The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-04-13
BRJhER.

When Brewer first came to us he
said he was twenty-one, but he looked
seventeen Brewer had weak eyes,
and pulled the front of his gray crush
hat down to protect them. He also
had a weak larynx. and pulled his
brown collar up to protect that
Furthermore he looked so green that
the funny Photographer chuckled as he
remarked that one would expect to see
COW following him.
The title of Brewers position on
the great Western daily which allow
ed us to live by earning a living was
first assistant apprentice in the art
department. His salary was small,
but Brewer said it paid his board. and
that was pretty good. Brewer never
grew enthusiastic. He seldom spoke
unless spoken to. His answers We're
then usually the shortest of sentences.
The first information he was known
to volunteer was one day when Shad-
rach, Meshack and Abednego would
gladly have remained in the fiery fur
mace through a mere matter of con
venience. Then Brewer remarked
that it was pretty warm"
Coming from the far Northwest, the
warmer climate benefited his weak
larynx, and his voice grew stronger.
A rise in salary spurred him into
getting a hard-brimmed straw hat.
AS his voice waxed less feeble, he
grew less diffident. Underneath that
quiet exterior was concealed some
vealed the true ring of manhood, with
an echoing smack of Bohemianism.
do you ever keep any sketch
books?" | asked of him one day.
yes, nave one" he replied.
"Brins st down aud let me see il"
said |.
Next day he brought the book 1t
contained twenty-seven sketches exc
cuted in a style to make us turn green
with envy. The sketches were of one
dog in as many different positions
| pored over the book with the in
terest of a naturalist discovering a
new animal, or an astronomer a new
star. We could draw dog in several
a dog in twenty-seyen positions, and
draw it, was beyond us.
We had ceased to wonder at
Brewer. He was an enigma not to be
solved, so we gave up guessing. But
we traced those dogs, and put them
in our reference-book, marked Ami
mails"
There was at that time a certain
restaurant not unknown to most of us
where a meal could be had for Is
cents. Brewer was steady Gus
toner, and regularly called for seven
meals for dollar Perhaps the 40
cents he thereby saved 2 month was
not so much an inducement as the
pretty blonde waitress.
She said Brewer was an awfllly
nice customer to wait on. He never
kicked. He was the quietest and po-
litest young man she had ever seen.
And thems the kind of customers
| like to serve"
He was polite enough to pardon he,
grammar for the sake of her pretty
eyes and plump figure.
She usually gave him his cheek
with the last side dish. but one day
in August Annie-for such was her
name-tarried around the table
"Why don't you never go on none
of the boat excursions, Mr.. Brewer
she shyly asked,
because | work until II o'clock at
night
why, that's just the time the boat
gets back Pm going on one tonight.
when the boat gets in and take me
home?"
ooh pretty we'll" he grinned.
Five minutes past IL saw Brewer al
the wharf and five minutes later they
boarded a car for the little girls
home. There was only one vacant
seat, and that was in the front of the
car on the platform. She climbed in
and Brewer stood on the footstep with
his left hand holding ON to the end of
the seat. 1t was long ride, and it
seemed as if no one would ever get
off. The little blonde squeezed over
until her fluffy hair touched the grip
mans sleeve.
"Why don't you sit down, Mr.
Brower?"
ooh, there amt room for two" said
he.
Anybody but Brewer would have
hade room.
Here a man got off, and Brewer sat
down next to Annie.
Brewer left her at home and hur.
ried back to the car line. No cars in
sight, and not likely to be, thought
he, as he looked at his watch, which
indicated ten minutes past IL. He
wore a gold watch with leather
shoestring for a chain, which was
fastened to his vest by a big brass
safety-pin.
TITS pretty long walk" he unused,
"but l guess I'll have to do it,
He was in a part of the city he
had never seen before, so he decided
to follow the car tracks until he could
get his bearings and take a short cut
for home.
Block after block he rapidly cover
ed, until the houses grew more pre-.
tentious, and he realized that he must
be getting into the swell residence
part of the city.
Suddenly there rang out on the
air a pistol shot simultaneously a
Shrek was heard, and a side door
of a mansion was flung violently
open, and two dark figures dashed
down the steps, only to be confronted
by third whose hrass buttons and
silver shield gllstened in the moon.
light.
The sound of scufiling feet on the
wide gravel walk fell on Brewers
ears as he crouched peeringly from
behind a tree. Then another pistol
shot, and the brave policeman sank
to the ground dead
The two dark figures, with curse
on their lips, bounded down the path,
almost brushing the tree behind