Evening journal., 1909-08-20
A Simple Romance.

[Originall
'Mary, I'm sorry very sorry - to
hear of your bereavement"
"Yes, nm; the poor mans gone"
81 suppose you will weas mourn
mgr
Eyes, MN; black as a crow"
'T have some mourning dresses. I'll
give you what you require"
"Thank y, mm."
"You were very happy together, be-
lieve. though you have lately been do
ing all the work"
Eyes, MN. Tom was a good man,
MN. There was-I don't know what
y call it, nina somethin' or other
IN the courtln.'"
"a romanceT"
''Yes, MN; that's II. Y know Tum.
mus-that's my mans name, or was
his name before he didn't need a name
at all--was a solger. He wint of to
the war with the dagos in Cuby an
extinguished himself there"
''Did he get promotedY"
"Yes, 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 off Tummus right leg. He
stood still"-
Wounded as he was-stood?"
That's Just the secret, MN. All
the rest Of his regiment run away, but
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
1t didn't do i'm no good. for he was dis
charged from the service an sint
home. But that wasn't all of it. AZ
ther the war they sent i'm a medal, a
big round wan wild pictures on the both
sides Of It. It was made out of a
cannon"
"And you nursed him? That's the
romance7"
mo, ma'am; not exactly, ma'am. OF
didn't see 'em for the matther ov FIVE
years afther that. OF was workin' in a
boardin' house for sailors an thin
kind down by the wharfs. One mornin'
whin OF was doin' the rooms OF wint
into wan room where OF seen some
thin stickin' out o. the bedclothes.
At first OF thought 1t was the handle
Of warmin pan, but OF recommem-
bered that they don't use warmin'
pans no more, at least In this country.
Thin Oi thought it moight be the han
die O. wan O. thin things the min
workin on the sthreet pound the dirt
with. We had sthreet workers in the
house. an OF thought one ov 'em
molght have taken his FOUNDER to bed
with i'm. Anyway OF knew it was
somethin' that 'ud be soilin' the bed
clothes, an OF was very mad, thinkin'
Ord have the trouble O. coin for clean
sheets. So / took bold ov it an give 1t
jerk wild all me stren'th.
1T come. out aisy enough, an at
tother ind there wasn't a bit o iron at
all, but scrnethin', round If you turned
the whole ov. it upside down it would
"a made a good shtick for wan O the
big altar candles if you wanted to put
the other ind O. the shtick. in the
ground, for there wasn't amy bottom
for it to shtand on. .Oi was lookin' al
the thing .wonderin'swhat it was, whir
OF saw the bedclothes moovin', an pur
ty soon up by the pliers a mans face
was a-bllnkin at me as had Just woke
up. Oi dropped the wooden thing on
the floor an was goin'. out as fast as
could whih a voice called;
"'Me legl Don't go way widout Civ
In ME me leg
"'What d'y' maneT Oi axed.
"He pointed to the wooden thing OF
the floor.
"'D'ye call that leg? axed i'm.
"Its all I've got exceptin' the 9th
cr wan of flesh an blood an boue.'
"'And that thing was stickin' ou
from undther the bedelothes is you
legT
"Its wan Of EN-
t "'An' didn't it git coldT
"'Divil a bit Itil stand a lot Q
cold. but It won't stand amy heat
why uOtt
"'It'll burrn.'
. "'Thin / took notice that he wa
white looiin', an 1 axed i'm II orr
hurted EN-
, 'Shure,' he said. Dye suppose y
/ kin pull mans leg or widout hurtin
imp
Isn't it woodT axed.
: "'Yes. but the sthump isn't
r "Well, Oh felt so sorry for hurtin
the poor man that OF told i'm to II
still, an afther handin i'm his leg Q
wint down sthairs an brought i'm u
, his breakfast. him lyin' propped VI
, wild pillars that OF put under his heal
1 an lookin' at noe grateful loike Thil
! OF noticed his medal on the bureau al
60 " mint nnl.1n nrna Ln lad nm hi