Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-30

| Bill Brewer, Timber up yer leather a leetle bit"
 Nehemiah, whom I had known as John Trumbull, sat long time be- tween his father and mother, holding Q hand of each and talking in a low tone while Hope and were in the kitchen with Uncle Eb. Now that father and son were side by side we saw how like they were and wondered we had never guessed the truth.
 Do you remember" said Nehemiah when we returned, do you remember when you were little boy coming one night to the old log house on Bow. mans hill with Uncle Eb?" '1 remember it very well," answer. ed.
 That was the first time ever saw you," he said.
 "Why, you are not the night many'
 q was the night man." he answered.
 stared at him with something of the old familiar thrill that had always come at the mention of him years agone. ..
 He's grown leetle since then" said Uncle Eb.
 T thought so the night I carried him off the field at Bull Run," said Nebe- miah.
 "Was that you?" asked eagerly.
 'It was," he answered. T came over from Washington that afternoon. Your colonel told me you had been wounded"
 Wondered who you were, but could not get you to answer. have to thank you for my life."
 Hope put her arms about his neck and kissed him.
 "Tell us," said she, ''how you came to be the night man."
 He folded his arms and looked down and began his story.
 Years ago I had great misfortune. I was a mere boy at the time. By ac- cident I killed another boy in play. It was an old gun we were playing with, and nobody knew 1t was loaded. I had often quarreled with the other boy. That is why they thought I had done it on purpose. There was dance that night. I had got up in the evening, crawled out of the window and stolen away. We were in Richards stable. remember how the people ran out with lanterns. They would have hung me some of them-or given me the blue beech if a boy friend had not hurried me away. It was terrible hour. was stunned. could say nothing. They drove me to the burg, the boys father chasing us. I got over into Canada, walked to Montreal and there went to sea. It was foolish, I know, but was only boy of fifteen. I took another name. began a new life. Nehemiah Brewer was like one dead. In Frisco I saw Ben Gilman. He had been a schoolmate in Faraway. He put his hand on my shoulder and called me the old name. It was hard to deny 1.-the hardest thing I ever did. was homesick. I wanted to ask him about my mother and father and my sister, who was baby when I left. I would have given my life to talk with him. But I shook my head.
 nl.sNo.i4I said, my name is not Brow CT. You are mistaken
 "Then I walked away. and Nemy Brewer stayed in his grave.
 Well, two years later we were cruis. ing from Sidney, to Van Dieman's Land. One night there came big storm. A shipnate was washed away in the dark. We never saw him again. They found letter in his box that said his real name was Nehemiah Brewer, son of David Brewer of Far. away, N. Y.. T. s. A. put 1t there, of course. and the captain wrote letter to my father about the death of his son. My old self was near done for, and the man Trumbull had new lease of life. You see. in my madness had convicted ard executed myself"
 He paused moment. His mother put her hand upon his shoulder, with Q word of gentle sympathy. Then he went on:
 Well, six years after I had gone away, one evening in midsummer we came into the harbor of Quebec. 1 had been long in the southern seas. When I went ashore on a days leave and wandered off in the fields and got the smell of the north I went out of my head-went crazy for look at the hills of Faraway and my own people. Nothing could stop me then. l drew my pay, packed my things in a bag, and off went. Left the burg afoot the day after; got to Faraway in the the new hay that stood in cocks and winrows on the hill, the noise of the crickets. the smell of the grain, the old house. just as remembered them, just as had dreamed of them a thousand times. And when went by the gate Bony. my old dog. came out and parked at me, and spoke to him, and he knew me and came and licked my hands, rubbing upon my leg. I sat EN{{|l,,E7 1[:}|