Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-18


closed the door. tried it vigorously and
doined Bansemer at the shaft With
broom words were unnecessary when
actions could speak for themselves.
Still living over in Wells street, Mr..
Droom?" went on Graydon, thorough
ly at home with the man whom he had
feared and despised by stages from
childhood up.
ITS good enough for me-" said
broom shortly. '.'Tisn't Michigan
avenue, the Drive or Lincoln Park
boulevard, but it's just as swell as l
am or ever hope to be-"
There's nothing against Wells
street, butt got ashamed Of itself
when it crossed the river"
'"They call it Fifth avenue" sneered
broom, "but it isn't the avenue is it?'
Bansemer was surprised to note a tone
of affectionate pride in the question.
ono indeed"
"Oh, there's only one, Mr.. Graydon,"'
said the old clerk quite warmly; "our
own Fifth avenuev'
Il had no idea you cared so much
for swagger things, Mr.. Droom," OBJ
served the other, genuinely surprised.
| even Broadway is heaven to me-"
said broom, some of the rasp gone
from his voice. "Goodby. / got this
way" he said when they reached the
sidewalk little later. The young man
watched his gaunt figure as it slouched
away in the semidarkness.
by George. the old chap is actually
homesickr' muttered he. 81 didn't
| think it was in him.
| broom had rooms over a millinery
shop in Wells street. There was a
| bedroom at the back and a Giving
ROOM in front, overlooking the street
from the third story of the building
OF the bedchamber there is but little
to say, except that it contained a bed,
a wasbstand, a mirror, two straight
backed chairs and 4 clothespreSs.
broom went out for his bath-every
Saturday night The living ROOM"
| however, was queer in more ways than
| one. In one corner on chest of draw
ers stood his oil stove, while in the op-
posite corner a big sheet iron heater
made itself conspicuous Firewood
was piled behind the stove winter and
summer, broom lamenting that one
could not safely discriminate between
the seasons in Chicago. The chest of
drawers contained his stock of pro-
visions, his cooking and table utensils,
his medicine and small assortment of
carpenters tools. He had no use for
an icebox.
A bookcase, old enough to warm the
heart of the most ardent antiquarian,
held his small and unusual collection
of books. Standing side by side on
the same shelf were French romances
and the Holy Bible, much bethumbed
and penciled. There We're schoolbooks
alongside of sentimental love tales,
Greek lexiconS and quaint old fairy
Stories law books and works on GRIM
inology; books on botany, geology,
anatomy and physics. In all perhaps
there were 200 volumes. A life of IA.
poleon revealed signs of almost con-
slant usage. There were three por-
traits of the Corsican on the dingy
green walls.
The strange character of the man
was best shown by the pictures tina;
adorned or rather disfgured the walls
Vulgar photographs and prints were to
be seen on all sides. Mingled with
these cheap creations were excellent
copies of famous Madonnas. quaint
Scriptural drawings, engravings of the
Saviour and an allegorical colored
print which emphasized the joys OF
heaven. There was also badly draw
but idealiZed portrait of broom. done
| in, Of v, &c
portrait was one of his priced posses
sionS. He loved it best because it was
, bust and did not expose his longitu
dinal defects. If broom ever had en-
tertained Il feminine visitor in his
apartments, there is no record of the
fact. But few men had seen the inte
rior Of his home. and they had gone
away with distressed, perpleXed Sensi
bilities
He cooked his own meals on the OF
stove and, alone, ate them from the lit
tie table that stood near the heater
Occasionally he went out to a nearby
eating house for a lonely feast. His
rooms usually reeked with the odor oil
boiled coffee. burned cabbage anC
grease, pungent chemicals and Ions
suffering bed linen. OF his front
room it may be said that it was kitch
; en-. dining room, parlor, library, work
shop, laboratory and conservatory
Four fiowerpots, in which as man!
: geraniums existed with difficulty de
spite Drooms constant and unwaver
ing, care, occupied conspicuous plac,
on the window sills overlooking the
street. He watched over them will
all the tender solicitude of a lover, sur
l prising as it may appear when on,
: pauses to consider the vicious exterio
of the man.
broom was frugal. He.was. in truth
a miser. If any one had asked hin
what he expected to do with the none,
a he was putting away in the bank. h
3 could not have answered, calculatin.
: as he was by nature. He had no rela
: tive to whom he would leave it, an,
8 he had no inclination to give up tn
: habit of active employment. His salar,
was small, but he managed to saw
more than half of it-for rainy day,