron at
all, but somethln' round. If you turned
tho whole ov 1t upside down 1t would
"a made q good shtlck for wan o. the
big altar candles IL you wanted to put
tho other Ind o. the shtlck In the
ground, for there wasn't amy bottom
for II to shtand on. OF was looSin' at
the thing, wonderin' what It was. whin
OF saw the bedclothes mooyln', an pur-
" soon up by the pliers mans face
was a-bllnlxin' ut me as had just woke
up. OF dropped the wooden thing on
the floor an was goln' out as fast as
could whin a voice called:
"'Me legI Don't go way widout CIV.
I'm me me leg
"'what d'y' maneT OF axed.
"He pointed to the wooden thing on
the door.
"D'ye call that a legP / axed Inn.
"Tt'a all I've got exceptin' the 9th,
or wan Of flesh an blood an bone
"'And that thing was stielxin' out
from undther the bedclothes "a your
legT
"Tt's wan Of 'em.'
"'An' didn't It gift coldT
"'Divil a bit Ifn stand a lot O
cold, but it won't stand amy heat
why notT
"Ttll BURN
"sThin I took notice that be was
white lookin'. an axed I'm II ORD
hurted 'em.'
"'shure.' he said. Dye suppose y
kin pull mans leg or widout hurtin'
imp
sTsn't It woodP / axed.
s'Yes. but the sthump ian't'
swell. Oh felt 10 sorry for hurtin'
the poor man that Of told I'm to lie
stiil, an afther handln' I'm his Log OF
whit down sthairs an brought Inn up
ais breakfast. him lynn propped up
Wild pillars that OF put under his head
an lOokin' at me grateful loike Thin
OF noticed his medal ON the bureau an
saw what foine eyes he had an hair
az red a. the sthrlpes In the flag ne got
the medal under, an l wished could
nurse the poor man as long as he liv-
ed"
"And you did. didn't your
Eyes, MN. He couldn't work., so